“Hell, man, I envy you that bit of fluff,” the Englishman moaned huskily. “Even from there she warms me loins.”
Ruark scowled, but his tone was light as he replied with a great deal of truth. “Aye, she’s hard to walk away from. But enough of her, Harripen. What are you about with my ship?”
“Yer—ah—well, that she be of course, laddie, what with Robby gone and all.” The man scratched his scarred and stubbled chin reflectively. “We—ah—took a vote. Aye, ‘at we did, she being the biggest and all.” He gestured to the smaller vessels swinging at their tethers in the bay. “We thought we would put a few things ’board her, supplies and what not, just in case his lordship, Trahern, comes along with his bloody little fleet. We expect the sloop to return sometime tonight, and we’re not anxious to ‘ave our tails blown out of the water.”
Ruark nodded toward the wreck on the reef. “But surely, if the Spanish fleet could not—”
“Ha!” Harripen interrupted. “Them dons were a bunch of clucks, with a lot of brass and flags and show. But Trahern, now, is another tale, and if there’s one to do us ill, ‘tis him, if’n he sets his mind to it.”
Ruark agreed silently. The Englishman leaned over the rail and as Ruark followed his gaze he saw a pair of heavy carts, each laboriously dragged along by a pair of mules, moving down from the edge of town toward the dock. When they drew alongside, Ruark noted that the first bore several kegs of water and twice the number of hogsheads of rum and ale. The second was half filled with casks of salted meats and meal, and the rest of it was crammed with crates filled to overflowing with silver, gold plate, and other loot. Beside Hawks on the driver’s seat rode the small, black chest of gold coin. It was the first item to come aboard. The treasure was quickly hauled into the captain’s cabin, while all the other stuff was swung down on the gun deck, there to be lashed down, carefully out of the way so they would not interfere with the operation of the small cannons. Ruark saw with amusement that the great chest of musket barrels still sat on the deck where it had been left.
When all was secure, Harripen returned to him. “Well, lad, if ye’ll be good enough to cast us off, we’ll winch her out to her hook again.”
Ruark paused as the grizzled fellow stared at him, an odd look in his squinting gaze.
“I’m leaving a pair o‘ me own men aboard ’er to see what’s all ‘ere is kept safe. And if ye’ve noted, the wee box is locked, and ’tis more than one man can hoist.” He gave a sly chuckle. “And Mother ‘as the keys. ’Tis his way of protecting ‘is share. But then, with the possible exception of me an’ thee, he’s the most honest one ‘mongst us.”
The man leaned back, guffawing heartily at his own abused humor, then sobered, wiping his nose on his arm.
“Well, I see yer liedyship is waiting for ye, laddie.”
Thus dismissed, Ruark had no choice and climbed down to the crudely cobbled jetty, there to cast off as Harripen had indicated. The crew was ordered to the capstan and, with a singsong chant, began to march around it. The clank of its pawl counted time, and the anchor cable grew taut, water dripping from its length as the Good Hound slowly slipped out into deeper water.
The sun was scarcely more than its own width above the horizon when Ruark strode the length of the pier and passed where Shanna waited for him. She was still stiff and proud, though she kept her eyes from meeting his. Several paces behind she fell in, dropping her skirt into place and walking barefoot across the sand.
Back in the common room, Ruark stopped for an ale, but Shanna went quickly past him and fled up the stairs to their chamber. Listlessly she leaned against the door, closing it, and moved to sit upon the windowsill, pushing out the shutters. Dark clouds had begun to roll overhead and, with the sticky heat, she recognized the ominous signs of a storm. Releasing a ragged sigh, she began to loosen the heavy braid, raking her fingers through the long tresses as she gazed down upon the courtyard below where a young child played chase with a small piglet. His black hair gleamed beneath the waning rays of the sun, much the same way Ruark’s did under a candle’s soft glow. Wistfully she watched the dark head bob along until, with angry squeals giving evidence of his success, the youngster scooped the animal up into his chubby arms and merrily trotted off toward the village. As he disappeared in the distance behind thin, scrubby trees, Shanna smiled ruefully, and in the silence of the room, the memory of Ruark’s words whispered in her brain.
“Beautiful and honorable offsprings of our love.”