Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates Read Online Free PDF Page B

not so bad, is it?' he reasoned. 'He didn't get the map.'
     
'No, he didn't. But if that witch knows about the treasure—'
     
'Don't call her that!' snapped Sebastian. He stared at his friend in dismay. He had no idea why he'd leaped to her defence.
     
'You see,' said Cornelius. 'She has quite obviously bewitched you.' He shook his head. 'I don't know. All it takes is a skirt, a pretty face and you're putty in their hands.' They entered the main cave and moved towards the exit. 'Well, one thing is for certain. We dare not sleep any more tonight in case they come sneaking back for another try. We'll take turns standing guard until daybreak and then we'll be on our way.'
     
They emerged from the cave and walked across the clearing to the caravan. Max was still sound asleep and snoring.
     
'Look at him!' exclaimed Cornelius. 'Oblivious! We could have been murdered in our sleep and he'd still know nothing about it. It would be different if we'd started cooking some food though, wouldn't it?'
     
As if by magic, Max stopped snoring. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at his two companions. 'Did somebody mention food?' he asked innocently. 'A couple of those fresh pommers would go down rather well.'
     
Cornelius's face was a picture. He stormed off to gather some kindling for the campfire. Sebastian offered to take first watch but Cornelius didn't feel much like sleeping either, so they built up the fire to a cheery blaze and then sat close to it, talking in hushed voices and waiting for the approach of dawn.
     

C HAPTER 5

     

HASTY DEPARTURE
At the first blush of light on the horizon, they were packed up and ready to leave – though unsurprisingly, Max took some persuading.
     
'I haven't eaten breakfast yet!' he complained bitterly as Sebastian strapped him into his harness. 'What's the big hurry?'
     
Sebastian explained what had happened the night before and Max couldn't resist commenting.
     
'I'm not at all surprised,' he sniffed. 'Perhaps this will teach you to take more notice of me in future. I said right from the moment I clapped eyes on her, that witch was not to be trusted—'
     
'Don't call her a witch!' shouted Sebastian; and once again he was astonished by his own reaction. It was as though he simply couldn't stop himself from springing to her defence.
     
Max gave him a knowing look. 'Well, she's obviously made a big impression on you,' he observed.
     
'That's what Cornelius said. But I just . . . don't think it's fair to call her . . .'
     
'A witch! That's exactly what she is.'
     
'No. She . . . she's just . . . I don't think she had anything to do with that attempted robbery. Adam was probably acting on impulse . . . and she . . .'
     
'Didn't you say you saw her standing by the cave?'
     
'Umm . . . yes . . . I expect she was trying to stop him.'
     
'But they ran off together!'
     
'Of course! Blood's thicker than water – she probably had to help her brother. He probably made her do it.'
     
Cornelius strolled past, shaking his head. 'Forget it, Max – the poor lad's under an enchantment. He'd argue that black was white if Leonora wanted him to.'
     
Max looked quite shocked. 'But what of your true love, Queen Kerin?'
     
Sebastian felt a jolt of irritation. 'She's hardly my true love,' he argued. 'However I feel about her and however she feels about me, it's a love that can never be. So I'm perfectly free to look elsewhere.'
     
'Yes, but not at an old witch!'
     
'She's not a witch! And she's not old!'
     
'She could be for all you know,' argued Max. 'She could be a wizened old hag who uses black magic to make herself look reasonable. Underneath that pretty veneer could be a hideous, wart-ridden old harridan with white hair and rotten teeth.'
     
'Whatever she is,' interjected Cornelius, 'my suggestion is that we put as much distance between her and us as is humanly possible. Come on, let's make tracks.'
     
Sebastian clambered into the driver's seat and Cornelius climbed up