Sumbhajee.”
“Until you are at least eighteen,” Pusasn added.
“I promise,” Toolajee said eagerly. “I want to learn everything about being a pirate! Will I get to throw someone overboard?”
“We’ll work on that,” Askay said. Sri Sumbhajee gave his young half-brother an indulgent smile.
“Right. Glad that’s sorted out,” said Jack.
“What I want to know,” Jean interjected, “is whether or not we get to eat this time.”
“As long as no one touches that first platter,” Carolina said. “That’s the only one the monkey poisoned.”
Jean breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” he said. “If I had to miss one more meal—”
“My lord!” a voice cried from the top of the wall. They all looked up and saw a guard waving his spear frantically at them. “Sri Sumbhajee! My lord!”
“Who dares interrupt Sri Sumbhajee’s breakfast?” Pusasn demanded.
“I’m sorry, my lord,” the guard called down. “But something terrible is happening!”
Diego, Carolina, and Jack looked at each other. They knew exactly what it was. The panic in the guard’s voice made it very clear.
“My lord, the outer defenses have been breached! We’re being attacked!”
C HAPTER F OURTEEN
E veryone in the courtyard leaped to their feet. Instantly the pavilion bristled with swords and sabers and pistols. Carolina saw Parvati and Jhumpa draw long, sharp knives out of their saris. All the women in the courtyard looked as ready to fight as the men.
“Treachery!” Pusasn cried, pointing at Jack. “Blackguards! Betrayal!”
“I beg your pardon,” Jack protested. “Would we have TOLD you they were coming if we wanted to betray you?”
“Oh, right,” Pusasn said. “Good point.”
“A signal has come from the outer wall!” the guard on the wall shouted. “East India Trading Company ships have broken through our outer defenses! They are sailing into our harbor now!”
Sri Sumbhajee drew his sword and waved it in the air.
“To the harbor!” Askay yelled. “Defend the island! Suvarnadurg must not fall! Sri Sumbhajee will lead us to victory!”
“HUZZAH!” shouted all the pirates. There was a pell-mell rush toward the stairs.
“But what about breakfast ?” Jean moaned woefully as the trays were spirited quickly away. Lakshmi was on her feet, holding the handle of her hidden belt-weapon. She grabbed Jean’s hand and pulled him up as well.
“Fight alongside me?” she said.
“Any day,” Jean agreed. Her eyes crinkled, and he could tell she was smiling behind the mask.
Diego fought through the crowd, looking for Carolina.
“Diego!” He turned with a hopeful expression, but the girl latching herself to his elbow was Marcella. The diamonds in her hair were askew and she kept tripping over her heavy ankle bracelets. “Diego, save me! Protect me!”
“What about Jean?” Diego said desperately. “Can’t he help you?”
“He doesn’t care about me anymore!” Marcella cried, her eyes flashing. “All he cares about is that girl! It’s not fair! Nobody loves me, and I’m going to be killed by pirates, and I never even got to see Paris, and I don’t want to die wearing this horrible color—” Her voice was rising to a wail.
“All right, all right,” Diego said. “We’ll find you a safe place to hide until the battle is over.”
“Oh, thank you, Diego!” Marcella said, flinging her arms around his neck. He dislodged them as gently as someone could in the middle of all the chaos around him.
“Come on, this way,” he said, trying to lead her against the flow of the crowd.
“I can’t walk!” she whined. “My jewels are too heavy! This stupid outfit is tangling me up! I’ll never escape the terrible, awful pirates!”
“The pirates aren’t the problem!” Diego pointed out. “It’s the Company agents you need to hide from!” But he could see they wouldn’t get far with her flailing and tripping around. Reluctantly, he scooped her up in his arms. She
“Until you are at least eighteen,” Pusasn added.
“I promise,” Toolajee said eagerly. “I want to learn everything about being a pirate! Will I get to throw someone overboard?”
“We’ll work on that,” Askay said. Sri Sumbhajee gave his young half-brother an indulgent smile.
“Right. Glad that’s sorted out,” said Jack.
“What I want to know,” Jean interjected, “is whether or not we get to eat this time.”
“As long as no one touches that first platter,” Carolina said. “That’s the only one the monkey poisoned.”
Jean breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” he said. “If I had to miss one more meal—”
“My lord!” a voice cried from the top of the wall. They all looked up and saw a guard waving his spear frantically at them. “Sri Sumbhajee! My lord!”
“Who dares interrupt Sri Sumbhajee’s breakfast?” Pusasn demanded.
“I’m sorry, my lord,” the guard called down. “But something terrible is happening!”
Diego, Carolina, and Jack looked at each other. They knew exactly what it was. The panic in the guard’s voice made it very clear.
“My lord, the outer defenses have been breached! We’re being attacked!”
C HAPTER F OURTEEN
E veryone in the courtyard leaped to their feet. Instantly the pavilion bristled with swords and sabers and pistols. Carolina saw Parvati and Jhumpa draw long, sharp knives out of their saris. All the women in the courtyard looked as ready to fight as the men.
“Treachery!” Pusasn cried, pointing at Jack. “Blackguards! Betrayal!”
“I beg your pardon,” Jack protested. “Would we have TOLD you they were coming if we wanted to betray you?”
“Oh, right,” Pusasn said. “Good point.”
“A signal has come from the outer wall!” the guard on the wall shouted. “East India Trading Company ships have broken through our outer defenses! They are sailing into our harbor now!”
Sri Sumbhajee drew his sword and waved it in the air.
“To the harbor!” Askay yelled. “Defend the island! Suvarnadurg must not fall! Sri Sumbhajee will lead us to victory!”
“HUZZAH!” shouted all the pirates. There was a pell-mell rush toward the stairs.
“But what about breakfast ?” Jean moaned woefully as the trays were spirited quickly away. Lakshmi was on her feet, holding the handle of her hidden belt-weapon. She grabbed Jean’s hand and pulled him up as well.
“Fight alongside me?” she said.
“Any day,” Jean agreed. Her eyes crinkled, and he could tell she was smiling behind the mask.
Diego fought through the crowd, looking for Carolina.
“Diego!” He turned with a hopeful expression, but the girl latching herself to his elbow was Marcella. The diamonds in her hair were askew and she kept tripping over her heavy ankle bracelets. “Diego, save me! Protect me!”
“What about Jean?” Diego said desperately. “Can’t he help you?”
“He doesn’t care about me anymore!” Marcella cried, her eyes flashing. “All he cares about is that girl! It’s not fair! Nobody loves me, and I’m going to be killed by pirates, and I never even got to see Paris, and I don’t want to die wearing this horrible color—” Her voice was rising to a wail.
“All right, all right,” Diego said. “We’ll find you a safe place to hide until the battle is over.”
“Oh, thank you, Diego!” Marcella said, flinging her arms around his neck. He dislodged them as gently as someone could in the middle of all the chaos around him.
“Come on, this way,” he said, trying to lead her against the flow of the crowd.
“I can’t walk!” she whined. “My jewels are too heavy! This stupid outfit is tangling me up! I’ll never escape the terrible, awful pirates!”
“The pirates aren’t the problem!” Diego pointed out. “It’s the Company agents you need to hide from!” But he could see they wouldn’t get far with her flailing and tripping around. Reluctantly, he scooped her up in his arms. She
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