The Turning Tide Read Online Free PDF Page A

with wistful, loving eyes.
    Sri Sumbhajee’s eyes were bright with rage. He seized the ruby in both hands, and there was a momentary scuffle. Neither pirate wanted to give up the ruby, and both seemed willing to end up in the harbor rather than let go. Finally Jean pulled Jack away and Sri Sumbhajee stood triumphant, the ruby clenched in his fist.
    A hard, wicked smile appeared on his face for the first time, making the ends of his moustache twitch.
    “Sri Sumbhajee welcomes you to Suvarnadurg,” Askay said, bowing and sweeping his hand toward the stairs.
    “Sri Sumbhajee hopes you will be comfortable here,” Pusasn added in a tone that tended toward the ominous rather than the hospitable.
    The Pirate Lord led the way up the stairs. His entourage closed in around Jack’s pirates, and they had no choice but to march straight up the steps behind him, their boots scuffling on the rough, cold stone.
    The view on the other side of the doors was the most magnificent yet. Glorious gardens stretched in every direction around the central palace, glowing with gold, scarlet, and orange flowers and full of the scent of exotic fruit trees. Tiny, delicate deer darted between the trees, chasing each other playfully, while white herons hopped at their hooves and lime green parrots fluttered overhead.
    Carolina seized Diego’s hand and pointed at a large bird strutting slowly across the grass. A fan of blue and green feathers swept out from its tail. It eyed them beadily.
    “I think that’s a peacock,” she whispered in delight. Diego squeezed her hand, and to his delight, she didn’t let go.
    Neither of them noticed the baleful glare this provoked from Marcella.
    A marble path lined with small fountains took them to the palace itself. Here, another set of stairs led up to a courtyard perched above the gardens. A roofed area supported by five lines of carved red sandstone columns marked off one corner of the courtyard; the rest was open to the bright sunshine. Carolina nudged Diego and nodded to the top of the columns. Each was crowned by a carved pair of animal heads—an animal with sharp tusks and a long, dangling nose.
    “Elephants,” Carolina whispered, “I think. They look kind of like the pictures in the book.”
    “Shh,” Jack warned them.
    “Yeah,” Marcella said loudly. “SHHHHHH, Carolina.”
    Sri Sumbhajee raised an eyebrow. He had paused with his back to the palace. Now he turned and glanced surreptitiously over his shoulder.
    Jack followed Sri Sumbhajee’s gaze to the carved stone screen that ran along the second floor of the palace. A diamond pattern of small holes in the screen, each no bigger than a fist, seemed designed to let a breeze flow through. But Jack realized that they served another purpose. Anyone could stand on the other side of the screen and peek down at the courtyard without being observed.
    And judging from the sparkle of gold jewelry, and the pink and blue and green flashes of cloth he could see behind the holes, the pirates were being observed that very minute—by a curious group of palace women.
    Jack winked at the screen, causing a flurry of flapping silk. Sri Sumbhajee whirled to see what was causing the muffled commotion, and Jack took advantage of his turned back to blow the mysterious women a kiss.
    He was sure he caught a glimpse of dark eyes, lined with kohl like his own, before the hidden watchers all vanished into the depths of the palace.
    Sri Sumbhajee frowned suspiciously at Jack, but Jack wore a very convincing innocent expression.
    “Sri Sumbhajee observes that you have a pair of female pirates among your ranks,” Askay said.
    “Oh, no,” Marcella said. “I’m not a pirate! No way! I’m nothing like these hooligans. I wash at least once a month.” She patted her stringy hair and batted her eyelashes at Sri Sumbhajee.
    “Well, I’m a pirate,” Carolina said, casting Marcella a disgusted look.
    “Sri Sumbhajee is certain they will be more comfortable in the