Page 26 of The Pirate's Daughter

“I’m going up,” Mia snarled atthem.

“No,” both menyelled.

“Then you goup.”

“Mrs. Winthrop?” Devin called, approaching the trio. His two crew members snapped toattention.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Devin greetedthem.

“Morning, Captain,” they bothmuttered.

“What is at play this fine,earlymorning?” He sent a bit of a glare in Mia’s direction annoyed that she was topside so early causing aruckus.

“There’s a ship off the portside and there’s something wrong with it,” Mia told him. Devin held out his hand and waved for one of the telescopes to be handed over. “For more than an hour now it’s been listing starboard and turning,” she continued. Devin stopped lifting the glass to his eye to look ather.

“How long have you been on deck, Mia?” Devin asked, setting the glass to his eye and trying to look past the choppywaters.

“She came up with my watch Captain,” Asher said as he, too, scanned thewaters.

“I see nothing Mia, are you sure you saw a ship. Perhaps it was the reflection of thesun?”

“There’s a damn ship out there and something is wrong with it,” Mia snapped and started towards the main mast. “I’ll go up and tell you straight where tohead.”

“You’ll not,” Devin ordered. “Not in thesewinds.”

“Captain, I’ll go up,” Mr. Asheroffered.

“No,” Lieutenant Coventon said. “As I’ve said and the Captain has confirmed, the winds are too high to climb the mast for any unnecessaryreason.”

Mia let out a frustrated growl and turned to slam her hands down on the rail. She was so sure. Devin again lifted the glass to his eye. But the chop and the dull morning light made it impossible to see more than severalmiles.

“Captain?” Mr. Asher pressed, almostpleading.

Devin cast his eyes up the length of the ship’s main mast. The flags whipped out violently, but the post itself wasn’t moving independently of the ship. Nor were the sails which were still furled, being whipped about. He looked again at Mia who looked out over the ocean. “Wear a safety line, Mr.Asher.”

“Aye,” the man shouted and dashedoff.

“Captain?” Coventon soundedhorrified.

“Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin called and watched her back stiffen before she turned to look at him. “I’m putting a man in peril. Are you certain you saw aship?”

“Aye.” She again turned to lookseaward.

“Mia?” Devin pressed, catching sight of Asher fitting a short rope around his body and reaching to hook the iron rings several pegs above his head. “Mia,” he called and took her arm so she looked at him. “You’re mostcertain?”

“Yes, Captain.” She nodded her head then turned back to thewater.

“Go aloft, Mr. Asher,” Devin ordered. “Cautiously,” headded.

The man nodded and started the climb. A good sailor could scramble to the top in only a minute across any lines or posts. And he could do it in any weather if needed to secure the rigging and sails. The platform made for good place to look out, but if a man was aloft and the mast was brought down he’d be lost. The need to move the rings and keep the safety line from snagging slowed the man significantly. But he reached the platform, tied off and stood. Raising his glass, he began a slow search of thewaters.

“Where again?” he calleddown.

“Thirty-two degrees, sixty miles, east-southeast,” Mia called, holding out her arm, palm flat, fingers pointed towards the bow and slowly swinging it towards the point sheindicated.

Devin shook his head. He opened his mouth to tell his man to come down. His wife didn’t even use a compass. Looking up, he saw Asher pull one from his pocket. Devin suspected he was shooting an azimuth to help orient. A moment later he lifted the glass to his eye and Devin held his breath. The man looked, leaned forward, looked again, then shouteddown.

“Ship off the portside, and she looks distressed.” He was already making his way down themast.

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