"I don't see any bodies," Humperdinck complained, looking over the port (left side) deck rail of the ship.
"They might have gone down with the boat, Sir," one of the sailors said.
"No. Someone would have survived. I'm sure of it."
Humperdinck was so focused on the dark waters below that he did not see the other ships waving torches, signaling to the New Revenge. It was the incoherent shouting that ultimately captured his attention.
"One of the other ships is signaling, Captain," a nearby sailor said. Humperdinck didn't know this man's name either, but he recognized him by the bright ruby centered on his eye patch.
The man peered at the other ships with his one good eye, then lifted the patch to reveal an angry crimson scar that separated his eyebrow and cheek, a gash that ran through a murky, cloudy eyeball.
Humperdinck's lip curled in revulsion. "What are they saying?"
"Um," the henchman said. "Let's see. Something about the survivors, and climbing, and gnats... no wait... g...i...a... giants."
Humperdinck continued to scan the waters.
"Yes," the sailor continued. "Giants. And something else... something about boarding the ship."
"What?" Humperdinck asked, distracted.
The henchman was so focused on the signaling, and Humperdinck so consumed with the wreckage, that they did not hear the footfalls behind them.
"Oh! They're behind us, Sir."
"What?" Humperdinck shouted, standing upright as a sword was placed against his throat.
"He said that we are behind you," Inigo explained.
The sword digging into his flesh would not permit him to turn around, so Humperdinck could not see his attacker, but he knew who it was all the same. Montoya. He knew this because, as his crew was frozen, looking at their captain held captive, they were missing Westley, Montoya's fiancée, the idiot magician who was somehow alive again, and the two barbarians as they scampered around the deck, lighting cannons.
"Attack!" Humperdinck shouted, the word turning into a squeak as the blade dug tighter into his voice box.
"My thoughts exactly," Westley shouted as the cannons erupted, sending heavy metal spheres crashing into Humperdinck's four fastest ships, which had moved precariously close in the search of the wreckage.
The crew had been stunned for a moment but reacted quickly once the cannons began exploding. Westley and Serena were immediately encircled by two groups of sailors as a third group ran to Humperdinck's defense.
Swords clanged on swords. Fists crashed on faces. Inigo was forced to dispatch the five henchmen who approached. He had expected Humperdinck to run, but instead, the false pirate did something he did not expect. He stood his ground... and removed his sword.
"I suppose," Inigo said, "that surrender is out of the question?"
"You wish to surrender to me? Very well. I accept," Humperdinck said.
"Stupidity often looks much like bravery, at least until things start to go horribly wrong," Inigo said.
Humperdinck was not moved by the comment or baited into surrendering. Instead, he said...
"To the death."
Inigo held up his sword in brief salute before setting his posture.
"To the death, then."
YOU ARE READING
The Pirate Groom
Adventure"The Pirate Groom" is a swashbuckling tale of adventure, love, and revenge that will sweep you off your feet and into the treacherous waters of the high seas. Follow the daring Westley, the fierce Inigo, and a band of unforgettable characters as the...
