Page 49 of Mardon

“Who do ye think that girl was?” asked Coop.

“Ye said she left with Nereus, so she must be with him,” added Peg Leg.

“She’s a little thief, that’s what she is,” said another of the men.

Aaron cleared his throat. “All right, now listen up everyone, because I’ll not repeat the clue again. The note said, ‘Hastily, find the bright angel with the fish mouth and bow right at her feet’.”

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Mardon, making a face.

“Fish mouth?” Nairnie chuckled. “I think Cato was more addled than we thought. These clues are becomin’ nonsensical. I could have made up better ones myself.”

“Nairnie, you couldn’t have done that since you don’t know where the treasure is,” Aaron pointed out.

“Aye, ye’re right.” She looked down and brushed off her skirt.

“Why don’t we just follow Nereus’ ship?” asked Ramble.

Sometimes out of the mouths of fools, there came a good idea.

“Aye, we’ll do that.” Mardon got to his feet and headed across the deck. “And when it looks like the Poseidon is about to dock, we’ll swoop in and get to the hiding place first.”

“We’re just going to tag along on Nereus’ tail? That’s it?” Aaron ran to catch up with Mardon. “We can’t do that. We need to get there first.”

“Keep the Poseidon in view at all times, Navigator,” Mardon called up to Stitch.

“Aye, Cap’n,” the man answered.

“And keep me posted if anything changes.” He stopped in front of his cabin.

“Where are you going?” asked Aaron.

“I need to rest. To think.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Mardon, you’re starting to sound like Tristan, the way he liked his naps.”

“You can have the hammock tonight, Brother,” he said, opening the door and going inside.

“Nice of you to offer me what is rightfully mine. Too bad it took the women being gone to do it. I’m going up to the lookout to keep an eye on the Poseidon.” Aaron left the room.

Mardon kicked off his shoes and hopped up into the swinging hammock by the window that used to be his brother, Tristan’s. Laying back, he rested his arms behind his head. Why the hell did he feel so empty without Emmaline? Part of him missed her so much that he couldn’t think of anything else but her. “I’m doing the right thing,” he said, talking softly to himself. “If her husband is still alive, then she is still married. We couldn’t be together anyway. Unless I killed him. Again. And made damned sure he was dead this time. Nay, she doesn’t want me. She’s a lady. I’m a pirate.”

The door opened and Ramble stuck his head inside. “Cap’n?” said the boy. “I thought I heard ye talkin’ to someone.” He looked around the room. “Is there someone in here with ye?

“Do you like Emmaline, Ramble?”

“Sister Emmaline?” he asked, looking confused. “Aye, she was nice. Why?”

“She wasn’t a nun.”

“Oh, good,” said the boy, wiping his brow. “The entire crew thought ye took to beddin’ nuns now. Some of the men even thought ye were goin’ mad. Well, now that she’s gone, I’m sure things will get back to normal.”

“She was the girl in the painting.”

“What?” His eyebrows arched. “The naked lady?” His head jerked around to see the painting but, of course, it wasn’t there. “What happened to the paintin’, Cap’n?”

“She took it.”

“The men won’t be happy.”