plannin’ to go to New South Wales to make my fortune, but you put a stop to that. I can’t return to England, so I stowed away.”
At least he was forthright. Gideon continued to sharpen his blade. “And why can’t you return to England?”
The tips of Hargraves’s prominent ears reddened. “I ran away to sea to escape the hangman, sir. I killed a man. I can’t go back there now.”
I can’t go back there now . There was a ring of truth to those words. But the rest of it…could the man be lying? Although his story seemed likely enough, there was something in Hargraves’s manner that made Gideon think he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
Then again, most of Gideon’s men had secrets. That was why they’d taken their chances with piracy. And no seaman would stow away aboard a pirate ship unless he were desperate.
Gideon paused in sharpening his blade to survey the man with a critical eye. So he wanted to join the pirates, did he? He was small, but looked sturdy enough. He’d probably be good at climbing the rigging. But that skill wouldn’t help Gideon, not anymore. “Tell me, Peter Hargraves, what do you know about farming?”
Hargraves stared at Gideon as if he’d gone mad. “Farmin’, sir?”
“Yes, farming,” Gideon retorted impatiently. “Or carpentry, or brickmaking. What do you know of those things?”
Hargraves glanced at Barnaby, who merely said, “Answer the captain, man.”
“I…I don’t know nothin’ about them. I’m a sailor, sir, and a good one, too.” When Gideon scowled, he hastened to add, “And I’m a right fierce fighter. I don’t look it, I know, but I can put a man down who’s twice my size.”
Gideon’s scowl only deepened. “I won’t need good fighters or sailors once we reach our destination, soyou’re of no use to me. Barnaby, put him in chains until—”
“I know how to butcher and dress an animal!” Hargraves burst out.
Gideon set down the saber and the whetstone and cast the sailor a skeptical look. “Do you? Could you skin a pig and preserve it?”
“Aye.” Hargraves was breathing heavily now. “My father was a butcher. Taught me everythin’ he knew. I went to sea after he lost his shop.”
A butcher. They could use a butcher on Atlantis. If the man was telling the truth. Still, it was worth the gamble to have a competent butcher in their midst. “I tell you what, Englishman. You may join my crew for as long as it takes us to sail to our destination.” When Hargraves started to thank him, he held up a hand. “But you’ll have to prove you’re worth keeping beyond that. I’ll tolerate no laziness. If you’ve got some fool idea that pirates are sluggards, you’re wrong. If we don’t get a good day’s work out of you, we’ll maroon you.”
He ignored Barnaby’s raised eyebrow. They’d never marooned anybody before, even the English nobles they hated, but Gideon meant to put the fear of God into the man. Maybe Hargraves would think twice the next time he thought to stow away aboard a pirate ship.
“Put him to sanding the deck,” Gideon ordered, then picked up his saber once more.
But his first mate didn’t move. “Captain?”
“Yes?” Gideon retorted without looking up.
“It’s nearing mealtime. What are we to do about feeding the women?”
The women. They’d been so quiet for the past hour, Gideon had almost forgotten about them. “We brought on enough food to feed them. Have Silas prepare a meal for them and the children, of course.”
“But shall we let them up on deck to eat?” Barnaby asked.
When Gideon glanced up, he noticed that Hargraveswas listening intently to their conversation. Perhaps the man hadn’t been quite honest about his reasons for stowing away. Perhaps he had a sweetheart among the women. Well, that was an innocuous enough reason for his coming aboard, and Gideon couldn’t blame him for it.
“No, not just yet. I have some things to discuss with the men before the women are allowed on
At least he was forthright. Gideon continued to sharpen his blade. “And why can’t you return to England?”
The tips of Hargraves’s prominent ears reddened. “I ran away to sea to escape the hangman, sir. I killed a man. I can’t go back there now.”
I can’t go back there now . There was a ring of truth to those words. But the rest of it…could the man be lying? Although his story seemed likely enough, there was something in Hargraves’s manner that made Gideon think he wasn’t telling the whole truth.
Then again, most of Gideon’s men had secrets. That was why they’d taken their chances with piracy. And no seaman would stow away aboard a pirate ship unless he were desperate.
Gideon paused in sharpening his blade to survey the man with a critical eye. So he wanted to join the pirates, did he? He was small, but looked sturdy enough. He’d probably be good at climbing the rigging. But that skill wouldn’t help Gideon, not anymore. “Tell me, Peter Hargraves, what do you know about farming?”
Hargraves stared at Gideon as if he’d gone mad. “Farmin’, sir?”
“Yes, farming,” Gideon retorted impatiently. “Or carpentry, or brickmaking. What do you know of those things?”
Hargraves glanced at Barnaby, who merely said, “Answer the captain, man.”
“I…I don’t know nothin’ about them. I’m a sailor, sir, and a good one, too.” When Gideon scowled, he hastened to add, “And I’m a right fierce fighter. I don’t look it, I know, but I can put a man down who’s twice my size.”
Gideon’s scowl only deepened. “I won’t need good fighters or sailors once we reach our destination, soyou’re of no use to me. Barnaby, put him in chains until—”
“I know how to butcher and dress an animal!” Hargraves burst out.
Gideon set down the saber and the whetstone and cast the sailor a skeptical look. “Do you? Could you skin a pig and preserve it?”
“Aye.” Hargraves was breathing heavily now. “My father was a butcher. Taught me everythin’ he knew. I went to sea after he lost his shop.”
A butcher. They could use a butcher on Atlantis. If the man was telling the truth. Still, it was worth the gamble to have a competent butcher in their midst. “I tell you what, Englishman. You may join my crew for as long as it takes us to sail to our destination.” When Hargraves started to thank him, he held up a hand. “But you’ll have to prove you’re worth keeping beyond that. I’ll tolerate no laziness. If you’ve got some fool idea that pirates are sluggards, you’re wrong. If we don’t get a good day’s work out of you, we’ll maroon you.”
He ignored Barnaby’s raised eyebrow. They’d never marooned anybody before, even the English nobles they hated, but Gideon meant to put the fear of God into the man. Maybe Hargraves would think twice the next time he thought to stow away aboard a pirate ship.
“Put him to sanding the deck,” Gideon ordered, then picked up his saber once more.
But his first mate didn’t move. “Captain?”
“Yes?” Gideon retorted without looking up.
“It’s nearing mealtime. What are we to do about feeding the women?”
The women. They’d been so quiet for the past hour, Gideon had almost forgotten about them. “We brought on enough food to feed them. Have Silas prepare a meal for them and the children, of course.”
“But shall we let them up on deck to eat?” Barnaby asked.
When Gideon glanced up, he noticed that Hargraveswas listening intently to their conversation. Perhaps the man hadn’t been quite honest about his reasons for stowing away. Perhaps he had a sweetheart among the women. Well, that was an innocuous enough reason for his coming aboard, and Gideon couldn’t blame him for it.
“No, not just yet. I have some things to discuss with the men before the women are allowed on
Similar Books
