Chapter 5

port raleigh politics

The governor’s mansion, an opulent column-bordered brick residence, sat atop a hill overlooking Port Raleigh’s harbor. As Samuel, Eric, and Charlotte entered, amidst a flurry of official and formal introductions, Eric could not help but keep glancing back through the doors and windows at the half dozen or so fine ships anchored just off the pier with the last bits of sunlight outlining them.

Finally they entered a study, and a puffy man wearing very meticulous dress and a freshly powdered white wig welcomed them. “Captain of the Rosemary, I assume?”

“Yes, Governor Rose. Captain Samuel Wesley at your service, sir.”

“This is most miraculous indeed, Captain. For a moment, when we first sighted you entering the harbor, we thought that maybe the Twins had vacated, but the fort reported to us that they were still patrolling. How in the devil did you manage to get past them?” Governor Rose’s cheeks glowed a soft red color as he spoke.

“First, Governor, I have the honor and privilege of introducing you to two recent passengers of the Rosemary, Master Eric Francis and Miss Charlotte Reeves.”

Governor Rose nodded toward them civilly, though impatiently, then pushed, “But the Twins—however did you manage to get past them?”

Samuel smiled. “That is why I took the time to introduce you to my friends here. You see, it was through Master Eric’s remarkable planning that we gave the pirates the slip.”

The governor’s eyes inflated at this announcement. He looked Eric up and down while Eric stood in an unassuming manner, glancing around the study with his eyes fixing on some maps on the wall and desk. The governor then turned back to Samuel and whispered somewhat obviously, “What … this mere boy here?”

“Don’t let his appearance deceive you. This ‘mere’ boy managed to make buffoons out of the Twins’ fleet with a damaged ship and half a crew.”

Samuel, by now, captured the governor’s full attention. He next related the whole story of the Rosemary’s woes with the storm, pirates, and disease. Finally, he introduced his encounter with Eric and Charlotte, the plan, and then the events of that very day as they drew the patrolling pirates out of the channel, miraculously crossed the shoals, circumvented the Twins, and even how Eric took a parting shot at them before entering Port Raleigh. Throughout the whole telling, Governor Rose stared more and more intently at Eric. Had Eric been listening to the praise Samuel had been heaping on him, he probably would have been quite self-conscious under the attention. As it was, however, Eric found himself too submerged in scrutinizing the room’s maps to really register much from their conversation.

“That is quite the adventure,” the governor finally exclaimed. “Truly marvelous. Why, you all must be terribly exhausted …”

“That is part of the reason for our delay in reporting to you, Governor Rose,” Samuel replied. “We took some time to refresh ourselves with clean water and fresh food.”

“Rightfully so,” Governor Rose said, then turned to Eric. “Now you, young man. Tell me, what is your nautical background that makes you so much of an expert as to sail circles around the Willard Pirate Twins?”

“Um … we were very lucky,” Eric tore his eyes away from the desk, a little uneasy with the question.

“Fortune can only take you so far,” the governor said, his eyes still locked on Eric. “Isn’t that so, Captain Bellview?”

A voice came out of the corner of the room as a response. “I’m inclined to agree. I too would like to know more about this intriguing young man.”

The three guests of the Rosemary flinched in surprise at seeing another person in the room. A man in a sharp naval uniform, with a strong, handsome face, and short black hair stepped out of the shadows. He approached the group gracefully, the whole time keeping a close eye on Eric. “My apologies for the intrusion. I am Captain Lawrence Bellview of His Majesty’s Royal Navy.”

Samuel nodded in recognition. “Ah, Captain Bellview. Then those must be your two ships-of-the-line in the harbor. Your reputation precedes you, Captain. I am honored.” Samuel bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, Captain Wesley, though I must say that a preceding reputation is nothing compared to a current one. You and your friend here certainly have the honorable reputation in this port.” Bellview’s smile bordered on dangerous. “Which leads to the governor’s original question. To what, Master Eric, do you owe your masterful maritime knowledge, especially at such a young age?”

Though the words were formal and complimentary, Charlotte noted an edge of cynicism in their tone that annoyed her. She jumped in, “Master Eric’s knowledge is a product of his natural-born abilities.”

Governor Rose had not expected Charlotte’s response, but he recovered quickly. “Undoubtedly, it would have to be somewhat natural—considering his young age. But there must also be a significant amount of navigational background … ‘Francis’ eh? I don’t seem to recall any prominent Francis family member involved in the navy. Where is it that you come from, Eric?”

“Uh … Nibleton.”

“Nibleton … never heard of it. In which county is it located?” Governor Rose’s seemingly innocent question sniffed of suspicion.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Governor,” Charlotte snapped, detecting his skepticism. “I was hoping we came here to be congratulated, not interrogated.”

Charlotte’s frank manner once again jolted Governor Rose, who apparently had not expected anyone to see through his seemingly innocent questions. “Of course. My apologies, Miss Charlotte. I had no intention of offending.”

An awkward silence reigned before Eric spoke out, “Sorry for my ignorance, but Captain Bellview, can I ask how you slipped past the pirate twins to enter Port Raleigh?”

Though it was a sincere inquiry, Bellview paused before answering, as if analyzing the motives behind the question. “I have not had occasion to slip past the Twins seeing as how I arrived here just before the pirates blocked off the channel.”

“So, you’ve just been sitting in here this whole time?”

Bellview’s face reddened. “No, not just sitting. I’ve been refitting my ships and preparing them for battle and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.”

“I see,” Eric replied, leaving an opening at the end of his statement.

Captain Bellview’s eyes became slits. “And what would you have me do, little boy? Sail out with my two ships against the Willard Pirate Twins’ four? Even ship to ship the Willards would outgun us. My duty is not to recklessly lose two of His Royal Majesty’s ships-of-the-line.” Eric remained quiet. “I’ll give you credit. Sneaking past the Twins was indeed an extraordinary feat, but getting past them and capturing them are two very different things.”

Eric nodded slowly. “Then your ships can be ready to go at any moment?”

“Of course,” Bellview remarked. “What kind of captain would I be if they weren’t?”

Eric sensed that he verged on overstepping his bounds, but his eagerness plowed him forward. “Then, Captain, the moment has arrived.”

“What moment?”

“The one you said you were waiting for—to go after the pirates.”

Captain Bellview, though annoyed, mustered a snort. “Oh really? So the added strength of your tiny crew was all I needed to reach my opportune moment? Please child, I believe it’s past your bedtime.”

Eric brushed off the captain’s demeaning remark. “The moment has arrived because tonight the pirates will come to us.”

This announcement was news to everyone in the room. They quieted enough that Eric knew that he held their complete attention. “The Willard Twins won’t be happy with what happened today. Even though the Rosemary wasn’t a big prize, just the fact that it got past them at all will be a blow to morale. From what I know about pirates, and from what I’ve heard about the Twins, they’ll be too proud to let us get by without punishment. They’ll want revenge, and soon … probably tonight.”

As involved as Eric found himself in his explanation, he barely stopped to breathe. “Because they’ll be in a hurry, the attack won’t be thought out. Even if they attacked with all four ships, they know they’d be up against at least the fort’s cannons as well as your own, Captain Bellview.” Bellview tried to maintain a skeptical expression, but he obviously felt intrigued by Eric’s analysis. Eric continued. “Because of that, they’ll most likely try a land attack so they can take out the fort. Then the pirate ships can enter the harbor and have the jump on your ships, Captain. After a quick battle, they’ll control the fort and the harbor. By morning they’ll have beaten any other opposition from land and have Port Raleigh under their control.”

As Eric paused to gauge his audience’s response, Captain Bellview remarked, “Even if you were right in your wild assumptions, then the reason the pirates are even doing this would be because of you, of what you did today. You do realize that, don’t you?”

Eric smiled. “Of course. In fact, firing at the Twins in their cove was meant to make sure of it. The added sting of that cannon shot, along with the rest of the day’s embarrassments, would be too much for any pirate to let go without punishment.”

Governor Rose stepped in at this point. “Hold on. You are attempting to inform us that you did this on purpose?”

Eric seemed a bit surprised that his audience had not considered this option before. He replied, “I kind of had to. Trying to chase them down after coming into port would’ve been hard enough. While I was in the area, I decided to force them to make a rash move. Now that we have a good idea of what they are going to do, that gives us the advantage.”

Captain Bellview progressed from annoyance to anger. “So now you’ve been planning this the whole time?”

Eric glanced back at Bellview, as if for the first time. Bellview’s manner had him confused. Without knowing how to respond, Eric decided to ignore the outburst and continue. “If they want to take the fort by land, they’ll have to bring a ship secretly along the coast to the east of the fort. They don’t want the fort to see the ship, so they’ll keep their distance.” Eric suddenly shifted the whole group over to the governor’s desk where a map that Eric had been eyeing lay open. “But they know that they’ll have to go far enough to get past the marshes from the Spenser River Delta, right here.” His finger lay down on the patch of bushy, watery symbols to the east of the fort. “That means we can pretty much guess exactly where they’ll land … right here.” Eric’s finger slid to the spot just out of the marshes but still a mile or so east of the fort.

“All speculation,” Captain Bellview muttered.

Eric proceeded unfazed, caught up in the excitement of his own planning. “This is what we can do. Captain Bellview, you can take one of your ships and place it on the west side of the fort until after it gets dark, then sail out and come down on the pirate ship once it drops off its crew. It should be pretty easy to capture it since it’ll only have a few pirates left to guard it.”

“A skeleton crew,” Samuel aided, his eyes lighting up with excitement as the plan unfolded.

“Right, a skeleton crew,” Eric confirmed. “Then, governor, we can bring men from the fort along with some cannons and trap the dropped off pirates up against the marshes. They won’t expect it and will probably try to escape, but their ship will be taken by then. Just like that, we’ll be able to take care of the pirate land forces.”

Samuel grinned from ear to ear. “Master Eric, you will never cease to amaze me.”

Eric put his hand in the air, “You’d better wait until you hear the whole thing. Now, with the captured pirate ship, we’ll have three ships against the Willard Twins’ fleet—now down to three with the loss of their ship—plus we’ll have the fort. Captain Bellview can take his ship and the newly captured pirate ship to the northwest, cutting off any retreat from the pirates. Once they come into range of the fort and it starts to fire on them, Bellview’s other ship can jump in on the battle from the harbor. The pirates will be outnumbered, surrounded, and left with their only options of sinking or surrendering.”

An awe-struck Samuel muttered, “Brilliant.”

Once again, Eric brushed off the compliment. “Captain, governor, this all depends on you.”

A long pause lingered in the room. Eric wondered what took them so long to respond. Though it all made sense in his mind, he had a small twinge of doubt. Was there something drastic he overlooked, something that a kid from another time would not think about? He looked back and forth between Governor Rose and Captain Bellview, but found their faces hardened. Finally, Bellview’s tightened jaw allowed some words to escape. “If you were hoping for me to throw my ships into harm’s way, all under the wild suspicions of a youth, then you are disillusioned,” Captain Bellview replied quickly, apparently addressing himself to Governor Rose, but with his fiery eyes locked on Eric. “In fac—”

“Captain,” Governor Rose interrupted, “if you’ll allow me to respond to Master Eric …” Captain Bellview swallowed his words, not so much out of respect but out of surprise. Governor Rose continued, “Son, our gracious king has set up the most powerful navy in the world. Within this navy, officers have studied strategy, built up years of experience, and been hand-picked according to their abilities.”

Samuel sensed where this was going and could not help but to mumble in an undertone, “Or more likely according to their family connections …”

Governor Rose’s mounting voice ignored the murmur, though it stung. “If you think that for one second, I’m going to let a lad pop into my study from out of nowhere and have the audacity to dictate to my captain about how to perform his duty, or dictate to me how to defend my port, then you are sorely mistaken. Because you are so young, I will blame this insolence on your ignorance and will overlook it.”

Eric stood aghast at these comments. Though maybe he should have been offended, instead he found himself irritated. It frustrated him that he felt so sure of the pirates’ next step and that the means for carrying out his plans sat right in front of him, but that these two men allowed their pride to stand in the way. Eric sighed. He attempted a different tack. “I’m sorry if I sounded rude, Governor and Captain. The last thing I would’ve wanted to do would be to offend either of you. But for the good of Port Raleigh, the Royal Navy, and the kingdom, I ask you to please listen to my warnings.” Eric gauged their response before slipping in, “I’d be totally fine with giving you credit for any success, and I’d also be willing to take blame for failures.” He remembered this line going over well with Samuel, who nodded in affirmation at the statement.

Captain Bellview scowled derisively. “I don’t like your condescending tone with us.”

“Sometimes that’s the only way an idiot can understand what’s being told to him,” an angry Charlotte spouted with her typical disregard for tact.

The governor and captain both gasped at her blunt statement, but she still had more. “I can’t believe that you are going to let your stupid arrogance get in the way of taking advantage of expert advice, especially when it costs you nothing to at least test his plan.”

Captain Bellview verged on exploding. “I will not be addressed in such a manner by a girl, especially one as discourteous as this one, and most certainly when it is dealing with affairs of strategy where she has no right to meddle.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Right. You’d like to keep the market of botching things up among the males only … probably a good idea, except you shouldn’t assume that all females would be as liable to screw things up as much as you.”

Bellview, who would have considered himself too much of a gentleman to even so much as snort in front of a woman, was moments away from slapping Charlotte. Samuel had the sense to step in. “Sirs, please don’t be affected by this young lady’s manners. She has been marooned for a time on an island with little to no stores … but I would make my plea as well. I too had skepticism in this young gentleman’s abilities when it came to the sea. Yet I found myself in a dire situation so I felt I had no choice but to listen. In every aspect was he right, and in ways that I can only describe as miraculous did he save our lives by bringing us into port. My recommendation is that when he talks, you should listen. You will not regret it.”

Captain Bellview, still driven by rage, slighted, “Now a Creole merchant skipper is telling us what to do? What’s next, an African slave?” Samuel stared down Bellview with his whole body tensed.

Governor Rose held his hand up, silencing Bellview once more. He took a deep breath and his heavy brow lowered. “This …” he stated deliberately, motioning toward the three visitors with his hand, “… this is the gratitude we receive for providing a safe harbor. They criticize our method of dealing with the pirates, they would report to His Majesty our alleged deficiencies, and they tote this youth as their hero, when in fact he would be nothing if there had been no Port Raleigh for him to escape to.”

The governor breathed deeply several times before adding, “No, my friends, I do not hold a grudge. I recognize that you’ve suffered difficulties and are not in your proper mindset. Maybe it is time you went and caught up on your sleep.” None of them moved, so surprised at how their warm reception had suddenly become quite brisk. “You are dismissed,” Governor Rose hissed, his voice edged with danger.

The three exited the room and were escorted out of the mansion. Not until after they cleared the mansion did they start speaking.

“I’ve decided that I don’t like them very much,” Charlotte remarked, in her usual frank tone.

Eric shook his head. “This is all my fault. I thought that I’d have the resources here in Port Raleigh on hand when I coaxed the Willard Twins into a fight. You and your crew were so open to my suggestions, Captain Wesley,” he turned to Samuel, “that it didn’t occur to me that no one would listen to me once we got here.”

“I’m still listening to you, Master Eric,” Samuel said. “I’ve seen too much of your skills today to dismiss anything you say. Besides, those men are so entrenched in their prejudices, they’re endangering the whole town.”

“Yes, I appreciate that, Captain,” Eric nodded. “You did stand up for me in there.”

“Please, don’t call me ‘Captain.’ Call me ‘Samuel.’”

“Very well, Samuel,” Eric smiled sadly.

Samuel thought something over. “However,” Samuel added, a new glimmer emitting from his eye, “I would like to call you ‘Captain,’ if I may.”

“Me?” Eric suddenly laughed. “Thanks, but I prefer ‘Eric.’”

“With all due respect,” Samuel replied, “if you are to be commanding a ship, you should be addressed with the proper title, Captain.”

“Commanding a ship?” Eric questioned. “What ship? I can’t see Captain Bellview handing any of his over.”

“For what it’s worth, you still have the Rosemary,” Samuel offered.

“The Rosemary?” Eric scrutinized Samuel, who looked back as if to say, “Why not?”

Samuel could see Eric’s mind working. “Yes …” Eric muttered, “Yes, the Rosemary. We couldn’t do all of my original plan without Captain Bellview’s ships, but we could at least keep Port Raleigh from being pillaged.”

Samuel guessed Eric’s new plan, which Eric then voiced out loud. “The pirate ship dropping off the land forces will be left with a skeleton crew, which means that we could easily subdue the pirate ship using surprise and a decent-sized crew on the Rosemary.”

“Of course, without the help of the men in the fort that still leaves the pirates on land unchecked to come for Port Raleigh,” Samuel pointed out.

Eric smiled. “Not necessarily … what’s to stop the fort from helping us?”

“What do you mean?” Samuel asked.

“It’s not like Governor Rose sent a message to the fort telling them to ignore all pirate attack warnings from newcomers. If someone goes there to raise the alarm about the pirates, there’s no reason for the officer in the fort to not listen to us as long as we have our facts straight.”

A slow smile crept across Samuel’s face. “If that worked and we got the troops from the fort, then the land force of the pirates would be trapped, on one hand by the fort’s men and on the other by the sea, since they would have no ship to retreat in.”

Their conversation now surpassed an idea in Eric’s mind—it was a plan. “We’ll need a decent-sized crew and someone will need to go to the fort and raise the alarm—it’ll have to be convincing.”

“You leave the logistics to me, Captain Francis,” Samuel said. Charlotte noted that Eric’s involvement with churning things over in his mind kept him from protesting the title of captain. “If the lads have boasted over your actions earlier today as much as I suspect they have, we’ll have every available sailor on the wharf begging for a spot on the Rosemary. Once you have a crew, then I’ll set out to the fort to warn the officer of the attack.”

Eric nodded thoughtfully.

“What should Eric and I do until then?” Charlotte asked.

Samuel smiled. “You might get an hour of rest in on the Rosemary—you’ll need it. It’s been a long couple of days and it’s likely to be a long night.”

Charlotte glanced at Eric, expecting a struggle. She saw the resistance in his eyes, but to her surprise, he relented. “You’re right. Come on, Charlotte. We’d better get back to the Rosemary. We’ll see you there, Samuel.”

“Aye aye, Captain Francis,” Samuel saluted smartly.

A

Joshua and Jedediah Willard would never serve as the paragon for brotherly love, but their family relation implied a respect for each other that they might not have felt otherwise. The oppressive silence in Jedediah’s cabin might have suggested the contrary.

After a while, Joshua spoke out, “You were right. I chose a bad time to overhaul the ship. I admit it. You were right.”

Jedediah lifted his eyes, seemingly emotionless. “That isn’t what irritates me.” He remained quiet for a moment, gazing off into the distance. “No. It’s what that ship’s captain did.”

Joshua’s face returned to the scowl more appropriate to his role. “Don’t let the actions of a worthless maggot of a ship’s captain bother you. He got lucky, that’s all.”

“No,” Jedediah said plainly. “It wasn’t luck. He knew exactly what he was doing.”

“Jedediah, it couldn’t have been anything but dumb luck. That guy slipped right through leagues and leagues of impassable reefs without so much as a scratch.”

“That’s exactly why it wasn’t dumb luck.”

“According to Captain Pete’s report, the ship tried to run the San Fernando Channel, but he cut her off. The ship then fled north, but since Pete was right on her, he drove the pest straight into the reef where, by some rare piece of fortune, she managed to slip by.”

“Think about it, Joshua,” Jedediah replied patiently. “The ship got close enough to put Pete on the hunt, then kept just out of range for a four-league chase. Just out of range, mark me. Then the ship happened to plunge into the reef right in the only spot possible to make a crossing. Even Pete admitted to believing the ship was floating over the shoals at one point. That isn’t luck. That’s seamanship. Nor is it luck that left the south entrance to Port Raleigh open. Captain Pete had been purposefully drawn out of his position for that reason. And it wasn’t luck that the cannonball hit my ship in the yardarms.”

Joshua stared blankly for a moment before responding, “You’re right.” He gritted his teeth and seethed before saying, “What makes it worse is that there’s nothing we can do about it now with that little rat holed up in Port Raleigh.”

Jedediah remained silent, but his eyes flickered.

“You think there’s something we can do?” Joshua read his brother’s expression. “You want to take Port Raleigh …”

Jedediah still betrayed no change in his emotions. “We told ourselves to keep it as an option … to scout out the situation.”

“And our odds are favorable, you think.”

Jedediah stayed pensive. “The Royal Navy has sat in the harbor this whole time. The Royal Navy captain obviously doesn’t trust himself against us. The whole town has been on alert for the past week. They have to be tiring of watching out for us. Their supplies are diminishing. Their morale is down. On the other hand, that ship’s captain remains untouched in the harbor. If we don’t do something soon, our crew’s morale will take a hit for his flaunting of our seemingly impenetrable blockade.”

Joshua’s eyes flared. “It’s time to take Port Raleigh! Yes, brother, we can take it. Then we’ll wreak our revenge on that captain.”

“That is our only wildcard. The ship captain who got through, he might suspect an attack.”

By this time, Joshua’s excitement at the prospect of the taking of Port Raleigh kept him from letting this observation sway him. “How could he? The little rat was too much of a coward to come face-to-face with us.”

“It doesn’t take a coward to send a cannonball right into the thick of a group of pirates that outgun, outship, and outnumber you.”

“Only when he knew he was uncatchable. Come on, Jedediah, we can take them!”

Jedediah fell quiet, thinking.

“I get to lead this one, Jed,” Joshua said, as if guessing his brother’s thoughts. Jedediah lifted his face, but Joshua cut him off. “I need to make up for my mistake with cleaning the ship’s hull. You have to let me lead this one. I want revenge. I’ll personally take that little weevil, dismember him, and fire his body parts into a mass of his own crew members as a lesson.”

Jedediah’s silence lasted another long moment. “On two conditions.”

“Name them.”

“One, I make the plans. Two, if I call for a retreat at any time, you obey indiscriminately.”

“There will be no need to retreat, Jedediah. We clearly have—”

“Those are the conditions or there’s no attack,” Jedediah stated.

“Fine. But we go tonight, as soon as all the ballast is replaced in my ship. I’m not going to let that pompous captain spend even one night in celebration.”

As if deciding against his better judgment, Jedediah agreed. The Willard Twins would be on the move that night.

A

Samuel trekked to one end of the wharf and sent Mr. Gary to the other end searching for willing crew members for this new, daring expedition. Everyone of the original Rosemary crew enthusiastically signed on, despite their exhaustion from the week’s previous events. Apparently the couple of hours of recuperation between their arrival and this point served as sufficient. But Samuel knew their willingness came from more than just fresh food and water. All still burned with curiosity and awe at this mysterious young man. He knew they would not let an opportunity to participate with him in action pass by them if they could help it.

Samuel also noted that his previous assumption bore truth. The recovering Rosemary crew members had been busy in his absence. They infiltrated every tavern along the wharf relating the day’s magnificent events to other sailors. The reaction of these sailors ranged from astonishment to skepticism, but Samuel found that, regardless of their opinion, most allowed their curiosity to at least find out for themselves under Eric’s command. Thanks to the pirates’ blockade, they had been cooped up in harbor for over a week and itched for action. Even several sailors from the Royal Navy volunteered, though technically they had no permission and risked flogging if discovered.

Samuel met up with Mr. Gary half an hour later, and they compared lists. They soon realized the need to refuse a score of volunteers because there would be no room for the Rosemary to effectively fit them all. Once they finalized their list, Samuel left Mr. Gary with the job of assigning duties to the motley gathering while he went to the fort.

As a longtime seafaring man, Samuel recognized that Lieutenant Curtis, the officer in charge of the fort, ran a “tight ship.” His men’s uniforms looked sharp, they all stood at their posts with a rigid discipline, and each considered his job—however menial—as serious as the most important. One of the soldiers marched smartly while escorting Samuel to the lieutenant’s quarters. When the two arrived, Samuel entered and his escort returned to his post.

“How can I help you, Captain Wesley?” Lieutenant Curtis kept his eyes on his desk. Samuel saw that he carefully filled out the fort’s inventory list. His short brown hair sat in a frozen wave across his head, as if held there by his will alone. Samuel could tell that the lieutenant would be slightly short of stature when standing, though he doubted that it affected the discipline within the fort.

“Um, first mate, Lieutenant Curtis … not Captain,” Samuel corrected his statement.

Curtis raised his head. “First mate? I had heard that your captain perished.”

“He did, but someone else has taken my place as captain of the Rosemary.”

Though this comment would usually require an explanation, Curtis returned to his inventory list. “You said you had an urgent message. What is it?”

“Most urgent, Lieutenant Curtis.”

Curtis set down his quill and faced Samuel. “Go ahead.”

“Port Raleigh is to be attacked tonight by the pirates.”

Curtis initially reacted with silence. He seemed to calculate the repercussions of this news. “How do you know?”

Samuel anticipated this question. In order to avoid the same skepticism that they received from Governor Rose and Captain Bellview, he ventured a different answer. “After evading the pirates on our way into Port Raleigh today, we saw them congregate at the Twins’ base on the first Montes de Oca island.”

“That could mean something,” Curtis tapped his finger on his desk thoughtfully, “but they could also simply be meeting to discuss how to shore up their blockade so another ship like yours couldn’t get past them.”

“That is exactly what we suspected, Lieutenant,” Samuel added. “But then, as they were breaking up, just off the horizon, we tracked one of the ships traveling south by southeast. The other three started to slip west by southwest.”

“And you suspect this formation peremptory to an attack.”

“That is the only sense we could make of it, Lieutenant,” Samuel held his breath. This is where he would see if his careful coloring of the truth would pay off.

“Very well. I will put my men on extra alert tonight. I suppose you have informed Captain Bellview as well?”

“It’s more complicated than that, Lieutenant Curtis.”

Curtis indicated his willingness to listen to more.

“You see, we suspect that the pirates know they will face heavy losses if they attempt a direct assault on Port Raleigh. The Willard Twins are anything but fools. We felt that the ship sneaking off to the south by southeast was particularly suspicious. The only possible reason for the Twins to split up their forces unnecessarily is if they are planning to have a land force take out the fort before the other three ships dispose of Captain Bellview.”

“Mr. Wesley, you keep on saying ‘we.’ To whom are you referring?” Curtis asked.

Samuel had not expected that question. “Um … the new captain of the Rosemary, actually. He is a master strategist and seaman. It was thanks to him that we got past the Twins in the first place.”

Lieutenant Curtis mulled this over. “Well, your logic does seem to make sense. What are you … and this master strategist … suggesting?”

“Catch the landing force off guard,” Samuel regained his confidence for his final pitch, recalling Eric’s explanation as best he could. “The pirates will want to land out of sight of the fort, but they will want to avoid the marshes. That means we can pinpoint exactly where they will land. If you have a force waiting for them at that spot, you can catch them on their landing. I have the second mate of the Rosemary preparing a crew at this moment. The Rosemary can take the pirate ship after they’ve launched their land force, cutting off any attempted retreat.”

“Pretty ingenious, Mr. Wesley,” Curtis observed. “And you say this was concocted by your new captain?”

“Yes. As I said, he is a master strategist.”

Lieutenant Curtis looked at Samuel in the eyes. “Mr. Wesley, I appreciate your warning. However, I’m afraid I can’t clear out my fort in order to stifle a supposed pirate attack I cannot confirm myself.”

Samuel stood speechless. This was the last reaction he hoped for. “Begging your pardon, Lieutenant Curtis, but what do you mean?”

“By doing this, I would be trusting to your word alone. And though I would be more than willing to trust you on my own, putting the fort at risk by emptying it for a force that I can’t even confirm would, frankly, be folly.”

“But … Lieutenant Curtis, I assure you that my information is—”

“I mean no disrespect, Mr. Wesley, but how can I be certain that this isn’t a ploy to weaken the fort so that the Twins can slip into the harbor uncontested?” Samuel about protested, but Curtis cut him off. “Hearing about your miraculous effort in getting past the blockade is only more suspicious. How can I know you weren’t captured and induced into providing this false information at a threat to your family or a friend so that the port would be left open? This new captain of yours, how do I know he’s not a pirate, or even one of the Twins himself holding the crew hostage and sneaking into the port trying to open it up for his brother on the outside?”

“Lieutenant!” Samuel cried out, shocked and dismayed. After a moment’s meditation, however, he realized, that as outlandish as Curtis’s speculations seemed, they rang of plausibility. Putting himself in the lieutenant’s shoes, Samuel decided that he had asked the lieutenant to believe an awful lot coming from just one man he met only moment before.

Samuel composed himself. “You have a point, Lieutenant Curtis. I am expecting much. I assure you that none of those scenarios you just mentioned are true, but I understand that you need more than my word to go on.” Samuel paused while he considered a compromise. “Sir, having your whole regiment in place to meet the pirates would offer the greatest chance for success, but it could not hurt to send a couple patrols out to watch for the arrival of the pirate ship. If the ship does come as I have suggested, then you can have men here at the fort prepared to join the battle at a moment’s notice. If it doesn’t come, then you have protected the fort and lost nothing.”

Lieutenant Curtis considered Samuel’s proposal, nodding slowly. “Very well, Mr. Wesley, you also make a good point. If such a ship is sighted, I will do my best to keep them from advancing on the fort. Though be aware that, even in the event of a pirate attack, I still plan on holding at least half my force in the fort in case it is a diversionary tactic.”

Samuel grimaced. Knowing the amount of pirates likely to be part of the landing force, he wondered whether it would be sufficient to quell the attack. Curtis saw the look on Samuel’s face and added, “But I will send two cannons with the scouting patrols … and we’ll pray that we last out the night.”

Samuel realized that he had secured the best he could get. “I’ll be off to the Rosemary then, Lieutenant Curtis. Hopefully we’ll see each other victorious before the night is through.”

Lieutenant Curtis briskly stood up and saluted.

Samuel could not display too much surprise upon seeing Eric up and about when he returned to the Rosemary. He chastised him. “Captain, I told you to get some rest!”

Eric smiled at the juxtaposition of Samuel making demands and calling him “captain” at the same time. “Don’t worry, Samuel. I napped briefly, but as soon as the crew boarded the Rosemary, I couldn’t help but get involved.”

Samuel sighed.

“What did the fort say?”

“Lieutenant Curtis is a stubborn man. The best I could do was convince him to have some patrols on watch with a pair of cannons, ready to send for more troops if the pirates arrive. Though he said that, even if a ship were sighted, he wouldn’t send more than half his men.”

Eric nodded as if he expected as much. “Smart man. Making sure it’s not a diversionary tactic.”

Samuel managed to contain his surprise at Eric using the exact same phrase as Lieutenant Curtis. In the mean time, Eric calculated something in his mind. “That’s fine. It should be enough.”

Samuel lifted his eyebrows incredulously. “You’re the captain.”

The last vestiges of daytime had disappeared from the night sky as the blackness gobbled up the violet remains of the sunset. Eric read the appearing constellations, and then stated, “Well, Samuel, I think it’s time we started moving.”

Amid the excitement of inevitable action, Samuel passed the word to Mr. Gary, who immediately barked orders. The Rosemary captured the soft night breeze, sailing underway in a matter of minutes.

A

Due to the day’s events, the governor had not eaten dinner until nighttime had fallen. Captain Bellview remained with the governor in his dining hall in quiet conversation. Toward the end of their meal, the Royal Navy captain stood up to gaze out the large, floor-to-ceiling windows onto the harbor.

“Who do you think he really is, Bellview?” Governor Rose queried, his corpulent fingers delicately slicing a mango.

Bellview twitched but stayed quiet. Only the sound of Governor Rose slurping on the mango seed broke the silence. Bellview kept his hands latched behind his back while he pivoted, “I don’t know, Rose, but it looks like he’s leaving.”

Governor Rose dropped his mango and briskly paced over to the window. In the glittering starlight, he detected the small ship, Rosemary, setting her sails and vacating the harbor.

“The fool!” Rose muttered under his breath. “Let’s hope the pirates put an end to his stupidity this time around. That’s what he gets for impudent cockiness.”

Bellview could only nod his consent, though he remained quiet and pensive. Though he would never admit it out loud, the real reason he did not like this young man was because he showed the bravery that he, a Royal Navy captain, lacked.