Page 159 of Storm over the Caribbean
I had to hand it to Mr Ambrose. His negotiation tactics had always been such that it had never really been possible to tell whether he was a businessman or a pirate.
Wait a minute…
I blinked.
Owns huge fleets? Check.
Greedy for money? Check.
Always armed and wearing a black hat? Check.
Had he been a secret pirate this entire time?
Dammit! That would explainsomuch.
“…can’t just abandon your employer!” the young man shouted, dragging my attention back to the events on the beach. “Without him, this fleet of yours wouldn’t even exist!”
“Yet now it does. And can continue to do so, even without him.”
“But…but…” The messenger wildly waved his hands about—then took a deep breath and tried to control himself. “Why don’t you simply come for a meeting with a representative? Our…no,myemployer needs this taken care of, and I’m sure he would be happy to reward you appropriately.”
At that, a glint appeared in Mr Ambrose’s eyes. Stepping forward, he threw his arm around the man’s shoulders. “Well, why didn’t you say so at once? Of course, I can’t leave my honoured benefactor without assistance in such a problematic situation. I’ll come with you immediately.” The messenger didn’tnotice, but I clearly saw the way his eyes frosted over. “I’m sure your employer and I will have an interesting…discussion.”
An Important Change
So, we’re heading straight into the lion’s den, are we?
Quickly, or at least as quickly as I was currently capable of, I made my way through the crowd of pirates, catching up to Mr Ambrose just before he stepped onto the gangplank of his flagship.
“Are you sure about this?” I whispered.
He glanced at the gangplank, then at me, then back at the gangplank. Then he stepped onto it.
“Yes.”
“Not about stepping on the bloody plank!” I hissed. “I meant aboutthis! All of this!” As inconspicuously as possible, I gestured as the flagship, the small feet of three pirate ships gathered around it, and the vessel that belonged to the messenger, all waiting to set out. “Going with the fellow who works for your ruthless, murderous competitor? The man whose loyal pet pirate you just killed off?”
“You mean poor Captain Briggs? What a tragedy that was! Such an unfortunate sailing accident.”
I stared at him. “You really think they’ll buy that? You really think the pirates will support that story?”
“Since I’ve taken over, their earnings have been multiplied by two point six five. What do you think?”
I hated it when he had a point.
“Well…that might be true. Still—”
“Shh!”
He cut me off abruptly. Quickly, I glanced around. We had just stepped onto the ship, and no one seemed to be aroundanywhere on the vessel. The sailors were already rushing to their posts, not paying attention to us. Why…?
“Greetings, Captain!”
Oh.
Right there, at the railing of the other ship, only a few dozen yards away, stood the messenger.
The messenger from the man who tried to sink your ship. Who wanted to drown you alive. You and your child.
