In a month’s time, Michael McNamara’s fencing salle was taking in enough money to be considered prospering due to its ever-growing number of students. Catalina had kept her promise and persuaded friends to convince their friends and so forth to take lessons from McNamara, and they had all been eager to learn the sword from the dashing young newcomer to Kingston who had throttled Peter Joyce and hunted pirates alongside Captain Reynard. James Harold, who had witnessed McNamara’s fight with Joyce to defend his establishment, had done likewise among his own circle of acquaintances, and McNamara found himself with more students than he had anticipated. Most of them were sailors who wanted to be able to defend themselves against pirates, and were glad to learn practical self-defense measures from someone who had a great deal of experience battling pirates.
There had been some aspects of being a fencing instructor that he had not expected, though, mainly due to an initial lack of knowledge about Jamaican society and social norms. His wealthiest clients preferred private lessons with McNamara in their own homes to actually going to his salle. It would not have been fashionable for them to be seen physically exerting themselves, particularly at a salle that catered to those who were not gentlemen. He wondered if Fredrick Cavendish had ever done this. In fact, he wondered a lot of things about how his former master had run his salle, and kept meaning to find time to write to him and inquire.
McNamara did not mind these excursions. These clients lived in Liguanea, as did Dona Catalina Moore. It gave him an excuse to take her up on her offer to join her for tea – always outdoors, under the supervision of a chaperone, so nobody would suspect either of them of improper conduct. It was foolish for him to do so, since such visits only made him desire her more, and he knew that it was Reynard she loved, not him. Yet he couldn’t keep himself away. She was still a pleasure to talk to and listen to, knowledgeable about a great many things and eager to learn about that which she was not.
Regardless of who his students were, he taught them the same way he had been instructed when first learning to fence. First, before any of them so much as touched a sword, they were drilled in footwork: advances, retreats, and passes. McNamara rigorously spotted them as they drilled to make sure they kept their balance, their knees were staying bent and that they were picking up their feet as they moved. Naturally, some did not learn as quickly as others, and at times McNamara’s patience was tried by these, although he was careful not to let his frustrations show as he explained what was being done wrong and how to do it correctly. Only when he was satisfied that his students had mastered the basics of footwork did he then proceed to teach them the different attacks, parries, and counters for different types of swords.
It was a grueling schedule, and he would spend most of his waking hours crossing swords with his students, but McNamara ended each day of teaching feeling self-satisfied after a hard day’s honest work in a trade he not only had a talent for, but one that he enjoyed. The sport of fencing had always been a pleasure to him, as was teaching. In fact, the teaching was becoming more of a pleasure than the actual swordplay.
Now, with the day’s lessons ended, McNamara was finishing putting away the used equipment and tidying up the place when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Opening it, McNamara was surprised to see a smiling Captain Stephen Reynard.
“Captain Reynard!” McNamara exclaimed in surprise.
“I hope you don’t mind me paying you a visit, Mr. McNamara,” Reynard said, shaking McNamara’s offered hand. “I just wanted to finally have a look at your salle des armes. You’re not in the middle of something, are you?”
“No, not at all,” McNamara said. “Please, come in.”
Reynard strode through the doorway, smiling slightly at the swords and the banner Catalina had made decorating the walls. “Catalina really does magnificent work, doesn’t she?” he asked.
“Aye, she does,” McNamara replied. “I hope you don’t object.”
“Why would I object?” Reynard asked. “Catalina’s free to make and give gifts to our friends as she wishes. I trust her to be faithful to me, and I know she’s not the kind of woman who will be unfaithful while I’m otherwise occupied. Likewise, I trust you to not behave ungentlemanly with her when she invites you over to her mansion for tea.”
McNamara searched Reynard’s face for any trace of suspicion, but there was none to be found, and he sighed inwardly with relief. “I’ve thanked her for the banner,” McNamara said, “but I must apologize for not having the opportunity to thank you for your own contributions.”
“And I must likewise apologize for not being able to visit you sooner,” Reynard replied. “I’ve been wondering how you’ve been getting on since we last parted ways, but with all the preparations and planning that have demanded my attention, I simply have not had the time. But I did want to make sure to do so before I sail for England.”
“And when will that be?”
“Tomorrow morning, first tide,” Reynard said proudly. “The Predator and my captured prizes have been completely refit and repaired, and Lord Edmund Alleyn has received his expected correspondence from His Majesty about certain logistical matters. His Lordship and I are meeting this evening to review them. After that, all that remains is the voyage to England to begin my new life with Catalina.”
“My congratulations,” McNamara said, regarding Reynard curiously. “What happens after that, once you’ve received your pardon and your knighthood? What will you do then?”
“Enjoy the quiet life with Catalina, I suppose,” Reynard said offhandedly. “Raise our children, read the books I never made time for in my wilder days, going to church again, enjoy the life of a wealthy gentleman of leisure, whatever it is they do. What do such men do with their time, anyways?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m not a wealthy gentleman of leisure, nor did I have family or friends who were.”
“Ah, yes. For some reason, I keep thinking that you were. Anyways, Catalina’s suggested I get involved with charities, helping them obtain funds – legally, of course. Maybe use some of the vast fortune I acquired in most of a lifetime of piracy and skullduggery of one sort or another. Help widows and orphans and the like. Maybe that will help undo all the wrong I’ve done over the years, putting my ill-gotten gains to some sort of good use.”
“A worthy endeavor,” McNamara said. “What about your officers? Mr. Sabatini, for instance?”
“Why not ask him yourself?” Reynard said in a raised voice, and Sabatini entered the salle, nodding curtly to McNamara in his usual suspicious fashion. “What will you do with yourself, Nick, once King George pardons you?”
“The same thing I’ve been doing all these years, Captain,” Sabatini said, grinning. “Watching your back.”
“The friendship between Nick and I is too old to be broken off just because we’re turning honest,” Reynard told McNamara, his usual dry sardonic wit back in his voice. “Given the number of enemies I’ve made over the years, having a bodyguard, especially one of Mr. Sabatini’s talents, would be prudent. You never know when there will be another William Atwill out there sending a hired sword after you.”
“I hope you won’t let such thought disturb the peace you’ve made for yourself,” McNamara said.
“Oh, I won’t, not to worry,” Reynard chuckled. “I hate to leave so soon, Michael, but there’s a great deal left to be done today, and I’d best get back to it. You’ll be at the harbor when we set sail for the last time?”
“I will,” McNamara said, grinning eagerly as he shook Reynard’s hand. “Godspeed, Captain.”
* * *
It was a warm night, but Lord Edmund Alleyn still shivered slightly as the longboat he rode in slowly approached the lighthouse fortress that Reynard had been given to house his captive pirates. It had a sinister feel to it in the inky blackness, lit only by torches and moonlight, surrounded on all sides by dark water. Or maybe it was the business at hand that made him uneasy, although he didn’t understand why. All the plans and arrangements he’d made were coming together exactly the way they were supposed to. Everything he’d worked so hard for these many months was about to come to pass.
It was exactly what he wanted… wasn’t it?
Reynard and Sabatini were waiting for Lord Edmund at the lighthouse’s dock, and the captain grinned at Lord Edmund’s arrival.
“It’s good to see you again, Your Lordship,” Reynard said. “What word do you bring?”
Lord Edmund Alleyn, setting aside his misgivings, smiled at Reynard. “As a matter of fact, Captain Reynard, I bring you word from some rather illustrious persons. King Philip V of Spain himself sends you his greetings and his gratitude for all you have done,” Lord Edmund replied. “As does His Majesty, King Louis XV of France and Navarre. They have been made aware that, providing there are no delays on your voyage, you are scheduled to arrive in Bristol on Friday, the 11th of July, to complete your mission.”
“Excellent. And what of the British fleet?”
“I am afraid that your request that no ships of the fleet be present was denied,” Lord Edmund replied with a grimace. “Both the king and Sir Robert Walpole insisted that there be some naval presence. I expressed your concerns over treachery on the navy’s part to King George, but his other advisers are concerned about an attack by sea if it is discovered that the king is at Bristol. Sir Robert Walpole, in particular, feared that Spain or France might take advantage of the opportunity to launch an attack. He also asked me to inform you that he is quite offended by your insinuation that he or the king would plot treachery against such a loyal servant of the crown.”
“I’m sure he is,” Reynard muttered. “Well, I knew I’d have difficulty on that score. If all goes well, it will be irrelevant. Where in Bristol will King George be quartered before the ceremony, out of curiosity?”
“He will be lodging at the home of one of the Merchant Ventures. This way, when your ship is sighted, he can make straight for the docks with no delay.”
“Excellent,” Reynard said. “You really have done a magnificent job, Lord Edmund. Truly magnificent. Meanwhile, what of the local happenings?”
“As a matter of fact, there was a curious incident you may wish to be made aware of,” Lord Edmund said grimly. “It concerns William Atwill, the cocoa magnate you told me had made an attempt on your life.”
“Does it?” Reynard said. “What’s happened to the poor fellow?”
“A strange accident on his estate,” Alleyn said, folding his arms. “Last night, a stray horse happened to fall into the well that provided his home with its supply of drinking water. The poor creature drowned, and its corpse poisoned the water, causing Atwill, several members of his family, and much of his household staff to take ill and die. Rather suddenly.”
“Really?” Reynard said, a crooked smile forming on his lips. “A tragedy indeed. I should send my condolences to whomever among his family may still be living. It can be such a cruel world we live in, my lord. The most unlikely of coincidences can conspire against a man and strike him down on a whim of fate.”
“Almost too unlikely,” Lord Edmund said. “And completely unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary?” Reynard repeated. “I must disagree, my lord. I can’t have someone make an attempt on my life and not balance the scales for it.”
“And what if someone suspects the truth? It could lead to all sorts of suspicion that cannot be afforded at this time. Not on the eve of an endeavor that has been so far successful.”
“You may be right,” Reynard replied with an edge in his voice. “But such a possibility is unlikely. After all, it’s evident it was an accident, isn’t it? Surely anyone’s suspicions can be put to rest by emphasizing that point with your remarkable gifts of persuasion?”
Alleyn held his gaze for only a moment before nodding wearily. “Of course, Captain Reynard. After all, you were busy making your preparations when it happened.”
“That settles that, then. By the way, as long as you’re here, would you care to visit the menagerie? The time has come to officially explain our game to them and tell them what the rules are. You may find it amusing to watch.”
Alleyn blinked in surprise. “You have not told them yet? Any of it?”
“Not after what happened with John Curry. I thought it best to wait until they were all assembled, when they wouldn’t have any time or inclination to change their minds.”
“Very well,” Lord Edmund replied. “I am rather curious to meet them, I must admit.”
* * *
Reynard, Sabatini, and Lord Edmund marched down the gloomy fortress corridors, followed by four men armed with muskets, pistols, and swords. There were no king’s men in the fortress. Every man here swore allegiance to Captain Reynard alone.
They finally came to a pair of oak double-doors, bolted and shackled shut. Two of Reynard’s men were standing on guard, armed with muskets and cutlasses.
“They’re all inside waitin’ for you, Captain Reynard,” one of them said while the other unlocked the door.
“Good,” Reynard said. “See to it that we’re not disturbed under any circumstances. Listen for my knock if I need you to open the doors.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Sabatini opened the door, and Reynard’s bodyguards entered the chamber, leveling their muskets at the captives to make sure none attempted escape. Once the room had been secured, Reynard, Sabatini, and Lord Edmund entered. The room was large and comfortably furnished, and flames from the fireplace provided some degree of illumination and warmth.
Reynard grinned as he surveyed his captives. Seven notorious pirate captains, each with a sordid reputation and a price on his head. In his pirating days, he had surpassed them all, and he relished the idea that he had now done it again as a pirate hunter.
Lancaster was sulking in a corner, still dressed in his scarlet finery, the memory of his recent defeat still stinging his pride. His blue eyes were fixated on his feet, as if he was unable or unwilling to look his fellow captives in the eye. Vanity had always been Lancaster’s weakness, and his defeat at Reynard’s hands had been a bitter blow to his pride.
Asleep on a couch, Captain Oliver Newton of the Dionysus was snoring loudly, a heavy greatcoat draped over his bulk. Unkempt and unshaven, it had surprised many that Newton had not only managed to become a captain, but a successful one at that. The man had the look of a jolly innkeeper, even with the patch over his right eye and the numerous missing teeth, rather than a bloodthirsty pirate. Nevertheless, Newton had been at the pirate game longer than most of the other pirates assembled, and those who underestimated him did so at their peril. Newton had never been particular about which ships he chose to prey on, and he had chosen the wrong ship when he had fallen into Reynard’s ambush.
Seated in a wooden chair next to Newton was Captain Alvaro Quintero of the Lobo del Mar, a handsome, lean man about the same age as Reynard, with a careless look in his eyes and unruly black hair framing his angular face. Quintero, unlike most pirates, was all too willing to take women as captives aboard his ships for his own pleasure. Despite the blood-soaked tale Quintero had told his fellow captives of how he was taken, Reynard had, in actuality, surprised him in his cabin in bed with one of his more attractive “passengers.”
At the moment, Quintero was engaged in a game of cards with Captain Henry Sanders of the Relentless, a beefy brute of a man. He wore a long red beard in the fashion of his late former captain, Blackbeard himself, and was dressed in rough leather clothes. Half English, half Dutch, and a true disciple of Blackbeard, Sanders made his reputation with his savagery rather than skill or wit. His own crew was terrified of him, and it was intimidation, rather than loyalty, that kept them from deserting him or cutting his throat in his sleep. When Reynard’s ship had ambushed Sanders’s, most of the crew had surrendered immediately, preferring to take their chances with Reynard, despite Reynard’s own reputation for ruthlessness.
Idly watching the game was Captain Thomas Shaw of the Orion, a broad-shouldered Irishman with coal-black hair, aquiline features that seemed to have been carved from granite, and dark eyes. Shaw was known for his ability to take a lot of punishment in battle, much like Reynard himself. Under the dark blue shirt he wore was a spider-web of scars of all sorts, all inflicted during combat. Reynard had left him with a new one across the ribs after their encounter.
On Shaw’s right was Maureen Barnes, the sole woman of the group, dressed in elegant men’s clothes that had seen better days. Barnes herself had seen better days as well; years of harsh sea life and a lengthy career raiding French colonies of the Caribbean had taken their toll on her once delicate features. Her weather-beaten face was leathery, and her blue eyes cold. Her red hair was of a brighter hue than Sanders’s, and cut short at the shoulder.
From a corner of the room, Captain Andrew Fairbanks of the O’Kane, dressed elegantly in black and wearing a red sash around his waist, surveyed the others. Despite his foppish appearance and diminutive height – he was scarcely taller than five feet – he was known for his agility and daredevil feats, and he was one of the best swordsmen among the captive pirates. Reynard remembered with pride how he had managed to outfence Fairbanks and force him to surrender.
As Reynard and his entourage entered the room the heavy oak doors slammed shut behind them, startling the captive pirates who had not heard anyone else enter the room. Newton snorted as he was woken from his sleep, scrambling to get himself in a sitting position. Once they’d all gotten over their surprise, seven very angry pairs of eyes were fixated on Reynard.
“Gentlemen,” Reynard said with a mocking smile. “And lady. I trust you’ve been made comfortable.”
“Ye’ve got a lotta brass showin’ yer face ta us,” Newton growled.
“Aye,” Shaw said as he started forward, glaring defiantly at Reynard’s bodyguards as if daring them to try to stop him. “Give me one good reason why the lot of us shouldn’t tear you apart.”
“You mean besides the men with guns standing at the doorway, Shaw?” Quintero said sarcastically.
“We’re dead men anyway, so what have we got to lose?” Sanders roared, shaking a raised fist.
“Hold your anger for one moment,” Reynard said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “There is much that needs saying, and I want for you to hear it all.”
“And what can you possibly have to say that we’d want to hear?” Barnes snarled.
“An offer,” Reynard said smoothly. He had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in his mind, and he wanted it to be the epic moment he’d always dreamed of. “An offer that will only be made once, and with only one opportunity provided for you to answer.”
“What kind of offer?” Lancaster said skeptically.
“Just listen. Allow me my theatrics, and all will be revealed.”
The pirates nodded sulkily, and Reynard grinned as he began to speak.
“My friends, this is a dismal time for the Brotherhood of the Black Flag. The British Royal Navy is becoming more of a presence in these waters, and has succeeded in eradicating one pirate menace after another. Four years ago, we lost Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet within a month of each other. A year ago, it was Calico Jack Rackham, and just recently, Charles Vane. There’s not even work to be had as a privateer, for England is at peace with Spain, and there is no war between the great powers. There are no treasure fleets bearing the wealth of the New World for us to prey on.
“And yet, despite all our recent setbacks, all our losses, the Brethren of the Coast have written for themselves a rich history, carving a bloody swath across the Spanish Main and beyond, living lives of adventure and glory, fighting for wealth, wine, and women, becoming infamous across the seven seas! But the fame and fortunes we have amassed is nothing compared to what’s waiting for us in the future.”
The pirates looked at each other in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?” Barnes growled. “All we’re going to have in our future is a rope around our neck, thanks to you.”
Reynard grinned wolfishly. “That depends on whether you’re willing to throw in with me and sail under my banner.”
The pirates looked at each other uncertainly, taken by surprise. “What do you mean, sail under you?” Newton growled suspiciously.
“Oh for Christ’s sake, haven’t any of you figured it out by now?” Reynard exclaimed. “I didn’t collect you for the pleasure of seeing you hang! I brought you together, seven of the greatest remaining pirates of the Spanish Main, the survivors of a dying breed, to join me on my latest caper… a caper of such audacity, cunning, and brilliance, and demanding such secrecy that I dared not speak of it with any of you until I had you all gathered together. My crew’s been sworn to secrecy under penalty of tortures that will have them longing for death, and they know me better than to think that an idle threat. Gentlemen and lady, will you hear me out, for old time’s sake?”
Again the pirates looked towards each other, exchanging inquiring glances. Slowly, one by one, they nodded. “Get to the point, Reynard,” Shaw said gruffly.
“You’ll sail with me to Bristol, as I pledged,” Reynard began. “Guised as captives, but in truth, captains of your own ships, under my command. Your ships, supposedly trophies of war, will be filled to the brim with battle-hardened buccaneers and as much case shot as they can carry.”
“Our men are still alive?” Barnes said, surprised.
“Confined to their ships, but provided for,” Reynard replied. “And also with their numbers supplemented by some hired swords I’ve recruited for this occasion.”
“And what exactly is the occasion?” Shaw asked. “What happens when we reach Bristol?”
“Clearly you’re not a literary man, Shaw,” Reynard replied. “Just as in the tale of the Trojans and Odysseus’s infamous horse, we will be hailed and welcomed, the masses cheering my name for my daring and bravery in capturing the lot of you... just before we each raise the Jolly Roger and launch an attack on Bristol, taking every penny we can and slaughtering to our hearts content.”
The pirates stared at Reynard, anger giving way to amazement, disbelief, and reluctant admiration, while Lord Edmund’s smooth smile vanished instantly.
“That’s not bad,” Quintero murmured. “Nothing special, but not bad.”
“You only think so because you haven’t heard the best part yet,” Reynard said, enjoying drawing out his revelation. “The most important prize of all will be a most valuable hostage to be claimed for an exorbitant ransom, my true objective in this enterprise: King George himself!”
The pirates’ enthusiasm instantly faded. “Hold the king for ransom?” Shaw said contemptuously. “What rock have you been hiding yourself under, Reynard? There’s not a man in England who’d pay so much as a penny to get King George back.”
“True enough, Shaw, true enough,” Reynard replied, his wolfish grin broader than ever. “But there’s many a man in England and beyond who would pay plenty to be rid of him in the first place.”
Amidst the stunned silence, Reynard gestured to Lord Edmund. “Allow me to introduce you to Lord Edmund Alleyn. Lord Edmund here is a friend, confidant, and advisor to King George, offering him what advice he can on how to win the hearts and minds of his subjects. It was he who persuaded the king to accept my offer to bring the lot of you to face justice in return for my pardon. He also happens to be a member of the Jacobites’ spy network, which is how his paths and ours intertwine.
“Despite two failed rebellions, the Jacobites still hope to oust King George and put the Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart, on his late father’s throne. And on behalf of the Jacobites, and their French and Spanish friends, we are going to abduct King George from the knighting ceremony in my honor. We raid Bristol and send a ransom note asking for an exorbitant amount of money for his safe return: a note that will certainly be disregarded by the king’s political enemies. The Jacobites, meanwhile, will be seen as blameless in this affair. After all, they can’t be held responsible for a pirate attack, can they? They’ll get their king and pay us a fortune in gold for our troubles. A fortune each of you will share, in exchange for your services. Oh, and they’re also paying all expenses, including outfitting the crew and paying their wages, and we keep all prizes won in Bristol.”
“That’s brilliant,” Lancaster said. “That’s bloody brilliant. What happens to the king afterwards?”
“His fate will be irrelevant after that,” Reynard said with a shrug. “I was thinking we would simply kill him.”
“But what if somehow the ransom is able to be paid after all?” Lancaster insisted. “If there’s money to be squeezed out of his family, I’d not want to forfeit such a prize.”
“Of course not,” Reynard replied, laughing. “If anyone’s actually willing to pay for King George’s safe return, and is foolish to believe I’ll return him safely once we’ve received the money, I certainly wouldn’t object to collecting some additional swag.”
“How…how did ye manage all this?” Newton asked in bewilderment.
“You all know that I maintain a widespread intelligence network, which has served me well as a privateer, pirate, and pirate hunter. Through my contacts I learned that His Lordship here corresponded with Cardinal Giulio Alberoni, the architect of the failed Jacobite invasion of England that ended so ignominiously at Glen Shiel. Lord Edmund was instrumental in providing Alberoni with information that was intended to facilitate the Jacobites’ intended siege of London. In exchange for my silence about his sympathies and the identities of his compatriots, I had Lord Edmund persuade his fellow Jacobites and their financial supporters to hire me to do what they themselves could not, and to use his influence to convince the king to play into my hands.”
“I have to admit, I’m impressed,” Barnes said softly. “And what about your bride-to-be? What role did she play in all this?”
“Any chess-player knows how important a piece the queen is,” Reynard answered with a diabolical chuckle. “Catalina Moore’s love for me is the key to persuading everyone that I’ve turned to the side of the angels. I courted her all this time and pledged to her that I would change for the better, all to achieve this end. What better way for the most feared pirate of the Caribbean to endear himself to the masses than by swearing to give up everything for the love of a beautiful woman? Especially a lonely widow who tragically lost her beloved husband? What better way could a despised king earn favor with his dissatisfied subjects than by granting me a pardon so I can wed my lady and live happily ever after, like in a fairy tale? We live in an age of romantics, and a contrived romance will win you all sorts of sympathies in the right circles.”
Quintero smiled crookedly. “If you’re not really marrying her, then, can I have her? Share and share alike, you know.”
“What happens to her afterwards is of no concern to me,” Reynard replied. “Perhaps you and your comrades in arms here can bid for her once I’m done with her. You’ll find that she’d be worth a high price.”
“I’ll save my money,” Quintero answered. “Your Dona Catalina’s beautiful, but there’ll be women aplenty for the taking in Bristol.”
“Aye, women and plunder,” Newton said eagerly, visions of mounds of gold and silver coins running rampant through his head. “Bristol’s a rich prize, so it is.”
“And that’s only part of the riches awaiting us,” Reynard said. “That is, should you choose to cooperate.”
“What kinds of riches are we talking about?” Barnes said, folding her arms. “I’d like to know exactly what our payment will consist of.”
Reynard signaled for the door to be opened. “If you would be so kind as to follow us?”
Under heavy guard and torch light, the pirate captains were led down several corridors and flights of winding stairs, eventually being escorted to a large room, evidently once used for storing supplies. On a large oaken table were seven wooden chests, each one sealed and locked.
“Consider this a taste of things to come,” Reynard drawled as he opened one of the chests, revealing it to be filled to the top with gold coins. He dug his hands into the mass of gold and grabbed a handful, letting them slip through his fingers back into the chest. “Spanish doubloons: two thousand of them total. Two hundred for each of you, the remainder for me and my crew, which are already in my cabin. There will be two thousand more to share the same way once we’ve accomplished our mission.”
The pirates’ eyes gleamed at the sight of the gold within the chests. A single doubloon was valuable enough; a total of four hundred would be more wealth than anything some of them had ever taken in a single raid. Newton licked his lips, while Fairbanks rubbed his hands together.
“Compliments of the Jacobites and their friends in very high places within the French and Spanish courts,” Reynard drawled. “They have their own agendas, naturally, but they coincide with the Jacobites’ goals, not to mention our own. Surely this is just compensation for being locked away for weeks on end, in addition the wealth awaiting us once we’ve plundered Bristol? And to earn it, all I ask of you is that you do what you do best.”
“Ye know how to drive a bargain, Captain Reynard,” Newton said. “And this is indeed an endeavor to me liking. A good one to end a career on.”
“End?” Reynard slammed the chest lid down. “Why should this be the end? This is only the beginning, my friends! Why should this alliance end after this one endeavor? With one single raid, the eight of us are about to change the fate of England, possibly all of Europe itself! Imagine how much more we could achieve together! No fleet, no nation, no empire will be safe from us! We’ll make all the kings of all the nations of the world tremble with fear at the very mention of our names as we build our own empire upon the oceans! The Brotherhood of the Black Flag will live again, a true brotherhood united in a common purpose!”
“Under your command,” Shaw grumbled.
Reynard’s eyes narrowed. “Is that a problem, Shaw? Is the idea so distasteful to you that you’d rather hang from a gallows and sentence your fellows to do the same? Because right now those are your only two choices. Sail with me and join my pirate armada, or be hanged in Bristol. Should even one of you dissent, all of you will be taken to face the king’s justice, and I’ll return the Jacobites’ money and be content with living a quiet life of luxury with Dona Catalina. Understood?”
Shaw and the other pirates nodded wordlessly. “Why not just tell us right away what the plan was and invite us to join you?” Quintero asked. “Why bother with the hunting, the fighting, and the capture of our ships? We would have accepted without you needing to endanger yourself – or us.”
“My way was more convincing,” Captain Reynard replied. “Besides, I tried that with John Curry. He declined my offer, and naturally he and his crew had to be silenced. But most of all, because I enjoyed the hunt.”
The other captains shuddered at Reynard’s cold-blooded response.
Reynard, now with a self-satisfied smile, looked at his fellow captains expectantly. “You’ve heard it all now, my friends. All cards are on the table. So let’s have it: are you with me? Are you with me? Quintero?”
“Aye.”
“Newton?”
“Aye.”
“Sanders?”
“Aye.”
“Shaw?” There was an edge in his voice as he said Shaw’s name, as though he expected resistance.
“Aye,” Shaw replied after an uncomfortable silence.
“Lancaster?”
“Aye.”
“Fairbanks?”
Fairbanks nodded.
“Barnes?”
“Aye.
“That makes it unanimous,” Reynard said with evident pleasure. “You have chosen wisely. I guarantee it. Nick, have them bring in the wine.”
Sabatini rapped on the door and opened it to admit two of Reynard’s crew, bearing crystal glasses filled with wine, and gave one to each pirate captain, as well as Sabatini and Lord Edmund. Reynard raised his, eyes gleaming with triumphant pleasure. “A toast, my friends. To the Brotherhood of the Black Flag!”
The others repeated the toast eagerly, except for Lord Edmund, who mumbled along and merely sipped his wine. He barely registered the taste of it, his mind preoccupied with telling him he had made a very bad mistake.
* * *
Reynard, Sabatini, and Lord Edmund left the room where the pirates were “lodging,” attended by Reynard’s men.
As they marched back to the docks, Reynard noticed Lord Edmund’s pensive expression, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is there something on your mind, Lord Edmund?” he asked.
Lord Edmund glared at Reynard with a mix of anger, revulsion, and fear. “You did not tell me about this part of your plan,” he said as boldly as he dared.
“What didn’t I tell you about?”
“When we were planning this caper of yours, you seem to have left out the part about you sacking and slaughtering the people of Bristol!”
“I didn’t leave anything out,” Reynard said, reminding Lord Edmund of the tone he himself used with his own children when they were unable to remember their lessons. “I told you I’d make the king’s abduction and murder look like it was part of a pirate attack, and this is what happens when pirates attack a city. There is mass murder, rape, and pillaging. I may not have shared every single unsavory detail with you, but I told you every aspect of my grand design, and you agreed to go along with it.”
“You left me with no choice,” Lord Edmund grumbled. “But is it really necessary? Can you not merely make off with the king, send a ransom demand, and be done with it?”
“I could, if I wanted to,” Reynard replied. “But I don’t. Miss out on the opportunity to plunder England’s most prosperous port city? Not a chance, my lord. And not very convincing for the sake of your plan.”
“But we are paying you for your services and financing your enterprise, Captain. I believe that gives me some say as to how you go about carrying it out.”
“Actually, you’re not the one paying me. That would be your French and Spanish friends, who I would wager have no compunctions about eradicating a city so vital to an enemy nation’s economy and security. So no, you don’t really have any say about my methods. Besides, my newly recruited allies have been locked away for so long in this dreary fortress Governor Lawes provided me with. They’re entitled to some recreation after all these months of confinement.”
“Recreation?” Alleyn spluttered. “You call killing thousands of people recreation?”
Reynard’s smile turned diabolical. “Yes.”
Lord Edmund took a deep breath and forced himself to regain his composure. “You do not seem to understand, Captain. Mass slaughter is not the purpose of the Jacobites! We stand against religious oppression and the rising power of the British Parliament! We are fighting a threat to the power and authority God bestows upon kings! That is our cause, not murder and plunder!”
“Your cause, perhaps,” Reynard said icily. “But not mine. I didn’t come to you because I care about politics or religion. I came to you so you could help me facilitate the greatest caper of my career, greater than anything ever dared by any pirate. You and your brethren just happen to be benefiting from it - and quite handsomely too.”
“I accepted your offer to prevent bloodshed, not to instigate it!” Alleyn countered.
“Oh, spare me the self-righteous indignation,” Reynard spat. “What did you think would happen to the king once we’d made off with him? You knew all along what this would entail. You only had eyes on the success of the Jacobite cause and the restoration of the Stuart line of kings. Perhaps even a high place in the Stuart court on account of having facilitated their return to power. Nothing else mattered to you, and that holds true even now. Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong.”
Alleyn said nothing, stung by the truth of Reynard’s remarks.
Reynard advanced on him menacingly. “We’ve come too far to let this scheme fall apart now because of squeamishness, my lord. At this point, your only options are to smile, nod, and bear witness to my plot coming to its full fruition and reap the benefits... or you can continue to protest and learn the hard way how I earned my reputation. At this point, I can easily do away with you without anyone ever knowing about it, so you’d better make your choice carefully. Are you with me, or against me?”
“The choice you have given me is no choice at all,” Lord Edmund muttered. “For the sake of the Stuarts and the future of England, I will do what must be done. I am with you, Captain Reynard.”
Reynard nodded. “I never doubted it for a second. Like a true zealot, you would never let the deaths of others deter you from your true ambitions, whatever noble qualms you claim to have.”
Lord Edmund flinched at the admonition. “By your leave, Captain, I shall be returning to my quarters in town. I need rest before tomorrow’s voyage.”
“But of course, my lord. And do be safe on your way back to your lodgings. Kingston can be such a dangerous place at night.”
As Alleyn bowed and headed to the longboat, Reynard motioned to three of his men who were nearby. “Take another boat and follow him back to town, keeping a discreet distance. Report back to me if he talks to anyone.”
“Aye, Captain,” the three men said in unison.