“Very good, Stetson,” Sidorio said. “Catch you later for a pint or two on The Blood Captain?”
“Sounds great!” Johnny said, grinning at the ladies, then racing back into the fray.
Sidorio and Lola led the others on around the atoll, observing with pleasure the sparring on all sides.
“Isn’t this thrilling?” Lola exclaimed. “Camp Decimation! How ingenious you are, Sid!”
Sidorio smiled at her praise. He glimpsed Stukeley close ahead, and his spirits soared even higher.
Stukeley extricated himself from the battle zone to greet the others. “Good evening, Sidorio. And Lady Sidorio.”
Lola smiled prettily. “I think it’s high time you started calling me Lola,” she said.
“Absolutely,” Stukeley said. “Lola it is.”
Sidorio leaned forward confidentially. “Stetson said that you’d been training up the newly crossed pirates. How are they performing?”
“Pretty well,” Stukeley replied. “Yes, on balance, I’d say that the freshly crossed pirates are more of an asset to us than the landlubber vamps. Johnny has his work cut out with them!”
Sidorio nodded. “He said as much.”
“Still,” Stukeley said, “it makes sense to keep both recruitment streams going.”
“Absolutely,” Lola said, stepping forward. “Every recruit to the Vampirate army is one less recruit for the blood-hating Alliance.”
Stukeley nodded. “That reminds me,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you both about something.” He paused as their eyes met his. “Have you noticed that although we seem to be so much more aggressive at recruiting, the Alliance army always seems to outnumber ours?”
“Things are changing,” Lola said. “Fast.”
“Lately we have triumphed over them in one battle after another, yet their numbers seem to remain constant,” Stukeley continued. “Maybe they’re recruiting more actively than we thought. Either that or they have found a way to bring their fallen troops back from the dead.”
Sidorio laughed, his eyes bright. “That’s more our territory than theirs, surely?”
Lola looked thoughtful, then turned to Stukeley. “Rest assured, it’s under investigation,” she said.
Stukeley gave a precise salute, turned, and marched back into the melee.
“That boy is like a son to me,” Sidorio said.
Lola smiled. “I confess I didn’t take to him at first. Neither him nor the Cowboy. But now I find my feelings have shifted.”
Such words were balm to Sidorio’s ears. His group had now completed a full circuit of the atoll. Their inspection of the troops was concluded. Everything appeared to be in order.
Lola pointed to a row of ships illuminated by the moon. “Do you remember when we first met, Sid? We only had but two ships to our name. Now, consider our growing fleet.”
Sidorio nodded, smiling and feeling a river of warmth run through him. He noticed that Jacqueline and Nathalie had fallen back, allowing their two leaders a rare moment of privacy.
“Over a hundred Vampirate ships and more recruited by the night!” Lola gazed up at Sidorio, her eyes bright. “At last, my dear, you have the empire you always craved.”
“I couldn’t have done this without you,” he said, truthfully. “I was nothing but a lonely drifter before I met you.”
Lola shook her head. “Don’t sell yourself short, Sid. I hate it when you do that.”
He circled his arms around her, his hands caressing the small of her back as he gazed at her in love and awe. “What I mean to say is, all this”—he gestured from the line of ships to the horde of skirmishing Vampirates—“everything we have now, is because of you.”
“No,” Lola said. “Because of us. We planned all this—on our honeymoon. During those long, deliciously bitter Siberian nights, when the virgin snow ran red with the blood of our victims. Remember? Then we came home and made it happen. That’s the wonder of us, Sid. Others merely dream but we know the alchemy that turns dreams into reality.”
She moved one of his hands around to place it on her swollen belly. Beaming at her, Sidorio waited until he felt the now familiar tremors of movement beneath her clothes and skin.
“Not long now,” he said.
“Not long indeed,” she said, “until your two boys are born.”
Sidorio’s eyes were ablaze. “Boys? Our babies are both boys?”
“Why, yes,” Lola said, her dark eyes narrowing. “I thought I’d already told you that?”
He shook his head. His mind was racing. For some reason, he had expected the twins to be one boy and one girl. Now he realized the folly of his thinking. Why should history repeat itself so precisely?
It was a mental adjustment to think that he would soon be the father to two sons; two true heirs to this empire he and Lola had built. He thought of Johnny and Stukeley. His deputies had become like sons to him, but blood heirs were different. In twenty or so years’ time—no more than an inhalation and exhalation to him—he could watch his own sons spar with each other as they warmed themselves up for the fight. He could watch his boys command equal fleets that circled the oceans. Such thoughts made his heart burst with pride and anticipation.
Turning back to Lola, he was ambushed by an unexpected emotion. It took him a moment to recognize it as sadness. Sadness that Lola was not having a girl. Because he would have loved to have seen Lola’s rare beauty replicated in a daughter. Perhaps, he reflected, it was better this way. Lola was one of a kind. After her, the mold was broken.
“What is it, my darling?” Lola’s eyes looked up at him, questioningly. “Aren’t you happy to know you will soon have two blood-hungry sons?”
He smiled down at her. “Lola, you have made me the happiest man in the realms of the undead.”
Lola stared deep into her husband’s eyes. “You can’t keep things hidden from me, Sid. You know that, don’t you? I see all your secrets.”
He knew her words were the truth. “I couldn’t be happier at this news,” he said. “If my deep joy is countered by a small sadness, it is simply that I would have loved to have created a daughter with you.”
Lola’s face dissolved into a smile. “My darling, I understand—of course I do. But don’t you see? These twins are only the first fruits of our eternal union. There will be many other children in the years to come. Our own empire within an empire.”
Sidorio found himself beaming from ear to ear, positively swelling with happiness. “I almost forgot,” he said. “I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” Lola’s eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “Not more jewelry, surely?”
“Well, it does involve silver,” Sidorio said, excitedly. “Wait here!” He ran off across the sand. Lola watched him, thinking how puppyish he sometimes seemed. She folded her arms as he made his way back to her. In his huge hands was a sleek and shiny crossbow.
Lola smiled as he extended the streamlined weapon, a pouch of arrows, and a pair of gloves toward her. “For me? It’s absolutely beautiful, darling!” She weighed the crossbow in her hands. It was surprisingly light but Lola was instantly alive to its deadly power.
“I thought it would come in handy against the Nocturnals,” Sidorio said. “All the arrows are silver, of course. So you’ll need to wear these gloves whenever you handle them. Rest assured, they are deadly when shot with precision.”
Smiling, Lola lifted the sight to her eyes. “Oh Sid, how marvelous. Shall I have a little practice?”
“Why not?” Sidorio nodded.
Lola gazed through the sight until it settled on a coconut tree. The moonlight illuminated a ripe coconut at the center of her sight. Lola was about to fire the arrow when, feeling rather more playful, she adjusted her position so that the crossbow was directed at one of Sidorio’s weaker crew members. A moving target was so much more of a challenge.
Lola took aim and sent the silver arrow on its deadly trajectory. As the surprised Vampirate slumped to the ground, causing a hubbub around him, Lol
a turned and kissed her dumbfounded husband. “Thank you, darling. It’s a truly wonderful gift. And so much more practical than another pair of earrings!”
12
THE TURNING OF THE TIDE
The Tiger, The Typhon, and The Muscovite—the last having lately been brought out of retirement—were all moored together. On the top deck of The Tiger, the crews of three of the most valued Alliance vessels were still engaged in combat training as night closed in around them. The sky was full of stars and the sea seemed the calmest it had been in recent memory. Standing outside her cabin, Cheng Li was flanked to her port side by Barbarro and Trofie Wrathe and to starboard by her former teacher Pavel Platonov. They each watched with relish the dazzling skills of their crews. Each of these leaders seemed to be lost in thought when Trofie broke the silence.
“As terrible as this war is, it has brought about some pleasing changes.” She lifted her golden hand to gesture to the deck. “Commodore Li, I must commend you. The work you have done to raise our fighting skills is nothing short of extraordinary. Your close contact with the Nocturnals has certainly borne fruit.”
“Thank you, Deputy Wrathe.” Cheng Li nodded graciously. “Yes, you’re right about these changes.” Her eyes narrowed in on one combatant in particular. “Look at your son, for instance. He is utterly transformed.”
Trofie nodded, smiling softly as she, too, observed Moonshine’s almost balletic maneuvers as he clashed swords with Connor Tempest.
There was a discreet cough at Cheng Li’s side. She turned to find Jasmine.
“Captain, I have important news from our tracking teams.” All the leaders’ eyes turned to Jasmine as she continued. “The Diablo has finally separated from the Vampirate fleet.”
Calmly, Cheng Li nodded. “We must cut short this training session.” Her eyes met Cate’s in the midst of the melee. The captain gave a signal that Cate immediately understood and acted upon. Across the deck, swords fell and the drumming of footsteps softened.
Barbarro turned to Cheng Li. “Is there any way we may be of assistance?”
Cheng Li smiled softly. “No, but thank you. We have the optimum trained crew at the ready.”
Minutes later, the other captains had assembled their crews and begun the swift return to their ships. Meanwhile, Jasmine had gathered up the key personnel of The Tiger. Cheng Li, Jasmine, Connor, Cate, and Bo Yin were all standing at the prow of the ship. They were joined by Moonshine Wrathe, not strictly a crew member but nonetheless a key comrade in the battle that lay ahead. The rest of The Tiger’s crew lingered on the deck, weapons down, catching their breath and mopping up the sweat endured by their long workout. There was a heady sense of expectation in the air.
“Are you certain that The Diablo is now cut off?” Cheng Li asked Jasmine.
“Yes,” answered her trusted deputy. “It has broken away from the other key ships of the Vampirate fleet, and, when last tracked, had moored on the shore. Intel believes that the Cowboy is on a mission to recruit land-based vampires to his crew.”
Cheng Li shuddered at the thought. He had to be stopped. Kill two birds with one decisive stone.
Bo Yin, standing at Jasmine’s side, spoke now. “If we leave now, Captain, we can be in position by 0600 hours.” Bo, Cheng Li realized, was another example of metamorphosis. She had transformed herself into a key member of the team—matters of navigation and liaison with tracking and Intel were her specialty, under the watchful mentoring of Jasmine.
Cheng Li nodded gratefully at her talented and committed crewmates. “It seems that the moment we have been anticipating has come. Jasmine, instruct the navigators of our target coordinates and tell them to make haste. Bo, I want you to maintain an eye on the rest of the fleet. We don’t want any nasty surprises! Cate, I will of course leave you to go through the weaponry allocation and checks. Plenty of aconite solution tonight, if you please!” Now Cheng Li turned to face Connor and Moonshine. “We three will, as discussed, lead the vanguard attack. Jasmine and Cate will follow. Talk to your teams. Ensure they are ready for what lies ahead.”
“Yes, Captain!” declared Connor and Moonshine in unison.
Addressing the whole group, Cheng Li had but one final set of instructions. “After these preparations are concluded, please ensure everyone who is not on duty returns to their cabins and gets a few hours’ rest. We’ll reconvene on deck at 0400 hours, ready to commence Operation Scrimshaw.”
Connor smiled to himself. It had been his suggestion to name this mission after Molucco’s beloved pet. He thought that his former commander would have appreciated the touch.
“Wait!” Moonshine Wrathe broke from the ranks and stood at Cheng Li’s side. The captain seemed momentarily disconcerted as Moonshine began to directly address the rank-and-file members of the crew. “I want to thank you all for joining me tonight on this mission to take back my ship, the legendary pirate vessel, The Diablo.”
Connor watched with growing interest as Moonshine continued, his eyes bright, his voice strong and surprisingly sonorous. “If fortune smiles upon us and grants us this much wished-for victory, I pledge to stand each and every one of you brave pirates a tankard of grog at Ma Kettle’s Tavern tomorrow night.”
There were cheers at this. Connor shook his head. Pledging tankards of grog and intoning the sacred name of Ma Kettle were easy wins. Nonetheless, he was impressed. No question, Wrathe junior had inherited the family gift for working a crowd. As if to prove his point, Moonshine’s expression changed and a sudden hush fell upon the deck. “Make no mistake,” he said, his voice lower than before but no less potent. “This mission is not simply about helping me take back what is rightfully mine. This is about tipping the scales of victory in this war. It was a war we didn’t want, but which we had no option but to engage in. Tonight, every last one of you will play your part in turning the tide and firing a shot right into the heart of that dirty Vampirate fleet.”
He had spoken with such vigor that his face was red and dotted with beads of sweat, but his eyes shone star-bright as he reached for his sword and raised it aloft.
Across the deck, each and every pirate mirrored Moonshine’s gesture. Connor found himself reaching for his own sword and saw that Cate, Jasmine, and even Cheng Li had done the same. The deck of The Tiger was a deadly field of sharpened silver blades.
“To victory!” cried Moonshine.
“To victory!” echoed the crowd in unison. The troops began stamping the deck boards as they continued the cry. “Victory! Victory! Victory!”
Connor watched, fascinated, as Moonshine lowered his sword. Once more, the crowd was hushed, as if they were his puppets.
“Thank you,” Moonshine said, turning, “but, most of all, thanks to Captain Li for agreeing to join me in this fight. May our actions tonight prove a decisive moment in this war.”
Back in Cheng Li’s cabin, Connor, Cate, Jasmine, and Moonshine joined her in drinking to victory. They slammed together their glasses of cuttlefish grappa and drank to a successful mission.
As the fiery grappa slipped down Connor’s throat, he glanced across at Cheng Li’s clock. It was a full ten minutes ahead of his watch. He felt a cold wave of panic. Which was the correct time? Had he missed his rendezvous?
“I have to go,” he said, suddenly striding toward the exit. “I’m expecting a delivery.”
As the doors banged shut behind him, Jasmine’s eyes turned curiously toward the captain. “A delivery?” she inquired. “At this time of night?”
Cheng Li nodded. “That’s right! We arranged a special courier earlier. For some of Master Yin’s aconite potion. We’re running low—remember?” Her dark eyes seared into Jasmine’s, eliminating any possibility of challenge. “Thank goodness Connor has his wits about him.”
“Time I was off, too,” Cate said. “There’s a passage from Marcus Aurelius I always like to read before I go into battle. It helps me to center myself.”
Cheng Li smiled. “And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou does
t every act of thy life as if it were the last.”
Cate nodded. “I’m impressed,” she said. “How did you know?”
“Just a guess,” Cheng Li said. “Those words have great resonance for me, too.”
“Come on, Cate. I’ll walk with you,” said Jasmine, her eyes glistening in the candlelight.
As the twin doors of her cabin swung shut once more, Cheng Li turned to Moonshine. “Just us captains, then! Care for another glass of grappa?”
Moonshine shook his head. “You know the old saying, Captain Li. One shot keeps you sharp, a second keeps you up all night. I intend to follow your advice and avail myself of a power nap before action commences.”
Cheng Li nodded, impressed by his newfound discipline.
Moonshine rolled his empty glass between his palms. “You’re an amazing role model, you know,” he said. “The way you are with your crew—and them with you. I want to be just like that when I have my own ship.”
Smiling, Cheng Li brushed aside his flattery. “All being well, this time tomorrow you will be in possession of your ship. But, make no mistake, there’s something of a journey between inheriting a ship and forming a solid crew.”
“I know,” Moonshine said, with genuine humility. “I’m just at the beginning of my piratical career. But I’m eager to learn from the greats… like you.” His eyes glanced from her to the portrait behind her. “And your dad.”
Cheng Li nodded. There seemed to be no stopping Moonshine once he was on a roll.
“I meant what I said out there,” he continued. “I’m so grateful to you for agreeing to help me. I know your relationship with my family—my uncle especially—has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, so I especially appreciate—”
“This has nothing to do with your uncle,” Cheng Li said briskly. “You came to me as one pirate captain to another, asking for help.” She glanced up at the portrait above her desk. “Sometimes our inheritance can be a mixed blessing. All my life, I have lived in the shadow of my father’s reputation.”
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