“Are you saying the governor is a liar?” Kitts asked.
“I’m saying I don’t believe everything that comes out of his mouth.” Teach turned to address the crew. “How many of you have ever seen Easton’s ship? Or how many of you know anyone who claims they’ve seen Easton’s ship?”
Two hands went up. In a group of thirty. Admittedly, only eighteen of them were Kitts’s men, but they’d been stationed in Nassau. Surely more people would have witnessed Easton’s ship if the pirate plagued the shores as much as Webb had led Teach to believe.
While Teach had cared for Anne in the captain’s cabin, he’d been giving their situation serious thought. Webb had told Teach he’d sent people after Easton before. But Alastair had said that wasn’t the case, and that Webb had had a hard time gathering a crew. Teach was more prone to believe Alastair than Webb. Which made Teach wonder who, exactly, George Easton was. And what was he to Webb?
“Our job is not to question the orders we’ve been given. The letter of marque Webb gave you proves we are innocent of any criminal act. I trust—”
“I have no letter of marque,” Teach said.
Kitts’s frown deepened as his face reddened. “What do you mean?”
“Webb didn’t give me one. I assumed you would have it, since he sent you as well.”
“No. He told me he’d given it to you.”
The crew grumbled, their voices caught in the sticky air, their frustration palpable.
“Do you still believe you’ll be paid for your time and trouble?” Teach asked, leaning in close.
The look of doubt on Kitts’s face was answer enough.
Teach turned to the crew, raising his hand to get them to quiet down. “In light of the situation, I propose a small change. We won’t be giving Webb one half of the net proceeds. Whatever spoils we find, we keep. All of it. But we will bring Easton back alive. Are we all agreed?”
Not even Kitts voiced his dissent.
“Excellent. And I would like to add something else to that agreement. Consider it our code, if you will. If any person steals or is caught stealing any part of the prize or prizes, or he’s found pilfering any money or goods, he shall forfeit his share to the rest of the crew. Is that understood?”
The men nodded in agreement.
Teach drew a deep breath, giving them a hard look. “Furthermore, if any person be found a ringleader of mutiny, or causing a disturbance on board, he shall forfeit his share, to be divided amongst the ship’s company. And if any person refuses to obey my command or behaves with cowardice, he shall be punished according to law. Do you have any questions?”
Other than a few headshakes, there was no response.
“Good,” Teach said. “Now let’s go catch ourselves a pirate.”
CHAPTER 31
Anne
“You’re not leaving the ship,” John said, running his hands through his hair. “Teach would kill me.”
“Someone will kill Teach if I don’t,” Anne snapped. Her hands shook as she loaded both pistols. Benjamin had told John that Anne wished to see him. She could not wait to leave the confines of the ship.
“Maybe he’s still here. If he is, it’s too dangerous for you to leave the cabin.”
Anne placed the pistols in the baldric slung across her chest. “I have no intention of staying here and waiting for him to come back. Where is Kitts?” When she’d first described the man to Benjamin, he’d said it fit Kitts’s description. Except at the moment, Kitts sported two black eyes. Although she’d only seen the man briefly, Anne couldn’t be sure if he’d had two black eyes.
“With Teach,” John muttered.
Benjamin entered the cabin, his expression grave. “Most of the men are resting now. I did not see the man she described on board,” Benjamin said. “She’s right. He went with the others.”
“Teach said you should stay here.”
Anne threw her hands in the air. “He didn’t know someone would try to kill him. If you won’t take us, Benjamin and I will take the longboat ourselves.”
“You can’t. There’s only one left,” John said. “We’ll need it to go after Easton when we reach the cay.”
Anne reached for the large dagger at John’s waist. Startled, he raised his hands in defense, but she simply took ahold of her hair where it was pulled back in a braid and sliced through the thick strands. The curls bounced up, relaxed and free around her shoulders.
John gasped. “What the devil are you doing?”
Benjamin’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide as he looked at the length of hair in her hand.
Dropping the hair into the hammock, she loosened the leather strip that had held it together and retied her shorter hair. “I can’t go ashore looking like this.”
“You’re not going ashore,” John insisted.
“We don’t have time to waste arguing. Either you take us or we’ll go ourselves.”
John looked at Benjamin. “What do you think about this?”
“I think a weak man has a long tongue.”
Anne laughed out loud as John jerked back. “What does that bloody well mean?” he snarled.
Benjamin shrugged. “It means we are wasting valuable time. Anne is right. We need to go now.” Anne handed the dagger back to John, hilt first. “You’re both mad,” John muttered, looking at the two of them.
Finished arguing, Anne moved toward the door, but John’s voice stopped her. “Wait. You can’t go like that. I’ve got something to help you.” Walking to the armoire, he pulled out a floppy hat and placed it on Anne’s head. It was too large, and came down to her eyebrows, shielding a good portion of her face. “I don’t know how your boots will hold up. They’re not exactly made for this kind of thing.”
Benjamin bent down to tug off his boot, but Anne stopped him. “What will you wear?”
“Where I come from, people do not wear shoes.”
She shook her head. “Your boots will be far too large for me. I’ll wear mine for as long as they’ll last.” Holding out her arms, she looked at them. “Well? How do I look?”
“Like a mad woman,” John said without hesitation.
“Like a mad boy,” Benjamin corrected.
John muttered something beneath his breath and handed the dagger in its sheath back to Anne, but she held up her hands. “I prefer pistols,” she said.
“You’ll need more than a single shot.”
“Which is why I have two.”
“What happens if you miss?”
Anne raised her chin at him. “I won’t miss.”
“Have you practiced with those? They’re only for close range.”
“Then I’ll have to get close enough, won’t I?” she said, resisting the temptation to practice on him.
“For someone so small, you’re awfully fierce.”
Benjamin took the dagger from John and slung the sheath over one shoulder. “Even a mosquito can cope with a lion at times,” Benjamin said with quiet confidence. Anne could have kissed him.