Pirates of the Storm (Stranded In Time Book 1) by Fletcher Best Read Free Book Online

Robinson replied, “You’d be far better drinking
the coconut water than that boiled water from the rain
barrel.”
    “Nobody told me there were coconuts!”
Jeff exclaimed.
    “Did you ask?” Robinson said with an
arched eyebrow.
    “No.”
    “Well, that’s why!” the cook said with
a laugh.
    Robinson bent down below the galley
table and stood up with a coconut that had been in a bin
underneath. She tossed it to Jeff as she bent down again to pull a
large machete-like knife from below the table . “Help yourself,”
she said sliding the machete across the table towards him as she
turned her attention back to the breadnuts.
    Jeff picked up the blade and held it
and the coconut in front of him. “What’s the best way to cut this
thing open?” he asked. Robinson stopped what she was doing and
sighed as she walked around the table. Taking the coconut and
machete from him, she sliced at the coconut, rapidly removing the
outer husk and exposing the inner nut, finishing with a slice
across the top of the nut to expose its contents, narrowly missing
Jeff’s throat with the blade as it passed across the coconut. The
annoyed cook handed the coconut back to him and returned to the
other side of the table to resume her work. “Thanks,” Jeff said, as
much in gratitude for her not cutting his throat as for opening the
coconut.
    “You’re welcome,” Robinson replied.
“But you’re on your own next time,” she said pointing her knife at
him to emphasize the point.
    Jeff noticed that his water was
boiling, so he grabbed a cloth and pulled the bottle from the
coals. “Take that with you and get out of my galley. I’ll never be
done with my work with you in here!” Robinson growled at him, but
then smiled and gave him a wink.
    “Yes, sir!” Jeff said with a salute as
he turned and walked out. Jeff found a spot on deck that was out of
the way of the crew and set his bottle of water to cool by the rail
as he slowly drank his coconut. He could see a group of crewmen
eyeing him from the far end of the deck and speaking in hushed
tones.
    After some discussion, one of the men
approached him. “Graves is me name. Greene is it?”
    “Yes,” Jeff said, extending his
hand.
    There was an awkward moment at Graves
just looked at him quizzically. “Good to make your acquaintance,”
Graves said, bowing his head.
    Jeff bowed in return, quickly making
the assumption that this was the customary greeting for the time.
“You’re the ship’s surgeon, aren’t you?”
    “Aye,” Graves replied. “And ye be from
another time?” the crewman asked in disbelief.
    “Yes.”
    “Be ye sent here by a witch or some
dark magic?”
    “I don’t really know, but I think
somehow the storm brought me here.” “It be an odd storm,” Graves
nodded, “Have not seen one like it in all my days at
sea.”
    Jeff finished the last of the coconut
water and set the nut down to save the meat for later. “How long is
that?” Jeff asked.
    “Near 10 years now.”
    Jeff ‘s heart sank with this
confirmation of the Captain’s news that such storms were rare and
that his chances of getting back to his own time were slim. Graves
noticed the look of despair on Jeff’s face and changed the subject.
“Ye like coconuts?” Graves asked.
    “Yes, they’re OK, but mainly I just
wanted to something to drink besides rum.”
    “Why?” the pirate asked with a look of
confusion.
    “I have a hangover and I need to
rehydrate…” Jeff began, but stopped himself. “It’s a thing we do in
my time,” he explained.”
    “Ye come from a strange time, Mr.
Greene.”
    “That I do, Mr. Graves.”
    Graves cocked his head toward the men
at the other end of the deck. “Come, I’ll acquaint you with the
rest o’ the crew.” The two men walked across the deck. Graves made
a loud whistle to draw attention and the crewmen stopped their
various activities and turned toward them. “Mates, as ye know this
be Mr. Greene and it be time we all became acquainted in a