H.M.S Valor: Treachery And Triumph: A war time adventure on the high seas by Cal Clement (best contemporary novels txt) 📕

raced to find out what was unfolding. Finding her way out to the passageway she ran, barefoot and clothed only in the torn remains of her dress, to the stairs leading up onto the main deck. On her way Lilith passed a gun deck with crew members all manning cannons. She scanned the crews looking for Chibs but found only unfamiliar faces intently staring out open gun ports. Not a single one even looked her way. Lilith continued on up the stairs, finally she emerged from below onto the main deck. Lilith squinted as the bright sun hit her eyes which had been accustomed to the dim light below deck. The loud thunderclap of another cannon sounded, and smoke rose from the side of the ship she was on. Men were hustling about on deck and Lilith was frantically searching for Chibs. Then she spotted him, he was standing near the wheel of the ship, but focused out over their larboard rail. Lilith made her way over, weaving in between men and women alike moving about on deck. She approached Chibs, who was so focused over the larboard rail he hadn’t noticed the beautiful girl approaching him.

“Chibs?” Lilith raised her voice trying to get his attention. It failed. Another man was standing about two feet behind Chibs and stepped forward slightly to speak to the large sailor.

“Hoist the black Chibs, let’s see what this lot is made of,” the man said.

“Aye Captain.” Chibs replied, then he turned toward the rest of the deck and repeated the command. “Run up the black flag boys! Fire another round across her bow!” Then looking out over the deck of the ship Chibs finally noticed Lilith, who had been standing there trying to get his attention.

“Ah, Good morning there, my dear, you may want to be getting below decks, maybe even the hold girl. If these dogs return fire it could turn into a bloody mess up here!” said Chibs, pausing slightly and then raising his voice mid-sentence after another outgoing shot from a cannon.

“What is going on? Who is on that ship?” Lilith demanded, pointing over at the ship off the larboard rail.

“Some American merchantmen dear.” Chibs replied, giving up on persuading the girl to return to relative safety below as she walked up to him, “We are going to relieve them of some excess cargo as it were.”

As Lilith walked over to the larboard rail with Chibs next to her, the ship’s captain approached the duo from where he stood. The crew aboard were running up a large black flag, Lilith could see the likeness of a skull with horns coming from out atop its head. Behind the skull was an angled trident with a broken chain crossing the bottom of the black field. Lilith watched as the large black flag filled with the morning breeze. Almost as soon as it was run up to it’s highest point the American ship began to lower their stars and stripes.

“Striking their colors Cap’n,” Chibs sounded out excitedly.

“Ready a boarding party Chibs. Lay us up alongside pistol shot and grapple them in. Not a soul harmed unless they provoke it.” the Captain rattled off his orders. Lilith looked him over, he was dressed in the same manner as the rest of the crew, raggedy, he stood a full head shorter than Chibs and quite narrower at the shoulders. He appeared young, Lilith put him no older than perhaps thirty and his clean-shaven face was almost the only one she had seen on board except for the women. Lilith understood now why Chibs had been so elusive about revealing details last night. She was aboard a pirate vessel. Her head spun, a mixture of excitement and fear washed over her. These men obviously meant her no harm, not yet anyhow. She couldn’t help but be caught up in her thoughts and hadn’t noticed the ship pulling closer and closer into the surrendering American vessel.

A woman approached Lilith, eyeing her over with an inquisitive look. Her mulatto complexion was only slightly darker than Lilith’s and her hair was wrapped up in a bandanna. She wore ragged pants over boots that looked a size too big and a torn-up sailcloth shirt that revealed several scars on her torso.

“You’re new. Pretty thing, but that won’t do a damn bit of good for you here. Take these, you’re coming over with us.” The woman said, handing Lilith a pistol and a thin rapier sword. “When the planks go across you follow me, don’t use those unless you see me using mine. Try not to get killed if a fight breaks out, losing your pretty face would break my heart.”

“Trina, we just fished her out of the drink a few hours…” Chibs began to object, seeing Lilith being armed up.

“She’s on the ship so she’ll earn her way Chibs. We’ve no time for a vote but the crew won’t have able bodies freeloading. Unless the Captain objects. She goes.” Trina snapped back at Chibs, who looked over his shoulder at the Captain. He had been watching as the young lady’s situation developed.

“She goes, but Trina, you’ve insisted so you will watch over her. If she does not return, then neither should you.” the Captain replied.

“Alright then, you girly, get your first taste today. Have you ever killed a man?” Trina asked.

“Just one.” Lilith replied as casually as she could. She could feel Trina’s inquisitive stare as she walked to the larboard rail. The cross planks were about to go down and the raiding crew all gathered on deck to flood across to the American ship.

“Well, hopefully you won’t have to today.” Trina said, “Keep close to me and if a fight breaks out, I’ll try to keep us both alive.” The planks clattered home onto the American ship’s rail and the pirates started climbing their way over.

Chibs was the first man across. A pistol in each hand, he expertly balanced the cross plank and dropped down onto the deck of the