A City Called Smoke: The Territory 2 by Justin Woolley Read Free Book Online Page A

could still act like the soldier he was born to be. “I want to be part of the crew.”
    Captain Pratt turned his attention to Melbourne. His walking cane clicked against the polished surface of the deck as he closed the distance between them. For a moment the red-bearded pirate stared at Melbourne without saying anything. Melbourne was unable to read his stony expression.
    “Why do you want to be part of my crew?” Captain Pratt said.
    “Uh, I …” Melbourne stammered. “I think I’d … Being a pirate would …”
    “The answer,” Captain Pratt said, cutting off Melbourne’s mumbling, “is that you’d simply prefer to be part of the crew than be put back in your cage.”
    Melbourne didn’t know how to respond. Eventually he answered in the only way that seemed reasonable. “Yes,” he said.
    Captain Pratt smiled. Melbourne couldn’t recall seeing him smile before. “Honesty,” he said. “I always say that is the best policy, don’t I, Arid?”
    “Aye, Captain,” Arid said. “You do.”
    Captain Pratt held his hand out, palm open toward Arid. “Pass me your dagger, would you, Arid?”
    Arid pulled his long dagger from the sheath at his side, holding the blade and placing the handle in Captain Pratt’s open hand. The captain raised it to his eye level, turning it from side to side, admiring the viciously serrated edge before he held the knife out to Melbourne.
    “Take this.”
    Melbourne hesitated and then reached out, noting that the captain did not pass him the dagger handle first. Melbourne gripped the cold steel between his fingers and thumb and took it from the red-bearded pirate. Once Captain Pratt let go of the handle Melbourne turned the knife to hold it by the grip, looking up when he realized he was holding the blade toward the captain. Captain Pratt didn’t seem concerned.
    “You could stab me right now,” the pirate said. “You wouldn’t make it very far before one of the crew removed your head, but you would be ridding the Territory of one of the last of the true pirates, and you would prevent all the plundering we’re about to do. That seems like something a Digger should do, doesn’t it, sacrifice himself for the greater good? Not forgetting you could kill the person who’s been ordering you kept in a cage. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Digger?”
    Melbourne stared at Captain Pratt. “Yes,” he said.
    “Good,” said Captain Pratt, stretching the word out, apparently thrilled with Melbourne’s answer. “Honesty, you see. Are you going to stab me, Digger?”
    “No.”
    Captain Pratt tapped the end of his cane on the deck. “Excellent.” He used the stick to point over the bow of the dirigible. “See that transport dirigible that’s currently trying to alter its course and run from us?”
    Melbourne nodded.
    “She’s not fast enough,” Captain Pratt continued. “They can try to run but we’re going to catch them. When we come alongside we’ll pepper her balloon with holes, sending her crashing into the dirt, then we’ll rappel down, dispatch the crew and take whatever we like. Doesn’t that sound fun?”
    Melbourne didn’t say anything.
    “I hope you think that sounds fun, Digger, because if you want to prove you can be part of this crew, that’s what you’re going to be doing, and I expect to see you put that dagger into some poor sap on that transport. If you don’t, you’re going to find yourself back out there in the desert. I dragged you aboard because you looked like a fighter, and I need fighters.” Captain Pratt lifted his cane, waving it in the general direction of the desert around them. “There’s a whole world out there, Digger,” he said. “Out there, beyond the fence. Did you know that?”
    Melbourne shook his head. “There’s nothing out there, just wasteland.”
    The captain tapped the end his cane back down on the wooden deck and laughed. “Do you always believe what you’re told, Digger?”
    “The ghouls destroyed everything