Chapter 26: Revenge
"Basalt! I hate him! I hate his filthy hide and I hate his filthy urchin children swine! Oh I hate him! I hate, hate, hate –"
Shark gave the seawitch wide berth. The crew followed suit, observing her from safe distances.
The seawitch continued to scream. Cursing Basalt, she squeezed innards from her two broken tentacles. King Basalt had sliced the tentacles to stumps, rendering the seawitch wounded and unable to balance. The seawitch was livid. Sporadically she would growl and grab for pirates, searching for someone to kill. When her anger could not be sedated, the seawitch collapsed. Black magic sputtered as she wailed into the Jolly Roger.
Watching the seawitch, Shark was reminded of his own wound. He touched his cheek. King Basalt had cut him to the bone. The skin was stitched together with fishing twine, but it stung. Shark glared. It was as if salt were still in the wound.
Click.
Shark turned. Captain Hook emerged, pistol raised.
"Pity. Pity to see such an ally die. However…" Captain Hook aimed at the seawitch's open mouth. "…I can't have her drawing unwanted attention."
"Si tu veux."
Captain Hook stopped. He smelled Bluebeard before he felt the sword on his spine. Beside him, Shark did not speak but his breathing became slow and rigid. Hook glanced up. Wind filled the sails, but The Jolly Roger was not moving. He glanced to the sides. Bluebeard's pirates crawled in the rigging. Like spiders. The Jolly Roger was surrounded.
Slowly, Captain Hook lowered the pistol.
"I was referring to the mer. The leviathan." Carefully, Captain Hook tried to turn. He paused, settling for a head tilt as Bluebeard pressed the sword. "I can't have the seawitch drawing the attention of Basalt's mer. Never would I attempt to evade you, Lord Bluebeard."
Bluebeard laughed. He stepped closer. Mindful of Hook's hook, he unsheathed a second sword and curled it around the captain's throat.
"You did not attempt to evade." Bluebeard said, "…you did. One little mer attack and the Jolly Roger flees? My, my. What would the eloquent Captain Hook call such an evasive action? Bad form?"
"Our ships were tangled together with chains, and The Jolly Roger was taking water. In that tilted position, she would have sunk. I had to break her free. Or…" Captain Hook derisively said, "…would you have preferred to go down with the ships?"
"We had a bargain, Hook."
Captain Hook had the discourtesy to laugh. "Yes. I am well aware of your reputation for honoring sacred vows."
Bluebeard angled his blade. He pressed it against Captain Hook's windpipe. "Oui. I hope your reason for sailing away, for breaking your allegiance, and suffering your vow, is better than mine."
"We're waitin' for the mer ally." Shark said.
Bluebeard looked without removing the sword from Hook's throat. "Oui? Waiting for whom?"
"Our mer ally. The betrayer of King Basalt." Shark lowered his hands. "Capn Hook retreated from Basalt's kingdom, not from The Devorador. The Jolly Roger needed to escape to open sea – "
"—so's not to expose our mer ally to Basalt." finished Hook, making eye contact with Shark. "And discover our scheme. That – Lord Bluebeard – is why I left The Devorador."
Bluebeard did not immediately speak. Shark waited as Bluebeard searched his face for lies.
Shark stared straight ahead, blinking freely in the cold wind. After all – the explanation was true. Partially. The mer ally would not approach the Jolly Roger in Basalt's waters due to the risk of being caught. So Captain Hook set sail for the neutrality of open ocean.
Now, truth be told, Captain Hook had deserted Bluedbeard and forsaken him to the mer. Whether or not The Devorador survived the battle was unessential to Hook's plan. The fact that it had was a happy coincidence at best. After all they were buccaneers – allegiances ran with the wind. Shark grunted. Long live the brethren and a yo-ho-ho.
Bluebeard lifted his blade. "When does the mer ally come?"
Captain Hook closed his eyes. He was growing impatient. "Soon."
"If you are lying – " Bluebeard growled.
"—shortly you will see I am not. After all…" Captain Hook slid his hook down the shaft of Bluebeard's blade. Gingerly, he pushed it away. "…Captain Hook never breaks a promise."
"Capn." Mullins ducked from the rigging. He glanced once at the screaming seawitch. Then he pointed up at the crow's nest. "Capn. Crow's spotted the mer ally. Portside and aft. Shalz I unmoor the dinghy?"
Captain Hook nodded. "Tell Mr. Smee to fetch my hat."
Mullins saluted. He disappeared into the rigging. "Aye aye Capn."
"You see my pirate comrade." Smugly, Captain Hook led Bluebeard across the deck. They waited as the dinghy was suspended over the ocean and lowered from the sails. "It appears that the eloquent Captain Hook is ever true his word. Or…dare I say it…si tu veux?"
Bluebeard scoffed. But before he could retort, the seawitch emitted a hair-raising wail.
Bluebeard turned. He stared at the seawitch. Then, kneeling, he whispered soothingly in her ear.
"Arresting the heart is the sweetest revenge." Smiling, Bluebeard rose. He turned towards the dinghy to join Captain Hook. "And there is one of Basalt's bloodline….that is not yet cursed."
The seawitch quieted. She was utterly silent. Then, slowly, she took her amputated tentacles in hand. Squeezing the slimy, fatty pieces together, she began to chant. Black magic coiled from her fingers and surrounded the disgusting mass.
The seawitch threw the tentacles overboard. The tentacles splashed and sunk. Then, they squirmed, transforming into a black worm.
And as Bluebeard and Hook held secret conference with the mer ally, the black worm headed for the Iceberg Palace, carrying a curse.