Edward noticed that their commotion had caught the attention of others on the pier and around the harbour. Many eyes were on them, interested in what was happening. Edward could hear some people calling for the militia.
"It seems some are under the impression that we are the cause of the attack. The pirates who attacked town were after me," Edward explained. "We need to hurry to the Boddens' before anything else happens. Roberts, would you join Anne and me?" Roberts nodded. "Jack, Christina, keep the crew on the ship for now. I don't want any further trouble in town until we have this situation sorted."
"We're on it," she replied before she and Jack ran back to the Revenge.
"Hank, it might be wise if you do the same," Roberts said.
Hank nodded. "I reckon that's wise. I'll inform the men."
After Hank set off to the Fortune, Roberts, Anne, and Edward went farther down the pier to the main street. Luckily, those who had seen the scuffle didn't recognise Edward, and none pursued them so they were free to move.
The three of them did their best not to bring attention to themselves as they walked up the damaged cobblestone. Most of the people in the street were working at cleaning or repairing the broken homes and businesses, too busy to notice them.
Now that Edward had a closer look, the town was even worse off than he had thought. It looked as if some of the buildings had also been burned during the attack, and like the fire had spread throughout the area before it could be stopped. The smell of burnt wood, fresh dirt, and spent gunpowder lingered in the air, but there was another smell Edward couldn't pinpoint until he looked at his feet.
There were spots and pools of dried blood that had yet to be washed away, all along the main street. It wasn't fresh, but the faint smell lingered in the air.
"The attack could not have been more than two days ago," Anne speculated as the three walked along the street.
"We just missed it," Edward said.
"It is good providence that we were so fortunate." At Roberts' comment, Edward and Anne glanced at him with pursed lips. "Had we been here, we would not have been able to help." Roberts pointed to the destruction around them. "This was not done with one ship, unless it was a galleon. If this pirate was after you, there was not much we could have done to stop them."
"I suppose you're right," Edward conceded.
The three of them quickened their pace. They passed by the many different citizens, a multitude of whom had a bevy of wounds all over them. Despite this they continued work to fix their broken town.
They made their way quietly to the Boddens' mansion, and met no resistance along the way. At the Boddens' gate there were more guards than usual, and Edward could tell that they were from his crew.
As Edward approached, his crew recognised him. Before they could do anything to alert passersby, Edward placed his finger over his lips. "Where is William?" he asked.
"He's bedridden in the Boddens' estate. Good to see you, Captain. It's been pretty bad here the past few days."
Edward glanced over his shoulder "Yes, I've come to see that firsthand. Let us in, would you?"
The crewman nodded and opened the lock on the gate before swinging it open.
"Was there always a lock?" Roberts asked.
Edward shook his head. "Things must be truly bad, and I'm afraid once word spreads of our arrival it will only get worse."
"We must be quick about this then," Anne suggested.
The three walked up to the front door of the mansion, waving to the crewmates keeping watch. Edward went to open the door, but it too was locked. He glanced at his companions with a frown before knocking on the door.
Another crewman holding a musket opened the door, and his eyes opened wide when he noticed his captain standing in front of him. "Captain!" he shouted.
"In the flesh." Edward bowed his head. "Care to allow us entry?"
The man looked flustered and stepped aside. "Sorry, Captain. It's just surprising to see you."
"Yes, well, under the circumstances it almost feels as if we shouldn't have returned."
The man chuckled. "The people are on edge. They'll calm themselves soon enough."
Edward nodded. "Where are William and the Bodden brothers?"
"William is in the balcony room on the left side with the Mayan—"
"Pukuh," Edward interjected.
The crewmate nodded. "And the Boddens are in their study working on construction plans with the negro."
"Nassir," Edward said, giving the crewmate a foul look. Edward looked at Anne. "You'll be seeing William first, I imagine?"
Anne nodded. "You don't think you'll need me with the Boddens?"
"I'll manage. I'm not completely useless without you," Edward said with a grin.
Anne smirked. "Not completely." She gave him a kiss and headed up the wide stairs to the second floor to see William.
Edward and Roberts headed up the stairs just behind Anne and through double doors into the Boddens' study. The Bodden twins, Neil, who was wearing a red jacket, and Malcolm, wearing a blue jacket, were working at a desk near the back. They were looking over what appeared to be plans with Nassir, Edward's dark-complexioned shipwright.
They looked up when Edward entered. "Mr Thatch," Niel said.
"We were expecting you back soon, but not this soon," the other brother, Malcolm added.
"Our business went smoother than expected."
"Welcome back, Captain," Nassir said in his heavy accent, flashing a smile.
"Nassir, I'm glad to see you safe and unharmed."
"I was one of the lucky few."
Edward looked at the brothers. "Can you tell me what has happened here?"
The brothers looked at each other and then sighed. "It is one of our greatest fears realised. The pirate, Calico Jack, attacked us three days ago while you were away."
"There were three ships, and thankfully we and the majority of the houses this far inland were spared the brunt of the attack."
"And how are repairs going?" Edward said, looking at Nassir.
"Everyone in town is helping in rebuilding what was lost. Much of the work we did in the past few months and before was undone. Some have left for better shores, as they lost their homes, but those that remain are committed to the work."
Edward nodded at his friend's assessment, then turned his attention to the Boddens. "You are putting some money towards this, I hope?"
The immaculate and lavishly clothed brothers nodded as they said "Of course!" in unison.
"We sent one of the unharmed ships to hire workers from other towns to assist in our repair efforts."
Edward nodded. "Good, use my funds at your discretion. We can't stay long, as the townspeople seem to be against us. Gather any information you can on Calico Jack and his crew's whereabouts so we can prepare a counterattack. Nassir, would you be opposed to remaining here to continue repairs?" Edward asked.
Nassir shook his head. "I will gladly stay and help for now. But I ask that I join you again before fighting Calico Jack. Christina is like a daughter to me, and I would help her and her brother with their vengeance."
Nassir's eyes were fiery, and Edward recalled that Christina had had a relationship with his son before he passed away. Edward knew that if Nassir wasn't there and something happened to Christina, he would never forgive him.
Edward nodded. "I won't leave for that battle without you," he said before he turned around to leave and visit William.
The brothers' brows raised and they glanced at each other. "You plan to fight the King of the Caribbean? That is madness!" Niel said.
"He attacked our town. If we back down now, what does that tell other pirates? Besides, we planned on going after him someday. There's only one king, and I'll be the one to take that title." Edward started for the doors again, but Malcolm stopped him.
"How will we get you the information?"
"We'll return once this all blows over." Edward paused just shy of the doors leading back to rest of the mansion. "When
the citizens have calmed, paint part of your mansion red so we'll know it's safe to land."
The Boddens looked dumbfounded by the quickness of the meeting with their partner. Edward didn't wait around for them to regain their composure.
Outside the Boddens' room, Roberts grabbed Edward's arm. "Edward, you never mentioned to me that you angered Calico Jack."
Edward glanced at Roberts' hand, and he removed it. "I suppose I did not. I'm sorry, it never came up. Is it a problem?"
Roberts chuckled. "No, not in the slightest. I'm simply curious what it was you did to provoke his wrath."
"You're familiar with Herbert, our quartermaster?" Roberts nodded. "When he was a young man, he was working on Calico Jack's ship. There was an accident involving gunpowder, and it left him crippled."
Roberts shook his head. "Powder-monkeys. As I learned more about running a pirate ship, and the ease with which misfortunes such as that occur, I banned the practice. I believe I mentioned that to you already, when we created the Pirate Commandments."
Edward nodded. "I remember. I can assure you, from Rackham's treatment of Herbert he has no qualms about using powder-monkeys. Instead of taking care of Herbert after the accident, and raising him to a different role, he left him in Port Royal with nothing. Herbert and his sister had nothing but hardships after that, and they asked me to help them exact vengeance upon Rackham. As we searched for the keys to my ship, we came across one of his commanders and battled him. The man is no longer of this world, and I have this sword as a reminder," Edward said as motioned to the golden cutlass at his side.
Roberts gave a hearty laugh. "You always know how to pick them, don't you, my boy?"
Edward joined in the laughter, but didn't quite know how to respond. The two of them moved on to find William.
Edward and Roberts went to the left side of the Boddens' mansion to the room in which William was staying. The door was open, and when Edward entered he saw Anne and Pukuh sitting on stools near the bed, and William lying down with dressings wrapped around his entire chest. He looked sick with fever, and there was an odour that could only be from William being bedridden for days, and the application of foul medicines. His eyes were baggy, his lips chapped, and his face as pale as the white sheets under which he lay.
"Dear Father, William, what happened to you?" Edward exclaimed as he rushed over to William's bedside.
William flopped his head over to the side to better see Edward, and gave a listless salute. "Hello, Captain. I apologise for what has happened. I take full responsibility for not mounting an effective defence."
"Nonsense. I will hear no more of this. There was nothing you could have done. I heard from the Boddens that there were three ships. No matter what happened it would have turned out the same with that kind of firepower. You did what you could and that's all that matters," Edward said, folding his arms. "Though I do wish to know how you became so injured. Did you fight against Calico Jack himself?" Edward asked with a chuckle. An awkward silence came over the room, and when Edward eyed William, Anne, and Pukuh, they all looked sheepish.
"Good God, man!" Roberts blurted out.
William turned his head and stared at the ceiling. "He is a fearsome man indeed. He broke my ribs like they were nothing. His men kill, maim, and rape without regard for innocent life. He is every bit the reason common men fear pirates, because he encourages violence. I could see the anger and hate in his eyes, as a storm hurtling waves forty feet tall." There was no fear in William's voice. All Edward could hear was the same anger that he had spoken of, and a desire for vengeance that wasn't typical of him. William looked at Edward. "If you were here, I do not doubt that he would have killed every man, woman, and child in this town."
Edward glanced at Roberts. "Perhaps it is as you said—it was better that we were not here."
"There is more," William said.
"More?"
"Rackham seems to have a sword similar to the one you have. It is made from the same strange metal you recovered from one of his officers, and it was sharp enough to break a cutlass I was using in two."
Edward glanced at the cutlass at his side, curious over how Rackham had come upon such an abundance of the strange metal which made their swords.
William continued his story. "Before Rackham left, he pulled a dull golden hunting horn off his belt and used it to issue their retreat."
Golden Horn? But that's… Edward looked at each person in the room, finally settling on Pukuh, who had been silent throughout William's story. He looked angry and confused.
"Calico Jack is Benjamin Hornigold," Pukuh declared.
4. Trapped
"That's impossible," Edward said.
Pukuh's expression was as stone. "It is true. I saw him with my eyes. I am telling you, the man who attacked us was Benjamin Hornigold."
"How can you be sure?"
"I remember him from my childhood. I will never forget his face, and the man I saw had the same face but older. It was him."
Edward was going to object again, but Pukuh's eyes brooked no further argument. He'd seen what he'd seen. Benjamin Hornigold, the man who'd given his ship to Edward one fateful, black-out drunk night, the man whose clues had sent them on deadly quests for the keys to that same ship, and the man who had been friends with the Mayan warrior's father—that man was now called Jack Rackham.
Edward ran his hand through his hair. "Why would he do such a thing as this? Why change his name? Why… why?" was all he could think to add.
"Men change," Anne said. "From what I understand of the timeline, Benjamin Hornigold was only with Pukuh's father for a few years at most, and that was over ten years ago." Pukuh nodded in agreement. "Much can happen in ten years, much to change a man. Think about the past three years or so since you started sailing as a pirate."
Edward thought back on his adventures of life and death against Benjamin's game for the keys, his year of imprisonment for his crimes, his torture at the hands of Kenneth Locke, and the many friends he'd lost, and the one he'd killed. He was no longer the whaler he had been three years ago, and no longer the naive boy he once was.
"You have a point," Edward conceded.
"He could have changed his name for any reason. He was famous as Benjamin Hornigold; he could have wanted to turn over the hourglass. A new name, a new identity, and a new personality completely different from the Benjamin Hornigold who loved riddles and playing games." Anne glanced over to Pukuh with her last comment, and he looked down at the floor.
"But why give me the ship and then attack me? Where is the sense in that?"
Roberts spoke up this time. "Perhaps the man knows not who you are." Edward eyed his friend and raised his brow, intrigued. "You call yourself Blackbeard now, as you did with the man in his crew you killed, going by what you told me. He sold that ship to an Edward Thatch, not Blackbeard. Not to mention that the ship used to be called Freedom. Now it has a new name, one he wouldn't recognise."
Edward nodded. "That seems possible, though hard to believe." He stroked his beard in thought for a moment, all eyes watching him. After a moment he let out a sigh. "I suppose this doesn't change what we were going to do, unless you have a problem with killing him now, Pukuh."
Pukuh shook his head. "No… He's not the Benjamin my father sailed with. Not anymore."
"Now the question is how we get William and the rest of our men back to the ship without being seen?"
Anne stood up. "What? No, William cannot be moved, he needs to rest."
"The longer we stay here the more dangerous it is for us. As we speak the men who attacked us could be rallying others to find us or go after the ship. There's between six hundred and a thousand people living here, and only a little over two hundred of us."
Anne furrowed her brows in anger. "He'll die."
"I can make it," William croaked as he tried to sit up, but his arms were trembling under his own weight and he eventually collapsed back in a heap as he struggled for air.
Anne pulled
Edward aside and whispered to him. "He is safe here with the Boddens. You can leave. I will stay with him and Roberts here until he is healed, and in the meantime I will attempt to bring order back to the town. If we cannot, we shall meet you again at sea."
Edward looked into Anne's sea green eyes filled with concern, and then at William's sweat-drenched face and clothes as he tried to catch his breath. He let out a sigh. "I suppose that is for the best… Roberts," Edward called.
"Yes, my boy?" the giant Roberts said as he came over.
"Anne has elected to stay here with William as he heals and attempt calming the citizens. Would you and your crew stay with her to try to keep the peace, and then meet up with us at Montego Bay?"
"Aye, I'll stay and ensure the princess isn't bored to tears," Roberts said with a grin.
Edward gripped Roberts' shoulder. "Thank you, friend. I know we've been neglecting your desire for vengeance for some time, and I'm sorry for that. Once we find out where Walter Kennedy is, and settled this business, we'll go after him."
Roberts shook his head. "The Lord will deliver Walter Kennedy when it is his time, and no sooner. Do not worry about me. You find the man who did this and bring him justice."
"We will," Edward replied. "Together," he said as he squeezed his friend's shoulder.
Roberts smiled and put out his hand to shake, and the two laughed as each gripped the other's hand as hard as they could as a show of strength. After a moment they released their hands and Roberts pulled Edward in for a bear hug.
After Roberts released him, he gave Anne a goodbye kiss and then looked at Pukuh. "Pukuh, let's get back to the ship so we can find the man who destroyed our town, whatever you want to call him."
Pukuh rose to his feet and grabbed a spear resting against the wall in his one hand. "I am with you, brother. Benjamin has much to answer for, and I wish to question him before I shove my spear through his heart," he said with a menacing look on his face.
Edward grinned. "Well said." He went over next to William's bed. "William, we've decided to let you stay here and be the lazy sod you have been for a bit longer. Use your vacation well, as I'll have you working double-time to make up for it when you're back with us."
Blackbeard's Justice (The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 3) Page 4