Edward returned to the inn's pub area. Edward's crew stood above the many unconscious members of Miles' pirate crew. Broken tables, chairs, bottles and glasses littered the floor of the inn. The innkeeper stood behind the bar, with several of his wait staff hiding in fear. The staff's eyes were on Edward and as he approached they pushed themselves even further against the wall.
"Send the bill for repairs to the Bodden Brothers, would you?" Edward asked with a smile. The innkeeper nodded mutely.
When Edward exited the inn, the citizenry focused on him briefly before moving on about their business. Edward walked over to Miles. His body was broken, but he was breathing.
"You managed to survive. Good, because I have one last thing to tell you." Edward turned over Miles' body to face him. "Pay attention." Edward forced Miles' weary eyes open to gaze at the terror of Blackbeard manifest. "Don't fuck with my town again." Edward left with those parting words, and Miles blacked out.
Miles was no longer called a Murderer after that.
16. Mystery in the Gulf
With the help of the Bodden Brothers and their network, the Freedom was restocked with a full crew again in less than a week. The new mates were all people who had been screened before for the militia, but the brothers didn't hire for being too rough. Edward felt they would be a perfect fit for his crew.
Before setting sail, Edward had the new crewmates swear by the pirate commandments made by him and Bartholomew Roberts. If they would not swear, Edward released them from the crew.
Edward also split a generous sum of the money from his shares of the Bodden's stock amongst the crew for their hard work, which was fed back into the town at the local market and taverns and whorehouses before leaving.
Once headed out to sea, Edward had Herbert point Freedom towards the Gulf of Mexico, their next destination, although specifically where in the Gulf was a matter of debate.
"So, Herbert, have you had some time to think over the riddle left by Benjamin?" Edward asked.
"Yes, actually. I believe I figured out the answer," Herbert said, obviously irked about something. Before Edward could inquire, Herbert discussed the reason for his ire. "That smug Alexandre claimed to have solved the riddle within a few seconds of hearing the clue, and he had the audacity to give me a clue."
Edward sympathised with Herbert, knowing firsthand how irritating Alexandre's arrogance could be. "What was his clue?"
"What has four points and what has three points?" Herbert questioned before yelling orders to trim the sails.
Four points, three points. Edward decided to read the riddle again.
In the Gulf the North East Triangles Point the Way.
Four points, four points, three points, three points.
Undo and See.
Four points. Four points. Edward pondered. Compass? Cross? X? Those seem too obvious. A square or rectangle? Maybe. What has three points which is related to those? He could only think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost for the cross, or a triangle relating to the square. What would either have to do with this?
"All I can think of is either a Cross and the Holy Trinity… or a square and a triangle."
Herbert was surprised. "The religious significance is intriguing, but I believe a square and a triangle are the most likely fit."
"How does a square and triangle fit with the riddle?"
"May I?" Herbert asked, his hand extended. Edward handed him the paper and he went to work.
Herbert first folded the paper in half, making a rectangle, four points, then folded the rectangle in half making a square again, four points. Herbert folded the square from one corner to the other, making a triangle, three points, and then repeated the process, three points. After showing Edward the finished product, Herbert unfolded the paper—undo and see.
On the paper now was the outline of four squares, with each square having four triangles pointing to the middle. The triangles in the northeast square pointed to a specific location on the map. The Northeast Triangles Point the Way.
"Incredible," Edward said. "Good work, Herbert. Take us straight there!"
"Aye, aye Captain."
Over the next week, the new crewmates were acquiring their sea legs and familiarising themselves with the veterans. Edward was learning the names and making his presence known as the captain.
Anne fully recovered from her fever and returned to work aboard the ship. The new members were apprehensive having women aboard at first, but after an incident involving a punch from Christina, and some broken fingers from Anne, they realised the two were not to be trifled with, and better sailors than most.
"Already putting the new men in line, I see?" Henry asked Anne one day, soon after she'd returned to active duty.
"Well, one has to teach the young ones manners or they are likely to rebel. Spare the rod…" Anne started.
"Spoil the child," Henry finished and they both chuckled.
After a moment, Anne's expression turned serious. "Is everything well, Henry? You have not been yourself in many days past."
Henry waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't trouble yourself. I'm just tired."
"Henry, from our time spent together before freeing Edward, I can tell when you are lying. Tell me your problems."
Henry opened his mouth, shook his head, and his mouth made a line. "I need to deal with my own problems, Anne. I will not burden another with this. If you'll excuse me?" Henry left, not waiting for a reply.
Henry's mind turned to his friend, Robert Maynard, and what he and Edward did to him. Henry also reflected on other innocents whom the crew of Freedom sacrificed to escape Portsmouth. The memory of the houses turning to rubble, and the thought of those caught in the middle, still made Henry sick to his stomach.
Christina's leg was still healing, and probably wouldn't be better for another few weeks, but the wolf, Tala, healed quicker and was often seen exploring the ship. Edward found it a bit disconcerting, but Tala appeared docile and did well with the dried meat normally available.
"So, can I keep her?" Christina asked Edward as they were feeding Tala one day.
"How are we to keep a wolf aboard? We should take her back to Pukuh's village. Wolves aren't meant to live amongst humans, they're dangerous."
"So says the one who used a pack to save a village."
"Hey, don't use logic and wit against me, Missy." Edward sounded upset, but he was grinning. "Alright, I'll allow Tala to stay for now, but any trouble and she's gone. And she's your responsibility."
Christina nearly jumped out of her seat with a hug for Edward. "Thank you, Edward, you're the best captain ever!"
Edward sighed. "I'm the only captain you've had."
Christina stuck her tongue out. "Well, go ahead and ruin the compliment then." Edward ruffled her hair and started to leave, but Christina spoke again, in a more serious tone. "Thank you Edward, for all you've done for me and my brother. Despite what he said earlier, he admires and trusts in you. We've been through some rough times, he and I, and you've given us hope. Despite losing family along the way," Christina turned away from Edward and wiped a tear off her cheek, "you've allowed us the chance to avenge them. Thank you."
Edward smiled. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
"I'm certain you will," Christina affirmed in her sweet voice.
As Edward reached the top deck he heard a lively "Land ho!" from the crow's nest. Herbert turned the ship to face the island dead on. Edward went up to the bow for a better view. He pulled out his spyglass and peered to the island beyond.
The island was small and round in shape, with no trees and a large structure in the middle. The structure was made of stone, from what Edward could tell, and rose higher than any building he ever saw. As they approached the island, the crew was truly astonished by the size of the monstrosity. The tower must have been at least four chains in height, or two hundred and sixty-four feet, which was taller than the tallest castles.
The ship landed on the sandy beach
and the crew descended onto the island. Edward instructed them to bring weapons and all available supplies for any situation they might encounter. They entered all of these trials unprepared and always paid for it, but hopefully this time would not be the same.
The breeze of salty air flew through the fresh grass and passed over the old stone structure. The beautiful day on a quaint island in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico was not lost on the crew. They took their time to enjoy the sights while they had the chance.
"Here we be again, eh, Cap'n?" Sam questioned, striking up a conversation.
"Yes, there is almost no end to Benjamin's trickery."
"Two keys and you be free of 'im." Sam laughed.
"That is the hope, at least. You never know, Benjamin could show up and demand his ship back once we've opened the final room."
Sam laughed even more at the notion. "Well, the only way ta make Freedom yer own ship is ta rename her."
"Rename the Freedom? I wasn't aware you can rename a ship."
"Of course ye can. The ship is yers, or at least it will be after we secure all the keys, like ye said. Ye can do whatever ye want," Sam reassured him as he continued to walk up the beach and onto the grassy part of the island.
Hmm, rename the ship? But, Freedom fitted so well with what they were trying to accomplish.
"Are ye coming, Cap'n?" Sam inquired, glancing over his shoulder.
Edward shook himself out of his contemplation and joined the crew at the foot of the tower. Edward passed through the stone archway into the dark of the tower and was handed a lantern by Anne.
The room the crew entered was open and spacious, with a note of stale water in the air. The walking area was relegated to a single strip of stone around the perimeter, as the centre of the room was hollowed out, with a hundred-foot drop to water below. Edward could make out the remains of a sunken ship at the bottom.
"Captain, look on the left," a crewmate exclaimed.
Stairs made of stone on the left of the room led up to the next level. Edward decided to move to the steps with caution.
"Let's move to the next level, but be careful, there may be traps," Edward cautioned the men following behind him.
Edward approached the steps on the left side of the room, placing his foot on the first step slowly and deliberately. Nothing happened. He stomped his foot harder across the whole of the step, but nothing bad happened. He did the same thing for the next three steps, first testing and then tempting, but no traps were sprung.
Edward moved to the next level, and soon determined what had happened. On the next level half the floor and ceiling were covered in spikes, except for a walkway in the middle leading to the other side. Dead bodies, now nothing more than skeletons, could be seen impaled on some of the spikes.
Someone had been here.
The room smelled of stale air and decay from the dead bodies. Little air flow caused the smell to permeate the room. Though it was prevalent in the room of the tower, it nonetheless faded over time and did not sting as it did the first time Edward smelled a decaying body. The fact that the bodies had decayed completely meant some time had passed since it was entered.
When Edward realised someone had been here before his eyes widened and he rushed through the walkway between the spikes and up stairs on the left side with little regard for traps. Anne and Henry were worried for his safety and yelled for Edward to slow down, but in the next room they saw more dead bodies and another completed puzzle, and they were able to grasp what Edward saw.
The crew followed Edward through a fourth room, the last one, and up the final set of stairs to the roof of the tower. In the centre of the roof was a pedestal with a chest on the top. Edward opened the chest with shaking hands as the crew flooded the roof to join him. They went up behind Edward, waiting for the final nail in the coffin.
"The key is gone," Edward confirmed, his voice shaking like his hands.
17. The Straw
Despite everyone deducing what happened before Edward voiced it, the words produced no less shock upon the crew.
Edward held up a piece of paper, which he had retrieved from the chest.
"What is that, Edward?"
"A letter left from the person who took the key, confirming he took the contents of the chest."
"Is the letter signed?"
"Yes, by a Daniel Richardson, but that could be anyone." Edward nearly threw the paper over the side of the tower in frustration, but Anne stopped him.
"Any clue is better than no clue. We will find him. We must."
Anne read the paper.
I reckon whomever is reading this is either the rightful owner of this key, the snake who set up this trap, or both. By now you shall see that I have taken the key for myself. Its use may be unknown to me at the present, but it is now mine. If you are in need of the key, no need to get torn up about it as I've found it fair and square, and paid a pretty price in slaves to do so. You lost this hunt.
Do not come after the key, or misfortune will surely follow.
Daniel Richardson.
"Might I have a regarder at the paper?" Alexandre asked as he made his way through the crowd.
He sauntered over, a small smirk on his face unreflected in his dull eyes. As he strode across the tower roof, his long coat swayed in the wind. He took the paper from Edward and examined it thoroughly: bending, smelling, and eventually licking the paper.
"This is wood from the American Chestnut Tree and the ink is produced in Canada, so Northern America, possibly Maine or New York." Alexandre smacked Edward on the arm. "Not so lost now, mon ami?"
Edward's jaw dropped. "How could you possibly know these things?"
"You saw my methods, they should be self-explanatory. The smell of the paper and the taste of the ink are the determining factors."
Anne took over. "Perhaps we will rephrase: How do you know from the taste and the smell they are in fact those types of paper and ink?"
"Over the years I studied many things: ink, papers, soil, plants, along with their defining characteristics. I travelled the world and saw many, so I am able to know with absolute certainty where the paper and ink are made."
"So the man we are searching for is in New York or Maine?"
Alexandre palmed his face. "Non, non. Only this note is. The man himself could very well be anywhere now. Judging by the fading of the paper and ink the message is at least two to three years old. You noticed the decayed bodies below? Some time has passed since the key has been pris from here. I provided a starting point: America. The rest is up to you."
Edward peered at the paper, smacking it against his hand while he thought. "Thank you, Alexandre. You helped us once more. I believe we should head back to the Bodden Brothers. Their information network could be of great help to us in our search."
"Aye, aye, Captain!" the crew responded favourably.
…
"And so, your surgeon, Alexandre, believes this man to be from New York or Maine?" Malcolm asked whilst holding the paper note Edward found.
"Non, I mean, no. The paper itself is from New York or Maine, but the man we are pursuing may not be there any longer. We don't know. He must have had a crew, we could be talking about a sailor, a captain more specifically, or someone rather prolific. In the letter it mentions a number of slaves he sacrificed to get through the trials, and we saw a number of bodies. The whole endeavour would have cost a great deal."
"More from Alexandre?" Neil ventured.
"No, the last part was from my own deductions. Alexandre concurred."
The brothers nodded in contemplation. "We will put our eyes and ears to the task." "We will see what we can find out about this Daniel Richardson."
"Thank you brothers. You know where to find me."
Edward and crew waited for a week in Bodden Town, but the brothers were only able to procure the smallest bit of information on the elusive Richardson. They were able to determine that he was a slaver who may have operated a ship taking slaves from Africa to A
merica.
"Unfortunately, our information network only spreads so far on this island." "You may have better luck with a friend of ours: Aaron Cook." "Cook lives in Tortuga. You can take this letter of introduction to him." "We sent a notice ahead of you, so by the time you arrive he should have an answer for you, if any." "But, if he does not, then we are afraid you will not find this man without years more searching."
Edward wasted no time in leaving Bodden Town, and the crew were all for the change in scenery. Freedom had travelled back and forth to Bodden Town a few times in the past month, and while relaxing for the crew, they wanted to move forward.
The path to Tortuga led east of the Cayman Islands, where Bodden town was, north over Jamaica, and on the north of Haiti. Along the way, Edward noticed Henry staring longingly to the south, in the direction of Jamaica, and their home island, Badabos.
"Thinking of home?" Edward asked, joining Henry at the starboard railing.
Henry breathed deeply, staring at the clouds along the south. "Yes, it has been too long."
"Not long enough if you ask me." Edward turned around and sat on the railing.
The sun stood high in the sky and wind was in their favour. The sails flapped lightly, as did the rigging lines. The crew was in good spirits now and Edward could see smiles on their faces despite working in the hot sun.
"You don't ever think back on those days? The days before we were forced to start running all the time, before we started killing all the time?"
"Of course I do, I would be lying if I said I didn't. But this life is better. We have family who cares for us, we have Freedom. We may have to defend our Freedom, but that doesn't make us less free. If anything, we are freer than anyone else. No one can tell us what to do."
Henry chuckled. "Oh, so that's what freedom is? Sounds a bit childish to me, but what do I know?"
"Explain your meaning," Edward commanded, his anger rising.
"I mean exactly what I said. Your notions of freedom are childish, and are becoming tiresome." Henry rubbed his face in frustration as he stood up from the railing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't wish to debate with you, so can we stop? I didn't mean what I said."
Blackbeard's Revenge (Voyages Of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 2) Page 19