Buxacan Spicerunner

by Goodwin, Warren;

  “I’m sorry, sir,” Sako said with marked insincerity. “It seems my men want the ship as well. Why waste time transferring cargo?”

  Sako turned to the Horizon. “What shall we do with the crew?” he shouted.

  “Feed ‘em to the valling fish!” Stutmouth shouted back.

  “I wonder if he’s capable of giving a different answer,” Dason commented.

  “Maroon them,” Olik said from forward on the Spicerunner.

  “Setting them free,” Tirpa called out.

  The Sevulians followed each speaker intently. Some showed relief at Tirpa’s suggestion.

  “Why?” Sako was having fun. “I think we should toss ‘em over the side about a quarter mile from that island over there. That way we can feed the fish and maroon them!”

  The Smilers roared their approval. The Hyena cackled. Some of the Sugar Queens began to beg for mercy.

  Tirpa had a different plan. “Some might be joining. Giving a boat to the rest and some provisions, they’re making landfall on that island by nightfall.”

  Thard liked the idea. “They could hop from island to island up the Chains and be in Colada next month.”

  Dason thought of something else. “Captain, we now have three ships. Three! Killing these men might stop our luck.”

  The Smilers looked at each other uneasily. No one wanted that.

  “You’re right,” Sako said. “There’s no reason to kill them. What do you say, Brothers? Shall we ask them to join us and set the rest free?”

  “Yeah yeah!”

  “Captain Towers! Put yourself and all your men amidships with your hands on your heads. No tricks and no one gets hurt.”

  The Sugar Queen had a full cargo, surprisingly enough, of sugar bound for Ariton. There were also a few barrels of rum, which would not make it either to Ariton or Port Buxaca. Seven of the eighteen men chose to join the Smilers rather than stay with Towers in his boat.

  Sako generously left Towers with a fair amount of provisions and water, his charts and even his logs. They took the Sugar Queen in tow with the Horizon. The newest men were kept together on their old ship, under the command of Dason and two other Smilers. The sailors of enterprise jeered at the men in the boat as they made for the island. Among the loudest was Jerot, the new hand with the strange, four-cornered hat.

  Two nights later, during the midwatch, the towrope snapped. The Sugar Queen turned about quickly. The Horizon lurched at the sudden release and Tirpa was thrown from his bunk. He scrambled to his feet and ran up on deck. Finve was on the helm. Men were shouting questions and Stutmouth lived up to his name as he hauled on the towrope.

  Tirpa stared over the taffrail but could see nothing. The Sugar Queen ran without lights, as they all did.

  Stutmouth got to the end of the rope and waved it in Tirpa’s general direction. “Ster-damned stapheads cut the valling line!” he reported.

  There was a sudden flash aft—BOOM!

  A cannon ball whizzed by Tirpa’s ear, another punched through the after cabin windows, blew down the door, and took down Kostek, Fishbait and the Hyena.

  “Bring her about! Crews to portside guns! Fire as you bear!”

  The commands were carried out quickly and efficiently, but Tirpa couldn’t tell if he’d done any damage. The moon was dark—they wouldn’t see the Queen unless she fired at them again. Nothing happened for a few minutes.

  “Masthead! Where’s the Spicerunner?”

  “She’s not in sight.”

  Tirpa ground his teeth. Of all the stupid—“When were you losing sight of her?”

  “I’m not sure, Tirpa. I’m sorry.”

  Finve spoke up before Tirpa could lose his temper, “Maybe they saw our gunfire.”

  “Hoping so.”

  The lookout on the Spicerunner saw and reported the first flash. Clenchjaw pointed the telescope in the right direction just in time to see the return fire.

  “Masthead! Horizon? Sugar Queen?”

  “I don’t know! Moon’s dark, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “Relieved! Here, now. You.” Clenchjaw pointed at Fington. “Up.” He looked at the helmsman. “Come about.” He pointed where the flashes had been. “There.”

  The tar who had been on watch arrived in front of Clenchjaw. It was Anderon Weppel. Clenchjaw looked him up and down. “Drunk?”

  “No,” Anderon said defensively. “Neither ship was in sight when I went up.”

  Clenchjaw raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t report.”

  Anderon slumped and looked at his feet. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, Clenchjaw, I was wrong.”

  “Get captain.”

  “Yeah yeah!” Anderon ran.

  Sako was not pleased, but he wasn’t going to blame Anderon. He hadn’t asked about the other two ships when he went to bed, Clenchjaw hadn’t asked when he took the watch, and neither of the lookouts had reported anything. Tirpa and his lookouts hadn’t noticed or hailed either. Now half his Crew and two of his ships were missing.

  Clenchjaw didn’t cringe when Sako arrived on the helmdeck, nor did he offer excuses.

  “Everybody on all three ships is at fault; let’s just fix it.”

  The gunner nodded. “Muzzle flashes. Fire and return fire. There.” He pointed dead ahead.

  “How far?”

  Clenchjaw looked grim. “After dawn.”

  Sako was puzzled, then realized it would take till after sunup to reach the place where the flashes had been seen. They had been coasting along under…Sako looked up. Topsails only. The Horizon had been under full sail and had still fallen hours behind. Now they were tacking back.

  “Topsails?” Sako asked mildly. Clenchjaw looked chagrined and ordered all sails raised.

  On the Horizon, Tirpa decided to heave to. Stutmouth took a sounding and reported that there wasn’t stut for a valling bottom. A drogue was rigged and put over.

  “Shouldn’t we try and catch them?” Finve asked.

  “How? There’s no moon! They’re changing tack and we’re sailing right past without seeing. If Spicerunner was seeing our gunplay, they’re coming here. But we’re not being here if we’re chasing blind.”

  “So that’s it? Just let them go! Maybe to hang Dason and Widzen and Ibe?”

  “How far do you think they’re getting, Finve? Keeping your brains in your forearm? They’re jury-rigged with seven men. I’m waiting here for Sako. At dawn we’re searching together. Even if the Queen was having two masts and twenty men, she’s not outrunning Spicerunner!” Tirpa chose not to speculate on the fate of their Brothers still on the Sugar Queen.

  Sako looked at the stars and ordered the mains lowered. It was an hour till dawn and he didn’t want to overshoot the place Clenchjaw had estimated the fire to have taken place. If a frigate or a Rumtown pirate had taken one or both of his ships, at least he’d know. But with only half of his Crew left, he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

  He was still trying to work out a plan when Duine Jito called excitedly while pointing over the rail. “There’s something in the water!”

  “Shark,” Clenchjaw said dismissively.

  “Yeah, but what’s he eating?”

  “Drop all sails,” Sako said. “Put a boat over and find out.” The sky was lightening; the sun would break the horizon soon.

  “Deck! Horizon off the starboard beam, drifting with all sails furled.”

  “Thank you, Dren.”

  And there she was, not five hundred yards away. Sako trained his glass on his other ship in time to see the Bloody Smile and a row of signal flags. He read the signal grimly and lowered his telescope. Several of the men stared at him blankly. Those are the ones that can’t read signal flags. We’ll have to remedy that as soon as possible.

  “The flags say: ‘Sugar Queen cut line midwatch last. Fired 1 salvo. Returned fire. 2 dead 1 wounded. Minor damage can sail’.”

  Uren Red was shocked. “My brother—”

  “Our Brothers!” Sako interrupted. “Captain Towers must h
ave planned this! I was a fool to leave all his men on the prize.”

  “Traitors now or traitors later, Captain,” said Thard. “Now we know, and they don’t know where Port Buxaca is.” Which they would have learned had they not decided to rescue themselves and their ship.

  A shout came from the boat crew. There was some wreckage floating near it, and Olik held up a dismembered arm they’d found on the debris. Sako didn’t need to see a face to know whose arm he saw. He only had two men with skin that color. He looked at Jat with regret.

  “We’ll get them, Jat. Thard, get down to the boat and have Olik take you over to the Horizon to see to the wounded. Naffen, send a signal, please.”

  ‘Set course for island. Queen to pick up captain. Will find them there or en route to Colada’

  ‘Acknowledged’

  The sailors of enterprise rounded the island in less than an hour, and found the Sugar Queen at anchor. There was a boat between the island and the runner. Sako looked at the ship first. Men were heaving at the capstan, others scrambled for the guns. He turned his telescope toward the island, and found the launch.

  The boat held eight men. Six were at the oars, the steersman wore a silly hat and the last…black leather vest, white shirt…had to be Dason.

  The men stopped rowing and all eyes turned first to the Queen, then to the two ships bearing down on them. There was a brief struggle in the boat and Dason was thrown over the side. The boat turned about and headed for the runner.

  “That was Dason they just threw over from the boat! I’m going to cut between them. Clenchjaw, take the port battery and load all with grape. Jat, you got starboard—sink that boat! No mercy this time, Brothers.”

  The Smilers answered with a wordless growl. The Sugar Queen put on sail and began to move. Smoke appeared along her side and shot reached out toward Sako’s ship. The balls fell harmlessly short. Sako concentrated on putting himself between Towers and the men in the boat.

  Tirpa swung his ship wider to Sako’s port. The Sevulians were now cut off across half the compass. The island filled another quarter, and the Sugar Queen’s stern was toward the open side. There was no escape.

  “Deck! Dason’s alive! He’s on the island.”

  The Smilers cheered the news as Jat made a sudden hand signal. Sako locked his grip on the wheel and Jat fired the first gun. The ball splashed short and forward of the boat.

  The Sugar Queen turned slowly to present its other broadside. This would put them in a good position for a run to the south, if they shot between the Smiler ships. What’s he thinking? We both reduce sail and pincer him if he gets between. Sako would have put himself closer to the island, hoping that the two larger ships drew too deeply to board. Under the circumstances, I’m glad he didn’t think of it.

  Another volley came from the Sevulians, aimed high. Two balls passed harmlessly over the deck of the xebec and the other three made holes in Sako’s sails. Clenchjaw still didn’t have the angle, but Jat took a second shot at the boat. This one was long and aft. The Alarfaji called urgent instructions to the next gun crew. This shot caused a splash that hid the boat from view. The men were wet now but the boat continued on her way. The next gun fired with a very weak report, and the ball rolled out of the cannon and splashed just feet away. Jat cursed colorfully in his own language and called instructions to the next gun.

  They fired immediately and their aim was true. The entire stern, the steersman, and his silly hat were obliterated.

  Die Jerot! Sako exulted.

  The Smilers cheered as the boat went down. Sako spun the wheel toward the island to give Clenchjaw the chance he’d been waiting so patiently for.

  While Sako had been concentrating on the boat, Tirpa had already fired on the runner to good effect. The Queen no longer had a bowsprit and her remaining mast swayed alarmingly. Sako and Clenchjaw could clearly see that they’d only get one shot before the Horizon got too close.

  “Deck! White flag!”

  “Vall that! Fire anyway!”

  BOOM. The grape wreaked havoc on Towers’ men and the mast collapsed. Sako turned back onto a collision course.

  “Boarding parties stand ready! Brace for impact!” The Horizon arrived first and they could see Tirpa leading men onto the Sugar Queen.

  Sako spun the wheel again to strike the brig broadside. “Sails down! Booms to starboard!”

  It had occurred to him that if he hit the little runner with the bow of the Spicerunner, he might cut her in half. The impact was hard enough to knock down every combatant on the Queen.

  Ieskott led a group over with a bloodcurdling howl. Some of the Sevulians dropped their weapons to surrender, but others fought on. Either way they were cut down.

  The slaughter was over before Sako even left the helmdeck. What kind of barbarian warlord leads from the rear? he berated himself, forgetting for the moment that he was a canny pirate captain and not a warlord. I might as well be retired for all the boarding action I see. I need to get out front. They might fight for profit, but they chose me to lead.

  The Smilers tossed bodies overboard. Sako jumped lightly to the other deck. The sharks were already coming to feed. Sako looked at the island.

  Two of the boat crew had survived. One was facedown on the beach in front of Dason, who now carried a knife. The other sailor stood waist deep in the water.

  “I need a boat and some volunteers to help me get Dason.”

  “With the sharks?” asked Oban Blue.

  “That’s why I said volunteers. I’m going to get our First Mate. Who’s with me?”

  Several hands were raised. Sako quickly picked six and the boat was put over. There were four sharks now, and two more fins broke the surface nearby.

  “We’ll pick up that guy in the water, too.” Sako said.

  “What for?” Olik asked.

  “Stutmouth is going to get his wish.”

  The men shipped oars next to the lone man standing in the water.

  “You might as well climb in. There’s sharks here, you know.”

  “You won’t kill me?”

  “No.”

  The man climbed in gingerly.

  “I was wondering if youse were going to leave me here,” Dason said, as he waded out.

  “The boys thought you looked too comfortable.”

  “Yeah,” said Aler. “Why should you lay around on a beach while the rest of us have to work?”

  Dason smiled, and gave their captive a hard look. “Are we going to maroon this one? He was pretty vocal about marooning me.”

  “No, we’re taking him back to the ship. I promised not to kill him.”

  “I didn’t promise.”

  “You’re not gonna kill him, either.”

  “Stut, Sako! You never let me have any fun.”

  “You had your fun with that one.” Sako indicated the man on the beach.

  “Not that much fun. He’s not dead.”

  “Oh? In that case we’d better get him, too.”

  “Why wake him up? He’s more comfortable there than I was.”

  “His comfort is of no concern to me.”

  The other survivor was collected and roughly deposited in the boat. Rough handling woke him, but he was still dazed. The boat passed another shark on the way to the feast.

  Back on deck, Sako called for Thard. “What’s the butcher’s bill?”

  “Fishbait’s dead. Hyena’s dead. I had to take Kostek’s left hand.”

  The men growled at every name, and the two captives looked around nervously.

  “Balgo had his cheek sliced through,” Thard continued. “He’ll have an ugly scar but he’ll live. Uren Red was shot in the chest. I got the ball out but he might not make it. And we haven’t found Widzen.”

  “Widzen’s dead,” said Dason.

  “An expensive prize,” Sako said. “We have two of the men responsible for setting so high a price. What shall we do with them?”

  For once, Stutmouth was silent.

  “Kill them,�
� said Brog.

  “I promised not to.”

  Jat had the solution. “Just put them over the side. That way you keep your word.” Brilliant teeth gleamed in his cold smile. “Maybe the sharks are full.”

  Horrible noises from the water disproved his theory.

  “When my little brother was a baby,” said Dason, “he would close his mouth and turn his head when he didn’t want any more. I bet sharks will do the same thing.”

  “I don’t know,” said Olik. “Dogs don’t turn away no matter how much they’ve had.”

  “Dogs have fur.”

  “What’s that got to do with it?”

  “Well, sharks don’t have fur, babies don’t either. I say that makes them alike.”

  “A Tayan crown says you’re wrong.”

  “Let’s find out,” said Ieskott. He stepped forward and punched the Sevulian in the gut. The man’s breath whooshed out and he sat down hard.

  “Sorry,” said Ieskott. “Don’t want your screams to attract the other sharks and ruin the experiment.”

  “A Tayan crown says they come anyway,” Dason said.

  “You’re on!” Together they threw the unfortunate sailor overboard. The sharks weren’t full, of course.

  “Win one, lose one,” Dason said philosophically. “You owe him a crown.”

  “That’s alright,” Ieskott said. “He still owes me a crown from our last bet.”

  “So we’re even, then?” said Olik.

  “We’re square.”

  “Good. I used to break the legs of welchers. I didn’t want to have to break my own. It looks painful.”

  “Hey, does anyone think that if we throw this one over—without punching him first!—that his screams will scare away the sharks?”

  Most of the men thought Dason’s new idea was pretty funny, but Clenchjaw intervened. “Enough. Throw him.”

  And the last survivor of the Sugar Queen joined his shipmates.

  When the screaming stopped, Sako said, “We all made some mistakes, Brothers. We’re all to blame. From now until we get home, we will convoy within hailing distance at all times. All of youse! The first thing you do when you come on watch is make sure you can see the other ships. Got it?”