“Really?” Steve spoke casually, aware that Captain Morgan was in a mood to talk shop with them. He also realized that he was very hungry, and saw that Jane was reaching for an apple.
“Spain has the richest cities in the Americas,” said Captain Morgan. “And the strongest.”
“The strongest?” Steve took another banana.
“Aye! Oh, any city can be taken, all right. But it takes thought and planning and men of stout heart.” Captain Morgan glanced at both of them and sat up. “By the stars, I forgot my manners! You two have had no supper, I wager.”
“Well…you’d win your wager.” Steve grinned. “But we welcome your hospitality as it is.”
“Nonsense!” Captain Morgan waved to the tavernkeeper. “Two beefsteaks for my friends here! Potatoes, too!” He smiled and spread his arms. “No guests of mine go hungry.”
“We are in your debt,” said Steve.
17
When the grilled steaks and boiled potatoes arrived on wooden platters, Steve and Jane ate eagerly. Steve found his steak rather tough, but he was too hungry to care much. Jane did not complain, either. The tavernkeeper brought sea salt, black pepper, and some sort of red peppers to spice up the meal. Around them, the tavern remained nearly empty.
“May hap you heard about my voyage to Cuba last year,” said Captain Morgan, before taking another swig of rum.
“Hm?” Steve made a noncommittal noise, glad that his mouth was full. He didn’t want to insult the Captain by saying he had not heard of it, but he also didn’t want to be caught pretending to have heard of something he hadn’t.
“The attack on Puerto Principe,” said Captain Morgan, relaxing in his chair. “It’s in Cuba, to the north of us here in Jamaica.”
Steve nodded, glancing at Jane. She shrugged slightly, indicating that she knew nothing about the subject either. Captain Morgan did not seem concerned.
“You see, mates, we knew that the Spanish had it mind to take Jamaica back from us-after all, we took it from them not so many years back. But I convinced Governor Modyford not to sit and wait like ducks in a pond. The way to disrupt your enemy’s plans is to take the war to him.”
Steve nodded acknowledgment.
“The governor commissioned me a colonel for the voyage,” Captain Morgan continued with casual pride. “It required twelve ships-first to take enough men to capture the place, then to bring all the booty home!” He laughed and drank more of his rum.
”A great voyage,” said Steve, between mouthfuls. That was a safe comment to make.
“Our good King Charles appreciated the share of booty that the governor and I sent him, as well.” Captain Morgan paused to pour more rum into all the tankards, He seemed surprised to find that the other two were still nearly full, but he said nothing about it.
Steve took a taste of his rum to be polite. He didn’t like it, but he decided not to complain. Jane was hardly touching hers either.
“I’ve been lying low this past year,” said Captain Morgan. “My raids on Spanish possessions could upset the king if they complicate his politics back home.”
“That makes sense,” said Steve.
“Ha!” Captain Morgan slapped one hand down on the table, jolting it. “What does he know of the Spanish Main?”
“Not much, I suppose,” said Steve mildly.
“Of course not. How would he? But my surprise raids against Spanish towns are preventing the Spanish in America from coordinating an attack on us British. They’d like nothing better than to drive us out of the Caribbean completely!”
Steve knew, of course, that the Spanish never succeeded in doing that; even his history was good enough on that point. He knew that Hunter would not approve of his telling Morgan anything like that, though.
Captain Morgan leaned toward Steve, looking him in the eye. “You’ve no love for the Spanish, I take it?”
“Uh-no, not especially. Not me.” Steve was caught off guard by the buccaneer’s sudden intensity.
“And the two of you missed my voyage to Cuba last year, I take it?”
“Yeah, we missed it,” said Steve.
“And yet the two of you are experienced buccaneers who can claim a share of this day’s bounty when your ships come back into port?”
“Well-yes,” said Steve.
“Well, then! I have need of your kind. I have many ships to fill and not enough men to fill them. You’ll join me, then, when I put out the call.”
Steve glanced at Jane, who was still leaving all the talking to him.
“Eh, mates?” Captain Morgan looked back and forth between them, grinning.
“Of course,” Steve said quickly. He had to keep their masquerade going. “When will it be? You told the others you are gathering crews right away.”
“Aye, that’s why I came into town this evening.”
“Where do we sail this time?”
“Ah, mate, that’s not to be discussed just yet.” Captain Morgan grinned and slapped him on the back. “Not just with you, mind, but I’m not telling anyone. Not until we are well away at sea, where there is no chance that a word will slip. I would not have anyone on this island tempted by money to sell our destination in some Spanish port.”
Before long, Steve and Jane had both finished eating. Captain Morgan drank the rest of the rum and tossed a few coins to the tavernkeeper. Then he sighed and looked out the open doorway at the moonlit sky.
“Well, my friends,” said Captain Morgan. “I rose early today and I shall rise early tomorrow. I must be off to my rooms here in town. I have nine ships preparing to sail even now. You will come when the call goes out for men to sail on them?”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Steve.
“Good!” Captain Morgan stood up. “I bid you both good evening then.” He strode out, his boots pounding on the wooden floor of the tavern.
After he was gone, Jane leaned close to Steve. “That was interesting,” she whispered. “And we got a free dinner.”
“Not to mention avoiding that sword fight,” said Steve. “I figured I had to accept his invitation to join his crew. When the time comes, he’ll be too busy to notice us in the crowd. I just didn’t want to risk making him mad.”
“Good idea. Can we find the same inn where we stayed the first night?”
“Yeah. Let’s go. We want to be back on the docks in the morning when Hunter comes in with the ships.”
Hunter spent the night sitting on the deck of the Sidonia. As dawn came up over the edge of the water, the other buccaneers began to rise from their sleep around the ship. No one bothered him all morning. Near midday, he saw Port Royal ahead of them. The Old Laughing Lady had reached port first. The other ships, the Cadiz and the Hungry Hawk, were coming in just behind the Sidonia.
Though puzzled and uncertain, Hunter had not decided to shut himself down completely. He still was under a First Law imperative to protect his human companions if he could and to return them to their own time even if he was not capable of apprehending MC 2. When the Sidonia anchored in the bay, he joined the line of buccaneers who were receiving a share of the loot from the ship. Each one took his share before being lowered in a longboat to be rowed to shore.
Hunter’s share was two handfuls of evenly mixed gold and silver coin. When he stared at the coins in some surprise, a good-natured buccaneer handed him a scarf to bundle them up. Without a word, Hunter tied his bundle firmly to his sword belt and climbed into the next longboat.
As the other buccaneers ran cheering and whooping for the taverns with their booty, Hunter walked along the docks, unsure of himself. He was nearly in robotic shock and very tentative about making any decision. Without Jane’s earlier reminders that his human team still needed him, he might have shut down completely. As it was, he was having trouble focusing on his goals and choosing decisive action.