Free Hades's Revenge by T. Lynne Tolles

whoopin’,” Gordon goaded.
    William was steaming mad, leaning hard into
Jessop’s palms at his shoulders restraining him. William instead
sent an insult at Gordon, something about his mother that need not
be repeated. Gordon’s fist came back in a rebuttal to the
statement. Jessop turned just in time to push William clear of the
cannon and arched his back in avoidance of it himself.
    Expecting to meet impact, Gordon was caught
off guard and out of balance making him stumble awkwardly into the
captain coming up the stairs behind him.
    “Blimey hell, Gordon. Ye drunk yer meal, did
ya?” he said catching Gordon with his arm.
    “No, Captain. I…”
    “Captain, I fear Gordon was helping me when
I accidentally bumped into him knocking him off balance.”
    Jessop could see in the captain’s eyes that
he was skeptical, at best, about the tale being told, but he
obviously decided to play along with the charade. “I see,” he
responded as Gordon straightened himself and fell into place at the
captain’s side.
    “What is it ye got in that chest thar?” the
captain inquired.
    “This?” Jessop said picking it up and
wondering which route to take in the conversation. “This, Captain,
is an idea I had to assist you and Master Gordon in taking your
compass readings.”
    “Did ye now. And how might this here gadget
be aiding our cause, lad?” he queried.
    He took a dangerous glance at Gordon before
continuing. Gordon was flush and about to explode as Jessop
continued. “Basically,” he said setting the box over the compass
adjusting it minutely this way and that, “I light this candle and
voila.” He lifted a pane of glass that also served as the top of
the box and when he set it in place on its hinge, the compass face
was reflected, enlarged and bright as can be.
    “Lookey thar, Gordon…Is that not a sight fer
sore eyes? Nice work, lad. Nice work indeed.”
    “It’s not all my doing. William helped with
box housing.”
    “Not at all, Captain, it was all Jess’s
idea. I just built it to his specifications,” William
interrupted.
    “Nicely done, boys,” the captain said
running his hand along the handsomely carved trim William had done
on the edges, just to make it look nice.
    “Very nice. Wouldn’t ye be agreein’,
Gordon?”
    Gordon nodded his agreement to the captain
with no expression whatsoever and avoiding the gaze of Jessop and
William.
    “A heap of thanks to ye, boys. This will
come in right handy,” he said congratulating them with a pat on
their shoulders as he scribbled down his readings on a scrap of
parchment then shoved it in his pocket. Cash, on his way to relieve
himself, happened by before the captain blew out the candle and
took some minor adjustment direction from Jessop and admired the
invention with its new owner. Jessop and William said their
goodnights to the three pirates, leaving them on the quarterdeck to
marvel at the contraption—at least most of them were admiring it.
Gordon stood emotionless and wordless at the captain’s side.
    He’d saved Gordon from a tongue lashing from
the captain at spurring on a fight with the two of them, though he
was sure there would be backlash somewhere down the road for what
was not said this evening from an angry Gordon, but for now, all
was good and no one was hurt—yet.

Chapter
Nine
     
    On one of Jessop’s treks to the belly of the
ship for supplies and inspection, he was asked by Beans to also
check the food storage area for broken or leaking containers. Once
a month like clockwork, Beans would put in this request, so much so
that he rarely went to O’Donnel but went straight to Jessop.
Apparently, O’Donnel in the past, had missed a leak, once or twice,
on rum kegs and trusted only Jessop to check the storage these
days.
    “Certainly,” Jessop answered to Bean’s
request. Jessop had made his rounds through the trove of stolen
goodies and dealing with Fin—not something he ever looked forward
to, but the sullen man rarely said a