Page 82 of Blow Me Down
She just looked at me, her eyes bright but her expression placid.
“Were you born here? On this island, I mean?”
“Aye,” she allowed.
“Ah. Good. So, you must remember what it was like before Bart took over.
Who was governor before him?”
“Ye sent me girls away to ask me about the governor afore Bart?” she asked, frowning.
If she was Paul, she probably had figured out what I was doing. If she wasn’t…
well, I couldn’t screw this up any more than I already had. “Yes, I want to know. Who was governor before Bart?”
Her eyes never left mine, but she said nothing. I sighed in relief at the blank look on her face, then mentally chastised myself. Renata was my last viable suspect for Paul. Like Pangloss, Renata avoided my questions at first, but both went blank when I pressed hard… so if it wasn’t either of them, who was it?
Everyone else, from Bart on down to Bas, had checked out.
“Never mind, it doesn’t matter,” I said, smiling to myself as her face came alive again. I questioned her about things her character would know—the price and availability of food—and asked her whether or not she would like to move into the governor’s house.
“Nay, lass, ‘tis awful kind of ye, but me girls and me are comfortable here. Ye go with me blessin’.”
“I don’t want to seem ungrateful for all your help and kindness in putting me up when I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” I said, hesitating.
“ ‘Tis only right ye take over Bart’s house while ye be fillin’ his shoes,” she said.
“I know ye won’t forget us.”
“Absolutely not. In fact, I have high hopes of making life a lot more comfy for all of you.”
She looked pleased with that. I chatted with her a bit more, then headed to the governor’s house to start putting things into motion.
The town leaders and mayor were the first group of people to answer my summons. They were quickly taken care of, with reassurances given on both sides that the current arrangement of government would continue without significant change (although I reserved the right to make some helpful suggestions about how to streamline the local economy). As they were leaving, Pangloss and Charlie arrived.
“I tried to bring the men from the shore guns,” Charlie said as he pulled me aside. “But I couldn’t.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“There are none,” he said, his eyes puzzled. “It seems Bart took the gun crew with him.”
I sighed. “Grand. Now we have no protection whatsoever from shore. Well, I’d better make sure that no one attacks us tonight.”
“Aye, ‘twould likely be a good thing,” he agreed.
I took a deep breath and entered the library.
“So, the cap’n‘s up and left ye in charge,” Pangloss said as he spun around to face me, a scowl darkening his face. I walked slowly to Bart’s massive desk, reminding myself that Pangloss had every right to be outraged over my new position. As first mate, he should have been the logical choice for captain.
“Yes, he has, and I’m not going to try to begin to explain to you why he made that choice. It seems ludicrous and totally unbelievable to me, but he did, so I’m hoping against hope that you’ll find it in your heart to help me. You know more about the sea than anyone I know, and if I’m going to do this captain and governor thing right, I’ll need a lot of help.”
I could see that he had been working himself up to having a hissy, but I effectively took the wind out of his sails.
“Er… aye. ‘Tis unbelievable to me, as well. But I’ve sworn to follow me cap’n‘s orders, and this be one of ’em, so I’ll help ye as best I can.”
I smiled and offered him a glass of brandy, grateful the worst was over.
By the time the moon had started its climb in the night sky, Pangloss and I were in agreement that something had to be done.
