The Merchant of Dreams (Night's Masque, #2)(62)

"Perhaps another time," she said. "We are both beholden to those wealthier and more powerful than ourselves, are we not?"

"Indeed, madam. I would not trespass on any man's property."

"Property?" She raised an eyebrow that had been plucked to the thinness of a pen stroke. "I am no man's property, signore, though sometimes it is wise to let others believe it."

"Then let us both keep up that pretence," he said, getting to his feet and bowing low. "Good evening, signorina."

CHAPTER XVII

Coby leant over the side of the ship, watching the glitter of moonlight on the waves. True to his word, Captain Hennaq had removed Sandy's spirit-guard and all their bonds in return for their good conduct. After all, where were they to go? The ship was provisioned for an Atlantic crossing and needed no further supplies until they reached Venice, which was now only a day or so's sail away.

She looked round as Gabriel joined her at the rail. He had grown thinner than ever on the voyage and his nose was peeling where it protruded from the shadow of his hat's brim, but he looked happier than she had seen him in a long time. No doubt he was looking forward to being reunited with Ned.

"Dalmatia," he said, pointing eastwards towards the barely visible mass of the distant coast. "We sail the narrow waters between Christian Europe and the Turks."

"Master Catlyn told me he fought the Turks, years ago. It must have been somewhere around here, I suppose."

A distant rumble of thunder sounded to the north of them. She looked up at the sky. Surely the night was too clear for a storm?

"Look, over there!" Gabriel tugged at her sleeve.

A flash of light, and then several moments later another low boom.

"Cannon? At night?"

The skrayling on watch silently roused the rest of the crew. In the lantern light their tattooed faces looked more inhuman than ever, and Coby could swear some of their eyes glowed like cats'.

She watched the distant battle get closer. A single large ship was surrounded by a swarm of smaller ones, too low in the water for its cannon to fire upon effectively. More than that was difficult to make out in the stark black-and-white of the moonlit waters. Then the beleaguered vessel turned a little towards them, and her heart skipped a beat. She knew that shape, had seen that same ship only a few months ago, waiting for them in the moonlight off the coast of Corsica.

She looked around for the captain. Hennaq had joined his first mate on the fo'c's'le and was watching the battle through a leather tube with glass in the end. Coby ran up the stairs, her feet slipping on the smooth treads in her haste.

"Captain Hennaq, we have to help that ship. Master Catlyn may well be on board."

The captain's amber eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Is this a trick?"

"No, sir," she lied. "Please, let me take a closer look."

He handed her the viewing tube. She gasped at how much closer the distant ship looked. There was the poop deck, with a tiny Captain Youssef directing his men. No sign of Mal, though. She cast around further, and could hardly believe her eyes. A familiar pennant fluttered from the Hayreddin's mast: five white diamonds in a diagonal row. Even if Mal wasn't aboard, this was no coincidence.

"They are flying Sir Walter Raleigh's colours," she said. "It must be them."

The captain hesitated for a moment, then turned and shouted orders to his men.

"Get below," he told her. "Now."
She ran back down to the weather-deck.
"Now may be our best chance to get away from here," she whispered to Gabriel.

"In the midst of a battle? How?"

"I don't know. But we have to try, don't we?" She looked around. "Keep an eye out for the captain, will you?"

Not waiting for Gabriel's reply, she ducked into the captain's cabin. Now, if I were Hennaq, where would I stow a brace of confiscated pistols?

Thankfully the cupboards lining the cabin were not locked. She searched one after another, and at last found the pistols, along with her powder flask and shot, her lockpick roll and the book Sandy had stolen. With pockets and doublet front bulging she slipped back out onto the weather deck.

"All done?" Gabriel asked.

She nodded, and they dashed across to the hatch and down the ladder.

Down in the hold, Gabriel roused Sandy and gathered the rest of their belongings together. Coby handed over the book, stuffed the lock-pick roll in its usual place for safekeeping, then primed and loaded both pistols. After a moment's thought she wedged them between a couple of sacks where they were easy to retrieve but wouldn't be spotted immediately if the skraylings came down here.

"Come on then, you two," Gabriel said, setting his foot on the ladder.

"Not yet," Coby replied, sitting down on her pile of bedding.

"What do you mean, not yet?"

"The ships are too far apart, and there are who knows how many pirate boats between them. We need to wait out this battle a little longer before we make our move."

He sighed, but did not leave his station at the foot of the ladder.

"Just because the Hayreddin is flying Raleigh's colours," she went on, "that doesn't mean Mal and Ned are on it. Surely they can't have completed their mission already."

"You think Raleigh left them behind in Venice?"