“Oh, for the love of--” Blackbeard rolled his eyes and bellowed.
“What is it now?”
“Cap’n, the Ranger be fast approachin’ ‘n she be sailin’ th’ Jolly Rodger
from ‘er mast.”
“Vane,” Blackbeard said gravely.
“Aye, and Calico Jack,” Stede added.
“My lady,” Blackbeard said with a sigh, “we must continue this
conversation at a later date. It seems I have company, and I must warn
you that these scurvy bilge rats know no honor. They’ll not think twice
before making you walk the plank. Fear not, we will stow you away.
You are a fine treasure, and this room was built for hiding valuables,” he
confided mysteriously.
“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,” Joanna assured him. She
hid a smile imaging their surprise at her particular skill-set.
“Cap’n she’s droppn’ anchor,” the Quartermaster reported urgently
through the door.
“We will be on deck shortly to meet Calico Jack and Vane. And,
William…” Blackbeard paused.
“Aye? Cap’n?” Quartermaster William Howard responded. “Anyone mentions the lass, loses their tongue,” Blackbeard promised
darkly. “Savvy?”
“Savvy, Cap’n. I’ll be spreadn’ the word.”
As the Quartermaster hurried away, Blackbeard crossed the room to
open an armoire positioned on the far wall. He pushed aside a wide
array of ornate coats and lavish poet shirts, the real pirate variety with
ruffles galore. He felt around until he found the release trigger he was
looking for. With a click, the false back opened and… surprise of
surprises… an entire room was hidden behind the armoire.
Stede escorted her across the room and kissed her cheek before
bundling her quickly into the secret room. As he pushed her through the
opening, he whispered “Be very quiet no matter what you hear. You will
be safe in there.”
“Really,” Joanna protested, “this is not necessary. I--”
“Be silent, Lass,” Blackbeard added his warning. “We will protect
you. Worry you not.” He strode past her to light a candle sitting on a
mammoth desk littered with various maps and trinkets.
#
Joanna was still sputtering as Blackbeard swept past her on his way out of the secret room. The panel closed quickly, effectively putting an end to her protests. Glancing curiously around the room, she spied several hanging chandeliers loaded with candles. With a wave of her hand the candles danced to life completely illuminating her safe room.
Joanna was surprised to find a lavish hide-away complete with velvet covered armchairs and silk wall covering. The smell of tobacco lingered in the air. Looking more closely, she noted the cleverly placed vents which allowed fresh air to continually flow into the chamber.
Blackbeard’s journal graced the center of the desk. The open journal looked as if he had started the log for the day. Joanna ran her hands lightly over the journal to see if she could pick up anything out of the ordinary. She found nothing particularly threatening in nature and began flipping through the pages. She read about one voyage after another. Queen Anne’s Revenge had certainly been busy in the year 1717.
Blackbeard’s notes cataloged his life. Joanna smiled at some of the entries depicting adventures from the time he had been a young man. He actually had been quite popular with the “lasses” judging from his notes detailing the virtues of each and every one of his dozen wives.
One entry, dated within the past month, was particularly interesting; “There will be a grand gathering of pirates on Pinckney where we shall finally close Davy Jones locker for all time. Calico Jack has also heard rumors of the coin’s reappearance. He cannot be trusted! He shall not get his hands on such a weapon again.”
Joanna’s heart began to race as she flipped rapidly through the next few pages. A more recent entry read, “The coin has been retrieved from beneath the sea once again. I shall settle the score with Vane for the part he played in deceiving me. He and Calico Jack must not be allowed to reclaim the coin. With it, they would have the power to-- alas, I dare not even put the possibility of such atrocity to paper.”
The power to what? Joanna wracked her brain as she read and reread the passages. She suddenly gasped. Blackbeard has the coin? Was it possible that the coin referenced in Blackbeard’s journal was the same coin ART had been commissioned to recover? Even more concerning after reading Blackbeard’s writing was the fact that she suddenly remembered…Vane and Calico Jack were boarding the ship.
There it was again! The inexplainable pull grabbing at her subconscious. Joanna shook it off, determined to stay focused on the tangible…well, somewhat tangible anyway. She moved quickly to place Blackbeard’s journal in