The Pirate's Revenge (12 page)

By the time we met up with the squadron, it was nearly dusk the next day. I'd eaten three bowls of thick broth and drunk my fill from the galley's water cask. The cook's mate sneaked me a cup of ale and some roasted chicken, in spite of Hussein's warning that I couldn't stomach it. Fine time he chooses to start worrying about my health, I thought grumpily, after he's sent me off on all sorts of dangerous jaunts. I could have died a dozen times, on land and sea, but now he's my father I'm not even allowed to chew on a chicken wing.

I watched the ship's crew go about their work while Hussein stayed below with the officers. There was no time to think about everything he'd told me during that long dreadful morning. I gave up trying to understand all that was going on: fathers and Frenchmen and blockades.

Instead, I let the rituals and rhythms of the ship play out before my eyes. It was so different from life on the
Mermaid
, with much shouting and pushing as the men were forced to their work. Midshipmen younger than me screeched orders at sailors twice
their age. The hands hung aloft to make sail, and it seemed the frigate was barely moving, yet from the bow came a constant cry of ‘Nine knots!'

The squadron was strung out along the horizon like Mama's washing on the line. As we grew closer, I felt the dread that every enemy of the Navy must feel — such powerful ships, gliding with tremendous discipline and determination. It was the same feeling I had later, as we stood before a knot of officers on board the flagship. Hussein seemed at ease, but I could tell he was eager to get the formalities over. These men were younger than him, but stood gawking at us and laughing. We must have looked a sight, it's true, two outcasts in ragged clothes. A spy and a pirate, sullying their holy-stoned decks.

At last, Lieutenant Brownlee hustled us below away from the crowd. Admiral Kent was beaming as we entered the great cabin. It was a golden shimmering room, filled with the colours of the sunset. Being an admiral must be a damn fine life, I decided, even if you were only a lowly rear admiral.

‘I've heard of your adventures, my dear,' he said, taking my hand and leading me to a chair. He made us welcome and got straight to the point. ‘I've just come from Gibraltar.'

‘How goes the blockade?' asked Hussein.

‘Back and forth, like all blockades. It's interminable. If I were Nelson, I'd be racing all over the ocean after Bonaparte. Instead, I pace up and down like a housekeeper in her pantry. Now, for a change of scenery, we are here to blockade Malta. But never
mind: I have news of more immediate importance. The real Hussein Reis has escaped.'

I couldn't bear to look at my father's face, but I heard the relief in his voice. ‘He'll be in Tripoli by now.'

‘Indeed,' said the Admiral. ‘It makes life at once more complicated and also very simple. Once the Ottomans realise they've been tricked by reports from the false Hussein Reis, they may turn against us.'

‘They might,' agreed Hussein. ‘But, seriously, what choice do they have? They hate the French more than they hate us.'

‘True,' said Kent, briskly. ‘You probably haven't heard the news — the Turks have declared war on France, not that they had much choice, with Bonaparte marching all over their territory. As for you, we always knew it would come to this. You were bound to be discovered one day, far better that it happens like this than when someone has you at the sharp end of a scimitar.'

‘I can't use that name any more.'

‘Of course not. You'll need a new name. Perhaps we could land you on Malta. You could pass for Maltese, at least to a Frenchman.'

‘Perhaps I could just be Rafe Swann?'

‘Yes.' The Admiral shuffled some papers on his desk and chose one carefully before speaking again. ‘It's about time.'

‘I'm tired of being someone else,' said my father, all of a sudden no longer resilient, no longer the brave man of the sea. He now seemed strangely vulnerable.
‘I'm weary of the chase and the intrigue.'

‘It's not over yet, Swann. Not until Bonaparte has been driven back to Paris.'

‘I know, and not until Diablo and his sort are all sunk to the bottom.'

Kent gazed across at us, concern in his weather-beaten face. ‘One enemy at a time, Swann. Let's get the French off Malta first, shall we? There is much to be done. But first, you'll need this.'

He handed over a folded parchment topped with a red blob of sealing wax. Hussein tore it open. He read quickly, looked to the Admiral, who nodded, and then thrust the document into my hands. It crinkled as I unfolded it, but the sound was drowned out by a long exhausted sigh from Hussein. From my father.

I held in my hands an official pardon, signed by the Governor of Gibraltar and the Admiral of the Channel Fleet, absolving Rafe Swann of guilt for all known crimes, in recognition of his work for the Crown, with a grant of one hundred guineas for services rendered.

I stared at him. The muscles in his jaw were jumping and twitching. My father wouldn't cry now, I thought, not in front of an Admiral. But sure enough there were tears brimming over his eye-lashes. I looked down at my hands and the paper which decided our future.

The Admiral didn't seem to mind the tears. ‘Dear fellow,' he said gently, ‘d'you recall that chase off Toulon? You riding that clattered-out horse from headland to headland to light the beacons, and the
squadron racing before the wind to trap the
Camélia
in the bay? I'll never forget it — and that night off Corsica, with Maitland sailing in circles in the dark and you cursing him to the moon and back. Ha! I thought I'd choke with laughter.'

My father smiled gratefully. ‘It's been a hell of a time.'

‘Can we go home now?' I asked.

‘Soon, Lily, soon,' he said, in a soft, worn-out voice.

Admiral Kent patted my father's shoulder. ‘I've had a cabin made ready for you. Is there anything you need?'

‘Some linen for Lily, if you don't mind. Her clothes are falling off her.'

‘Of course,' said Kent, ‘although I'm afraid we don't have anything suitable for a young lady's dress.'

‘Dress?' I snorted.

‘She'll make do with whatever you have, sir.'

‘You can't climb a mast in a dress,' I said.

‘By Jove,' said the Admiral. ‘I'm sure you're right, although I can't say I've ever tried it. I can see who wears the trousers in your family, Swann. Look at you. The girl in breeches and the father in robes. What an odd lot you are.'

‘We are indeed,' said my father, with a grin.

‘Admiral, sir, have you happened upon a ship called the
Mermaid
?' I blurted.

‘The blockade runners?' asked Kent.

‘Fast little sloop, sir,' said Brownlee. ‘She raided Lanorca a few days back. Took off with a crate of rum and ten head of cattle.'

‘Yes, sir,' I said, excited. ‘That'll be her. They're only running the blockade to feed the Maltese.'

‘Miss Swann, that's the whole point of a blockade. No ship is supposed to get through, unless authorised.'

‘But surely that only applies to French ships?' I retorted.

‘Leave the niceties to the lawyers,' said the Admiral, dismissively. ‘These are pirates, Miss Swann. If they pass my bow, I'll blow them out of the water.'

‘I'd rather you didn't, sir,' I said. ‘That's my ship.'

‘Lily …' My father's murmur was a warning.

Admiral Kent glared at me from under his braided hat. ‘Let me understand you properly, Miss Swann. You are telling me that you owe some allegiance to this motley crew?'

‘Yes, sir. I'm their navigator.'

Kent and Brownlee gazed at my father's face, and then back at me.

‘You say no ship can cross the blockade without your permission,' I went on. ‘But what if they had permission? Secret orders, say. You could send them with guns to the rebels or to land troops.'

‘I never heard the like,' said the Admiral. ‘Whatever next?'

‘They're not very bloodthirsty pirates, sir. They'd be much better at smuggling guns than they are at pirating.'

‘I'm not in the habit of supporting buccaneers, young lady. In fact, it's my job to wipe them off the face of the earth.'

‘Sounds like you need all the help you can muster.'

‘Swann,' said Kent, helplessly, ‘please tell your
daughter to keep her ridiculous ideas to herself.'

‘There's another thing,' I said quickly, before my father could step in. ‘Those boys hate Diablo even more than I do.'

The Admiral raised his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Please believe, Miss Swann, that the Navy could never formally countenance defiance of a blockade, no matter how noble.'

I feel sure he smiled at me.

‘But perhaps if we stray across this sloop of yours, we may be able to commandeer her into His Majesty's service in some informal manner.'

My father sat up straight.

‘Never let it be said that the Navy's rules of engagement might be dictated by a girl,' he said.

‘Tosh!' the Admiral snorted.

‘Anyway, I'm not a girl, I'm a sailor,' I said, and grinned back.

Admiral Kent smiled. ‘Is there anything else I can do for you this evening, Miss Swann?'

‘We'll also need safe passage to Santa Lucia,' my father said.

‘I'll send for you, be warned,' said Kent.

‘I know, and I'll keep quiet. Nobody will know I'm in your service, sir. I'll be a long-lost fisherman, taken by pirates and rescued at last by his fearless daughter.'

‘Then you'll have a rousing welcome, and rightly so. I'll get that ugly little boat of yours rigged, and we'll have Lawrence set you down close to the island.'

‘When?' I asked, a little too loudly.

The Admiral threw back his head and let out a laugh. ‘Young lady,' he said, ‘I'm not sure who you remind me of most, your father or your mother.'

‘You know my mother?' I asked, incredulous.

‘Indeed,' he nodded. ‘She's the daughter of one of the finest men I ever knew. He'd have been an admiral now, before me in fact, if he were still alive. But your mother? She was the pride of the fleet. Many officers' hearts were broken when she ran off with this ruffian.'

‘She'd never have made a Navy wife,' said my father, his voice hoarse with feeling.

‘Perhaps not,' agreed Admiral Kent. ‘My, she was feisty. Still, I expect she's had a hard enough time of it, married to you, Rafe. It's high time you repaid her faith, and so should I. Spend some time at home.'

‘Thank you, sir.'

‘I'm not rewarding you. You have more work to do before this thing is finished. Be ready.'

‘Aye, sir.'

‘We'll both be ready, Admiral,' I said.

He laughed.

‘She's not joking, sir,' my father said.

‘Why am I not surprised?' asked the Admiral.

Two nights later our boat, rigged with a new sail, was hauled out on the deck of the
Royal
and made ready. There were lights visible to our starboard. One of them was my home. Santa Lucia township glittered in the moonlight, and somewhere above the harbour my mother and brother sat together in the lamplight, wondering where on earth I was.

A few handshakes, a muffled farewell from
Brownlee, and we were away. I slipped into the stern with one hand on the tiller. We pushed off from the ship, and I let go the sheets to catch some wind. Just outside the headland, there was always a breath of a southerly, even on the calmest day.

My father was gazing at the town, at its lights nestled around the quay, and the fort dark on the hill. He sat down, grabbing a line with one hand and pulling it tight — the wrong way.

‘Hey!' I shouted, but it was too late. The boat shuddered and nearly toppled over.

‘Let go,' I cried, and loosened the sail until we straightened up. There were gales of laughter from the deck above us.

‘Very bloody funny,' I muttered darkly.

‘Who taught you to swear?' Papa asked.

‘My crew,' I retorted. ‘Who taught you to sail?'

‘I'm sorry, Lily. I fear this boat is too small for more than one captain.'

‘Any boat would be.'

‘You're right,' he conceded. ‘I'll be your crew. The deck is yours.'

‘Then sit down and don't touch anything,' I ordered.

‘Aye, aye.'

My father lay back in the bow, grinning, with his hands clasped behind his head.

‘Little Cygnet,' he said. ‘Let's go home.'

Abeam
: Beside a ship, side-on — for example, another ship drawing up next to you.

About ship:
An order to change course or come about.

Admiral:
The most senior commanding officer of the Navy, appointed by the Admiralty. The next in rank is a vice admiral, followed by rear admiral. Any sort of admiral may be in command of a fleet and hoist his pennant in a flagship.

Admiralty:
The British government ministry in charge of the Royal Navy.

Aft:
Towards the stern or rear of the ship.

Aloft:
Above. To ‘go aloft', you climb up the ratlines to set sails, watch for other ships, or repair rigging.

Articles of War:
Official rules governing conduct on all British Navy ships.

Astern:
Behind the ship.

Avast:
An order to stop doing what you're doing (rowing or hauling).

Aweigh:
The anchor is clear of the water. (‘Anchors aweigh' means the anchor is weighed or clear and the ship can sail on.)

Bail:
Scoop water out of a boat.

Ballast:
Rocks, iron or even cargo loaded onto a ship to keep it stable.

Barbary Coast:
The North African states of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers, which by 1798 were part of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. These cities supported fleets of corsairs to attack the ships of Christian countries such as France, Spain and England, just as the Knights of Malta's galleys attacked those of the Barbary States.

Bastille:
Prison. One of the key events in the French Revolution was the storming of the Bastille, when the people tore down the hated symbol of authority.

Batten down:
Close all deck hatches and secure gear in bad weather.

Beam:
Across the middle or the widest part of a ship. ‘Beam-on' means the side of the ship, such as waves coming towards you sideways (instead of ‘head-on').

Beating:
Zigzagging so the ship can move forward against the wind.

Belay:
An order to stop hauling, or make fast. A belaying pin is a carved spike around which lines are tied or made fast.

Bilge:
The hollow section inside the lower part of the ship or boat (and the smelly water that collects in it).

Biscuit:
See
Hardtack
.

Blunderbuss:
A gun with a short wide barrel, almost trumpet-shaped, handy for boarding ships.

Bon
u
:
Good morning (in Maltese).

Bonswa
:
Good evening (in Maltese).

Booty:
Loot, like cargo, weapons and any treasure or goods found on a ship. Ships taken by pirates were usually sold off, and the proceeds included in the booty. Every pirate in
the crew (or his family, if the pirate had died in the battle) was given a share.

Bosun:
(Short for ‘boat-swain'.) The senior crew member in charge of organising the crew on deck and their equipment.

Bow:
The front or forward end of a ship.

Bowsprit:
A pole pointing out almost horizontal from the bow to carry spritsails.

Braces:
On a square-rigged ship like
Gisella
, the braces are cables pulled so that the square sails twist around on the mast.

Brigantine:
A ship with two masts, square sails on the foremast, but fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast. It's a square-rigged ship, but has triangular sails as well, so it can sail in different directions.
Gisella
is a brigantine.

Broadside:
All the cannons on one side of the ship firing at once.

Bulkheads:
Walls inside a ship (not part of the hull), some of which can be removed easily to make room for battle or cargo.

Capstan:
A barrel-shaped winch with handles, to lift the heavy anchor.

Carronade:
A powerful squat-barrelled cannon.

Chart:
A map of the coast and seas, including shoals, rocks and other dangers.

Chaser:
A small bronze cannon mounted in the bow of a ship, aimed to fire forward (cannon in the gun ports fire sideways).

Clear for action:
Order to get ready for battle. The crew clears the deck of any loose or spare equipment, runs out the cannon and lashes them, gets gunpowder and cannonballs ready, and makes sure the ship is in fighting order.

Close-hauled:
Sailing as close as possible to the wind.

Come about:
To turn or change direction of the ship or boat.

Compass:
An instrument with a magnetised needle or pointer that always points north.

Corsair:
A pirate licensed to attack other ships, like those of the Barbary States, or sailing from Malta under the protection of the Knights. English and American corsairs like Sir Francis Drake were usually called ‘privateers' and carried a Letter of Marque to prove they were allowed to attack other ships.

Course:
The sailing direction set by the navigator or captain. The course is named so the ship sails towards one of the points of the compass, for example, south-west.

Cutlass:
A sturdy, heavy-bladed sword with a rounded knuckle-guard, used by sailors and pirates.

Dey:
The Ottoman governor of Algiers. Each of the major Barbary States was independently ruled.

Dory:
A light, narrow sailing and rowing boat. Lucas and Lily's dory, the
Swallow
, has two masts.

Downwind:
Away from the wind.

El Capitán
:
Captain (in Spanish).

Fathom:
A measurement of depth, equal to six feet (or roughly two metres).

Figurehead:
Carved statue on the prow of a ship. The
Mermaid
, naturally, has a mermaid figurehead.

Flagship:
The ship in a fleet which carries its commanding admiral. The flagship flies a pennant to show other ships that the admiral is on board.

Fleet:
A group of more than ten warships.

Flotilla:
A small group of warships.

Fore-and-aft rig:
Triangular sails rigged along the ship (not across it, like a square-rig).

Foremast:
The mast forward or in front of the mainmast.

Foresail:
The largest sail on the foremast.

Forward:
Towards the bow or front of the ship (opposite of aft). Pronounced ‘forrard'.

Frigate:
Warship with three masts and a bowsprit, a raised quarterdeck, and 24 to 38 guns along one gun-deck.

Gaff-rig:
Fore-and-aft sail mounted on a light pole at the top.

Galley:
The elegant oar-driven warships of the great naval fleets of Barbary, Venice and Malta, often powered by slaves. The galley is also the name of a ship's kitchen, usually not much more than a fireplace and a couple of cauldrons.

Gibbet:
Gallows where the bodies of people executed for crimes of piracy were left chained and hanging above the water, as a warning to other pirates.

Guinea:
A British coin, worth 21 shillings. (Guinea is also the name of the country in west Africa where the gold to make the coins was mined.)

Gun ports:
Holes in the side of a ship through which the cannons fire. Gun ports have a flap over them to keep the water out when the guns aren't being used.

Gunwales:
The rim around a ship or boat, like a handrail. Pronounced ‘gunnells'.

Halberd:
A long-handled weapon, like a cross between a spear and a battle-axe.

Halyard:
The rope used to raise or lower a sail.

Hands:
Crew-members, especially those who actually work the sails. ‘All hands on deck' means that every available crew member is needed to help out.

Hardtack:
Dry, solid ship's biscuit made of flour. On long voyages, especially on Navy ships, hardtack was the only staple food, and became infested with weevils (grubs).

Hawser:
A short rope or cable, often used for securing cannon.

Helm:
The steering. ‘Helm's a-lee' means you have brought the rudder right around, when you are changing tack or coming about.

Hold:
The cargo or storage area below decks (on a big ship, the hold is several levels down).

Holystones:
Sandstone blocks, about the size of a Bible, used to grind away dirt from the deck.

Hull:
The planking that makes up the body of a ship.

Idlers:
Crew members who are not part of the watch, such as carpenters and sail-makers.

Isola
:
Island (in Italian).

Jib:
Small triangular sail at the bow of a yacht or ship.

Kapudan Pasha:
Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Fleet.

Knights of Malta:
The Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798.

Knots:
Measurement of a ship's speed: 1 knot equals 1 nautical mile per hour.

Larboard:
The left-hand side of a ship or boat, as you look forward (known later as ‘port').

Lateen sail:
Large squarish sail hung from a pole
from the mainmast. A lateen sail runs along the ship, from the mainmast to the stern.

League:
Measurement of distance, equal to three nautical miles.

Lee:
The side of a ship or boat away from the wind.

Lee-oh:
The cry that tells the deck crew you are putting the helm to lee, or turning the boat about.

Letter of Marque:
Officially known as a ‘Letter of Marque and Reprisal', this was an official government letter authorising a captain to ‘subdue, seize and take armed' any ships owned by countries who were enemies. It was government-approved piracy. See
Corsair
.

Line:
The ropes used to haul sails into position.

Log:
The book in which the captain or navigator writes the ship's position and progress. A log is also a lump of wood dropped over the side of the ship, and then hauled back in after the ship sailed past it, to measure a ship's speed by the number of knots in the rope.

Lubbers:
People who live on land, or who are not used to sailing.

Luffing:
Losing the strength of the wind, or moving away from the direction of the wind, so that the sails ‘luff' or flap.

Mainmast:
The central and tallest mast on any ship. If there is more than one mast, in front of the mainmast is the foremast, behind it is the mizzenmast.

Make fast:
Tie off or secure.

Maltese:
The language of Malta.

Mast:
The tall poles that stick up from the deck of a ship and hold the sails. The poles horizontal across the mast are the yards. A sailing ship may have
up to six masts — the
Mermaid
has one mast,
Gisella
has two.

Mizzenmast:
Smaller mast at the rear of a ship.

Navigator:
The navigator on a ship determines and records the ship's position, estimates the speed of the ship and the distance to be covered, and sets the course. In 1798 navigators used a compass, charts of known coastline and waters, a sextant or quadrant, and mathematics to help determine the ship's position.

Ottoman Empire:
One of the largest and longest-lasting empires ever to rule around the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it rose out of Turkey and existed from 1281 to 1923. At its greatest, it ruled an area of nearly 12 million square kilometres. From 1517, when it conquered Palestine and Egypt, and the Holy City of Mecca, it was an Islamic state. The Sultan or ruler of the Empire was also the Caliph or official guardian of Islam. The later Crusades were fought by European states against the Ottoman Empire. See
Barbary Coast
.

Packet:
A fast ship carrying mail and passengers on regular routes.

Palazzo
:
A palace or mansion.

Piazza
:
A town square.

Pike:
A long-handled spear-shaped stabbing weapon.

Press:
Navies pressed sailors into service, by forcing, tricking, bribing and even kidnapping men from other ships or from villages along the coast. The crew that rounded up the men was called a ‘press gang'.

Prow:
The pointed front of a ship, often decorated with a figurehead.

Quadrant:
An instrument used by navigators for
measuring the angle of the sun (or stars) above the horizon, to help determine a ship's position.