The Game Read Online Free PDF Page A

either, but she had heard stories, and she imagined that, a few hours from now, both she and Juliet would wish themselves dead. “We have no weapons,” she said with surprising calm, closing her eyes briefly.
    “We cannot fight pirates,” Juliet responded.
    “Not to fight them,” Katherine said, regarding her friend. “But to end our own lives.”
    Their gazes held. They did not speak again. There was nothing to say. Even if they could find the courage to kill themselves before the pirates plundered the ship and captured them, they had no weapons with which to do so. There was nothing for them to do, then, but be brave and await their fate.
     
    An hour later it began. Someone tried to open the door to their cabin. When he failed, he called out in a foreign tongue. Katherine and Juliet did not speak, did not move,did not even breathe for fear of being detected. The intruder stomped away.
    Both girls were now dressed, having realized that they had no wish to be captured in their nightclothes. Juliet turned to Katherine. “He was speaking Gaelic. Could he be Irish? Or was he a Scot?”
    “I am not sure,” Katherine said unsteadily. Suddenly tears formed in her eyes. “If you think the fact that I am Irish will spare us if they are Irish, you are wrong. Pirates are not loyal to anyone, Juliet, except themselves, surely you know that.”
    “Sssh!! He is coming back!”
    The girls froze, arm in arm, as two men spoke to each other outside their door. And then an object was banged upon the door and wood splintered. The blade of an ax appeared through the shredded wood.
    Katherine pulled Juliet closer. She was older than her friend and somehow she felt responsible for her. She would protect Juliet if she could. But her knees were still horribly weak, and her legs were shaking.
    A hand darted through the wood and the bolt was shoved aside. The door burst open. Two seamen in black breeches and plain tunics burst into the room. They were huge men, carrying swords and wearing daggers, their weapons and clothing splotched with blood. The pirates froze, surprised to see the girls.
    Then they exchanged glances. One of them was huge and baldheaded, and he stepped forward, his gaze going from Katherine to Juliet and then back to Katherine again. Katherine stepped in front of Juliet. She and the bald pirate stared at one another. Katherine was tensed, awaiting his lecherous assault. But it never came.
    He only spoke to the other pirate, and when he did, he spoke in Gaelic, which Juliet could not understand but Katherine could. He said, “We’ll bring them above to the captain. He’ll be pleased with this.”
    Katherine’s heart was in her mouth, beating a mile a minute. “Who is your captain?” she asked with false bravado. “I demand to see him immediately!”
    If the seaman was surprised that she had understoodhim and spoke Gaelic herself, he did not show it. “Don’t fret, lass. The captain is waiting to meet you.”
    Katherine took Juliet’s hand, hoping to give her courage to face their impending ordeal, but then the pirates separated them, each man grabbing one of the girls. Katherine cried out, attempting to jerk free of her captor, but he took her elbow firmly in his hand. And he pulled her forward and into the narrow hall and up the stairs, Juliet following with the other man.
    Katherine gasped when they stepped out upon the deck. It was unnaturally still. But the pirates were everywhere, clad in their short breeches, wielding their long swords. She saw that the French crew were all in irons, and that several of the men had been wounded, perhaps seriously. Sir William Redwood and his men were also bound in manacles and under guard. Sir William appeared unhurt and furious. But relief filled his eyes when he saw that the girls were still unharmed.
    Katherine’s gaze swept the deck. Part of the stern had suffered from the fire, the wooden deck charred and blackened, smoke still hanging in the air. Sections of the