Ryan wasn’t sure what that last phrase meant, had to be something local, but the tone carried the ring of truth.
“Deal,” Ryan said, and he held out his hand. However, Captain Jones raised a hand to stop him. “Not so fast,” he said quickly. “There’s something I need from you folks in return. Gimme an oath you’ll fight alongside us in case of trouble. These villagers caught us asleep. But there’s pirate ships out there that raid these islands. Sleek windjammers armed with our own cannons. We’re big, but they’re fast. Those fancy rapidfires might make them think twice, mebbe go try some other ship.” The new captain spit in his own palm, then held it out. “That’s the deal. Shine and two trips, for your blasters at our backs, both ways and in port. Deal?”
“Fair Steven,” Ryan said, repeating the earlier phrase, and saw the reactions in their faces. The trade was sealed.
Just then, a lone seagull flew by cawing for its mate. The companions flinched at the sight of the bird, reaching for their blasters, and Jones surreptitiously noted the fact. Obviously they had tangled with the condors of Spider Island. That had to be where their ship was moored. How interesting.
“What should we do first, sir?” a sailor asked, holding a dirty rag to his shoulder. “Check the hull for leaks? She hit that sandbar awful hard.”
“I can do that. It’s you sons of bitches I’m worried about,” Jones stated, looking over the crew. “Where’s Danvers?”
“The healer tried to run,” a big man said. When speaking, he displayed a lot of missing teeth. “The locals gut shot him.”
“Blasted coward,” Jones growled. “Served him right. Okay, O’Malley, you’re the new healer.”
“Me?” the sailor asked, startled.
“You. Get busy binding wounds.”
“Aye, aye, skipper,” O’Malley said hesitantly.
“I’m a healer,” Mildred said, patting her med kit. “Best you’ll ever find.”
Jones scowled at the stocky outlander with her bizarre hairdo. “Then get to work, woman! My crew is bleeding while we jaw.”
“I’ll need a private room to sterilize,” Mildred said. “Some of those wounds are deep and will need stitches, maybe even minor surgery. I want the captain’s cabin as sick bay.”
Jones glanced at the quarterdeck and noted the stairs were gone. It had to have been a hell of a fight, he realized. These outlanders were good.
“Do whatever you want, take whatever you need,” he said wearily.
“Mildred, I’ll start boiling water and ripping any clean cloth I can find,” Krysty offered, starting to reach for her backpack. Gaia, those were in the bushes behind the ville. “Where’s the galley?”
“Boiling water?” a sailor grunted, a knife jutting from his thigh. “We’re not making soup.”
“Shut up! Don’t walk or touch the knife. You two, carry that man,” Mildred ordered, starting off across the long deck and around the huge mound of the downed mainsail. She had no intention of trying to explain the existence of germs to these sailors. They never would believe her. Few did these days. “The rest of you, follow me.”
Grumbling among themselves, the survivors did as they were ordered and limped along behind, leaving a crimson trail of footsteps in their wake.
“Meet you in ten,” Krysty said, going for the open hatch that led belowdecks.
“Hurry,” Mildred shouted over a shoulder, already rummaging through her meager supplies. No sulfur, no alcohol, no ether—it was going to be bare-handed surgery once more. May God help the men, but she would save as many as possible.
Knowing he would never see some of those men alive again, Captain Jones watched the wounded men hobble off, then turned and addressed the rest of the crew. “Okay, the rest of you swabs get back to work! Bust open the ship’s stores, and take all the lead and powder ya want. Reload those blasters, boys. We’ll never get caught unarmed again, by God!”
“After that, I want Curtis in the nest and keep a sharp eye for incoming ships,” Jones directed, his fists placed on his hips. Short on stature, the runt was still every inch a captain.
“Yes, sir!”
“Daniels, man the wheel. Baltier, take one of the outlanders and search the lower decks for any stowaways. Don’t want any surprises once we’re at sea.”