Read Cerulean Isle for Free Online Page A

deaf boy was refinishing. It was a terrible accident, Captain.”
    L’Ollon looked around the room and found the deaf boy cowering in fear, traces of blood still on his hands. The captain turned to Christoff.
    “Christoff, bring Grant and Jacob to the office at once. I will deal with them in private.”
    “And what of Beelo, sir?” asked the other pirate in the doorway.
    “Wrap the mate in clean linen and give him to the sea. Take the sword out of him. I don’t want to lose a sharp blade. As for the deaf boy, clean him up and lock him in the cage. Leave him there till we reach Curacao.”
    “Aye, Captain.”
    “There’s not enough work to keep you rats busy,” said L’Ollon. “Swordplay and murder, eh? Is that the way of it here in the barrel room? Henceforth, the provisions will be checked four times daily. I want twenty new barrels made before dawn and if this is not done, I will kill every last one of you.”
    The captain left and the sound of his angry cursing echoed in our ears.
    The quartermaster said, “Grant, how could you let this happen?”
    Grant said nothing. Christoff glanced over his shoulder at the corpse. The other pirate tugged on the sword protruding from Beelo’s body.
    “Beelo was our finest swordsmen.” Christoff looked at me. “How be it you bested him with a blade? Beelo was fast, ruthless, even with the wine in him. Come you two, and may God help you.”
    Christoff led Grant and me through the damp, dim corridor to a narrow companionway. These stairs took us up to the main deck. The sun was warm on my face and the fresh wind smelled of sea salt. As we followed Christoff, the other pirates stared. Did they know their boatswain was dead?
    There were pirates everywhere. The three masts stretched overhead and men clung to the crosstrees. They climbed the rope ladders and swung down from the lines with incredible finesse. Others worked vigorously with mops and buckets while their shipmates coiled extra line around thick wooden cleats. The sails took the wind and moved the barque swiftly over the sapphire water. The brilliant sun was white-yellow and its endless light set fire to the tips of the waves. The Caribbean Sea glittered around us like a jagged and living crystal creature. I wanted to stop and take a deep breath, feel the sunlight on my face, and pray to my mother one last time.
    We made our way toward the stern and through two large wooden doors that led to the crew cabins. A short corridor stretched ahead of us with four rooms on each side, making eight small resting quarters. At the end of the corridor, we stopped at the last room on the left. Christoff opened the door and motioned us to enter.
    Several lanterns lit the room. The thick red carpet gave a fiery contrast to the brown, wooden walls. Swords and pistols hung from brass hooks. Sturdy shelves crowded with dusty books were nailed to the walls. A large table dressed in clean linen was set with fresh bread, fruits, vegetables, and wine.
    Captain L’Ollon sat behind a desk opposite the table. He was scratching some words on a parchment with a tattered quill. When we entered, he paused from his writing and stared at us coldly. The desk was adorned with stacks of parchment, candles, inkwells, and maps. A faded blue sea chart hung off the edge of the desk, and I could see fine lines, words, and numbers scribbled all over it.
    “Come closer, boys,” L’Ollon ordered. “Christoff, close the door.”
    Grant and I approached the captain’s desk as his eyes remained fixed on us.
    “You have aided in the committing of an irrevocable crime aboard my ship. The penalty, under my articles, is death.”
    A small part of me welcomed the thought. At least I would be with my mother again.
    L’Ollon stood and took a sword off the wall. It gleamed dreadfully in the yellow glow of the lanterns.
    “Listen to me, you ungrateful galley rats,” he said. “Your deaf friend will spend a few nights in the cage—a cold iron cell in the