books!” Corin screamed. “They’re all we have left now. Don’t let him burn those books!”
Dave raised his eyes to Corin once again, uncomprehending, but Blake understood the stakes. His only hope among these men was to destroy the captain. He shook his bindings free, ripped the torch from Dave’s hand, and plunged its flames into the pile.
“Revenge!” the whispers screamed.
Corin skidded to a stop next to the growing fire. He kicked desperately at the books, trying to scatter them, but Blake struck him a vicious backhand blow that sent the captain reeling. “See how he serves the ghosts?”
“The gold!” Corin shouted. The forge-hot blaze began to roar behind him, and Corin bent to grab one untouched tome. “You dogs, save something!”
But while he was bent, Blake brought an elbow slamming down against the back of Corin’s neck. The captain sprawled, and before he could fight back, Blake planted a polished boot between his shoulders and stepped down.
Sleepy Jim shoved a hand hard against the first mate’s chest, but it wasn’t enough to dislodge him. “What are you doing?”
Blake held his voice level. “Corin awakened something evil here. A price must be paid.”
Before Jim could have answered, a thousand ghostly voices clamored over each other. “A price must be paid!”
Corin struggled, but Blake stamped down harder and drove all the air from the captain’s lungs. The air burned hot as an oven, and sweat shone on every face, but Blake seemed unconcerned with the fire. His attention was wholly on Sleepy Jim, who alone seemed prepared to stand up for the captain.
Dave Taker loomed close behind Blake, his eyes sometimes darting to the dancing flames, sometimes darting to the exit. Blake only held Jim’s nervous gaze, his eyes as hard as steel. Seconds burned away like coals inside the roaring blaze, and then at last Sleepy Jim lowered his eyes in shame. He stepped past the united mutineers and fled the burning cavern.
Blake turned a grin to Dave Taker. “Back to the ships, and we’ll be proper pirates once again!”
Corin struggled weakly, still woozy from the blows, but the motion caught Dave Taker’s eye. “And what of him?”
“He is far too clever to leave alive.” Blake’s fingers traced the hilt of his cutlass, but he shook his head. “It’s not my way to kill a helpless man. Pick him up.”
He moved his boot, and Dave hauled Corin to his feet. The captain spat a mouthful of blood. “What have you done? You’ve burned it all.”
Blake shrugged. “There are books enough in my father’s library.”
“Your father! He was searching for this place. How could you destroy it?”
“I’ve learned to like the pirate’s life. All I needed was a solid crew. And now you’ve given me one.”
“They will not follow you!”
“They will when they see your great project has left us empty-handed.”
“Because you set our treasure to the torch!”
Blake waved that away. “What is one treasure to a lifetime of command?”
Corin strained to meet Dave Taker’s eyes. “And what of you, who’ve heard that confession? You’ll stand with him?”
Blake’s smile glowed in red reflection. “I’ve named him my first mate.”
Corin fought Dave Taker’s grip, but the huge man would not relent. “That’s it? That’s all he had to offer?”
Behind him, Dave moved his grizzled mouth up close to the captain’s ear. “It’s more’n you,” he growled. “You’ve passed me over twice. I’d let you burn for no reward at all.”
Corin thrashed and struggled, but he couldn’t break free. Before him, Blake began to back away, moving slowly to the exit’s mouth. He raised his voice so it would echo through the tunnel, to the frightened crew that must have been waiting at the other end.
“A price must be paid,” he shouted. “Let Corin answer for his crimes to those he’s wronged. But we have played no part in it, so we will wash our hands of him. We’ll give him nothing.”
Corin sagged in Taker’s grasp. Blake grinned and carried on. “Nothing! No punishment for what he’s done, but no share of this great treasure. No horse from our pickets. No water from our stores. No place among our tents. Let him find his own way from this place.”
Then he nodded to Dave Taker, and as casually as if he were tying knots, the big man shattered Corin’s ankle with one vicious kick. Corin tried to run, blind now to everything but pain and fear, but Dave caught him easily, one hand at his shoulder and one at his knee. The big man swung