curiousers under way

Part 14 - The Devil of Rotation

We slept in the loft over the stables that night and, early in the morning, Squire Trevelyan gave Denny some coins which Denny distributed between Licia, Miguel, Alfie and me, just in case we were separated.

'I must remind you,' the Squire told us, ''tis best o say naught about your time aboard the Curious. There is a reward for informing on deserters.'

We crossed the river on the Saltash ferry and set off toward Lostwithiel. We made good progress at first, but the road was wet and we soon got very muddy and tired. By the noon we needed a rest. A flock of sheep regarded us curiously as we sat down in the shade of a small wood. There were no people in sight until we heard a horse nicker and we noticed three horsemen, in the trees behind us, talking in low voices. Finally they dismounted and approached us. They were dressed in mud spattered coats, loose fitting britches and dirty riding boots and each wore a tricorn hat with a scarf tied across the face so that only their eyes were visible. Denny, Licia, Miguel and I scrambled to our feet as we found ourselves looking at three long, pointed knives.

'Yer money or yer lives,' the leader said in a gruff, melodramatic voice. The other two looked at him and giggled like embarrassed teenagers.

'We have very little money, sirs,' Denny said hesitantly. 'We are poor people.'

'Then give us what y' have,' snapped the youth pompously.

Denny produced a few copper coins and counted them carefully. 'Tuppence three farthings, sir.'

The leader reached forwards and snatched the coins from Denny's hand. 'Tie them up and search them,' he snapped at his companions.

We were forced to sit down and while two of them pointed knives at us and the other tied our ankles but he made the mistake of tying wrists together in front of us. Then, they emptied Denny's tool belt onto the ground and searched his pockets without finding any more money before turning their attention to Alfie, Licia, Miguel and me. They patted and probed our bodies and found a sixpenny coin in my side pocket but didn't find any more because they didn't know that zippers concealed pockets. They assumed they were funny decorations. But, as the leader searched Licia carefully, he discovered that Licia was a girl.

'Well, what a surprise,' he said as he untied the rope around her ankles. 'Gag the others and watch them closely. Maybe we can get some profit after all.'

Denny begged them to leave Licia alone but they tied a rag around his mouth. Miguel and I also asked them not to hurt Licia but two of them held knives close to our throats as the leader lifted Licia to her feet and began dragging her into the trees. Licia put her mouth close to his ear and whispered something to him. He laughed loudly until Licia emitted a piercing scream into his ear and then he threw her to the ground. As she scrambled awkwardly to her feet one of his accomplices grabbed her from behind but she jerked her head back hitting him in the face with the back of her head. The leader punched at Licia's face but missed as she ducked sideways and aimed a kick to his groin. He grabbed her foot she fell backwards.

With a rush of air a fifteen kilogram goose fell out of the air to crash heavily, web feet first, onto the leader's head. The impact drove the leader to the ground as Dunc rebounded into the air with sweeps of his great wings and a triumphant, 'Guluk gloyk. Ah'm good, ar'n't ah?' By which I guessed he meant 'am not I?'

Licia whirled around to face the one behind her. He had dropped his knife and pulled off his mask to mop up the blood streaming from his nose. Licia picked up the knife, took one step toward him and the two accomplices ran. So she cut the string binding her wrists and quickly extracted our money from the dazed leader's pouch before released Denny, Miguel, Alfie and me.