Elizabeth answered. ‘We have come to see you, Mr Thornton, on a matter of considerable concern to us both. I understand that Orion is under charter to you?’
He eyed her cautiously. ‘’appen she is,’ he said.
‘May I ask where Orion is headed?’
‘If tha’d more experience in business, Mrs ’agwood,’ he told her patronisingly, ‘tha’d know folks likes to keep their affairs to theirselves. No offence, tha understands.’
‘Her papers say Canton,’ Gough interposed brusquely. ‘It’s no secret, man.’
Thornton flashed him an unfriendly look. ‘Why ask then?’
‘I hear she’s headed south,’ Gough said. ‘Not to Canton at all.’
‘Tha’s ’eard wrong, then.’
‘It’ll be easy to find out,’ Gough said.
‘How does tha plan to do that?’
‘I have the authority to send a pinnace after her if I choose.’
‘To do what?’
‘To do nothing, if she really is headed north. To bring her back, if not.’
Anger made Thornton’s face swell. ‘Arrestin’ a ship on the ’igh seas be piracy, by God!’
Gough watched him closely. ‘Why should you care? Nobody’s going to touch her if she really is headed north as you say.’
‘What’s your interest in this any road?’ Thornton asked.
‘Murder,’ Gough said.
Thornton stared. ‘Beg pardon?’
‘I believe Orion has gone south. The question is why.’
‘I don’ have time for no games.’ Thornton looked at Elizabeth. ‘Your ’usband’s my partner,’ he said. ‘Ask ’im if tha doesn’t believe me.’
‘He’s away,’ Gough told him. ‘As you know very well.’
‘Tha’ll just ’ave to wait till ’e comes back, then.’
‘I think we’ll find Mr Hagwood knows nothing about this.’
Thornton’s face grew ugly. ‘Tha’ll pin nowt on me!’
Gough leant his big shoulders across Thornton’s desk. ‘If I send a pinnace south and find Orion where she’s no business to be, I’ll be asking your Captain Jones a few questions.’
Thornton’s mouth twisted contemptuously. ‘Ask away. Tha’ll get nowt out of Orville Jones.’
‘I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Piracy’s a hanging offence.’
‘Piracy?’ Thornton scoffed but the laugh did not reach the watchful eyes. ‘Tha’s daft, lad.’
‘I’ll tell you plain,’ Gough said. ‘If I send a pinnace south and she finds Orion I’ll hold both you and Jones on suspicion of intended piracy.’
‘Where’s thy proof?’
‘I’ve all the proof I need.’ His eyes met Thornton’s across the desk. ‘You’d better pray nothing happens to Nantucket or my son, Ira. You’re a dead man if it does.’
Thornton’s rage overflowed. ‘Tha comes in ’ere, threatenin’ me? I’m a free man, in case tha’s forgot.’
‘A word of advice. Make sure you stay that way.’
‘The governor …’
‘The governor won’t help you. Not over something as serious as this.’ He turned to Elizabeth. ‘Come. Let’s get out of here.’
*
‘What do we do now?’ Elizabeth asked as they walked back to the barracks.
‘We wait.’
Gough left a message with the duty sergeant. An hour later the orderly came up to him. ‘Sergeant English’s compliments, sir, but one o’ Mr Thornton’s cutters ’as just asked permission to leave port.’
‘Got him, by God!’ Gough said jubilantly. He stared in triumph at Elizabeth. ‘Thornton’s recalling Orion! We’ve licked him!’
She did not share his pleasure. ‘You know what it means?’
He looked at her questioningly.
‘It means our suspicions were right after all.’ Her chin lifted. ‘Well, that is between Jonathan and me.’ She took Gough’s hands in her own. ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done.’
‘Thank me? My dear, tes for me to thank you. If you hadn’t come to me when you did …’ He blinked and shook his head. ‘Thank you for my son, Elizabeth,’ he said.
*
After his tour of duty to the Hawkesbury River Jonathan returned to Parramatta to a reception a great deal different from the one he had expected.
Elizabeth met him at the head of the curved staircase of which he was so proud. She embraced him briefly, without warmth.
‘We need to talk,’ she said.
Without giving him the chance to speak she led the way out to the terrace overlooking the river. Jonathan followed her, a puzzled frown on his face. There were two chairs set side by side to catch the breeze. She sat in one and looked up at him. ‘Please sit down,’ she said.
He wasn’t sure he liked mysteries; he certainly did not like being ordered around in his own house. ‘I’ll get out of my uniform first.’
‘Please sit down, my dear.’
There was an unaccustomed edge to her voice. He stared at her, trying to read her expression, but could see nothing. Uncertainly he obeyed her.
‘Something happened just after you went away,’ Elizabeth began.
She had thought carefully how she was going to handle this discussion. She knew it had to be settled between them at once; she also knew that Jonathan was her life. She would not survive losing him and that, with his prickly pride, was a real danger if she offended him too severely. Yet she was not prepared to let him endanger their whole life together by getting himself entangled, ever again, in one of Thornton’s criminal schemes. By the grace of God she had been able to extricate them this time. Another time they might not be so lucky.
She took a deep breath and committed herself and her future happiness to what she had to say.
‘Shortly after you left I learned that Thornton had sent that American captain of his south to pirate Cash Tremain’s sealing ship. I knew you would not wish us’ – placing the slightest emphasis on the word to remind Jonathan that he was not the only one at risk – ‘to be involved in such madness so I took steps to stop him.’ She smiled at him quietly, in complete control of the situation. ‘You agree it was the right thing to do?’
Jonathan felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach. ‘How did you manage that?’
‘I asked Captain Tremain to help me.’
Jonathan scowled. ‘You went to Gough Tremain?’
‘I had no choice,’ Elizabeth said. ‘You were away and to do nothing would have put us all in danger. After all, my dear, you were Thornton’s associate and I understand piracy is a capital matter.’
‘You could have gone to the governor.’
‘No, Jonathan, I could not.’
He looked at her and understood that she knew of his involvement but would never say anything. He felt a great weight lift from him. He told himself he had never wanted to go along with Thornton’s scheme but had allowed himself to be persuaded by the opportunity to acquire more land. He thanked God he was out of it and no harm done.
‘Did Tremain speak to Thornton?’
‘He threatened to hang him.’
That created an intriguing picture but Jonathan felt he still had to grumble. ‘Now I suppose we’ll have Tremain boasting all over the colony about what he’s done.’
Elizabeth knew they were on dangerous ground. She said, ‘I agree Captain Tremain is inclined to brag but it was I, after all, who went to him. Without me he would have known nothing. He certainly has nothing to brag about.’
‘Let’s hope he doesn’t then.’ Jonathan spoke ungraciously, yet there was a wry satisfaction in the thought of his formidable partner being put out of countenance for once.
‘I wonder,’ Elizabeth said delicately, ‘if it would not be wise to distance ourselves a little from Mr Thornton after this?’
‘You have always been opposed to him.’
‘Because I was afraid his … lack of scruples might one day entangle us in a situation like this. It would harm our reputatio
n, would it not, for people to think we were in any way involved in his criminal activities?’
Jonathan frowned. ‘I certainly would not want that. I shall think about it and decide what we should do.’
‘Very well, my dear,’ she said submissively. ‘It is your decision, of course.’
*
Gough spoke briefly to Jonathan Hagwood when he saw him at Regimental Headquarters.
‘I’ve got rid of Jones,’ he said, eyes cold. ‘I had a word with him as soon as your friend Thornton recalled him. I told him to get out of the colony while he still could. Fortunately for him he listened to me. You’ll be seeing no more of him.’
Jonathan stared down his nose. ‘Is all this … melodrama supposed to mean something to me?’
Gough ignored the question. ‘Be warned, Jonathan,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘Anything happens to my son, I’ll kill you.’
And walked out of the room before Jonathan could reply.
III
CIRCLES OF FATE
TWENTY-NINE
Spring had come to the Southern Ocean and the weather, although squally, was milder than on the previous trip.
Cash did not take Nantucket back to the beaches he had visited in Pelican. It was too soon: the seal population would not have had time to re-establish itself. There were plenty of other islands to choose from.
For a time they had no luck, hugging coasts treacherous with shoals and currents, sticking their prow into bays where the beaches proved to be devoid of life, but after a fortnight of frustrating exploration, sailing ever further south past cliffs of black basalt and harsh white-fanged seas, they came to the estuary of a broad river lined with hills and beaches, where the seal population could be measured in their tens of thousands.
Hank stared over the rail at them. ‘So it wasn’t just a yarn.’
Cash smiled. ‘Did you think it was?’
‘Mister, I was beginning to have my doubts, I’ll tell you that.’
There was no need to drop off parties to work independently until the ship came back to pick them up again. There were enough seal here to keep them busy for a lifetime without ever leaving the estuary.
Cash said as much to the mate.
Hank shook his head dubiously. ‘Once the word gets out there’ll be dozen of boats down here.’
‘We must make sure the word doesn’t get out.’
‘How do we do that?’
‘We must warn the crew to say nothing.’
‘Warn ’em much as you like,’ Hank said. ‘Won’t do no good. Men talk. Give ’em a grog or three and men talk.’ He looked at the hinterland on either side of the estuary. ‘God-forsaken hole, ain’t it?’
Dark forests grew to the edge of the water. Inland, the ground rose in a series of tiers to a range of rocky hills, perhaps five miles away, that blocked the southern horizon and hung like a storm cloud over the trees and silent water. The skies were grey, a chilly rain was falling and it was a lot colder than it had been further north. Apart from the seals, they could see no life, animal or human.
‘Don’t surprise me none,’ Hank said. ‘Them seals must be the most ornery creatures on God’s earth. Nothing else likes the places they choose to live.’
They had been there three days when a crew working a beach on the other side of the estuary came back with the news they were not alone.
‘What did you see?’ Cash asked.
‘Smoke.’
‘How much smoke?’
‘Like from a cooking fire. Way back in the trees.’
‘Any people?’
The man shook his head. ‘Didn’t go looking for none.’
‘Must be natives,’ Cash decided. They had seen no signs but they would be here, no doubt.
‘Or escaped convicts,’ Hank said. ‘Maybe we should put someone on guard?’
‘I don’t want to do that,’ Cash said. ‘Waste of a man.’
‘Get a spear through you, that’s waste of a man, too.’
He was right. ‘We’d better go and see who they are.’
Four of them went, Cash and three of the crew, all armed with cutlasses and muskets. They made no attempt to conceal themselves. Whoever it was must know they were here. It was a good sign that there had been no attack, but on the other hand, there had been no friendly welcome either.
The beach was long and narrow, of coarse grey sand. Ropelike strands of kelp lined the water’s edge. The stink from the seal rookeries was very strong.
The forest was an almost tangible weight about them. It was dark and still and they could see no paths. Cash looked at the treetops but there was no sign of smoke.
‘Whereabouts was it?’
The man who had reported the fire pointed. ‘In line with that hilltop yonder,’ he said.
‘How far?’
The man shrugged. ‘A mile?’
They left the beach and tried to force their way through the thick undergrowth. The trees grew so close to each other they almost touched. Any gaps between them were choked with dense bushes armoured with thorns as sharp as rapiers. Moisture dripped from every twig, hung in diamonds from cobwebs, squelched underfoot with every step. Everything was saturated and their seaboots made heavy weather of the wet moss-covered rock over which they slipped and stumbled, cursing.
After twenty minutes they had covered perhaps a dozen yards. A chilly rain was falling. Cash looked back the way they had come. He could still see the beach behind them. Beyond it, squalls drifted like curtains of mist in the middle of the estuary.
‘There must be another path,’ he said. ‘If you saw a fire, there must be people there. They didn’t come this way, that’s for sure.’
They returned to the beach, got in the boat and sculled themselves slowly up-river.
‘Keep well out from the shore,’ Cash said. ‘And keep your eyes open.’
They found another beach, smaller than the first but also covered in seal. Above it, the river drew a long arc through the bush. Beyond that a small tributary, twenty feet wide and overhung by tree branches, flowed out to join the main stream.
Cash looked at it. It seemed to lead in the direction of the fire. On the other hand, there could hardly be a better place for an ambush.
‘We’ll go up,’ he decided. ‘Keep a sharp lookout.’
As silently as they could, they paddled their way up the tributary. Raindrops dripped from the branches and formed rings on the surface of the water. Fallen branches lay, half-submerged, like black bones. Ginger-coloured fungi festooned the trunks of decaying trees. Everywhere was the smell of rot.
A grassy bank opened ahead of them. The oarsmen shipped their oars. The boat drifted through a twilight silence until it bumped the bank. They got out and secured the boat by its painter to the trunk of a tree.
Cash left one man with the boat; the others he took with him along a narrow track that scrawled its way through the undergrowth. No birds sang, no animals moved, even the trees were silent and motionless beneath the dismal drift of rain.
After ten minutes the track widened and they came out into a clearing where a couple of ramshackle huts had been built out of branches and what looked like plastered mud. It was hard to conceive of a more wretched place. The remains of a fire lay in the middle of the clearing in a circle of sodden grey ash. There was no challenge, no greeting, no sound at all. The place seemed deserted.
Cash eased the cutlass in his belt. He stood at the edge of the clearing, his right side protected by the trunk of a large tree, and looked about him.
He searched the entwined branches, feeling eyes watching him from the impenetrable vegetation. The silence intensified.
‘Top o’ the day to you, mates!’ The sudden harsh voice and the laugh that followed made them all jump. The branches parted. Six men forced their way grinning out of the undergrowth and stood facing them.
‘Give yer a fright, did us?’
The leader of the men was a huge black-bearded European with pistols and a naval hanger
stuck in his belt. His long hair was dirty and unkempt. Little piggy eyes, rimmed with red, gleamed out of a face disfigured by a scar that ran from the corner of his left eye to his jaw. His feet were bare and on his ankles and wrists Cash could see the white fetter scars of an old convict.
‘Name’s Brown,’ he said. ‘John Brown. It’ll do, any road. Me an’ me mates been watchin’ you since you got ’ere.’
Cash sized him up. They were of a height but Brown was twice as broad, a man of perhaps thirty-five with big bones, no surplus flesh and a lean and muscular body.
‘What are you doing here?’
Brown’s eyes narrowed. ‘What’s it got to do wi’ you, eh?’
‘Interested, that’s all.’
Brown had another grievance. ‘I give you my name, matey. Too proud to gimme yourn, that it?’
‘Not at all. My name is Cash Tremain and I’m the master of the sealer Nantucket, which I’ve no doubt you’ve already seen, out in the river.’
‘Tremain?’ Brown said. ‘Any relation of Captain Tremain of Sydney Cove?’
Cash’s stomach muscles tightened. ‘My father.’
‘That right, by God?’ Brown grinned, baring the stumps of rotten teeth. ‘Your dad ordered me flogged, once. Hundred lashes.’
‘What had you done?’
‘Tried to run, di’n’ I?’
‘I’m surprised he didn’t hang you.’
‘So was I,’ Brown grinned. ‘Proper ’ard bugger, your dad, an’ no mistake.’
‘So now you’re here.’ Cash looked about him at the closely-woven trees, the dripping undergrowth, the grey and sullen sky. ‘You reckon it’s much of an improvement on Sydney Cove?’
‘Fifty times better’n that place. We’s our own masters here.’
‘What do you live on?’
‘It’s none so bad, when you know the ropes. Plenty of kangaroos. Seal, if you feel like a change. Fish. Our own women, too.’
‘Women?’ Cash said, surprised.
‘Native women.’ He grinned again. ‘Couldn’t manage without our home comforts, could we, Cap’n?’
Claim the Kingdom Page 40