Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson Read Free Book Online

facing the stern beam. The other wheel chocked, Midge loaded the cannon: powder, cannonball, and at last the plug. He raced to the lantern and lit the cannon’s fuse. Then Midge dove out of the cannon’s now-open window and disappeared into the dark water.

    Chevillard’s face twisted in rage. He looked from the prone lad back to Anne as if not sure whom to kill first. He decided on Anne and drove his blade toward her, aiming for her heart. At that moment several things happened in quick succession: Something struck Chevillard from behind, and he stopped short, arching his back and gasping; a pair of explosions rocked the William Wallace ; and Nubby charged out of the cabinet, raced around Anne, and attacked Chevillard with the kitchen knife.
    A knife in his chest and two machetes in his back, Thierry Chevillard—the pirate known as the Butcher, Bartholomew Thorne’s lieutenant, and the murderer of countless souls—fell dead.

9
DEATH’S-HEAD ON SABLE
    C aptain Declan Ross awoke to many familiar faces. He stared up at Nubby, Midge, Red Eye, Jules, and Stede. “Anne?” he mouthed.
    â€œI’m here, Father.” And there she was. Her scarlet hair was pulled back, and her hazel eyes glimmered with joy in a way that he hadn’t seen since Anne was a little girl. She bent over him and kissed him on the cheek.
    â€œWhere are we?” he asked weakly.
    â€œUnderway,” Stede answered.
    â€œUnderway?” Ross exclaimed, and he tried to sit up. The moment he did, he felt a pounding in his ears and horrendous pressure near his temples. Nubby and Jules eased the captain back into a prone position. “But . . . the sails?”
    â€œFixed ’em, we did. We b’ heading for Saint Celestine,” Stede explained. “Got some fortunate wind back in our sails. Ya slept through most of the trip. One day out now.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Ross asked, his mind awash with memories.
    â€œI fell, didn’t I?”
    â€œYes,” Nubby answered. “And next time you decide to leap off the rail, try not to make it headfirst!” The group laughed nervously.
    â€œChevillard?”
    â€œThat outrageous mon b’ sleepin’ with the fishes,” Stede said. “I saw him heading for yer quarters. I knew Anne was there. I went after him.”
    â€œHe saved my life, Father,” Anne said.
    Ross grabbed Stede’s forearm. “That’s another lifetime of friendship I owe you.”
    â€œThat makes four, so far.” Stede laughed.
    Ross coughed and winced at the pain. “The ship . . . Chevillard’s ship?”
    â€œOn the bottom,” Red Eye said. “Just like you said. We turned her own cannons on her and blew out her backbone.”
    â€œBut there were survivors, Cap’n,” explained Midge. “But knowin’ ’ow you feel, we left ’em on the cay.”
    â€œThat’s why we b’ hightailing it to Saint Celestine,” said Stede. “If Thorne come around the cays and find out what we done . . .” He didn’t need to finish. They all knew. Ross shook his head slowly. In defeating Chevillard, he’d just made a mortal enemy of Bartholomew Thorne. The William Wallace , and everyone aboard, was now marked.
    â€œWe grabbed some provisions from the cay,” Anne said.
    â€œPlantains and some of the hardtack from the crates.”
    â€œAnd loads of iguana!” said Nubby.
    â€œThe ship still needs to be careened something awful,” said Midge. “And we lost a lot of men in the scrap with Chevillard. Stede figured Saint Celestine would be the best place to fix the ship.”
    â€œThank God for the monks,” Ross said. His head lolled to the side, and he slept.

    The next morning dawned glorious and bright as only Caribbean mornings can. Turquoise water glistened as it captured drops of golden sunlight. The sky was a soft purple at the horizon and faded into