The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman Read Free Book Online

the race.
    A boy who appeared slightly older than Eddie walked up on him. He showed Eddie his sand pail, specially shaped for expert castle building. Eddie looked back at Saphora as if waiting for his cue. He was a boy comfortable inside the safety of his family circle but who acclimated slowly to other children. Eddie was a budding narcissist as far as Saphora was concerned. Turner had corrected her once for analyzing Eddie.
    “Invite him to play,” Saphora yelled above the wind. Then she pulled her feet into the Lexus. The wind picked up, tossing her hair around her face like tentacles. Then it died down. Saphora returned to eavesdropping on the boys’ chatter.
    The boy sat down next to Eddie, giving him a shovel. He seemed intent on leading Eddie, coaching him and goading him until Eddie was filling the pail exactly as instructed.
    The boy had thick black hair that hung in points around his thin face, such a mop of hair that it made his bony facial features look all the more wan. He could be a mixture of races, but there was a distinctive Asian look about him. He was so skinny he should not be seen without a shirt. His pale physique had darkened over the summer, camouflaging his rib cage. He had learned English in the South. His vowels had a southern roundness.
    Saphora kept watching up the street for a sight of Bender until she was sick of herself for worrying over him. He had not seemed for an instant to think of what his situation was doing to her. He took it all in stride as if he were making out a list of what they would do on vacation—call Sherry, fill the pantry, stop at the town beach, and drive up to Raleigh for chemotherapy.
    She turned on the radio in time to hear the hurricane had turned south and was headed for Cuba.
    Eddie’s mound was beginning to take on an identifiable castle shape when Bender appeared, walking up South toward them. The sun was going down. He carried a store-bought bag of shells for Eddie and laid them like an offering beside him.
    Saphora’s telephone rang. Gwennie had finally gotten her deposition behind her. She sounded distressed. Turner had gotten to her first. Saphora was glad not to have been the one to tell her about herdaddy’s cancer. Gwennie was headed to Oriental. She would arrive tomorrow morning.
    “I’ll pick you up in Raleigh then?” Saphora offered.
    “Is he being hard, Mama?” she asked.
    Bender’s long Warren shadow fell across the road.
    “He’s back from a walk downtown. Here’s the phone,” said Saphora to Bender. She could hear Gwennie complaining to her for handing the phone off. She put the phone in Bender’s hand. He held it for a minute, maybe for the sake of composure.
    Saphora left him to talk to her while she coaxed Eddie off the little beach.
    The Asian boy with the castle pail was taking a picture of himself and Eddie, the castle behind them. The boy held up one hand in a pose. He snapped the picture. “I do this everywhere I go. I’ve got a zillion pictures of me holding up my hand just like that in front of, well, everything. The Lincoln Center. A big Texas hat on a bull in Houston.”
    “Isn’t that a ‘Hook ’em Horns’ symbol in Texas?” asked Saphora. She had seen the Texas Longhorn fans use the gesture at college football games.
    “It is. But they don’t own it, my mom says.”
    “Don’t say that to a Texan,” said Saphora, smiling. “You must travel a lot.”
    “My folks are semiretired.” It was funny to hear him say it. “They adopted me even though I was seven. I’ve only been with them a couple years. We’ve gone quite a few places.”
    “Adopted?” said Eddie.
    Before Eddie could say something rude, Saphora said, “They must be so honored to have you in their family.”
    “Tobias,” he said. He put out his hand.
    “You’re so mannerly, Tobias. Your parents have taught you very well,” said Saphora.
    “You might know them if you’re from around here. They have a house in Oriental.”
    “That’s