“What’s the other variable?”
The deck rumbles even more, and I grip the railing harder as several pirates begin yanking at ropes on a pulley. From beneath the deck, a platform rises, and on it is a long cannon. It’s almost comical, like something you’d see at a circus sideshow that fires a clown out of it. But this wicked creation of black metal doesn’t promise a fun time for anyone.
“Long Tom.” Smee pulls out his own spyglass and leans over the side, peering behind us.
“What’s a Long Tom?”
Starkey climbs some rope netting in front of me and gives me a smirk. “I thought you’d already seen Captain’s Long Tom.”
I give him a salty look. “I wouldn’t expect any less from a fuckboy like yourself.”
Smee snorts as he pockets his spyglass and adjusts the wheel again. “A fuckboy? I think that’s quite fitting for our Gentleman Starkey.”
“A fuckboy, eh? I rather like it.” Starkey grins.
“No. It’s an insult.”
“Is it? I don’t find it to be so.” He winks at me.
“Move!” Widow climbs up beside him. “Long Tom is the cannon.” She swings off the rope netting and lands on the upper deck beside me. “Biggest one ever made. No other ship has the size to handle Long Tom. Only the Jolly Roger.”
She holds her hand out, palm toward Starkey in a ‘stop’ motion. “Keep the jokes to yourself. Captain wants you in the crow’s nest.”
He sighs. “Fine. But I have some really good ones about?—”
“Crow’s nest!” Widow snaps.
He climbs faster, then swings away to the biggest mast and climbs even higher.
“You two having issues?” I ask.
She smirks. “Issues? My sweet darling, that was foreplay.”
Smee groans and reattaches the leather to the wheel before jumping down to the lower deck and yelling at someone about gunpowder.
“I meant to come check on you earlier, but you were asleep.” She puts her arm around my shoulders. “You all right?”
“As all right as I can be, I guess.”
A boom sounds behind us, and I turn to look.
“She’s not shooting at us.” Widow smiles tightly.
“Then who’s she shooting at?”
“No one.” Widow glances behind us at Hook’s cabin. “You should get inside.”
“Forward!” Hook yells, and I see him on the deck with several other pirates as they push Long Tom toward the side. “Bill, ready with the blocks!”
“Aye, Captain!”
“Now!”
Bill swings two triangular hunks of wood beneath the cannon, and the pirates stop pushing. It rolls back only a little, then rests against the blocks. The entire ship rocks to the side, and sea spray flies over the railing where Long Tom rests.
“Load it!” Hook runs up the deck and climbs the mast with amazing fluidity. Leaning out, he stares behind us.
Anne’s cannons boom again, the sound skipping across the water.
