The Pirates and the Nightmaker Read Online Free PDF Page B

of whom were now sleeping or giving the appearance of sleep. ‘And what did you see from on high, little one? Did you see any means of getting off this wretched boat?’
    Immediately I remembered the islands scattered like emeralds, although none was especially close, and I remembered the tall ships. One was not far away.
    ‘There is a ship …’ I said.
    ‘Not a Spanish ship, I trust?’
    I shrugged. ‘I don’t think so. It may have been a privateer. It wasn’t large: a barque with three masts.’
    ‘And far away?’
    I shook my head, pointing. ‘It would be just beyond the horizon in that direction.’
    ‘Well, you must discover exactly what it is, Loblolly Boy. You must fly to it at once.’
    ‘I will, sir,’ I said. ‘But what would I do then?’
    ‘You must decide whether it is safe,’ said Mr Wicker. ‘I see little point in being rescued by a Spanish man-of-war. That would more resemble capture than rescue. Nor would it be wise to put our trust in pirates.’
    I nodded in agreement.
    ‘However,’ continued Mr Wicker, ‘if the ship is one ofKing George’s own, or a decent English privateer, then it will be all we could wish for …’
    I could understand this, but I was still unsure about how I could possibly be of assistance.
    Sensing my confusion, Mr Wicker said, ‘You are troubled?’
    ‘I am,’ I said. ‘I know, for you have told me and I have seen for myself, that by some strange happenchance I am now completely invisible to human eyes and, worse, whatever I say is completely unheard by human ears …’
    As if to underscore what I was saying, I raised my voice almost to a shout and yet not one of the others on the jolly-boat gave any indication that I had uttered a sound.
    ‘So?’ asked Mr Wicker.
    ‘So,’ I said. ‘If the barque is a ship of the king’s navy or an English privateer, how could I possibly tell them that there is a jolly-boat not far away with a company of Englishmen on board in need of rescue.’
    Mr Wicker nodded slowly.
    ‘Because nobody will be able to see me and nobody will be able to listen to me,’ I completed.
    Mr Wicker remained pensive for a few moments. At length, he looked at me and said, ‘First, little one, ascertain the nature of this barque and come back to me. We will cross future bridges when we come to them.’
    I suppose there was little more that could be done in the meantime.
    ‘Go now,’ said Mr Wicker, ‘and hurry back. Some of this company are weakening as we speak and they need all the energy they have left to give them the strength to row.’
    That was true enough.
    At that, and without a backward glance, I leapt into the sky once more and was airborne immediately.
    How easy it seemed.
    How utterly natural.

CHAPTER 4
A PAINTED SHIP UPON A PAINTED OCEAN
    I could not be certain, but it did seem as if the barque was even closer than it had been when I had first caught sight of it. It was visible, not many leagues away, as soon as I had risen a little more than main-mast height, and so without climbing a great deal higher I half-glided, half-soared in the manner of an albatross, towards it.
    The vessel was not large, even smaller than the
Firefly
I estimated, and it soon became clear that I was not to deal with a Spanish warship, or an English navy ship for that matter. There were no distinguishing flags or pennants flying, which I thought unusual, although in these waters of the Spanish Main perhaps it was prudent not to advertise yourself too readily. This fact left only two possibilities: it could have been either a privateer or a pirate, although there was little way I would be able to tell the difference, especially from on high.
    In one of his rare conversational moments, Dr Hatch had explained the difference between a pirate and a privateer to me. He’d given a short barking laugh. ‘No difference atall and all the difference in the world,’ he told me, taking another drink to steady a shaking hand.
    This was meant to confuse me,