“Hawk and I will see that Edward is delivered to the governor,” Marcus told the men. “The rest of you may leave.”
“What about theOcean Curse?” Timothy asked Marcus.
Marcus turned to Hawk and said, “’Tis yours. You earned it. Just be fair to the men.”
Hawk lifted his chin, his brown eyes filled with emotion, and said, “I’ll take care of it until you return.”
With a shake of his head, Marcus said, “I will never return to pirating, my friend.”
“Then we’ll become merchants,” Hawk said, sounding confident.
“I’m casting my lot with you,” Timothy said to Marcus. “No matter what happens.”
Marcus put his hand on Timothy’s shoulder and nodded. “Thank you.”
So it was Marcus, Hawk, and Timothy who led Edward Zale down State Street and left to Marlborough Street where the governor’s mansion sat. The impressive structure was four stories tall with ornate dormers on the roof and a large cupola with a massive weather vane.
People watched us pass, but no one stopped to inquire.
My heart was beating hard as we climbed the steps of the mansion and Marcus knocked on the front door.
I was standing so close to him that when his hand found mine in the folds of my skirt, I almost started to weep. It felt like we were on our way to his execution—and for all intents and purposes, we were.
The door opened, and a man answered. He looked at each of us and frowned. “May I help you?”
Marcus quickly told him who he and Edward were, and he asked to speak to the governor, to turn them in.
The man’s eyes opened wide, and he quickly ushered us into the residence, which also acted as the governor’s office. A beautiful staircase sat in the center of the foyer, but the man directed us into a waiting room to the right.
“I’ll return with the governor shortly.”
Hawk and Timothy forced Edward to sit while they stood over him.
I waited near the fireplace with Marcus, who, despite his resolve, looked grim.
It didn’t take long for Governor Dummer to enter. At his side were two soldiers, their hands ready on the hilts of their swords.
The governor wore a curly gray wig and a black suit of clothes. He stepped into the room as if he didn’t believe the man who had summoned him, but when he saw each of us, his surprise was evident.
“Governor Dummer?” Marcus asked.
“Aye, and who are you?”
Marcus stepped forward and said, “My name is Maxwell MacDougal, but for the past fifteen years, I’ve been living as Marcus Zale, on theOcean Curse. I’m handing myself over to you today, and I’ve brought Captain Edward Zale as my prisoner.”
The governor stared at Edward, his eyes opening wide. “Edward Zale?”
Edward only scowled at him.
A look of joy passed over Governor Dummer’s face as he said, “Edward Zale is the last of the pirates that we’ve been seeking these past ten years.” He turned back to Marcus. “You know there’s a reward for his capture, don’t you?”
Marcus frowned and shook his head.
“Aye. ’Tis a handsome reward, I must say.”
“But I’m turning myself in, as well,” Marcus said, his chest rising and falling with the effort to confess. “I can’t accept a reward if I’m to be tried alongside him.”
Governor Dummer started to laugh, so it was my turn to frown. Why would he be mirthful at a time like this?
