CHAPTER 26
Treasure
AJesus H flippin' Christ! We're rich! We're
[email protected] Paddy couldn't help but shout.
AShush Uncle Paddy, she's downstairs,@ said Davey meaning Mrs M.
Paddy lowered his voice, AIt's a fortune lad. Yer rich. Yer dad can buy that flippin' place by the sea he's always going on about, never mind about a little boat, yer could raise the Titanic with this little lot,@ he looked wistful, Aremember when we took yer down to wave it off from the Pier Head? Yer were just a nipper, sat on me
[email protected] He delved deeper, AHang about, what's this? Is this what I think it
[email protected] he held the dagger by its jewelled handle. AHow'd it get in
[email protected] AI've been trying to tell you Uncle Paddy. I've spoken with the girl, she's not dead, leastways not as we know it, she just hasn't got a body. The skulls are keeping her here. It's like she's trapped and the horrible thing is that she knows that the Shaman is somewhere out there waiting to get
[email protected] Paddy managed to control himself but still kept running his hands through the rings, gems, trinkets and precious metals in the chest. Davey wasn't sure just how much attention he was paying to what he was saying but went on and told him the whole story of his visit to Carnatic.
AYer've done good lad. Now we've got sommat to go on. We can use what the girl's told yer to help us. Told yer didn't I, I said that she'd be there needing our help. But I tell yer what this lot gets weirder and weirder, I mean she's been hanging around up there for four hundred years waiting for yer. If that doesn't take the biscuit I don't know what
[email protected] AI'm going to go home and get me dinner now, me mam and dad will be expecting me home from work. We'll give it a go when I come back later
[email protected] AFine lad, don't forget the oil in the
[email protected] Davey nodded, he looked sad with the thought of the deception he was having to play but then he looked over at the chest and the fortune tumbling through Paddy's fingers and realised that as far as money was concerned they would never have to worry about it ever again. ASee you later Uncle Pad,@ he smiled.
Paddy weakly clenched his fist which still dripped with jewels and punched the air, Davey saw the weak movement and felt sorry for the fact that in the old days one of Paddy's punches could have felled an ox.
Mealtime at Number 99 that evening was, as Hugh put it to Liz after Davey had savaged his meal and gone back to Paddy's, ALike the attack on Hill 42, what's got into
[email protected] AHis work must have given him an appetite Hughie,@ said Liz. AIt must have been nerves like you said those first few
[email protected] ATold yer girl, I remember when I started in Cammell Laird's, a riveter's mate I was, up there on the side of them ships catching red-hot
[email protected] Hugh went on and on, Liz smiled, she was sorry she'd started him off, she'd heard the same story a dozen times before but the knowledge that Hugh was happy repeating the tale caused the corner of her lips to turn up slightly.
Davey and Paddy were becoming so obsessed with their missions into the past that they no longer waited for Mrs Murtagh to retire to bed. As soon as Davey entered his room Paddy was urging him to get going. The only precaution they took was to close the door and place a chair against it to delay her if they failed to notice her clumping up the stairs. The chess-board was out, a different position was set and then Paddy's hurried advice of, AYer'd better let the old man know what the girl's told yer,@ and they were off.
The old man gave Davey similar praises to Paddy, AWell done boy. The Shaman will not suspect we have such knowledge. The ship you speak of that is to attack us, go to it, find out all you can, if I am to go onboard it then the captain may be a man I can reason with. He must be warned not kill the body of the Shaman. Water will only kill his body, his evil soul would then be freed to occupy another person. Perhaps one less deserving than Father
[email protected] AI've got his dagger and some treasure,@ said Davey, Athey were in the house with the girl. She said that you told her to tell me where the chest
[email protected] AI cannot understand how this is to come about but come about it must. It seems boy that we move within the confines of our own consciousness, would that I could expand my gaze to become aware of all the activities of my own
[email protected] AWhat's he harping on about
[email protected] asked Paddy.
AI think he means that things are happening all the time of which we have no knowledge Uncle
[email protected] AYer mean like last night, I don't remember goin' the lav but I must have
[email protected] AI think it's the sort of feeling you get that you've already been somewhere or done something
[email protected] AMakes as much sense to me as marching a million men against machine
[email protected] The old man spoke, AThis is good news boy, the sacrificial knife must get taken from the Shaman, he would never give it
[email protected] AHow come >e can see us now lad? Where'd he get his bit of mirror
[email protected] asked Paddy.
AHe must have got it out of the hold. He's using it to keep a look-out for the
[email protected] A>ang on then, I just want to say hello to >
[email protected] Paddy leant forwards and with his face almost filling the mirror shouted, AHELLO! CAN YOU HEAR
[email protected] AI hear you my friend,@ replied the old man, Ayou are the boy's
[email protected] Paddy tried to puff out his weakened chest but ended up coughing, AYeah, yer could call me that,@ he spluttered.
AWe have an edge on the Shaman now, together we shall defeat him,@ said the old man.
AYou bet we will
[email protected] said Paddy, Aif I could get in their with yer I'd give >im what for I can tell
[email protected] AI must return to my watch, go with the boy and find the ship which is to attack the
[email protected] Paddy sat back, they looked at the old man studying the mirror, scanning the area all around him, the child remained quietly next to him.
AShe's not had much luck has she Uncle
[email protected] AThey reckon yer make yer own luck lad but nobody deserves some evil sod like this Shyman after >em, we'll batter him now, you watch. Come on, get on the other
[email protected] In a flat calm without a breath of wind sat a schooner. It was fitted out for war, twenty-eight cannon with smoke pouring from their muzzles protruded from its gun-ports. Men were blasting away at a barrel with a flag attached to it. A sweating and bald-headed master-gunner was rushing from team to team as quickly as his wooden leg would allow. In a strong West-Country accent he was shouting orders and instructions, AElevate it two points mateys! Bring it round! Quickly swab it
[email protected] The noise was terrific, as each broadside was fired the ship slewed backwards sending great ripples out over the mill-pond surface of the ocean. A cheer went up as the barrel exploded from a direct hit.
AThis must be the one lad! Look's like they're having a bit of target practice! Get in have a closer
[email protected] AThere's the
[email protected] On the aft-deck stood three men, two of the men wore stiff, blue naval-type jackets and tight white leggings, on their heads they wore triangular hats. It was very hot under the sun which stood directly over the masthead, even the sails which hung uselessly in the still air did not provide shade. The third man who stood with them wore similar clothes to the men manning the cannons; a pair of stout breeches which extended down to just below his knees and his head topped with a turban.
ALook at >
[email protected] said Paddy pointing to the tattoos which covered the bare-chested man's body. AIt's that tattooed feller. The one that got the
[email protected] AYou're right Uncle Paddy. He's here! But the girl's told me he's a bit
[email protected] AIf it wasn't for him yer wouldn't have found out about stickin' them skulls in the
[email protected] AYeah but those skulls said they were going to work on him, upset his balance and all that stuff. Maybe they get him to go on their
[email protected] They studied the designs etched into the man's chest. The fighting animals, the huge elephants and the strange balance scales chained to the signs on his palms.
One of the men in naval dress turned to the tattooed man, ALook O'Neill, Mr Dawson is a first-rate navigator, if he says this is the right area then it
[email protected] O'Ne
ill replied with an expansive shrug of his broad shoulders which sent the figures carved into them into different poses, AWell who am I to argue but if we're talking >area' maybe that's the problem. Old Pedro's one for getting these things
[email protected] He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper which he unfolded by pressing it down onto a capstan. ARight, here it is,@ he read falteringly from the letter, ATropic of Cancer, 23127' latitude by 23127'
[email protected] Mr Dawson said, AAnd we are in that area, mid-way between the islands of Cape Verde and the
[email protected] AForget area.. It's the exact position we're
[email protected] barked O'Neill.
The navigator was becoming annoyed, he sighted along his astrolabe towards the sun and the horizon and replied, AMister O'Neill, we are in the exact position specified by your friend. We arrived here two days early, now it is the exact specified time. What is the delay, in short, where is
[email protected] O'Neill dug his tongue into the roof of his mouth, he was becoming angry. AIf Alonzo says he'll be somewhere then he'll be there. Don't you be worrying about that. He'll come, something must have delayed him, that's
[email protected] ACaptain Baker, would it not be wise to cut our losses, journey to the Gold Coast of Africa and load up with
[email protected] asked Mr Dawson of the tall, handsome, mustachioed man who stood alongside him.
AHe must be this Richard bloke the girl was telling me about,@ said Davey.
They watched as he preened his moustache between forefinger and thumb.
Another broadside roared, the three men adjusted their footing as the ship lurched. AWe wait another
[email protected] shouted Captain Baker above the dying echoes of the blast. His answer left no room for discussion. APlease continue about your
[email protected] O'Neill walked away with a half-smile upon his lips which brought a flush of anger into the face of Mr Dawson, he looked up at the sails, AEven if this ship of O'Neill's turns up, which I begin to very much doubt, we will be hard pressed to chase
[email protected] AThey can only get the same wind as us Mr Dawson, we'll run her down, have no doubt about that. Take command whilst I check our
[email protected] On deck men were fastening ropes to grapnel hooks which would be used to drag the two ships together. Cutlasses, bows and arrows, muskets and weapons of every description were being located in convenient piles. The deck was covered with sand to prevent any wayward sparks from setting it alight. The captain went below, the deck was similarly covered with sand, over which fourteen cannon lined each side of the deck. AMr
[email protected] he shouted above the din. The bald-headed master-gunner limped towards him, smouldering linstock held in his hand.
[email protected] AA golden-guinea to the first team to hit the next
[email protected] Mr Soames shouted the prize to the hundred men scurrying round the cannons. A barrel was rowed out on each side of the ship and pushed into the still waters. The master-gunner waited until the rowers had returned then yelled,
[email protected] Six men and a boy to each team hauled on blocks and tackle, bringing their muzzles to bear, then made the finer adjustments with handspikes, the cannons were then corrected for elevation. Whilst the modifications in alignment were taking place ramrods rammed the charges home, the heavy fourteen pound shot was rolled down the barrel.
ASTAND
[email protected] The gunner primed the touch-hole and applied his linstock. With a tremendous bang the cannon was catapulted backwards through the air leaving the deck with the force of the explosion that sent the iron ball battering over the surface of the sea. Two of the cannon hit the low beams of the deck before their tackle brought them slamming back down. They were firing at such a low trajectory that the shot bounced over the ocean for over half a mile before its energy was depleted and it sank three miles to the sea-bed. The floating targets survived the first attack, ASwab
[email protected] came the order as sponges cleared the muzzles of debris.
By the time the targets had exploded Richard had returned to the upper-deck.
AThe men are not so proficient as they ought to
[email protected] Mr Dawson questioned him.
AThey'll be satisfactory Mr Dawson. If O'Neill's letter is to be believed they'll only need one shot and the Carnatic will be hauling up its
[email protected] AAnd should anything happen to this Captain
[email protected] AThen we've a fight on our hands, but the Carnatic's got no more cannon than us, a typical Spanish trick to fit it out with dummy gun-port'
[email protected] ACan we trust O'Neill? If a man may be judged by his friends then this double-dealing Alonzo indicates that we may be placing our faith in the wrong
[email protected] AIt is of no matter Mr Dawson. We've come too far now to do anything but see it through. A fortune in Inca gold. Would you trade that for a ship-load of
[email protected] The question needed no answer.