Steve nudged Hunter. “You sail back on the Hungry Hawk,” he whispered. “Jane and I will join the skeleton crew on the Cadiz. That way, we’ll have someone on two out of the three ships to watch for MC 2.”
“I cannot allow this,” Hunter said firmly. “The increased danger to you is too great.”
“Listen, Hunter,” Jane whispered urgently. “You have to shift your First Law priorities. At this point, the danger of losing MC 2 completely is greater than ever. Steve and I can stick together and help each other. On the Cadiz, all the other crew members will think we came from the other ship.”
“That’s right,” said Steve. “Besides, one of the reasons you hired me is that I’m used to improvising. This is the kind of situation you hired me to handle.”
“We can function most safely as a team,” said Hunter. “That was also my plan.”
“Hunter, listen carefully,” said Jane. “What I mean is, you may have to prioritize your First Law imperatives. Steve and I may have to be sacrificed in order to maintain the future as it should be for everyone else.”
“Allow two humans to come to harm in order to save millions,” Steve added.
“Respond, Hunter,” said Jane.
“That should not be necessary,” said Hunter.
“Look, we aren’t giving up,” said Steve. “We fully expect to rejoin you later. But we agree that the risk of splitting up to find MC 2 is worth it.”
Hunter was silent for a moment, an unusually long time for a robot. Then he nodded. “All right.”
“I want to leave you with one more thought while you’re on your own,” said Jane. “Your independent action is crucial to pursuing this First Law problem about the future. Do not allow instructions from other humans under the Second Law to distract you from your larger task, as you allowed Wayne Nystrom to do on our last mission.”
“Understood,” said Hunter. “Now before we split up, I want to find you two a safe place to sleep for the night on the Cadiz. Then I will move to the Hungry Hawk. If anyone asks why I am on the wrong ship, I will tell them I had too much rum tonight and got mixed up.”
Steve grinned. “You’re playacting better all the time.”
As the night deepened, Wayne remained alone and awake on the Old Laughing Lady. Gradually, the celebration on board the Cadiz wound down and most of the crew of the Old Laughing Lady returned, except for those who would help sail the Cadiz home. He was not sure what to do next. Ordinarily, he would simply pursue MC 2 directly, but he was afraid of Roland.
After some reflection, he had guessed that the woman buccaneer might be Rita, the woman Roland had mentioned as part of Hunter’s team. For now, he decided to bide his time and wait for another opportunity to approach MC 2 alone somehow. He was certainly not going to risk another fight with Roland.
Captain Tomann stumbled back aboard last of all, his cutlass in its scabbard again. Now he carried an empty tankard in one hand, idling knocking it against doorknobs, brass handles, and other items as he passed them. Wayne suddenly realized that he could use a buccaneer ally, someone to counter Roland. He hurried after the pirate captain.
“That’s quite a haul,” he called out.
“Eh? Oh, aye, it is.” Captain Tomann nodded, looking at him sleepily. “Still awake, are you?”
“Yes. I mean, aye. Wide-awake. Shall we visit, Captain? Maybe we can get better acquainted.”
“I’m awake, myself.” Captain Tomann looked into his empty tankard. “Well, then. Come along to my quarters. I have a private cupboard of rum for just such an emergency.”
Steve and Jane huddled out of the wind on the deck of the Cadiz. Hunter had already moved to the Hungry Hawk, telling them that he would scuttle the Jamaica Jane before daylight so no one on board the larger ships would see it.
“We’re on a real adventure now,” said Steve. “Alone together on a ship full of pirates.”
“You don’t need to remind me,” Jane muttered.
“Hey, what’s wrong? I thought you agreed this was a good idea.”
“It is. But I’m not used to being away from robots and their dedication to the First Law. I work in an office and a lab, in a society where robots are common and none of them can allow harm to humans if they can prevent it.”
“I know I can’t fight like Hunter could,” said Steve. “But I think we can avoid a fight. These pirates will just want to go home with their loot now, I think.”
“Yeah.” Jane nodded. “I guess you’re right.”
They slept out on the open deck with most of the buccaneers, under the peaceful Caribbean sky.
13
The next morning, Steve and Jane awoke as the buccaneers on board threw off all the grappling hooks and set sail on all three ships for Port Royal. Since the weather was clear with a stiff breeze, the work was simple. Steve looked for tasks that were obvious, where he could help others without revealing his ignorance of sailing. He joined another buccaneer rolling a fresh keg of drinking water across the deck and pried open a crate of salted fish. Jane stayed with him and tossed hard biscuits to hungry buccaneers.
Once the ships were under sail, breakfast on the Cadiz also included some kind of gruel from a large pot. Steve and Jane learned as they ate that the ship was now captained by a buccaneer named Jacques Duveau. The eastern coast of Jamaica came into sight by midday, though of course they would have to sail around the southeastern corner of the island to reach Port Royal on the southern coast.
Steve and Jane moved toward the bow, away from the others, when they could. They didn’t want any of the buccaneers getting a good look at Jane in their free moments. So far, however, all had gone well except that they had seen no sign of MC 2, Rita, or Roland on board.
“We gambled wrong,” Steve said finally. “Rita, Roland, and MC 2 are on one of the other ships.”
“Maybe Hunter lucked out,” said Jane. “I don’t doubt that he can find them, but I wonder what he’ll do. I don’t think he’ll take MC 2 back home without us.”
“Good.”
“But as a robot, he can’t use the Second Law to order MC 2 to cooperate. I don’t know if he’ll be able to hold onto him forcibly or not.”
“At least if he gets MC 2 into custody, that will be a start. We can all join up in Port Royal.”
“Yes, that shouldn’t be long. I hope indecision doesn’t hit him too hard. If he’s paralyzed by indecision because he feels he isn’t following the Laws of Robotics, we’ll have a bigger problem than ever.”
“He seemed okay last night, didn’t he?
“I think so, or I wouldn’t have agreed to split up.” Jane shrugged. “But he still has doubts about his competence. I hope he’ll be okay without me to help him interpret the Laws in a constructive way.”
“Ahoy! Ship ahoy!”
Steve looked up. The man in the crow’s nest, up on the highest mast, was waving and shouting to the crew below. Everyone on the ship looked up at him.
Captain Jacques Duveau, a tall, lanky man with a black beard, looked out to sea, then yelled back up to the lookout. “What flag?”
“No flag. Can’t see the make of her yet.”
Steve could see that everyone was excited and curious, wanting to know what nationality and type of ship they had found. He suspected they would flee from a Spanish warship, which would have them outgunned. So far, he couldn’t see the other ship at all.
For some time, the crew waited anxiously to learn what ship lay ahead. Finally, the lookout turned to call again. “Spanish, by the look of her! Another merchant, Captain, and riding low in the water!”
Cheers rose up from the crew. Captain Duveau jumped up on a rolled sail lying on the deck. Steve grinned, anticipating what he would say.
“All right, men! What say you? Shall we pluck this fat bird or not?”