Skull and Bones

Chapter 31

Savannah had changed in the two years since Walrus was last there. It had grown considerably. But it was still a grid-pattern of greasy log houses, with a palisaded fort to one side, and it still knew how to greet gentlemen o' fortune.

Guns boomed from the fort in answer to Walrus's salutes, the townsfolk turned out all along the Savannah River's high banks — tall as a ship's topmasts — and gazed down at the fine schooner coming upriver under the Union Jack, wrapped in the smoke of her guns, her people in best shore-going clothes, and a prize following astern: Inez de Cordoba, a neat little brig of a hundred tons, flying British colours over Spanish, even though — just at the moment — there was peace between these powers.

Savannah was the youngest port of the youngest colony in British America: hacked out of virgin forest, and in constant fear of the Cherokee, the Cree and the Chickasaw. It was also the most southerly colony, just a hop and a spit from Spanish Florida, and in fear of that too: mortal fear, because the Spanish — if they came — would come not with mere hatchets and scalping knives, but with cannon and the Inquisition. So Savannah was rough; King George's law ran only on Sundays, and today was a Thursday and there was business to be done.

The anchors went down with a rumble. Sail was taken in, topmasts struck, all made snug and proper, and Walrus was jolly from stem to stern. For one thing it was warm, and all hands remembered the freezing, murderous passage across the Atlantic, and staggering ashore like cripples, not fit to be called seamen. But now they were fattened up on Virginian beef, soothed by the tropics, and they had a lively cruise behind them, the tarts of Savannah in front of them, and a prize astern to prove their manhood.

"Three cheers for Long John!" cried Israel Hands. "Three cheers for our cap'n!"

And they bellowed and roared, and waved their hats, and the people up on the banks cheered too. It was a merry time… even for Selena, standing on the quarterdeck in her seagoing rig of breeches, boots and shirt, with pistols in her belt as natural as if they'd grown there.

"Well, ma'am," said Silver, and hopped forward with his parrot on his shoulder.

"Well, ma'am!" said the bird, and Selena and reached out and stroked it.

"Ah," said Silver, "there's few as can do that and count five fingers!"

"I know," she said, and smiled. She smiled straight into his eyes, and the sun shone bright for John Silver, and he sighed with pure happiness, and all the merrier since the past weeks hadn't been easy.

Washington had sent forth Walrus as a licensed privateer, to spy out what the Spaniards were doing at sea, with a war coming. In return, the Colony of Virginia would quietly ignore King George's law, and provide safe haven for Walrus and her people, and a legal share in any prizes taken: which delighted the crew. The crew, but not Silver. Left to himself, he might — just possibly — have taken the ship and Selena, and sailed over the horizon… Which he couldn't, not with a crew that wanted it all ways: any prizes they could take, plus the treasure, for they knew all about the divided papers and the rendezvous with Flint.

So, even on a ship at sea, Silver was trapped, and had no choice but to do what Washington wanted… at least in the matter of taking Spanish prizes: which — and for the moment — wasn't such a bad thing. Not at all. Not with her smiling at him.

"This is better, ain't it?" he said and dared, just as she had dared, by touching her cheek.

"If it really is legal," she said.

"I've told you. I've shown you the papers. Letters of marque from Washington!"

"Yes," she said. "If you say so." And she laughed again.

"And ain't I all sweet and kindness to them as we takes?"

"Yes," she said. For it was true. Inez de Cordoba had tried to run, been easily caught by the sharp-hulled Walrus and had surrendered at the first salvo, which had been fired to frighten not kill. Then Silver steered for the coast of Florida, and put the prisoners — who included two women — into the Spaniard's longboat, within easy pulling distance of land. And none were touched nor their possessions despoiled. All this she had seen, and she knew that it was done for her.

Only the Spanish captain — Ibanez — was still aboard. He'd tried to fight, and had been cut down by Mr Joe and sewn up by Dr Cowdray, but had been too weak to go into the longboat with his mates.

And so she smiled and went to the rail to wave at some children capering and dancing on the bank up above.

"That Washington," said Israel Hands softly, looking at Selena.

"Aye?" said Silver, likewise staring at the small, beloved figure.

"Are you really sure that Washington can write letters of marque?"

"It wasn't him. He got 'em from the governor of Virginia."

"Aye… but can he?"

"Clap a hitch, Mr Gunner," he said, and raised his voice, looking at the brig: "Pork and biscuit, wine and salt, fish and rice." He smiled. "And the ship herself, with all her tackles and gear!" Selena heard him and came back.

"Of which a good share goes to the governor," she said.

"Of course. That's what makes us legal!"

She laughed in his face at that, and Silver shrugged. What did he care? She was here with him and not off with Flint. That was enough. She'd come aboard when the ship left Alexandria, fed up with the back stairs and folk treating her as less than them. But to Silver it had been like those days when he was first courting her, aboard this very ship, and before she turned against him. She was still slinging a hammock alone, though, and wouldn't be his wife.

"Cap'n!" said a voice, and Silver jumped. "Cap'n!" It was Israel Hands again.

"Mr Gunner," said Silver.

"Boat's alongside for to go ashore, Cap'n!"

"Thank you, Mr Hands," said Silver, formally.

"And we've swayed the Dago aboard. Dr Cowdray says he's well enough."

"Well and good," said Silver, and moved over to the rail. He looked over the side, and saw the heavily bandaged Captain Ibanez, laid in the stern, made fast to a plank. He turned to Selena, "Will you not come?" he said.

"Like this?" she said, looking at her clothes. Silver shrugged.

"Put women's clothes on!"

"No," she said. "Not here. I was a slave here."

So it was Silver and Israel Hands who met the authorities of the port of Savannah, taking with them Mr Warrington, who, when sober, was convincing as ever in his role of honest mariner. But aside from passing some dollars to officials who needed help to look away, and getting the Spanish captain a berth in the fort — where the militia had what passed for a hospital — there was little for Warrington to do.

And so to Jimmy Chester's grog shop that had once been Charley Neal's, and before all else inquiring after Joe Flint, who'd not yet arrived in Savannah. Then, leaving Mr Warrington in a happy corner with a bottle and a mulatto girl, the real business was done with Jimmy Chester, who proved to be very like Charley Neal, except he was thin where Charley had been plump. But he had the same skills with money. He could digest a ship and cargo, and make guineas appear in bank accounts far away. So Inez de Cordova was swiftly dealt with, right down to setting aside a share for the governor of Virginia. And beyond that, Chester was deep into politics.

"We used to be a Trustee Colony, and now we are a Royal Colony," he said.

"Oh?" said Silver, bored, sitting in Chester's private room with Israel Hands and a jug and some glasses.

"But we await our first governor from England, and so in the meantime govern ourselves," he said. "And we have an assembly, of which I am a member…" He smiled "… and its president."

"How cosy," said Silver, and Israel Hands yawned.

"So I correspond with other colonial officials… including George Washington."

"Oh?" said Silver, sitting up.

"And I know why he sent you to sea." "Oh?"

"Oh yes! He's acting for all the colonies. We need to know what the Spanish are doing at sea. He's desperate to know. We all are, and so we use who we can to find out!"

"What about the navy?" said Silver. "Washington never mentioned them. Ain't they spyin' out the Dagoes?"

Chester shifted in his chair, understanding Washington's reluctance to mention so delicate a subject as the need for the colonies — occasionally, and of course in the Greater British interest — to act independently…. even contrarywise… to the policies of the beloved mother country…

"Hmmm," said Chester, "you, see, Captain Silver, the king's navy acts on orders from London… which does not precisely share our interests." Chester dismissed this awkward matter with a shrug. "So," he said briskly, "what've you found out about the Spanish?"

Silver and Israel Hands looked at one another. They said nothing, and stared steadily back at Chester.

"As little as that?" said Chester, and laughed. "And you don't care, do you?"

Silver smiled a sly smile.

"You're smart, you are, Mr Chester, smart as paint. I knew it the first instant I saw you. But how does a poor matelot know who he can trust in these dangerous times?"

"Trust?" said Chester. "And you a pirate?"

"I'm a privateer!" said Silver. "With Letters of Marque."

"Is that what you think?"

"Bah!" said Silver.

"See here," said Chester, and leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"Well?"

"The cargo aboard Inez de Cordoba: pork, biscuit and the rest…"

"What about it?"

"Didn't you wonder what it was for?"

"Why should I?"

"Because it's victuals! Inez de Cordoba was on her way to provision a fleet."

"How would you know that?" said Silver.

"Because there's a Spanish squadron in these waters."

"So?"

"So didn't you ask that Spanish captain where he was going?" Silver shook his head. "Didn't you ask him anything?"

Silver shrugged. "He wouldn't talk. He said I was a damned pirate and he wouldn't talk."

"And you didn't find means to persuade him?"

"No," said Silver, thinking of her. "For aboard my ship, it's all sweet kindness."

"Rubbish," said Chester. "You're being stupid."

"Watch your lip, mister! Don't be a clever bugger with me!"

Chester blinked, swallowed, and tried another approach.

"If you knew where he was going, you could lie in wait… for others like him!"

"Ahhhh!" said Silver. That was much better! That was prizes and plum duff!

"And maybe find out what that Spanish squadron's doing…?" said Chester.

"Wouldn't that be jolly, an' all?" said Silver with a sour smile.

"Yes," said Chester, knowing he'd got most of what he wanted. So he smiled, and they drank up, and they parted as friends… almost. For just as Silver was leaving, Chester had a final, little word.

"Captain Silver," he said.

"Aye?"

"I knew Charley Neal very well."

"Did you?"

"Yes. And he mentioned that there was an island…" Silver frowned "… where your friend Flint… left some goods…"

Thump! Thump! The crutch bumped over the floorboards and Silver stood dark and tall over Jimmy Chester. He stood so close that Chester could hear the hiss of his breath as Silver whispered in his face with quiet, deadly menace:

"Cock an ear, mister," said Silver, and Chester's knees quivered and his hands shook. "Now there ain't no blasted island, nor there ain't no blasted goods. D'you hear me?"

"Yes."

"And we'll be jolly companions, you and I, if you never mention this again."

"Yes."

"Well and good!" said Silver. "And how do I get to see that Spanish captain?"

An hour later Silver and Israel Hands were at the town-side gates of Fort Savannah, a hundred-yard square of puncheon logs with a ditch all round and bastions at the four corners, mounting heavy guns. They clunked across the drawbridge and were challenged by redcoat sentries with muskets. There were great works in hand with pick, spade and wheelbarrow: deepening the ditch round the fort, and throwing up the spoil to strengthen the bastions, and a battery being emplaced to command the river. And all this for fear of the Spanish, and the work so urgent that not only slaves were sweating in the sun, but white men too, including most of the fort's militia, which numbered many hundreds of men.

Silver tipped his hat to the sentries, showed a paper signed by Mr President Chester, and was saluted and let in. The same paper, presented to a sergeant, then to a captain, got Silver and Israel Hands into the inner quadrangle of the fort, with a militiaman to lead them past its barrack block, bakehouse, officers' quarters and well, to a squat gaol, which doubled as a lazarette for persons with dangerous infections.

"Very tight," said Silver, looking at the massive log walls. "Very nice. And is the Spanish gentleman in there?" He pointed at the heavy door.

"Yessir," said the militiaman. "T'ain't locked, sir. But him being a Dago, we didn't know where else to put him. We done the best we can, sir, an' the 'pothecary'll be round later, to let him some blood."

"What a blessing that'll be," said Silver. "Should do him a power of good! And is there a grog shop in the fort?"

"Canteen, sir. Over there, sir."

"Then here's a dollar for you and my shipmate here, to take a drop on me."

"Thank you, sir. Proper gennelman, sir!" said the militiaman.

"You sure, John?" said Israel Hands, frowning. "Don't you want me to…"

"No," said Silver, "you take a drink, my old messmate."

Silver watched them walk off. He tried the door. It opened. He went into the cool, dark interior which reeked of piss and vomit. There were a few narrow wooden beds. The Spaniard lay on one. He was awake and alert, but too weak to get up.

Silver hopped across and stood beside the bed, with his long crutch and swirling coat-tails, looming huge and menacing over the helpless man, who looked up in great fear. And the parrot which had sat happily on his shoulder thus far, squawked and flew off and fluttered to the door. Silver watched her for a moment, scratching at the planks with her great talons, and cursing fluently in five different languages. Then he let her out, and closed the door behind her, and went back to the bedside.

"Buenas tardes, Capitán Ibanez," he said.

"Buenas tardes," said the hoarse, quiet voice.

"Tengo unas preguntas," said Silver. "I've got some questions…"