Sea of Honor (Noble Heart Book 5) Page 6

  Sir Michael picked up his bundle and followed the captain to the ship’s gangplank. He looked around and saw Davy watching them. He stared into the seaman’s eyes and lifted an eyebrow. Then he gave a quick wink and a grin. He hoped Davy would get the message—I’ll be back! Don’t leave without me! Davy nodded slightly and then turned away.

  Captain Callice marched past two or three small boats with Sir Michael at his heels. A tall ship stood at another wharf down the way—a caravel by the looks of her. Callice stopped at the foot of her gangplank. “This is a Portuguese ship, and there are others here in Porto from other countries. I do not doubt you will find passage on one of them. Whether or not anyone will agree to take you on your wild goose chase, I do not know, but do not try to go back to the Sea Eagle, for I have given orders that you are not allowed back on board. My men will turn you away if you try. Now, go!”

  Sir Michael climbed the gangplank. He called out “Ahoy, there!” as he neared the top. A man appeared and waved him on up the rest of the way. Michael looked down and saw Captain Callice still standing at the bottom, watching him. He would have to put on a good show. Sir Michael grinned a bit to himself and went forward to meet the seaman at the top of the gangplank.

  From below Captain Callice saw the two men meet and shake hands. He was too far away to hear what was said, but he saw Sir Michael point out to sea and gesture as if he was looking for something—or someone—on the horizon. The Portuguese seaman nodded and waved his hands around. Sir Michael seemed to agree with whatever it was he said. He pulled a small pouch out of his jersey and held it up for the sailor to see. Callice assumed it held money—money for passage aboard the ship. The sailor nodded and the two men shook hands again. Sir Michael picked up his bundle from the deck where he had dropped it and they strolled back out of sight of Captain Callice.

  The captain was satisfied, though. The bothersome knight had found another ship to carry him wherever it was he wanted to go. He could wash his hands of him now, and good riddance! Now to find some skilled workmen to do the repairs to his damaged Sea Eagle. Captain Callice turned away and headed up the street into Porto.

  A few minutes later Sir Michael appeared back at the railing of the ship. He looked down and saw that Captain Callice had left at last. He waved to his new friend, Afonso the Portuguese seaman, and quickly trotted down the gangplank. He chuckled as he thought of the trick he had played on the captain. Callice would have been surprised if he could have heard the conversation that went on between him and Afonso—or rather the lack of conversation! Neither could understand the other, for he did not speak Portuguese, and the sailor could not understand Sir Michael’s language. Afonso had been a friendly fellow, though, and tried to help this stranger out, smiling and pointing and shaking hands whenever Sir Michael prompted him to. Michael had flashed his old money pouch in front of the man, which had produced more smiles and head-nodding. The little leather bag contained only a few small coins—a small sacrifice to make for the part the seaman had played in fooling Captain Callice. His real money pouch still lay tucked inside his jersey with the money King Stephen had given him for the expenses of the trip safely hidden within.

  Sir Michael raced back down the wharf toward the Sea Eagle. Davy stepped out of the shadows just as he reached the gangplank. “Hurry!” the seaman urged. “Charlie is keeping old Pyrs busy on the other side of the ship so that we can get ye back aboard without being seen. We need to get under way before the captain returns. We have to be out of sight so that he will not even know which way we have gone.” Davy was already releasing the ropes that held the brigantine to the dock as Sir Michael sped up its length and a moment later he followed the young knight to the deck.

  Pyrs was not to be seen, but all around them the men of the Sea Eagle were quietly going about the business of putting her out to sea once more. Some were busy setting the sails, while others raised the anchor and the gangplank. The helmsman on the quarterdeck was at the wheel, skillfully steering the tall brigantine from her spot at the dock.

  They were halfway through the harbor when suddenly a scream echoed across the deck. “Avast! Avast, I say! Stop! What are ye doing?” Pyrs came popping out of one of the holds and dashed across the deck and up the steps to the quarterdeck. “Avast!” Charlie, who had lured him down into the hold with a story of missing supplies, followed him.

  Pyrs tried to grab the wheel from the helmsman. “What do ye think you’re doing, ye scurvy dog! I am in charge here while the captain is gone! I give the orders! Now turn this ship around and go back to the dock or I’ll have ye flogged! Do it now!” His face was red and the veins in his forehead were bulging out.

  “You’re not in charge any longer, Pyrs Griffith!” a quiet voice behind him said.

  The furious man whipped around at the sound of the voice. Sir Michael was standing at the top of the stairs, with several of the other men behind him. “You! What are ye doing back here again! The captain put you off and told ye not to come back! Davy, Charlie! Throw this man in chains and lock him in the hold!”

  “Nay, as the man says, Pyrs—you are not in charge here,” Davy said.

  Pyrs stared at the men before him. “So! It’s a mutiny then, is it?” I would think long and hard about this, if I were you! The captain will skin ye all alive and hang ye from the gibbet when he returns!”

  Davy and the other seamen burst out laughing. “When he returns to what, Pyrs? He will find nothing when he returns!”

  “Aye! Ye’ve stolen his ship! Do ye think he’ll not chase ye down to the ends of the earth to get the Sea Eagle back?”

  “Oh, yes! He will search for his ship, but he would not go after the men who were captured from her, would he? My brother, Charlie’s cousin, our friends! We are going after them, Pyrs, and you’re welcome to come along. Or, if you don’t want to do that, we’ll gladly let you off right here in the bay and you can swim back to Porto!”

  Pyrs began screaming at them again. He was so angry they could not even understand the words he was saying. Finally Sir Michael said, “Perhaps we had better lock him in one of the cabins.”

  “Nay,” Davy said. “That is too good for him. Lock him in the hold, men.” Pyrs was carried off kicking and screaming.

  Sir Michael stood on the quarterdeck looking out to sea as the brigantine sailed out of the bay and the land behind them faded away. The sun was already high in the sky. It had been more than a day since the battle with the Spanish pirates. Would they be able to catch up with them with such a head start? Would they be able to find them at all? Would they come too late if they did?

  “Hang on, Noble!” he whispered. “Help is on the way!” He looked up at the sky and prayed, “God, help us!”

  __________

  CHAPTER NINE

  __________

  Las Islas Canarias

  Noble woke with a start as a hand shook him. It was still dark, but the sliver of light at the horizon told him that dawn would break soon. He looked around. He could see the dark shape of Pedro once more crouched behind him. The Spanish boy quickly lifted his finger to his lips. “What is it, Pedro?” Noble whispered.

  “I am sorry to wake you, but I needed to speak with you before it gets too light. I will not be able to bring you food again until tonight, but perhaps I can persuade el capitán to allow you to eat sometime today.”

  “Thank you, my friend. We are very grateful to you, but please do not take any chances with your own safety.”

  “Do not worry about it. After two years on this stinking ship I have learned my way around the most secret ways. And once and a while, when he is in a good mood and has not had too much too drink, Capitán Gascon listens to me. I will do my best for you.”

  “We will be praying for you.”

  Pedro stared at him. Finally he said, “Thank you. I hope El Señor Diós will hear you.”

  “He will, Pedro,” Noble said quietly.

  Pedro looked around carefully. He had to hurry, for the sky was getting light
er with every passing moment. “I have something else to tell you, Sir Noble. I heard el capitán talking with some of the others. We will be arriving in Las Islas Canarias tomorrow.”

  “Las Islas Canarias?”

  “The Canary Islands. They are off the coast of Africa. The pirates have a hideout on a small islet not far from La Palma, one of the larger islands.”

  Noble hesitated. “What does that mean for us, Pedro?”

  Pedro looked away and then turned to look Noble in the eyes. “They will sell you as slaves when we arrive on La Palma. You will be carried off one by one, or in small groups of two or three to Africa, or Spain, or sold to other pirates who will enslave you on their ships. You may end up in the New World or China or wherever they do their fearsome trade.”

  “What can we do, my friend?” Noble asked. His voice was cool and steady. Pedro peered at him through the shadows of dawn. There was no fear on this young knight’s face. No dread. A look of thoughtful determination and quiet wisdom filled his eyes, instead. Pedro had no doubt that Noble would not sit idly by and wait for this terrible fate to come to them. He would meet the challenge head-on, if he could, with a plan and courage, and he would fight for them all. Somehow Pedro knew, too, that Noble’s God would be with him in the battle.

  “I do not know,” Pedro answered simply, “but if you can think of a plan, I will help however I can. I would suggest that you all stick together, though. Do not allow them to separate you or you will end up scattered to the wind. You stand a better chance of success once we get to La Palma, I think, than here on the ship, but do not wait too long to make your move. There will be buyers waiting on the island for your arrival.”

  “Thank you again, Pedro, for your help. When we are able to escape with God’s help, I promise you—we will take you with us, if you want to go.”

  Pedro noticed he did not say “if we are able to escape,” but “when we escape.” This fellow had great faith in his God, it seemed.

  Two or three of the pirates had appeared at the bow of the galleon. Dawn was finally breaking and it was time to go before he was caught. Pedro melted silently into the shadows. Noble did not see him at all for the rest of the day.

  One thing had changed, however. The sun was still very low in the east when two Spaniards drew near carrying buckets of food and water. They were filled with the same cold, gluey porridge and hard biscuits that they had been given before, but since they had eaten nothing but a single biscuit in three days, it seemed like a feast to them! What was even more astonishing, they were given more water at noon, and then as the sun began to set, they were each given a piece of raw fish and another biscuit! They did not complain about the raw fish. To the starving men it was too wonderful for words!

  With the food came new hope and a brighter outlook, despite the news Noble had given them that morning. “I share these things that Pedro told me in order that we might make a plan and be prepared,” he had said. “Do not be afraid! We are not going to sit quietly by and allow these pirates to split us up and sell us to the slave traders.”

  “But what can we do, Sir Noble?” John Roby asked. He looked better than he had the day before, although he was still frail.

  “I do not know yet, John. In part, we must see what the situation is when we get to La Palma. In the meantime, we can put our heads together and think of some of the possibilities. Pedro says we must be prepared to act quickly. If we already have some ideas of what may be possible, we will be able to come up with a workable plan much more swiftly. In any case, we know Pedro will help us. And most importantly, do not doubt for a moment that our Lord will be with us, as well, and with Him all things are possible.”

  The men nodded their heads. Their faith was growing day by day as they saw God’s hand at work on their behalf. Now they quietly talked whenever the pirates were not watching them. They had no idea what La Palma would be like, or when or where they would be sold. How they could free themselves from their chains, how they could fight without weapons, how they could escape the island itself, they did not know. Several ideas were tossed about, but until they arrived they could not know how to plan other than to act quickly when the first opportunity arose. There was one thing they were all agreed upon, though, and that was that they would all escape together. No one would be left behind, and if Pedro Vasquez wanted to go with them, they would take him along, as well.

  It was another hot day and the sun beat down upon them. There was little wind to fill out the sails and the galleon’s progress was slow. It began to be clear to them that the ship would not arrive in the Canary Islands before the sun went down. El Capitán Gascon was in a rotten mood. He snarled out his orders to his men, and viciously kicked one or another of the prisoners with his sharp boots each time he walked past them. The captives gathered around young John Roby as best they could to prevent him from being the target of those kicks.

  They were surprised once more when again that day they received food and water from their captors. They thanked God, and were grateful to Pedro, as well, for they knew somehow he must have influenced the captain on their behalf. Little did they know that it was only Pedro’s suggestion that by feeding the prisoners, el capitán would receive a better price for them from the slave traders. His argument had swayed the cruel captain to provide the captives with food and water. He could not expect to get much for half-dead slaves.

  The sun was setting when finally the call was heard from the topmast, “Tierra! Tierra! Land!” Dim shadows rose from the horizon, but they were still a long way off. Excitement seemed to energize the Spanish pirates and they set to work to fill the sails with the sluggish wind with even greater fervor. The prisoners, on the other hand, looked at one another nervously. What would the next day bring?

  Pedro came to them after dark. “We will reach La Palma by dawn,” he said quietly. “La Palma is one of the largest of the seven islands in Las Carnarias, and a major trading port. There are six more islets—small outcroppings of rock, really—that are not inhabited by anyone but pirates looking for a place to hide their treasure and escape from those who seek them. They plan to sell you in Santa Cruz, the largest town on La Palma, before they go on to their hideout on one of those islets.”

  “We have made what plans we can, Pedro. Basically, we are resolved to act as one when we see an opening to do something.” Noble said with a shrug, “but how that will come about, who knows? The first step, to be sure, is to somehow rid ourselves of these chains. We will not get very far chained together like this. Then, since we have no weapons, and are badly out-numbered, we will have to avoid a fight and escape without being seen. Third, we must find a way to leave the island somehow. Whatever happens, we will go together or not at all.”

  “I wish I could tell you more about Santa Cruz de La Palma,” Pedro said, “but I have actually only been there once myself—the day I was sold in the slave market. Whenever we have returned there since then, I was not allowed off the ship. This I vow, though—I will find a way to help you.”

  “You have already helped, Pedro, by getting food for us. Do not put yourself in danger now.”

  “We are all in danger. I have lived in danger every day for the last two years. I will do it no longer. What I do for you, I do for myself, as well. If you escape—rather, when you escape—I will go with you.” Pedro slipped away into the night without another word.

  The men were left to wait and to pray. There was little sleep that night for any of them. Noble led them in prayer several times during those dark hours. At last, one by one, they fell into a restless sleep—all except Noble, that is. He continued to pray.

  It was still dark when Pedro returned. Noble lifted his head and peered through the shadows at the boy. “Here,” Pedro whispered, “take this.” He slipped something into Noble’s hand. “It is the key to the locks on your chains.”

  “How did you get this?” Noble asked in amazement.

  “I had to wait all night, but at last the captain fell asleep and I took
it from the chain he wears at his side.”

  “Pedro! What if he had caught you?”

  “Then it would have been the end for me, I suppose. Now listen, we must do this quickly. We must open all the locks, but do not take them off. You must leave the chains on for now, but do not let the pirates see that they are unlocked.”

  “Is there any way we could escape the ship before we get to La Palma?” Noble asked.

  Pedro shook his head. “There is a small boat, but we would not all fit in it, and besides, I doubt we could get it lowered without drawing attention to ourselves. It is too dangerous to try to swim.”

  “We will wait, then, for an opportunity to escape when we get to La Palma,” Noble said. “Try to stay near us, Pedro, when we get there. If we see our chance to escape we will take it, but we do not want to go without you. We must all be ready when that moment comes.”

  “I will do my best, señor.”

  “Call me Noble, please, Pedro.”

  Pedro nodded, but they wasted no more time on talk. One by one they went down the line, using the key in each lock. The men woke up and stared at them with wonder in their eyes. “Shh!” Noble whispered, warning them with a finger to his lips. “Do not remove your leg irons just yet. We do not want the pirates to know they are unlocked.” The men nodded in sudden understanding.

  John Roby’s eyes filled with tears when they unlocked his chains. “Thank you! Thank you, my friend!” he whispered to Pedro.

  The Spanish boy slipped away into the night with the key. “Pray to your God, Noble, that I will be able to return this to the captain’s pocket chain without waking him!” he whispered before he left.

  The mountainous island of La Palma loomed large above them when dawn broke. Santa Cruz was a large port with several large ships already at the docks and many smaller fishing boats dotting the harbor, as well. Even at this early hour the place was bustling with activity. Shouts filled the air as El Lobo del Mar reached an empty pier and men ran to catch her ropes and tie her to the dock.