Jack: Book One in the Trilogy, the Battle Begins

Battle of Wits Part 15

15 BATTLE OF WITS

We were keeping low across the cobblestone street waiting for our next opportunity when a carriage stopped right in front of us and obscured our view and then the horse did his business right then and there and together with the hot noon sun and the wind wafting the aroma our way, we decided to move up a bit. So we crawled on our hands and knees along the hedge away from the odor. Then Jack spotted Brooksy lying on his belly at the corner of the schoolhouse.

"That numbskull," said Jack. "Look at him. Do you see him? Trying to spy on us the damn fool. You see him?"

"Yeah, but is he really spying on us? Maybe he's hunting for worms or maybe he's sick."

"No, moron. Just one look at that cross-eyed son of a goat's ass and I know that master sent him to spy on us and turn us in if ever he sees us. Don't pop your head up idiot!"

"What are we gonna do?" I asked.

"I don't know," said Jack. "Let me chew on it a few minutes."

Brooksy wasn't being very subtle at all, sitting up one moment and popping his head around the corner, then lying on his belly again with his rump in the air.

We were looking through the spaces in the shrubbery. This was exactly what Jack liked the most - a challenge that he could figure out how to beat, especially when it came from an enemy that he hated with passion. True to form he came up with another ingenious twist in his plan. At least I thought so until I learned it was me taking all the risks.

"Hey! I've got it. Brooks hates me but he wants to be your friend so that's how we get him on our side instead of master's. But it has to be done quickly or we'll have to ditch the whole plan. Master thinks he's so smart gettin' Brooksy to spy on us but he's got to be dumber than Brooksy if he thinks Brooksy wasn't a'goin' to give himself away like he did. I mean he sent out a complete moron to do battle with experienced pirates like us. Well kiddies, now we'll just have to defeat his little pathetic attempt to get the goods on us. What a moron! No wonder he can't do anythin' but teach in that stupid little poor excuse for a school. No-one would want him anywhere else! Here he's like a big frog in a little pond. But now he's met his match - more than met his match. So you go around the buildin' and come up behind Brooksy."

"Why me?" I protested. "He'll tattle and that'll be it for me. I'll flunk the whole year and have to repeat the fifth grade. And master'll see to it that I get a whoopin' on top of it all."

"No you won't," said Jack, "because you're gonna convince Brooksy to be on our side and convince him that master will never know it so long as he does exactly what he's told."

"What do I tell him then?" I said.

"Say what any pirate worthy of his name would say. Tell him we'll bring him to our fort across the river and initiate him into the Midnight Raiders."

"But you said we'd never let anyone else into the fort but us," I again protested.

"Look sonny-boy, a good pirate must go where the wind blows and right now that wind is a'blowin' in the direction of lettin' Brooksy in because it is to our advantage and the Midnight Raiders must defeat Master Whittemore in this war. We can't afford to lose this one. It has to go according to plan and I'm the captain. You're the helmsman. You steer the ship but I give the orders cuz, without someone in command, no plan can ever work out. To beat Master Whittemore we've got to be one step ahead of him all the time. We slip once and he's got us. And you can't back out now cuz you gave your word as a pirate in the band of the Midnight Raiders. As for it bein' just you and me, that's over. We have to have a spy who is in with us. Brooksy will do whatever you ask him to do and in the end he will be loyal to us because he will do anythin' to be a Midnight Raider. Tell him that tomorrow we'll perform the blood sacrifice and initiate him. Tell him he can't tell a livin' soul nor a dead one about the plan."

"Yeah, well what is the plan? What do we tell him?"

Jack laughed. "First you find out from Brooksy what Whittemore's plan is, then run back and report to me. We have to know what that old crafty twit is up to. Now go!"

"That's it? What else?"

"That's it for now. You see this brilliant plan has to proceed with care, step by step, 'specially after you learn the enemy is trying to outflank us. That's what master is about right now. He's using Brooksy to identify us when knock again. That's why we need to turn Brooksy to our side and master will think he's still with him. Still we need to know exactly what master's next move is. There's not much time. So go on now!"