will be an unnecessary complication.’
These cold-blooded words filled me with horror. It had not occurred to me that Sophie’s mother and her crewwould do anything but rescue their fellow creatures, fellow Englishmen to boot. Yet, here they were suggesting sending them to Davy Jones as if they were choosing boots to wear. I looked at Sophie, but she either had not heard or was avoiding my eyes. Now I was torn. I really needed to get back to Mr Wicker to tell him that he and the survivors from the
Firefly
could well be rowing frantically to their doom, but I also needed to know Jenny Blade’s decision. Given that the jolly-boat was still well out of cannon range, I decided to stay.
‘They are making good progress in this sea,’ observed the lieutenant.
‘So we will know what they are soon enough, I dare say,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘Hand me your telescope.’
When the other obliged, she lifted it to her eye and kept it trained on the approaching jolly-boat for a considerable time. At length she put the telescope aside and exclaimed, ‘The devil! I’d swear that man in the bows is Wicker!’
‘Wicker?’
‘A man on a quest, a strange man … We met in England some time back. His purpose then was beyond my powers and, indeed, my courage.’
‘A quest?’
‘Yes, he seeks an astrolabe.’
‘An astrolabe? That sounds not much of a quest. He could acquire an astrolabe from any ship’s chandlers or merchant, surely. There are still some to be had …’
‘But this, according to Mr Wicker, is no ordinary astrolabe.’
‘In what way?’
‘I know not. He would not say. However, I suspect it may have certain qualities, or certain attributes beyond any astrolabe a chandler might supply.’
‘You said powers and courage?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘I want not for courage and nor do you or any of my men, but what this Wicker wanted was beyond belief or reason.’
The lieutenant glanced at her inquiringly.
‘He wanted, no less, for a ship to take him to Cartagena de Indias in New Granada, the most heavily fortified Spanish town in the Spanish Main!’
The lieutenant whistled in disbelief.
‘Not merely take him there, but to somehow gain entrance to the port, locate the astrolabe, for he believes it is hidden there, steal it from the Spaniards, and escape with it in his clutches!’
‘Did he wish to steal the moon and stars as well?’
‘He might as well have,’ said Jenny Blade, smiling.
‘But he is here, on this jolly-boat?’
‘I am almost certain he is. He has sent me intelligence that he was returning to the Caribbean. He had heard that Admiral Vernon intended to sack Cartagena, the fort and the town, and claim it for King George.’
‘Oh, aye,’ laughed the lieutenant, ‘and all for the sake of an ear.’
‘I wonder how many lives have been lost because of that ear.’
Jenny Blade lifted the telescope once more.
‘He hoped to renew his request with the understandingthat the Spanish are no longer guardians of the fort. I wonder then,’ she added, smiling grimly, ‘if Mr Wicker has heard the news.’
‘So, we should have them on board?’
‘Oh yes, I should like to see Wicker’s face when he learns what has happened.’
I had listened to this dialogue with growing interest. Now I began to understand why Wicker had gained passage on the
Firefly
. We were going to join Admiral Vernon’s forces in Kingston Harbour. Mr Wicker, it seemed, hoped to visit the fort in Cartagena once it had been captured and find this mysterious astrolabe. Moreover, he was hoping to make this journey on the
Medusa
.
I backed away from the two at the rail and joined Sophie who was standing some feet away.
‘Your mother knows Mr Wicker,’ I whispered.
She looked at me and nodded. I stared at her, trying to read her face. When I’d told Sophie about Mr Wicker she had given no sign that she recognised the name. Did she not really know? Or was she a clever dissembler? Should I have trusted
These cold-blooded words filled me with horror. It had not occurred to me that Sophie’s mother and her crewwould do anything but rescue their fellow creatures, fellow Englishmen to boot. Yet, here they were suggesting sending them to Davy Jones as if they were choosing boots to wear. I looked at Sophie, but she either had not heard or was avoiding my eyes. Now I was torn. I really needed to get back to Mr Wicker to tell him that he and the survivors from the
Firefly
could well be rowing frantically to their doom, but I also needed to know Jenny Blade’s decision. Given that the jolly-boat was still well out of cannon range, I decided to stay.
‘They are making good progress in this sea,’ observed the lieutenant.
‘So we will know what they are soon enough, I dare say,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘Hand me your telescope.’
When the other obliged, she lifted it to her eye and kept it trained on the approaching jolly-boat for a considerable time. At length she put the telescope aside and exclaimed, ‘The devil! I’d swear that man in the bows is Wicker!’
‘Wicker?’
‘A man on a quest, a strange man … We met in England some time back. His purpose then was beyond my powers and, indeed, my courage.’
‘A quest?’
‘Yes, he seeks an astrolabe.’
‘An astrolabe? That sounds not much of a quest. He could acquire an astrolabe from any ship’s chandlers or merchant, surely. There are still some to be had …’
‘But this, according to Mr Wicker, is no ordinary astrolabe.’
‘In what way?’
‘I know not. He would not say. However, I suspect it may have certain qualities, or certain attributes beyond any astrolabe a chandler might supply.’
‘You said powers and courage?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘I want not for courage and nor do you or any of my men, but what this Wicker wanted was beyond belief or reason.’
The lieutenant glanced at her inquiringly.
‘He wanted, no less, for a ship to take him to Cartagena de Indias in New Granada, the most heavily fortified Spanish town in the Spanish Main!’
The lieutenant whistled in disbelief.
‘Not merely take him there, but to somehow gain entrance to the port, locate the astrolabe, for he believes it is hidden there, steal it from the Spaniards, and escape with it in his clutches!’
‘Did he wish to steal the moon and stars as well?’
‘He might as well have,’ said Jenny Blade, smiling.
‘But he is here, on this jolly-boat?’
‘I am almost certain he is. He has sent me intelligence that he was returning to the Caribbean. He had heard that Admiral Vernon intended to sack Cartagena, the fort and the town, and claim it for King George.’
‘Oh, aye,’ laughed the lieutenant, ‘and all for the sake of an ear.’
‘I wonder how many lives have been lost because of that ear.’
Jenny Blade lifted the telescope once more.
‘He hoped to renew his request with the understandingthat the Spanish are no longer guardians of the fort. I wonder then,’ she added, smiling grimly, ‘if Mr Wicker has heard the news.’
‘So, we should have them on board?’
‘Oh yes, I should like to see Wicker’s face when he learns what has happened.’
I had listened to this dialogue with growing interest. Now I began to understand why Wicker had gained passage on the
Firefly
. We were going to join Admiral Vernon’s forces in Kingston Harbour. Mr Wicker, it seemed, hoped to visit the fort in Cartagena once it had been captured and find this mysterious astrolabe. Moreover, he was hoping to make this journey on the
Medusa
.
I backed away from the two at the rail and joined Sophie who was standing some feet away.
‘Your mother knows Mr Wicker,’ I whispered.
She looked at me and nodded. I stared at her, trying to read her face. When I’d told Sophie about Mr Wicker she had given no sign that she recognised the name. Did she not really know? Or was she a clever dissembler? Should I have trusted