Chapter 11: The Blanchart Plantation

27 December, 1686 Night

As Denkton sat down at the now much more luxurious dinning table, with overhead skylight which Ihon had installed as part of the ships retrofit, he told the others, "Edentown is seated just a stones throw away past this creek on the north side of the Roanoke River. It is the largest town in the area and is and has been the seat of the governors for many years."

"The only seat I have any interest in is the broad one making up my uncle's ass and only then if it is dangling from a yardarm." Claire commented indignity.

Then after some discussion it was agreed upon that someone should look over the Lucian Blanchart plantation before taking a hand, and Felipe immediately volunteered his services for this task.

Because Felipe could not be identified by Blanchart it was agreed to allow him to do so, and the following morning Carmen applied to Denkton, to point out the way to the plantation, which he did, directing Felipe to a house about one mile distant directly north of town, whereupon Carmen's last recommendation to him at parting was, "Caution above everything. Who goes slowly, goes safely, as the Italians have it," then Felipe departed and then returning some four hours later.

"It is a large place," Felipe told them after his return, "The mansion house is surrounded by gardens and landscaped grounds with a number of service areas and buildings close by. These include four barns, two stables, a workshop, and dwellings and gardens for black slaves who work in the mansion and on the grounds surrounding it. I saw no army and only one or two what appeared to be either guards or foremen of the blacks about at any given time."

"Seems he's not expecting us, but even with us anchored out of sight from town, still someone may have seen us arrive." Scarlet commented, "Best that we use care."

"I agree." Carmen said. "We will approach the plantation from the south at night quietly. With the moon hidden by the cloudy sky we should be able to do so unobserved if we use caution. Diego, Felipe, Isabel and Cog, you will surround the house and give notice if anyone approaches, making sure you are well armed should there be any trouble. Mr. Denkton you will remain outside with Diego, and Mr. Carapau you with Felipe until such time that we have secured the house. Jack, you, Constance, Claire and I will effect an entrance inside. Once we make the front entry, Jack you should probably introduce us... better a man's voice for this undertaking than a woman's."

Scarlet nodded.

"Aba, you have command of the Maiden. The rest are to remain onboard the two ships to defend them if necessary." Carmen continued.

Aba, Sandhurst, Denkton and Carapau all nodded their approval of the plan.

Once it was well dark they rowed out onto the Roanoke and then the short distance to Edentown where they left their longboat tied to one of the wharfs and then walked slowly and cautiously through the outskirts of town.

The town of Edentown consisted of more than a few large docks and some eighty or so houses, stores and several large shipping buildings indicating it was a port as well as a farming town. The streets in the town were as level as a Bowling-Green, with no manner of pavement anywhere.

In a short time they arrived unmolested at the plantation and soon it was surrounded by quiet, determined crew members, and then Carmen and the others went to the front door of the mansion.

Jack Scarlet knocked upon the door with the barrel of his pistol. Long moments passed until finally they heard a man gasp inside, then presently heard his steps on the stone flooring, and after a little time light showed through the cracks around the door, and then a small aperture was opened, and the sleepy face of a man appeared.

"What is wanted?" he asked.

Scarlet thrust the muzzle of his pistol through the aperture and into the man's face, and in such fashion that the small aperture could not be closed.

"Open, if you value your life! Open... and make not the slightest sound!" Scarlet commanded.

"What... what is this?"

"The pirate Jack Scarlet of the Maidens Revenge is talking to you!"

"By the heavens..."

"Open, fool, or you die instantly!"

"I... I'll open the door. Do not shoot, good sir! I am only a poor servant and not a fighting man! I pray you do not shoot!"

"Open quickly!"

"As soon as I can fit key to lock, good sir!"

They heard him rattling some keys and presently one was turned in the lock, and the heavy door was thrown open.

Scarlet and his three companions rushed inside then closed and fastened the door again. The servant found the muzzle of a pistol pressed against the side of his head, and would have knelt before these four terrible pirates, only Carmen caught him by the hair and held him up.

"Where sleeps Lucian Blanchart the keeper of this infernal hole?" Carmen demanded.

"Up... up the stairs... but... but he is not here," the frightened man answered.

"And where is he?" Carman asked.

"He... he sailed two weeks past ma'lady."

"Sailed where?"

"I... I'm not sure..."

"When will he return?"

"I am not certain... I..."

"Humph!" Constance grunted, "This one is useless. Who is in charge of this household in Blanchart's stead?"

"Titus... Titus Chapman. Lucian's lawyer and account."

"Where?" Carmen petitioned.

"Up the stairs. The first room."

"Take us!" Carmen demanded pushing him toward the stairway before her.

Carmen motioned to the others, strode across the room, then up the stairs to the room the servant pointed out to them. She threw open the door to Titus Chapman's bed chamber. The man already was sitting up in bed, having heard the sounds downstairs, and he blinked in fright when he beheld the crew by the light of the hall lantern.

"Do not make a move," Carmen warned. "One screech, and it will be your last. The crew of the Maidens Revenge confronts you."

"May the saints preserve me... but you are... dead!"

"What do you mean we are dead?" exclaimed Clair, pointing one of her pistols squarely between his eyes.

"What do I mean? An sure, and what shall I mean, your ladyship, except just what I said?" His face had turned sea cap white and when he finally replied his words came forth so swiftly Claire could scarcely grasp their meaning.

"No more riddles fool or I promise you, you shall never be troubled again to take another breath. Now slow down and speak up plain, and tell us why it is that we are dead, and where is Lucian Blanchart!" Claire snapped.

He took in a large gulp of air, then much slower but still choking so the words were scarcely intelligible he said, "You are dead because Mr. William Wright the holder of the Brig the 'Lynn Wright', and Captain James Watt and Captain Juan López Marcos sailed into this very harbor three weeks ago to the day to collect the ships score owed them for having sunk the Maidens Revenge off the coast of Barbados with all hands onboard. And so, at the word of Mr. Wright, Captain Watt and Captain Marcos the ships money was promptly paid and then M. Lucian sailed away to collect other moneys which was hid."

"Ha!" Scarlet laughed from the doorway where he was not only watching the servant who had opened the front door for them but also keeping a sharp vigil on the hallway, "The one flaw in Blanchart's plan that a vessel's owner and her two Captain's would not have sufficient fear of consequences that they would scheme together!"

"That's why this place is unguarded with no one to protect his treasure but two old men asleep," Carmen said, "Blanchart believes us to be swimming with the fishes."

"Is that not what has happened then? The Schooner not wrecked? The crew not gone?" The frightened man asked.

"Do we look like ghosts to you, you dupe?" Claire barked, "That fool you work for has been taken in and will yet discover his liver dangling from the end of my sword, and his head suspended upon the Maidens Revenge's bowsprit-end!"

"Who else is about the house?" Carmen asked.

"I and Penrose of course," he answered nervously as he nodded toward the servant in Scarlet's care, "Lomasi the Pequot Indian cook, the eight guardsmen, and the thirty three blacks outside in their..."

"Guardsmen?" Carmen snapped interrupting him.

"Ah... yes..." he gulped, "four always outside on watch and the other four should be below sleeping."

"Constance, take charge of this one," Jack said pushing Penrose farther into the room, "I'll caution those outside concerning the guardsmen."

"Got him," Constance responded as she took Scarlet's place at surveillance of the hallway.

Outside Scarlet found Cog first, or more to the fact, Cog found Scarlet. The mute used the barrel of his pistol to tap Jack on the shoulder then he quickly took a step back when Scarlet spun around bringing his own pistol to bear.

When his eyes fell upon the face of Cog Scarlet smiled and then nodded to the shorter man. Cog returned his smile while pointing to an area some ten yards off where the body of a man lay crumpled upon the ground. Scarlet walked over to the body, and by his dress, could only assume it was one of the four guardsmen that Titus Chapman had told them about. The man wasn't dead but he had been knocked about the head severely enough that to all appearances he wouldn't be getting up any time too soon.

Cog gripped his pistol by the barrel then he used it in the fashion of a hammer showing Scarlet exactly how he had dispatched the man laying on the ground.

Scarlet nodded then after pointing to the unconscious man, and with his left hand balled up into a fist he counted out three fingers one at a time letting Cog know there were still three additional guardsmen about.

Cog nodded his understanding.

After Scarlet rounded the east side of the house he heard a "Spsst," sound coming from somewhere off to his left. He turned in the direction of the sound and could just make out Isabel partially hidden behind the trunk of a large oak.

He quickly made his way over to the tree then in a very low voice he informed Isabel of there being three guardsmen about.

"Thanks Jack," Isabel whispered, "I'll be sure and keep my eyes open."

No sooner had Scarlet, taken his departure from Isabel when he overheard what sounded like an altercation taking place. Tilting his head to one side he determined that the sounds appeared to be coming from one of the slave quarters. As he proceeded toward the sound his feet made no noise upon the resinous softness of the ground below, and then as he made his way even closer in that otherwise dead, pulse-less silence, he could now distinctly hear what sounded to him like muffled cries of pain and fear.

Scarlet noiselessly and unperceived made his way to the partially open doorway then he cautiously looked inside. What he saw was so disagreeable to his principle it made his stomach turn. Inside two of the guardsmen were violently raping a young black girl. The girl, who could not have been older than eight or nine, was crying out with pain from around one guard's large hand which covered her mouth. Scarlet could see she was bleeding heavily, caused by not only the rape but also from where she had been struck a number of times about the face. Suddenly the girl's cries stopped as she went completely unconscious.

Knowing better than to use pistols for fear of their noise, Scarlet drew his sword and flourishing it above his head he rushed inside, then with skilled arm and eye and with every muscle of his body trained, his sword sought a vital spot in the guardsman that was holding the girl down and it passed quick as lightning through the brawny masses of the man's chest directly through his heart. Even as that man fell to the ground still squirming in the last troughs of death Scarlet used his free hand to yank the other guardsman off the girl and onto his backside.

Scarlet stood over the man, his sword clutched in his hand and his chest heaving with the excitement as he spat out from between clinched teeth, "This girl is in total degradation and despair. The damage you've done to her doesn't bear thinking about," and then just as efficiently as he had the other, he dispatched the man with his sword.

Scarlet knelt down beside the unfortunate girl and checked for breath. Discovering her to be yet alive he immediately examined her wounds, which, although they had bled copiously, did not appear to be life threatening.

He was just in the process of picking the girl up with the intention of carrying her to the house when two black women came forward.

"We can care fo' her master," one of the women told him softly.

Surprised by the two women's sudden appearance Scarlet looked around and discovered a fare number of slaves huddled against the far wall just outside the circle of light from the single lantern affixed to the opposite wall.

Scarlet stood up and then said to the woman that had spoken to him, "You were here all the while, yet you did nothing?"

"We is slaves master, there is nothing to do. Why, only master's has rights. Rights o' selling women, selling men. All that. Then if we was ta do something we'd be thought ta be bad ones, an' he'd sell us to the nigger traders, an' they'd ship us off, well, ship us to a bad place fo' sure." She answered matter-of-factly.

"Of course," Scarlet replied feeling his anger abating, "please forgive me, that was a foolish question. But there is no need to call me master."

"But yo' is white, master." A black man said stepping forward and answering for the woman.

The girl awoke and a few other women came forward to comfort and apply additional cloth compresses to her wounds.

"I hope to live long enough until the color of a man's skin will be no more significance than the color of his eyes or his hair my friend," Scarlet responded, and then he said, "What if I was to tell you, that as of this moment, you are all free men and women?"