Chapter 13

"I have the numbers for you Master."

Pedro was sitting in the factory office on the main floor of the residence, looking over a number of ledgers when Omar had entered the room and spoke to him. The old man was holding another ledger in his hands, waiting patiently for Pedro to recognize him. Pedro smiled in acknowledgement a few seconds later. As he did he sat back in his tall, hard backed chair and closed the ledgers that he had been perusing.

"You might as well show it to me," Pedro said once he was settled, extending his hand towards Omar to take the new ledger from his clerk.

It was now two days since the raid on the pirate village. The raid had been a massive success by all standards and expectations. Pedro's force had suffered only one injury in the episode and that one had been minor compared to what had been inflicted upon the villagers. One soldier had been grazed with a spear tip during the struggle to subdue the inhabitants of the village. The wound proved to be bloody but superficial. With luck the injured man would be well enough to continue with his duties in the next few days. Thankfully, Ibrahim had taken a look at the wound once the man had returned to the factory from the raid. He had cleaned it thoroughly and he had again wrapped the wound, this time with clean linen. As he had done that, Ibrahim had given both Pedro and Bartholomew a long lecture on caring for wounded men. Both men would remember his words for a long, long time to come.

The ledger that Omar gave Pedro to look at dealt with the results of the raid. It contained everything that had been found and taken from the village including the prisoners currently being held in a temporary stockade outside of the factory walls. The ledger showed eighteen male prisoners and fifty-two female prisoners above the age of fourteen who had been earmarked to be sold into slavery. That left Pedro holding fourteen female prisoners over the age of fourteen and forty-two children under the age of fourteen that he did not wish to dispose of. He had already spoken to Ibrahim about this and the man agreed with Pedro on the matter. These women and children would become Ibrahim's charge for the time being. He would find shelter for them and work for the women. The women and children would receive training at the factory. In a way it was a pity that the priest, Father Gerome had acted against Pedro and had died for his involvement in the conspiracy to kidnap Pedro. If he had simply bided his time, Pedro would have given the women and children to him to convert to teachings of the Holy Church. Now they would be in Ibrahim's hands, although given his old teacher's age and interests, finding a priest or two to replace him in the responsibility might be a good idea. It would be a matter to discuss on the return of Don Jose.

The ledger contained more than just the number and sex of the prisoners taken and their age. It also contained what goods had been seized after the raid. It became clear once all the prisoners had been trussed up and placed under guard that the 'Pirates of the Black Sails' had been a successful band. While Pedro and the Virago had sunk a number of their craft during the attack on the Virago weeks ago, the landing area near the village had been littered with craft. Amongst those craft were five large trading canoes, two of which had been loaded down with ivory and bolts of coloured raffia cloth. There were also eight small pirogues that were fitted out as fishing boats. All the captured boats were earmarked to be sold to the local population. Their sale would bring more goods into the factory for shipping back to Lisbon and onward trade with the ports of Europe. Pedro smiled at that and then he read on.

In addition to the vessels the raiders had found a two-pounder cannon that the villagers had somehow captured, some powder for the cannon, and some cannonballs. It had already become part of the outer defences of the island. There were a few pistols with powder and shot, two muskets, and a large number of swords and metal tipped spears. The raiders discovered little in the way of gold or silver but they did find money pots filled to the brim with nzimbu. The nzimbu or shells were the common currency of the Kingdom of Kongo and according to the ledger the raiding party had recovered over two hundred thousand nzimbu. That was enough shells to by a half dozen male slaves. Finally the ledger contained a list of goods taken from the huts of the villagers and the livestock gathered from the pens about the village. There were dozens of iron cooking pots, blankets, and beaded jewelry. There were also chickens, goats, and a couple of cows. Those had been fun transferring them from the village to the Hawk. It had taken a lot of experimentation before the job had been completed, but in the end it had been done.

"We did well," Pedro noted aloud as he closed the ledger to hand it back to Omar.

"You did indeed Master," Omar agreed, bowing his head as he spoke, "and you should do better still when you sell the prisoners as slaves in Gwato."

"True my faithful friend," Pedro acknowledged thoughtfully, "although we could do better by taking them to Elmina. We could send them aboard the Virago under Captain Garcia and his crew. He could also take a load of salt and some trade goods. It would give us some gold to ship back to Portugal with Don Jose once the trade fleet arrives."

"It would indeed Master," Omar agreed enthusiastically. "Shall I make the arrangements?"

"Tomorrow," Pedro said a second or two later. "Instead send an invitation to Captain Garcia to dine with me this evening. I have had very little time to speak with the man and I think I should do so before sending him off with goods and people to trade for gold."

"As you wish Master," Omar said bowing low as he did. "I will make certain that the captain attends you this evening. Will that be all?"

"For now Omar," Pedro murmured absentmindedly. "I will finish up here and then go for a walk and speak with Ishmael. I think it is time to prepare our good captain of the guard for what must occur next."

"He will not be happy Master," Omar pointed out without hesitation.

"As we all know," Pedro chuckled softly, "but that does not matter. In days if not hours Dom Jose will be with us and then, as soon as I've spoken with him, I will be putting to sea again whether Ishmael likes it or not."

"How are things here," Pedro asked his captain a short time later, once he had found him.

Ishmael was outside the factory walls with a small guard. They were standing off to the side of the temporary pens that were being used to hold the prisoners while they waited on their fate. The guards were armed with muskets and pistols and long blades and their attention was fixed upon the prisoners and the factory smith. The smith was putting iron shackles on each of the prisoners that had been identified in the ledger as being stock that could be sold. Ishmael was overseeing the whole process.

"We are almost done here, my lord," Ishmael replied to Pedro's question, his voice heavy with fatigue.

Pedro stood and said nothing for a moment or two. Instead he watched the smith do his work and the guards handle the prisoners. Once a prisoner had been shackled, the prisoner was moved to a new pen off to one side of the factory while another prisoner was hauled out of the original pen. The prisoners for the most part were still in a state of shock and thusly they were generally compliant. Only a handful showed any sign of resentment or even resistance and once they were shackled even they succumbed to the reality that now faced them.

"I intend to get rid of them in a day or two if all goes well," Pedro stated in a low, solemn voice. "I intend to send them to the fort at Elmina to be sold to the mines there. It will alleviate some of our problems."

"Some," Ishmael sighed, acknowledging his master's words, "but not all."

"I know my friend," Pedro admitted, "but in this I intend to stand firm. The women with children will be kept here and raised. I know you object but my own brief experience with bondage has softened my heart on the matter."

"I do not object as you put it Dom Pedro," Ishmael declared, keeping his tired voice low. Still the strain of the last few days gave his words an edge. "As Allah is my witness, I have no love for slavery whether of black man or brown or even white, however I know when it is necessary. The men of the Virago were your enemy and selling as slaves was a necessity as it is to sell these men and women. They were pirates who had preyed on the trading canoes that plied the waters southeast of here and as such they were your enemy and they had to be dealt with. By law their lives are forfeit. You could have simply hung them all and no man would have gainsaid you for your actions. Selling the prisoners as slaves is not the problem."

"Keeping the women and children are?" Pedro interjected, eyeing his captain carefully.

"Not really my lord," Ishmael replied thoughtfully, "but you have given me a problem that I need to attend from now on until such time as we can trust these women and children to accept their fate and not to cause trouble. My only relief in the matter is the fact that you have foisted the daily care of these women and children onto Ibrahim. I am certain that he is very happy about this turn of events."

"He is not and you know that," Pedro chuckled softly in reply. "But he is more willing to bend to my whims than you are my good soldier and he accepts that the burden that I have placed upon his shoulders is but a test of the patience given to him by God to measure his worth. Even so, I am thinking of finding him some help."

"Not from me I hope?" Ishmael stated in a questioning tone.

"No my friend, not from you." Pedro muttered in response, a broad smile upon his face. "For now I will let Asmara assist him. However I do think a trip to Gwato is in order again. Perhaps the Bishop there has a priest or two who are less rabid than our late friend, Father Gerome. If so, I may establish an orphanage here on Eko. It would provide shelter to the women and children that I intend to keep and a service to the Holy Mother Church. Such an act will smooth things over once word returns to Lisbon as to how Father Gerome met his fate."

"It would indeed my young lord," Ishmael acknowledged with a nod of his head.

"In the meantime, we have other matters to address," Pedro stated a second or two later. "I did not come here to discuss just the prisoners. I came in fact to say that we must prepare the Hawk for sea again and with it our raiding party. Dom Jose will be here soon if all has gone well on his voyage and when he does arrive, I intend to sail."

"And you will do so regardless of my view on the matter?" Ishmael asked, eyeing his young master in a stern manner.

"We have both spoken on this matter time and time again," Pedro stated firmly, "and as I have said before, you know my mind on this and I know yours so it would be best to let the matter be and to instead work together on the course that I have chosen to follow rather than squabble amongst ourselves. It would not do well for both our friendship and the morale of our men."

"It would not my pigheaded lord," Ishmael replied, a thin smile crossing his lips as he cussed his master. "Still I think you are wrong about leading this mission and I will continue to think that regardless of how things play out. I will not fight you on the matter any longer. I will, however, ensure that you are prepared and protected as best I can."

"It is all that I ask of you my friend," Pedro declared good naturedly in response, placing his hand on his captain's shoulder in recognition of the man's willingness to move on. In return Ishmael smiled warmly at Pedro. Then the two men turned their attention back to the work at hand. Thankfully the smith was down to the last prisoner. The work would soon be over and both Pedro and Ishmael could then move on to the other matters that called for their time.

"Thank you Dom Pedro," Captain Eduardo Garcia muttered graciously as he took his seat at Pedro's table. The man was tall and thin in appearance, and he was at least two decades older than Pedro in age. His hair was thinning upon his head and his beard showed signs of grey. Still the man looked capable of his duties as the master of the Virago. He was dressed formally in a white linen blouse over which he wore a padded black jerkin made of crushed velvet. His breeches were black as well and he wore hard-soled black boots. About his neck he wore his 'Master's' emblem and at his waist he carried a long knife. He did not carry a sword.

"It is my pleasure," Pedro intoned in reply, smiling warmly at the man as he spoke, giving him his full attention. "You have been in my employ for two weeks and some, and as of yet I have not spoken with you. It is a failing that I intend to resolve tonight."

"Then I thank you again, Dom Pedro for your courtesy," Captain Garcia replied swiftly, "for I know for a fact that this failing is not entirely your fault."

"Still, I was taught better manners by both my family and my former teacher here, my good Captain," Pedro said with all honesty, "and it is I who am grateful for your attendance this evening and more importantly for your service to this factory."

Pedro as usual was dressed in long white robes that were drawn over his more traditional garb of linen shirt, leather vest, and breeches. He was seated amongst his pile of pillows and he was reclining beside Asmara. The black slave-girl in contrast was decked out in robes and wraps that were as colourful as the feathers of a bird. She wore a long clinging tunic that was bright yellow. Against her ebony skin it made her look twice as lovely as she was. Over that she wore a wrap that was red as a freshly picked pepper. Together with clothes of red and yellow tied about her head her garments made her stunning. As the men about her spoke, she tended Pedro, pouring him wine and serving him from the dishes that were laid out upon the low broad table. With them sat Pedro's advisors. Ibrahim sat to the right of Pedro while Ishmael sat on his left. Bartholomew took a seat across the table beside Captain Garcia.

For a while the company ate and drank and chatted with Pedro dominating the conversation with questions for Captain Garcia to answer. The conversation was not an interrogation, but it was designed for Pedro to learn what he could about the man that he was entrusting the Virago to. The only other person to ask questions was Ibrahim and he kept his few and far between, focusing his queries on the other man's family and place of birth. During all of this Ishmael sat and listened, acting as Pedro's ears in case the good captain spoke wrong about a matter that he had already spoken on once before. It didn't happen but that was his role in the matter. Eventually the meal ended and the conversation turned to business.

"How do you like the Virago?" Pedro asked Captain Garcia after the meal had been removed and cups had been refilled.

"I like her well, Dom Pedro," Captain Garcia admitted without hesitation and without reservation. "The ship handles well in smooth seas and the crew know their jobs and do as they are ordered without complaint. I am certain I will enjoy captaining the vessel."

"Then that is good, Captain Garcia," Pedro stated with a smile and a nod of his head, "for I have work for you and the ship."

"And the ship and I are ready to serve you, Dom Pedro," Captain Garcia replied enthusiastically. "The crew is tired of training in the gulf and they are looking forward to earning their pay. All you need to do is to command and we will put out to sea."

"That is excellent to hear," Pedro responded cheerfully before continuing. "For now I wish to use the Virago to transport our prisoners to the fort at Elmina. The captain-major there is always in need of slaves and he will welcome these brigands that we are holding. At a fair price they should provide us with gold that will fill my uncle's coffers back in Lisbon. In addition we will load up some trade goods such as salt. The demand in Elmina is great for the substance and they will pay ten times or better the cost of making the goods, again paying for it in gold. I plan on your first voyage to be a profitable one."

"And I am anxious to undertake it for you, Dom Pedro," Captain Garcia stated with a broad smile upon his face, "and I appreciate the trust that you are bestowing upon me."

"Well said my good Captain," Pedro told the man warmly, smiling as he did. "If all goes well at Elmina, then I have other plans for the Virago. At the least it will join the fleet of Dom Jose and return to Lisbon carrying much of the goods we have stockpiled in our warehouses here in Eko. Then, god willing you will return to Eko bearing trade goods and news from home."

"Again Dom Pedro, I look forward to carrying out that task as the captain of the Virago," Captain Garcia declared. "I will do my best for you and for your House."

The horn blaring over the lagoon roused both Pedro and the garrison of the factory. It was midday and the heat of the day had driven everyone except those standing watch indoors. Pedro was reclining upon his bed with Asmara, enjoying the privacy offered by his chambers and his position. Hearing the horn blare a second time, Pedro crawled out of bed. Within seconds he was pulling on his clothing.

"Master," Asmara murmured in a questioning tone. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine," Pedro stated as he pulled on his linen shirt. "The blaring horn is from the observation post that I put on the outer island. The sentries there have spotted an approaching vessel."

"It is not an enemy vessel?" Asmara asked, looking from where Pedro was putting on his boat stockings to the window that dominated the outer wall of the room. As she stared the distant horn blared for a third time.

"No Asmara," Pedro replied, trying to reassure his slave-girl with his words, "it is not an enemy vessel. The sentry has two horns with him out on the island and if it was an enemy vessel, the man there would be sounding it. That horn is not a deep sounding as the one you hear right now and I am certain that you would know the difference if you heard it."

At that very instant a second horn sounded across the lagoon. This horn had a trill to its voice and it made Pedro sit up in surprise.

"Was that it Master?" Asmara asked anxiously, her eyes going wide with fright.

"Yes my sweet, that is the other horn," Pedro exclaimed as calmly as he could given the circumstance. As he spoke he pulled on his boots and then grabbed for his weapons. As he buckled on his sword belt he looked at Asmara and went on. "There is danger my pet and I must get to it. I want you to tend to the children and watch over them for me. If it looks like I have failed in turning back my foe then you are to take the children to the northern tributary and flee by whatever boat you can find. Take coin and food and trust in the children. They brought me back to you and they will see you to safety. Now go and get dressed for I must prepare for battle.

With that Pedro turned and left his chambers, leaving a terrified Asmara behind him.

"The lead vessel is making for the lagoon," the short, swarthy man growled with disgust in his tone and frustration on his lip. "We will not stop them from reaching safe harbour."

"That harbour is no safer than the sea upon which we are sailing," the man next to him declared. That man was taller and older. He had a scar across his left cheek and a black patch over his left eye. The man was standing at the railing holding a spy-glass in his hands. "Once we have dealt with the other two ships, we will deal with it as well and all those ashore. Nothing will stop us from sinking the blasted Portuguese."

Captain Hidalgo said nothing for a moment or two. He simply stood at the railing and watched as the lead Portuguese vessel, the Bella Maria slipped into the lagoon at Eko. Even as it did, the vessel had begun to strike her sails. Smiling at the folly of his opponents actions, the tall man gave the order for his bow chasers to open fire.

The bow guns roared into action a moment later. Their initial barrage fell short. The Bella Rosa lay still some distance from the Cadiz and the vessel was still out of range. It did not prevent the gunners from firing again and a third time. With each barrage the Cadiz shuddered. Still the guns did not cease to fire. Then the stern chasers of the Bella Rosa opened up. In quick succession the vessels exchanged barrages. The cannonballs of the Cadiz continued to fall short. The balls of the Bella Rosa however struck home after their second blast. The impact of one ball tore into the forecastle of the Cadiz spraying the gun crews there with splinters of wood. The second ball tore through the fore sail. When the third barrage of the Bella Rosa struck home it was just as deadly. Both balls struck the forecastle with one tearing up the port railing and the other striking one of the bow chasers dead on. Bodies were thrown about as were splinters of wood. Soon there was blood everywhere.