need your lunch more so you can be big and strong. I’ll be along, don’t worry.” The boy went back inside through the front door, giving us his best tough-guy look the whole way. When he was gone, Tew said, “No need for him to see you kill me, is there?”
“We’re not here to kill you,” Jane said.
“Then what do you want?”
“Anything you know about your father,” I said, and waved the coin for emphasis. “Like we keep saying.”
“And his treasure,” Jane added. I stared javelins at her. “I don’t suppose he ever stops by for a father–son chat when he’s in port?” I asked.
Tew laughed. “Yeah, sure. He brings me presents from all over the world. One day I’ll sail as his first mate.”
I fought not to smile. His sarcasm sounded just like his mother. “What about the Dirnay family? Do you know them?”
“Is this a trick question?” he snapped. When I didn’t answer, he said, “They’re the jerks who raised me. Look, I got nothing to add. Neither one of my parents stuck around to change my diapers or watch my first steps or teach me a goddamn thing.” He stood, adjusted his clothes, and with as much dignity as he could muster, said, “And you can shove that money back where she said you found it.”
With that, he went inside and slammed the door. The bar slid into its slot across it.
Jane chuckled. “That was pointless.”
“No, it wasn’t.” I put the coin on the middle of the top step, careful to avoid the smeared manure. “We know what Edward Tew looks like now.”
“We do?”
“Junior in there didn’t get that cleft chin and blue eyes from Angelina.”
“Wonder what he did get?”
“Definitely the warmth,” I said as I got back on my horse. Jane laughed as she did the same. “So now what, boss?”
“Your friend Racko sounded pretty sure Black Edward was dead. He implied it was a well-known story.”
“Some of the other guys disagreed.”
“Yeah. I think we need to find a more reliable source.” She chuckled. “A more reliable source for pirate gossip?”
“Pirate history. I want to know what happened to Black Edward and why some people think he’s dead. There must be a better authority than some drunks in a tavern. Maybe the Society of Scribes, or some royal archivist somewhere.”
Jane looked down thoughtfully. “There is. It’s a bit of a ride, but we don’t seem to be in a hurry.”
“Who?”
She said in a whisper, “The Sea Hawk.”
I repeated, “Who?”
She snorted at my lack of knowledge. “You land crabs. I mean Rody Hawk. Captain Hawk of the Poison. ”
I knew that name, all right, and it sent a rush of apprehension up my spine. I’d heard all the stories about this particular scourge of the seas, and if only a fraction of them were true, Hawk was the worst of the worst. “I thought he was dead, too.”
“See? You can’t trust any stories about a pirate’s death. Rody Hawk has enough treasure hidden to buy Langlade and most of Algoma for dessert. He’s in prison in Shawano until he tells where it is, or dies, whichever comes first.”
“How do you know so much about him?”
She grinned triumphantly. “Because I’m the one who caught him.”
chapter FIVE
Shawano was six days’ ride from Watchorn. For a guy looking for a pirate, I was spending an awful lot of time in the saddle.
Two nights we stayed at inns, but the rest we camped along the way. The third night I spotted another fire behind us, and crept back to check it out. Granted, it could have been anyone who happened to be going the same way, but the hackles on my neck told me otherwise. By the time I got there, the fire was out and the camp abandoned. Whoever it was didn’t show themselves again.
The prison outside Mosinee, capital city of Shawano, was known as “the pirates’ graveyard,” because if a pirate was captured and not executed, he ended up here. After a few weeks in this facility, most pirates would welcome being hanged, their
“We’re not here to kill you,” Jane said.
“Then what do you want?”
“Anything you know about your father,” I said, and waved the coin for emphasis. “Like we keep saying.”
“And his treasure,” Jane added. I stared javelins at her. “I don’t suppose he ever stops by for a father–son chat when he’s in port?” I asked.
Tew laughed. “Yeah, sure. He brings me presents from all over the world. One day I’ll sail as his first mate.”
I fought not to smile. His sarcasm sounded just like his mother. “What about the Dirnay family? Do you know them?”
“Is this a trick question?” he snapped. When I didn’t answer, he said, “They’re the jerks who raised me. Look, I got nothing to add. Neither one of my parents stuck around to change my diapers or watch my first steps or teach me a goddamn thing.” He stood, adjusted his clothes, and with as much dignity as he could muster, said, “And you can shove that money back where she said you found it.”
With that, he went inside and slammed the door. The bar slid into its slot across it.
Jane chuckled. “That was pointless.”
“No, it wasn’t.” I put the coin on the middle of the top step, careful to avoid the smeared manure. “We know what Edward Tew looks like now.”
“We do?”
“Junior in there didn’t get that cleft chin and blue eyes from Angelina.”
“Wonder what he did get?”
“Definitely the warmth,” I said as I got back on my horse. Jane laughed as she did the same. “So now what, boss?”
“Your friend Racko sounded pretty sure Black Edward was dead. He implied it was a well-known story.”
“Some of the other guys disagreed.”
“Yeah. I think we need to find a more reliable source.” She chuckled. “A more reliable source for pirate gossip?”
“Pirate history. I want to know what happened to Black Edward and why some people think he’s dead. There must be a better authority than some drunks in a tavern. Maybe the Society of Scribes, or some royal archivist somewhere.”
Jane looked down thoughtfully. “There is. It’s a bit of a ride, but we don’t seem to be in a hurry.”
“Who?”
She said in a whisper, “The Sea Hawk.”
I repeated, “Who?”
She snorted at my lack of knowledge. “You land crabs. I mean Rody Hawk. Captain Hawk of the Poison. ”
I knew that name, all right, and it sent a rush of apprehension up my spine. I’d heard all the stories about this particular scourge of the seas, and if only a fraction of them were true, Hawk was the worst of the worst. “I thought he was dead, too.”
“See? You can’t trust any stories about a pirate’s death. Rody Hawk has enough treasure hidden to buy Langlade and most of Algoma for dessert. He’s in prison in Shawano until he tells where it is, or dies, whichever comes first.”
“How do you know so much about him?”
She grinned triumphantly. “Because I’m the one who caught him.”
chapter FIVE
Shawano was six days’ ride from Watchorn. For a guy looking for a pirate, I was spending an awful lot of time in the saddle.
Two nights we stayed at inns, but the rest we camped along the way. The third night I spotted another fire behind us, and crept back to check it out. Granted, it could have been anyone who happened to be going the same way, but the hackles on my neck told me otherwise. By the time I got there, the fire was out and the camp abandoned. Whoever it was didn’t show themselves again.
The prison outside Mosinee, capital city of Shawano, was known as “the pirates’ graveyard,” because if a pirate was captured and not executed, he ended up here. After a few weeks in this facility, most pirates would welcome being hanged, their
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