Zeelandia

53. A Surprize

While Zeelandia closed on the ship, it became increasingly clear that she had no open gun ports, and realising this, I breathed a huge sigh. Then I scanned her rails to see her swivel guns were unmanned, and this relaxed me further. We continued toward her, likely to hail.

Then when we were no more than a hundred yards away, a loud shout barked, "Hoy! Hoy! What ship?" I recognised the voice as Master's.

"Mercury of London," came the reply. "Homeward bound."

Master called back, "Zeelandia of Portsmouth, New York bound."

As we passed, Mercury's crew lined the bulwarks and rails, waving, and I waved back. A typical meeting of ships at sea, trading names and destinations. A false alarm. Sopping wet for nothing. But if it had been real? Yes better to have...

My thoughts were interrupted by Charles placing a hand on my shoulder and saying, "Fingers in your ears, Camille." Then he shouted, "Fire shot bags when ready."

"Aye, Sir. The grape when ready."

I stood with my ears plugged, wondering at the fast turn of events. Then Zeelandia shuddered as cannons clapped almost as one, and a swarm of splintered wood erupted all along Mercury's bulwarks, severing shrouds and sending bodies flying. Oh, dear, God!

"Hard starboard. Luff and about."

"Aye, Sir. Starboard. Come about."

"Man the swivels."

"Aye, the swivels, Sir."

I stood there trying to comprehend for a few moments, then I asked Charles, "Why have we fired on an innocent ship?" But he was no longer there to answer.

As I watched for movement aboard Mercury, I saw none but the maintopmast undulating in time with the flapping topsail and its whipping yard. It seemed to be held only by the mainbrace to the foremast. Then with a loud snap, it toppled, and with more sharp cracks, almost as if gunshots, it took the foretopmast, yard and sail with it. When the toppling had finished, I saw no movement but for the flapping sails and the severed lines streaming in the wind.

For a long while, nothing, then I caught motion aft as a man atop the poop removed his shirt and waved it. Two others joined him and did the same. Only three. All those men whose friendly waves I had returned. Gone.

Oh, God, Charles? What have you done?

While Zeelandia swung slowly to starboard, I turned to keep a watch on Mercury's decks. Still only the three. When our sails again had wind, and we approached the disabled ship's stern, I saw a board hanging by a corner and swaying with the roll of the waves. Mercury painted on it and Santiago carved into her hull and gilded. Deception. I then understood what Father had often told me about the ruses pirates play.

Our crew manned the swivels from stem to stern as Zeelandia luffed again to lay beam-to and close aboard Santiago's sterncastle. Close enough that Charles, flanked by four hands with primed pistols poised, barely had to raise his voice as he called, "Cast your weapons into the sea."

"We are in ballast. No cargo. Nothing to plunder."

"Hah! Homeward bound empty. What folly is this? Do you think me daft?"

"God's truth."

"What? That I am daft? Point your pistols, men."

"No, no. That we are empty."

"And disarmed once you jettison your weapons. Now!"

"We have none."

"Your shirts no longer hide them."

When they had withdrawn pistols and knives from their cinctures and tossed them overboard, Charles asked, "How many were you?"

"Twenty-two."

"Were all on deck? Or are there others below?"

"Two in the cookery and oof." A punch to the belly stopped the man's words as he doubled over.

"And besides the cooks?" Charles asked.

"None," replied the man, rubbing his belly and scowling."

The banter continued for another while, then when Charles appeared to deem it was safe, he sent a longboat with a large and well-armed crew across to Santiago with shackles and chains. And axes. Why axes? I wondered.

As I stood watching the men board, Charles came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to his front. "The excitement is over now, and it is safe again below." He leaned to kiss my cheek, then said, "Oh, my. I do love your breasts presented in this manner. Though wetted as they are, they might be too much for the others."

I looked down and nodded. "Yes, I had seen that, but I have nothing here with which to cover."

"No matter, now. It is best you go below, lest you catch a chill."

"Will you come down to warm me?"

"As soon as all is settled here. We must restrain whatever crew remains alive and attend the injured. Then chop away Santiago's fouled rigging, recover what we can of it, stabilise what still stands, and take her in tow."

"In tow? As a prize?"

"Yes, and a solid one, she appears. But for our damage."

"But strange with her tall sterncastle."

"Aye, a Spanish design. She would have been captured from them." Charles pointed to the hatch. "Head below, strip from these wet clothes and draw a bath to warm yourself."

"Warm in this pouring rain?" I looked at him, thinking he had gone mad. "On deck for all to see?"

Charles burst into laughter, and when he calmed, he said, "No, in the bath below."

"Oh! In our cabin? Why have I not ever seen the tub? I have cleaned everywhere down there."

"In the cabinet between the night cabin and the privy. Rotate the central moulding there to release the latch, and the bulkhead opens."

I now understood the activity when he had banished me to my closet, so I nodded and said, "And I fill it with the privy buckets."

"No, from the pipe."

"The pipe?"

He pointed to the black hogshead strapped to the rail forward of the mizzen shrouds. "It leads below from that barrel."

I had wondered its purpose, but I had not questioned. Nor did I yet understand, and I was about to ask when Charles released me from his arms and strode away across the deck.

I sighed, then turned my attention to the activity aboard Santiago. Seven pirates, now. Pistols pointed at them. Being shackled. Father's tales of restraining and chaining flashed through my mind, so vivid now with...

My reverie was interrupted by Charles taking my hand and saying, "Come, Camille. I am not needed up here at the moment, and I have told Mister Matthews to call me when required."