I watched a broad swath of disturbed water grow fast toward the pirate ships. Then several more cracks in quick succession sent another trail of flying spume. A mast toppled on the ship to the left, taking another mast with it, the sails falling in a tangle forward and underfoot the bows, slewing the ship to starboard and all but stopping her.

Then at near the same instant, a bright flash erupted from within the other ship, accompanied by a spew of rent timbers flying skyward. Then came the sound of the explosion as flames leapt to engulf the sails and lick through the opened gun ports. More explosions followed as the fires rapidly spread amidships and aft.

In less than half a minute, the two ships had been rendered impotent. Then unable to alter, the burning ship rammed into the presented side of the dismasted one, crushing timbers with terrible squealing and crackling noises, and leaving a gaping hole from the gunwales to the waterline when it rebounded.

While I watched, my thoughts were on those aboard. Most must have been killed or seriously maimed. The explosions and fires; who could survive those? The rent ship will sink, taking all with her. The burning ship faster with her hull blown asunder.

My thoughts were interrupted by Charles' voice, "Prepare to render assistance, Mister Cogswell. Ready the longboats."

"Aye, Sir. Ready longboats to assist."

I then reflected upon what Father had said, A mariner's duty is to assist all those in peril at sea. Even now. Even after they had attacked us.

Charles ordered the helmsman to come hard starboard to luff the square sails, then he instructed Master to have them clewed or furled and the fore-and-afts re-sheeted. Zeelandia's deck and yardarms became a flurry of activity as barked orders sounded. Then in not much more than a minute, under jibs and mizzen, Zeelandia was underway toward the wrecked ships.

Minutes later, the roll of the swell alternately revealed and hid portions of the field of flotsam we had entered, and in it, I spotted bodies. And pieces of bodies. My stomach heaved at seeing these, but I diverted my eyes and managed to hold it.

We luffed up into the wind as we neared the wrecks, and as we slowed, we launched the two longboats. The men on the sweeps pulled them through the flotsam field, searching for anyone still alive. I watched for a while, hoping, then my eyes caught motion on the quarterdeck of the dismasted ship as we drifted slowly past its stern. Men. Alive.

The gaping hole in her side had allowed the sea to flood in, and she was now much lower in the water, the quarterdeck little more than ten feet above it.

Charles shouted across to the men, "How many are you?"

After a pause, the reply came, "Fifteen. Twelve sound or near so. Three bad injured."

"Throw your weapons into the sea. Pistols, muskets, swords, knives. All of them, or we will leave you to sink with your ship."

They quickly complied, and Charles called again, "All of them. You are fast sinking, and we have muskets primed and aimed at you."

Two more pistols were taken from waistbands and jettisoned to the sea. Then as I watched, a man pulled a knife from another's boot and tossed it overboard. We had now drifted close enough that I could see the ship's name board, and my heart sped as I read it.

Oh, dear God! Father's ship. I examined the faces of the men, but none was him. Then I turned to Charles when he appeared unoccupied. "That is Father's ship. They changed the name from Venturer."

"Aye, I saw that, but I decided to tell you later, to not stir memories."

"Thank you, Sir. I believe I can handle it now." Then I pointed toward the men. "Perhaps they can tell us what came of him."

"We shall see." He turned to Mister Cogswell. "Fetch the chains and shackles up to the gunwale gates. Rig the chains in the gun deck."

"Aye, Sir. Chains and shackles. If they are still aboard."

"I had decided to keep them. Bosun knows where they are stowed."

"Aye, Sir."

Charles directed a longboat to the waist of the sinking ship, which now had occasional waves rolling across its weatherdeck. The men carried their injured down the steps from the quarterdeck and along to where the boat's crew assisted them aboard.

A loud hissing distracted me from watching, and I shifted my eyes to its source. Steam bellowed from the other ship as waves washed over the flaming decks. Then bubbling added to the hiss and the steam as the bow plunged beneath the waves, and the remainder of the ship was fast to follow.

Like that. Gone. How many with it?

How many had abandoned ship to the safety of the sea?

Safety? Hah! Father said few have learnt to swim. I again scanned the field of flotsam, looking for movement other than that caused by the waves. Nothing.

Loud gurgling brought my attention back to Venturer. Her forecastle had now disappeared, and water erupted in spouts accompanied by whooshes of air as she slipped slowly forward beneath the waves, bound for the bottom.

The bubbling and the spewing of loosened timbers continued for a long while after the last of her had disappeared.

I stood staring at the place she had been.

A fine ship, she was. A great man, he was.

A gentle hand on my shoulder and a gentler voice brought me back. "It is again safe below, Camille."

Nodding, unsure whether I could speak with my tightened throat, I turned and raised my arms to Charles and croaked, "Would you hug me, Sir?"