Chapter 17
March 12, 1660
"Sail ho!" Jasmine called from the crow's nest. I brought my spyglass to my eye and scanned the indicated direction, finding indeed that sails were on the distant horizon and heading south. I looked to my flags for wind direction, finding that like most days lately the wind was due west.
"Helm," I said to get the attention of the man currently holding the wheel. "Hard-a-larboard and bring us to a south west course."
"Aye sir," he said as he began to turn the wheel. My crew cheered, bringing morale up as we began to intercept the vessel, the sixth in the past ten days. We worked our way in closer, and as we did I found it was a French pinnace. She didn't seem to catch on to our presence until I could make out its flag atop its lone mast, and then tried to make a run for it by turning towards me and better catching the wind.
"Load the port cannon with chain-shot!" I yelled and the crew rushed to load the cannon. "Helm, to starboard. Cut them off and make them steer north."
"Aye sir," the man said as he turned us more southerly. I watched as the enemy captain steered north, my own vessel cutting him off from running south as we cut him off and better caught the wind ourselves. Shang shouted his orders to aim for the mast having already figured out my intention from past ship battles. With the ship coming up on a due west charge, the enemy captain likely thought he could just run for it.
"Fire!" I ordered as the ship began to pass. Shang fired each of the guns in order down the line, each shot flying for the passing pinnace that didn't even try to fire back as it ran for safety. I watched as our shots chewed on the mast and rigging, and as we came about on a hard to port turn, I watched the mast finish breaking under the strain and lay over on top of the now crippled pinnace as my crew cheered.
"All hands, prepare to board!" I called, my crew eager to charge aboard. I watched as my sailors quickly doused the sails as we came up on the enemy ship, Jasmine herself swinging down to land by me from the crow's nest, looking sexy and svelte in her newly made vest from cloth taken on a previous raid that hid and supported her shapely, and very ample, lady mounds that were no longer hidden under cloak or a loose fitting shirt.
Pumbaa and Simba tied off on the ship with grappling hooks and I led my men aboard the enemy ship with cutlass held high. The enemy crew offered no resistance as we rounded them up, then I got a shock as a man and woman were forced out of the main cabin at sword point by Jasmine.
"Who's your captain?" the man demanded as Jasmine prodded him forward at sword point. "And stop that! You're poking holes in my jacket!"
"I'm the captain," I said as I stepped forward. "Are you the commander of this vessel?"
"I'm Governor Adam Labit of Montserrat," he stated as he pulled the woman next to him close. "This is my wife, Belle."
"Governor?" I said as my eyebrows went up. "And what are you doing so far from your port?"
"I was dispatched here by King Louis the fourteenth to see to his interests in the Caribbean," the man challenged me.
"Now this is an interesting problem," I told the pair as it hit me I had not only taken an empty ship, but capturas + ed an enemy governor. I then looked around at what crew were available, but the pickings were slim.
"Jasmine, take Governor Labit and his wife aboard the Wench and place them in the brig," I told the Arabic beauty. "And if they give you any gruff, stick your sword in 'em."
"Filthy pirate," Belle said as she turned to walk towards the gangway placed between our ships.
"Privateer," I called after them as I turned back to the remaining crew of fifty men where my own crew were lowering a longboat. "Now for you lot."
"We row for it?" a man asked.
"You could," I told him as Timon placed a keg of gunpowder by me along with the ship's Articles brought to me by Melody. "I also give you a chance to join my crew."
"You deserve to hang!" someone called and the others cheered.
"Fleece 'em for valuables and toss over," I told my crew who were all too eager to follow my commands. Each man was singled out and checked for gold or other valuables which were added to a chest I would later count and add to a ledger while valuables would be sold at port then added to the ledger. Basic food for the crew was also taken from captured vessels, especially those that had just left port that had more than salt pork and hardtack, which got old fast.
Once the prisoners were fleeced and released to row for it, my crew then searched the vessel for other valuables which was added to the pile and also the payroll which was the real payday of the vessel. Once we had everything of value, several kegs of gunpowder in the magazine were then punctured and more was spread out as another longboat was readied from the Wench with my best rowers as the sails were again lowered into position from their booms and we cast off. Once clear the gunpowder was lit, usually by Timon, who then quickly joined the longboat of sailors who raced away to leave the ship to blow up and sink, the ship's logbook all that was left which was added to my collection to present to Governor Fitzherbert.
"Northwest," I told the helm as the longboat was raised back aboard the Wench. "We head back to Saint Eustatius."
"Finally!" Hercules said as he helped trim the sails. "Going home!"
I didn't respond, knowing that though I had taken six vessels since taking him aboard, my own tactics and limited crew required me to be careful in taking vessels which didn't give fate a chance to allow the man to die. Going down to the berthing deck, I found my two recent prisoners sitting their cell and staring daggers at Jasmine.
"You will pay for this," Adam growled.
"As a privateer for King Frederick, I am bound by certain rules," I told the man. "However, if you wish to call me a pirate, I might be persuaded to act like one."
"Adam," Belle said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder and seemingly calming him down. "It's no different than our own privateers."
"You're right," the man sighed, his shoulders slumping. "We were so close to starting our new life together."
"I know," the woman said softly. "How long will we be locked in here?"
"We're returning to port now," I told the pair, glad they were calming down. "As you are high ranking figures, I will grant you the preference of officers and invite you to my table for evening meals for the next few days."
"That would be wonderful," Belle said even as Adam huffed as if he wanted to fight. "We look forward to joining you for dinner."
"Thank you, my dear," I told the woman as a thought hit me. "I would also like to extend to you the use of blankets for use as curtains to make your cell more private during your stay."
"That's very kind of you," the woman said with a blush.
"There's no reason for us to act as barbarians," I told them as I turned and walked away, setting a few crew with free time to the task. With the blankets hung to turn the cell into a private suite for our captive guests, I then moved back up to the quarterdeck to continue the waiting game, finding Ariel currently had the wheel.
"Any problems?" I asked her as I noted the ship's heading and began to mark my recent activity into the log.
"Everything is perfect," she said happily as she shifted the wheel a bit to hold our course on the compass.
"I meant with the crew since the storm," I said to clarify the question.
"A few angry stares," she admitted as she gave a shrug. "I think most have an idea, but only you seem to have seen my tail."
"It does bring up questions," I mused as I closed the logbook and put it away. Ariel chuckled, and I saw she was smiling as she looked at me.
"You'd be the first one I met that doesn't think mermaids were monsters that only exist to eat men's flesh," she told me. "I haven't even told Melody everything because I didn't want to scare her."
"Which begs the question of what's different with Melody?" I asked but didn't expect a question. "I assume mermaids are all women?"
"We are," Ariel confirmed for me. "And the men we lure to Whitecap Bay are used to father our children, but we don't...do it...above water; we're still mermaids when we sleep with them."
"So I suppose..."
"That we do have our female parts even with the tail," Ariel told me.
"So, you mind explaining the process to me?" I asked and she chuckled.
"First, we lure sailors to Whitecap Bay," Ariel told me as she laid it out. "Mostly men come to us willingly, there's even a lighthouse there. I was told they come in longboats to try and capture us for our beauty, but the stories don't give credence to that."
"It is curious," I admitted to her. "So, a mermaid and a sailor meet in a longboat?"
"I wasn't old enough to do that part myself before I met Eric and stayed on land, but my understanding the sailor is pulled overboard and kissed," she told me with a sigh.
"Where your gills give the man air underwater?"
"Right," Ariel told me. "We take them down to bottom of the bay where it's sandy and smooth, ripping their pants off and allowing their cannon out so we can slip it inside us."
"Where you ride a man until he breeds you?" I surmised and she nodded.
"But you...men...pant so much during the act that it hurts us," Ariel said a little bitterly. "I used to think it was deliberate but Eric..."
"I think I understand," I said as I nodded my head. "So, you pull away and the man drowns?"
"Sadly," she said with a sigh. "The mermaid still rides him until he blows his cannon regardless, usually by then the guy is dead."
"So if a guy didn't pant and hurt your gills, he'd survive the encounter?" I asked her and she nodded. "So, why eat him afterward?"
"What else do you do with the body?" she remarked and I had to admit the truth in it.
"It would foul your own bay to let it rot," I agreed with her. "So, I surmise Melody was conceived in your human form?"
"She was," Ariel told me. "When she was little, I tried to check her by dunking her in the house's water barrel when she first started walking but her legs stayed human. It was only when I took her to a pond when she was five that I found out she can hold her breath for long periods of time, longer than I can hold mine above water."
"Like a whale?" I said and Ariel nodded.
"I've never understood why wales and dolphins don't have gills," Ariel remarked and I chuckled.
"They're mammals," I told her and she shot me a questioning look. "Dolphins and whales are mammals, same as humans, dogs, cats and other land animals. Mermaids, it seems, are more like fish, with gills to breathe water itself, something mammals can't do."
"Oh," she said as she got what I was saying.
"Very interesting," I mused as Ariel thought it over.
"You mind if I ask you a personal question?" she finally said after a long pause in our conversation.
"Sure," I told her happily.
"Knowing what you now know about me and mermaids," she said as she delicately phrased her question, "Would you be interested in doing it with me? Underwater?"
"Knowing that panting hurts you and risks my life?" I clarified and she nodded. The question hung heavy on me for a second, thoughts of being faithful to Megara strong in me and the life we would have together almost pushing me to say no until I heard Hercules voice calling out in the rigging and was brought to the reality that Megara was no longer mine to stay faithful to anymore. She had been, was and always will be Hercules' woman even if she was carrying my child.
"Sure," I told the mermaid as I let go of the thought of Megara and I growing old together. I didn't think things were going to work out with Ariel and I, but if I was a free agent I wasn't going to turn down a free booty call from a beautiful redhead. "Any specific time frame?"
"A few weeks, I think," Ariel told me, her eyes distant as she thought of something. "I'll know when it's time."
"Let me know," I said as I sat down with my guitar and began strumming it. I didn't often play it around others, but the stringed instrument was a beautiful reminder of home and given the time began to play Orinoco Flow on it. Ariel quickly caught the melody and hummed along through its verses and choruses, and I briefly wondered if I might have a life with Ariel but I couldn't help but feel she wasn't longing for a man in her life just someone who would take her as the mermaid she was and leave her be.
I guess that was something I had that they didn't in this age, forward thinking. I did have an openly coed ship after all and it was working well for me. And now, I was a free agent and could sleep with the willing ones?
"Sail ho!" Melody cried from the crow's nest. Setting the guitar aside I moved to the railing and checked with the spyglass to see that indeed, a sail was on the horizon. Since we were going in the right direction I didn't need to correct our heading, the other ship growing larger as we ran it down. Eventually it turned to run as it's English flag became somewhat visible, likely realizing I was Dutch and not a friend as they viewed my own flag and signal.
"Run it down," I told Ariel who steered us to better catch the wind. With the wind at the back of my Royal sloop, what appeared to be another merchantman fled before us but the large vessel wasn't built for speed.
"Cannon sir?" Shang asked as we neared the vessel. I could see the panic on the enemy captain's face as he looked us over and casting his eye upward as if to gauge the wind then realizing he had few choices.
"Load starboard cannon with grapeshot," I told him as the enemy captain began to shout orders and their cannons were pulled back to be loaded. He likely saw my own small crew and thought he could fire a round or two to fight us off, but I'd fix that line of thinking.
"Ariel, be ready to turn hard to port at my word," I warned the redhead. "I want to rake her backside without presenting a shot.
"Aye, sir," she said with a devilish smile as she then steered us more starboard to catch the wind. The enemy captain looked panic stricken as he turned to shout orders to load the other cannon, his face red as we got close enough for a sharpshooter in their rigging to fire and drop a man to the deck of my ship.
"Damn them," I cursed as I fumed over the loss sailor. More muskets cracked, but the shots appeared to go wide as nothing happened. "Hard over."
Ariel began turning the wheel, going from the ship's starboard to it's port side as we maneuvered for a broadside. The sailors came running back over to prep the port side's cannon but that was what I wanted. Wide open targets.
"Fire!" I yelled and the boom of my cannons sounded. Their aim was deadly thanks to the constant drilling Shang had put them through and not many of the sailors were left to man the cannon as Shang ordered the cannons to be quickly reloaded
"Load chain-shot!" I ordered and the crews grabbed the chain bound balls and stuffed them in the barrel. "Reef sail and prepare to board!"
Ariel brought us back to firing solution, presenting a perfect target as we fired a second broadside into the merchantman's three masts, dropping the main over the foremast before both fell to the deck. With our own speed cut prior to the masts dropping, we were then able to pull alongside the slowing ship and grapple on, the wounded sailors already forming along the far railing as they surrendered with further fight.
"Savage attack," the captain remarked as I walked across the gangplank.
"Maybe you should have struck your colors at being approached by a warship," I told the captain with all due vitriol before turning to the crew on the railing. "Now, one of you is a good shot."
All hands pointed to a redhead who limped forward on a bad leg, and I found I knew the lad. A search of the faces turned up the triplets as well, the three looking sheepish as my eye caught sight of them.
"Meredith," I said as I named the woman who leaned on the capstan to support his weight. "What in bloody name happened to the Saucy Mare?"
"Sank," he said meekly through almost gritted teeth. "When ye began to sail off I thought ye were going to attack so we sailed off our own selves. Struck a reef in the darkness trying to get to Nevis."
"That'll do it," I said as Timon brought me the standard keg and Jasmine the Articles. Meredith eyed the woman with almost a sneer before hobbling forward towards us.
"Ye sail with women?" he asked me as he came to a stop a few steps away. "Openly?"
"Yes," I told him as I pointed towards Ariel at the helm then up to Melody in the nest. Nala was just crossing over and joined the growing crowd of my sailors who were ready to fleece this ship of valuables.
"I'll be," Meredith finally said. "Ye hear that boys, he sails with women!"
"He's daft!" one of the triplets called as the three stepped forward to join their brother. "No man openly sails with women.
"What do you call me," Jasmine said as she lifted a sword towards the triplet in question. "And if it starts with 'w,' rules of engagement or not, I will kill you."
"I was thinking 'h' meself," the kid said as his brothers began laughing but the elder one turned and slapped him.
"That be the one that starts with 'w,' ya numpty," he spat at his younger brother before turning back to me and leaving the insulted youngster with a handprint forming on his cheek.
"Spelling wasn't their strong suit, was it," I asked of him.
"You should try growing up with them," Meredith told me as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave the three lads a bitter look. "I had to break one of their arms to keep them out me room."
"I wouldna ride her in tae battle," one of the lads said bitterly as he rubbed his arm.
"If you care to sign on again, sign your name," I told him, watching as the lad, or lass it seemed, stepped forward and signed on as Merida this time.
"It'll be good to get out of this bleedin' wrap," she said as she hobbled to the side and pointed to the Articles. "Come on ye three. Mother would haunt me till the day I died if I didna keep on eye on ye."
"And da would haunt us if anything happened to ye," one of the lads said as they all signed off on it and then grabbed their muskets, one carrying a spare with a broken stock I assumed to be Merida's as the lady didn't have one with her.
"How'd you hurt your leg?" I asked Merida as her brothers got under her armpits to support her and move over to the Wench.
"Ye shot the bloody mast out from underneath me!" she said with a laugh. I shook my head at that, the woman not really having seen my new and improved gunnery capabilities as I looked at the crew. "Who else wants to sign on with me instead of rowing for port?"
No one else signed up so the usual fleecing commenced before letting them leave via longboat. The payroll on the ship was sizeable and the ship's log mentioned having just returned from a run to Port Royale to bring in a load of sugar which brought the captain a sizeable load of coin, all of which was mine now and added to my ship's ledger and the logbook which was added to the collection I'd turn in to showcase my work.
It was most definitely a good trip.