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CHAPTER IV

ONE-EYED MEN TELL TALES

With the Calliope, the Blizzard, the Oceanid, and the Dominus at his command, Daniel Ibeada felt that he had a fleet to be reckoned with. By 1720, Daniel had bagged the heads of 16 cruel and abusive captains, taken all but a chest of the ship's wealth, and let the ship on its way. He had also subjected the crews of two ships filled with the profits of slave trading to summary execution.

On March 9, 1722, Daniel and his fleet came across a particularly large ship: an English slave ship the size of a Man-of-War. Once Daniel saw the name "Inquisitor" Union Jack on the mast, he called everyone to the cabin on the Calliope.

"Gentlemen of the Calliope, the Blizzard, the Oceanid, and the Dominus. Welcome. We face a formidable challenge. The Inquisitor is the largest slave ship we have faced up to this point. I do not blame those who believe trying to take the Inquisitor is suicide. If the majority believe the risk not worth it, we will withdraw. Therefore, I put it to the table. Dominus, as your captain and crew are freed slaves, you have the first say.

"The Dominus votes that we bring the Inquisitor down." Spartacus declared,

"The Oceanid too says that the Inquisitor is to be taken." Roeb said,

"Speaking for the crew of the Blizzard, I say also that we seize the Inquisitor." Hikkens said,

"It appears to be a unanimous agreement." Daniel said, "Now for the plan. Roeb, you will take the Oceanid and go for the Inquisitor's starboard side. Once the Oceanid has the Inquisitor's full attention, Spartacus, you and the Dominus will hit them from the larboard side. Hikkens, you will command the Blizzard and blow the Inquisitor's rudder to splinters. I will be on the Oceanid. As this was my plan, I should be at the center of it from start to finish." Daniel then turned and asked, "Are we agreed?"

Fortunately for Daniel, everyone present agreed with his plan. With everything done and set, Daniel and his fellow captains headed back to their respective ships to prepare.

As the captain of the Inquisitor and his crew were making the return journey after shipping their cargo of slaves, they were certain that they were going to make it safely back to London to split the profits from the trade. Unfortunately, just five days after they had dropped their slaves off, they encountered a fleet of four ships. At first, they thought it was a Royal Navy detatchment sent to escort them home as they ventured through pirate waters. That feeling of security was immediately quashed when they saw the flag on the mast of the lead vessel.

From the top deck of the Oceanid, Daniel signaled for the attack to begin. As soon as he issued the order, the Oceanid opened fire. As Daniel watched, the first part of his plan take effected, he had a devilish grin on his face. As the exchange of fire intensified, Daniel waited.

After an hour of cannonfire exchange, Daniel turned to on of the men on the Oceanid and said, "Signal the Dominus."

Just as the crew aboard the Inquisitor was regaining their senses enough to command a counterattack from the starboard side, a full broadside to their larboard again caught them unawares. When the crew of the Inquisitor turned to see who was attacking them now, their shock turned to complete horror. Aboard the second ship was a crew comprised entirely of freed slaves.

Though being hit on two sides was bad enough, the fact that they were facing a ship crewed completely by freed slaves caused the crew of the slave ship Inquisitor to fall to panic. Sadly, although it was over, it was not over for the better. Just as the crew of the Inquisitor were preparing to turn away and make a run for it, a third ship pulled behind them and blasted their stern. Although they did not want to believe it, one look at their stern confirmed their slowly-building fear: the rudder had been blown to splinters.

Although he knew the crew of the Inquisitor was quickly running out of options, Daniel decided to ensure that neither ship nor crew were going anywhere. With that in mind, he ordered a shift in targets.

"Even if their ship is rendered helpless, the crew is not. Change to their longboats."

Roeb nodded and said, "You heard him, men! Hit their longboats!"

Turning to a crew member next to him, Daniel said, "Signal the Dominus to hit their longboats on the larboard side."

"Yes, sir."

As Daniel was signaling his men to switch their targets, the captain of the Inquisitor began ordering his men to get to abandon ship and get to the longboats. Unfortunately, just as the first men reached the longboats on the

starboard side, they were blown apart. When they turned to get to the longboats on the larboard side, they saw that the larboard longboats had also been blown to pieces

Trapped and incapacitated, the captain of the Inquisitor declared their surrender.

The moment Daniel and his men boarded the Inquisitor, they had everyone that was still alive tide down. With all enemies tied down, Daniel had the captain brought before him.

"What is your name?" Daniel asked,

"Captain James Hobinson." the captain said,

"Captain James Hobinson, for the crime of treating honest humans as little more than creatures to be traded, sold, and bought, I, Daniel Ibeada, Captain of the Blizzard and the Calliope, sentence you to die. Your head will be taken, your body thrown aside into the depths. As they are accomplices in this attrocity, your crew will receive instant justice."

His judgement declared, Daniel clove Captain Hobinson's head from his shoulders. Once he had executed Captain Hobinson, Daniel nodded for Hobinson's crew to be summarily executed. While leaning against a barrel, Daniel watched as every last captive of the Inquisitor's crew, bar one man, one by one, was first stabbed, then shot.

The moment the aformentioned sole survivor was about to be executed, Daniel raised his hand to stop the execution.

"Take his eye."

"Captain Ibeada?" Spartacus asked,

"While dead men can tell no tales, one-eyed men can."

The moment the lone remaining prisoner got his right eye stabbed out, courtesy of Spartacus himself, he screamed in agony. Hearing the man's screams, every freed slave cheered.

"Take every valuable and every tool. I will leave him with only the hope that what food he has will last him long enough for his friends to find him. And when he returns to England, he will tell the tale of how his fellow men faced the vengeance of Daniel Ibeada and his allies, amongst whom are freed slaves." Daniel then turned and said, "Leave the bodies of his friends for the birds and the elements. Let him choke on the stench of rotting flesh."

Little did England know, what transpired aboard the Inquisitor would happen many times again and over.