her. In truth, Anne longed to find out more about William Dampier’s voyage round the world. She imagined it was
filled with glorious images and descriptions from destinations
unknown.
“You may sit there,” he said, pointing to the large armchair
situated parallel to him.
Her mind made up, Anne took the book from his hands,
walked back to the windows, and pulled the curtains aside. Settling herself in the armchair, she opened the pages once more.
Clearing her throat, she cast one last look at Teach. He gave
her an almost imperceptible nod, and she began.
8 6
“Before the reader proceed any further in the perusal of this work I must bespeak a little of his patience here to take along with him this short account of it. It is composed of a mixed relation of places and actions in the same order of time in which they occurred: for which end I kept a journal of every day’s observations.”
For the next two hours Dampier’s story wrapped the two of
them in a foreign world. While other travelers at the time robbed and raided, Dampier wrote vibrant and detailed notes, describing the vegetation and bringing to life the inhabitants of the places he visited. Anne was transported in a merchant ship, similar to her father’s, to the distant shores of the West Indies. She marched with the buccaneers through the jungles ahead of Spanish soldiers, raiding and pillaging small villages and large forts.
Anne felt Teach’s gaze on her face. Eventually he closed his
eyes, drifting in and out of sleep.
She was fascinated by Dampier’s report of the Miskito Indians, a most remarkable race, and she was grateful he devoted
several pages of his journal to their description. They were tall and strong, with copper-colored faces, long black hair, and stern expressions. Two Indians alone could supply an entire ship of buccaneers with food because of their fishing and hunting skills.
Anne paused, trying to picture such men. Her mother
had told her stories about their ancestors, who’d come from
the Spanish Main and settled on the island of Curazon. Map—
makers had later changed the name to Cura?ao, but the early
8 7
Spaniards had referred to it as the Isla de los Gigantes, because of the Arawak tribesmen’s formidable build.
There had not been enough gold or water to make staking a
claim on the island worthwhile. The Dutch West India Company
had eventually settled there in 1634, after the Spanish had left.
Because the land had been considered too dry to support
large-scale plantations of sugar, coffee, or tobacco, hundreds
of natives, including Anne’s mother and her family, had been
forced to raise food to feed the thousands of slaves awaiting
shipment elsewhere.
Anne couldn’t help wanting to know more about her
mother’s past, especially now that she was gone.
Teach opened his eyes. “Why have you stopped?” he asked.
She was unsure how to respond, afraid to reveal her true
feelings.
He had an uncanny way of seeing through her, discerning
her thoughts when she least expected or wanted him to. “You
favor them, you know. The Miskito Indians.”
“You’ve seen them?” she asked, incapable of hiding her
enthusiasm.
He nodded weakly, a faint smile appearing on his face. “Oh
yes. And if I were to ever command a ship myself, I’d want
a whole crew of them. They’re bold in a fight and excellent
marksmen if supplied with proper guns and ammunition. They
have extraordinary sight and can spot a sail at sea farther and
better than anyone else I’ve met.”
8 8
“I should so like to meet one,” she said.
At that moment Margery appeared in the door, a disapproving frown on her face. “Excuse me, sir, but I need Anne
downstairs in the kitchen to help with the cooking.”
Teach’s jaw tightened, but he merely nodded.
Disappointed, Anne closed the book and laid it on the bed
beside him. “In case you want to continue reading,” she said.
Teach shook his head. “No. When you bring me my dinner
at noon, then we may continue the story,” he said, loud enough
for his words to reach Margery.
Nodding, Anne took the tea tray in her hands, attempt—
ing to hide her smile, but he caught her eye and winked. As
Anne left his room, Margery closed the door behind her, but
not before they heard a pleased sigh coming from the interior.
8 9
C H A P T E R 9
Teach
Teach was asleep in his bed the next afternoon when he heard a
commotion outside his room. He awoke, confused from a strange
dream. In his dream he was the captain of a great ship and a large crew, but a sharp-tongued maid with copper-colored skin and thick black hair questioned his every command.
It was a surprise to wake to the sound of her voice. For a
moment he thought he was still dreaming, until he recognized
the sound of the other voice. It was Mary’s, the blond maid in
the house.
He waited, hoping their discussion would find an end, but
it seemed to go on forever.