Devil's Daughter (Devil 2)

“No,” she said calmly, “I will do naught to hurt him.”

Chapter 21

Hamil stood on the quarterdeck of his xebec, his legs spread, his hands on his hips. There was a grim smile on his face as he watched the Malek draw closer. He could picture the confusion and helpless fury of the captain. He, Hamil El-Mokrani, Bey of Oran, knew better than anyone that the Malek was under tribute.

“Raise the white flag, Boroll,” he said to his captain, “though I strongly doubt the captain will believe our good intentions.”

“At least he isn’t fool enough to fire on us.”

Hamil’s dark eyes glittered in an

ticipation as the xebec drew alongside the merchant ship. He heard the harsh grating of the grappling hooks and felt the deck tilt beneath his feet as the xebec scraped against the Malek’s hull, and Boroll and his men scrambled aboard her, their scimitars drawn at the ready. The crew of the Malek offered no resistance. Their captain was no fool, Hamil thought. Quickly his sailors were herded into a single line across the quarterdeck.

Hamil saw no woman. He strode to the railing and leapt gracefully onto the Malek’s deck. A thin man wearing an outlandish wig sped toward him.

“Sir.” The man wheezed in his fear. “We are under tribute. Why do you stop us?”

“You are Captain Alvarez?” Hamil asked.

“Aye, and we journey first to Oran and then to Cádiz. I know the Bey, sir, and he will not approve what you have done.”

Hamil smiled. “Well, then, Alvarez, greet the Bey of Oran, for he stands before you.”

Captain Alvarez’s eyes widened. “Highness, you are dead. It is your half-brother Kamal who holds rule.”

“Hardly dead. You look well, Alvarez.”

“How may I serve you, highness?”

Hamil gazed again down the line of sailors. “Bring up your passengers, Alvarez. I have business with one of them.”

“I have but one passenger, highness. Lord St. Ives, an Englishman.”

“Bring me this lord,” Hamil said.

Adam strode forward, leaving Rayna in Daniele’s substantial shadow. “I am Lord St. Ives,” he said.

Hamil frowned. The bearded man standing before him looked somehow familiar. “What is your given name?”

“Adam Welles.”

“Ah,” Hamil said. “Your father is the earl of Clare.”

Adam bowed slightly. “I understood also that you were dead, highness. Drowned in a storm. You are Hamil?”

“Yes,” Hamil said. He turned abruptly away from him and demanded of the captain, “I am looking for a woman. I was told she was to be a passenger on the Malek. Where is she, man? Tell me now, else I’ll have my men sack your precious ship.”

“The contessa,” Adam said slowly. “You search for the contessa.”

Hamil whirled about at Adam’s words. “What do you know of the bitch?”

“I searched for her too, highness, in Naples. Unfortunately, as Captain Alvarez will confirm, although she did hire the ship, she never appeared to take her to Oran. I do not know where she has gone. Perhaps northward to leave from another port.”

Hamil stood silent, deep in thought. “You are alone, Lord St. Ives?” he asked finally.

“No, I have two men and my cabin boy with me.”

“Your destination is Oran?”