Free Passion's Tide by Sarah West Page B

again . “What about the first mate?”
    “Lyle is swabbing the forecastle deck right now . Out of all the sailors who joined us today, he is the only one I remain wary of.”
    “What can you tell us of him, Noah?” Logan asked.
    “Well, he’s a surly man, very strict . When the Captain wasn’t around he would threaten us with lashings if we dare d disobey him, and he always made us do tasks over . No matter how many times you would scrub the same section, he would always walk over it and demand you do it again.”
    “Would the other members of your crew verify that?”
    “Aye, Captain, I believe they would . Not one of us liked Lyle.”
    Logan leaned back in his chair . “Very well . After dinner, Eli, I would like you to gather all of the sailors from the Queen Charlotte on the main, where we will let them decide the fate of their first mate.”
    The rest of the supper passed quickly, and when it was over, Andrew, Johnny, and Henry cleared the table as the men left . Amber settled down on the large bed, and Logan pull ed out a map and spread it out on the empty table . She tried again to read, but something kept bothering her.
    “Logan?”
    He never took his eyes off the map . “Hm?”
    “What did you mean, wh en you said that the sailors would decide the fate of Lyle?”
    He set his compass down and looked at her . “It means that they will have the power to decide what becomes of him, whether he remains on the ship or not.”
    She hoisted herself farther onto the bed, crossing her legs in front of her . “How do they decide?”
    “By voting, of course.” He smiled . “You look surprised . Did you think that pirate ships were run like the British navy? Or even as merchant ships? Men have more power as a pirate than they ever would as a sailor . Why else do you think so many sailors turn to pirating?”
    “I naturally assumed it was for the money,” she told him with a shrug . “Forgive me for thinking that pirates couldn’t be anything but greedy, selfish, blood-thirsty rogues.”
    His smirk widened, and Amber was again struck by how attractive he was . “You’re forgiven . But now we must go outside, for I wouldn’t want you to miss your first ever pirate court.” He got to his feet and motioned towards the door.
    “You mentioned that the crew can decide if he stays on the ship or not.” Amber stood . “In this case, what signifies the ‘or not?’”
    He stared at her calmly . “If the crew members of the Queen Charlotte so choose, he will be marooned on a deserted island with a single pistol.”

Chapter Six
    The stars glittered ominously as Amber passed through the doorway and walked down the stairs to the main deck, all too aware of Logan’s hand on the small of her back . At the bottom, she saw Lyle standing against the longboat with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face . Every so often his eyes would dart to the two men who stood on either side of him, hands resting on the butts of their pistols . The sixteen other sailors who had joined the pirate crew stood along the railing, waiting for their Captain .
    Logan instructed Amber to stand by Eli, and then took his place in front of his men . “You have been called here tonight to stand witness to the trial of your former first mate, Lyle . As an officer on the Queen Charlotte , he was in command of your destiny. I can only hope that he was a fair leader,” he said, turning to each of the sailors, “because now the tables have turned and his fate rests in your hands.
    “You will each have the chance to speak your mind, and when you are finished, Lyle may say something in his own defense . After that, we will hold a vote, and the verdict will determine whether he remains a member of my crew, or if he is to be marooned . Let’s begin.”
    A sailor stepped forward . “Lyle was a lying, cheating, son of a bitch . Marooning him would be too generous.”
    “Well, I don’t know…” another added uncomfortably . “He wasn’t too