Page 148 of The Sea Witch
“I was taken prisoner immediately,” he went on. “They threw me in the brig, and there I remained for God knows how long.”
“You look hale enough,” Oliver said dismissively. “Captivity didn’t disagree with you.”
“I was fed,” Ben answered. “And every day I was permitted a half an hour on the top deck for closely supervised exercise and air.”
“A ship full of women,” Warne sneered. “Witches. They must’ve been panting for cock.”
Ben fought to keep his feet anchored to the floor, lest he launch himself at Warne and slam the mage’s head into the bulkhead. “No one abused my person.”
Warne snorted. “They all love cunt, anyway. You wouldn’t offer much temptation.”
“I can’t speak to what company the crew of theSea Witchpreferred,” Ben went on, his jaw clenched.
“You were aboard when they took theAjax,” Strickland said. “Yet you didn’t prevent them from seizing the ship.”
“I was one man,” Ben answered. “And confined to the brig. There was nothing I could do to stop them.”
The admiral seemed to accept this explanation, which was, in fact, true.
“They treated me with as much dignity as anyone can hope for when held as a prisoner aboard an enemy ship,” Ben continued.
“If your captivity was so pleasant,” Oliver jeered, “why escape? That is,” he added, peering at Ben closely, “if youdidescape.”
Ice prickled along the nape of Ben’s neck. “There was nothingabout my circumstances that gratified me. I needed to return to my ship, my duties.”
“Howdidyou manage to slip free, Mr. Priestley?” Captain Gray asked.
“As I said, I was permitted a brief period of exercise and air each day.” Since Ben had left theSea Witch, he’d gone over his story many times, and recited his tale with as much authenticity as he could muster. “I was closely watched, but I deliberately cultivated the behavior and attitude as a model prisoner. It had the effect I sought, and in time, the guards were more permissive. They would leave me unattended for a few minutes as they socialized with the other members of the crew.”
Strickland, Gray, Oliver, and Warne continued to listen, and nothing on their faces seemed to express disbelief, so Ben continued.
“The ship had anchored off the beach of an uninhabited island for reprovisioning. Members of the crew were going to venture ashore to hunt and search for fresh water. They would take a cutter to navigate the shoals. Through persuasive talk, I managed to convince the crew that I was adept at finding potable water, and would make a good addition to the party going ashore. When we did reach the island, it became apparent that a squall would soon be upon us. The group ventured inland to search for shelter. I slipped away through the foliage and made my way back to where the cutter was beached. I saw theSea Witchraise anchor and sail out of the bay to ensure that they weren’t damaged on the shoals or rocks during the storm. Moments later, the squall hit, and I used it as cover as well as harnessing its power to sail off as quickly as I could manage.”
“Surely the witches went after you,” Warne insisted. “They have an abundance of magic at their disposal to aid in their pursuit.”
“By the time the squall had passed,” Ben said, “and they gathered their resources to retrieve their crew from the island,I imagine that it was only then that my absence was discovered. They were assuredly faced with a choice whether or not to pursue me. At that stage, I was likely closer to theJupiter, which meant that if they did give chase, they would find themselves within dangerous distance of this ship. Even when theJupiterhad only the leviathan as escort, that would certainly deter them from getting close. And so,” he concluded, “it appears they let me go.”
Silence fell, broken only by the sounds of the crew going about their duties and waves slapping the hull. Ben held himself still as he endured Strickland’s penetrating stare. It was the admiral that Ben had to convince. Gray, Warne, and Oliver mattered less, yet even they needed to be assured that Ben’s story was genuine.
Finally, Strickland straightened, unfolding his arms as he approached Ben. He stood directly in front of Ben. He was within striking distance.
Do it, a voice in Ben’s head whispered.Draw his cutlass and run him through.
Warne or Oliver would slay Ben within moments of striking the admiral down, and he couldn’t kill one without also eliminating the other. Both were equally responsible for his father’s murder.
Ben had another objective: protecting Alys and eliminating the Royal Navy’s escalating threat to the Caribbean.
And so, he held himself still and returned the admiral’s gaze, strangling his own need for vengeance.
A minute passed. And then another.
“Welcome back aboard, Mr. Priestley,” Strickland said gruffly. He clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder, and Ben barely managed to keep from lashing out at the admiral’s touch.
“It’s good to be back, sir.”
“You showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage,” Strickland added. “And now you must use the knowledge yougained during your captivity to tell us where to find Tanner and her harpy crew. We’ll show that upstart woman and her company of shrews that they cannot trifle with the Royal Navy. Not now, when we have so much power at our fingertips, and can erase any trace that they ever existed.”
Needles of fear wove beneath Ben’s skin. Between the manpower and firepower of theJupiterand the strength and might of the leviathan and the kraken, theSea Witchcould never survive an engagement.
