The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity (24 page)

‘
And who is your
friend?
’

Uncle Percy stepped forward.
‘
Percy Halifax, at your service.
’

‘
I doubt yer could
handle bein
’
at my service, handsome,
’
Beattie said with a wink.
‘
But any friend o
’
Bruce
’
s is a friend o
’
mine.
’

Uncle Percy smiled back.
‘
Thank you.
’

‘
So yer lookin
’
to charter a ship?
Well, I reckon there
’
s plenty round
‘
ere that
’
ll willingly take that contract. Most are just rogues, mind. To get
a loyal and dependable crew will cost.
’

‘
We can pay,
’
Uncle Percy replied.
‘
We can pay very well.
’

Beattie looked him over.
‘
Judgin
’
from the cut of your jib, I
’
m sure ya can, deary.
 
So where are heading fer?
’

‘
Mary Island.
’

Beattie turned a dull grey. In an instant, she barged from behind
the bar, seized Uncle Percy
’
s lapel and dragged him forcibly to the side, making sure no one
could hear what she had to say.
 
‘
Don
’
t be spoutin
’
that name round
‘
ere! These walls talk.
’

Uncle Percy didn
’
t waver.
‘
Do you know a crew that can take us there?
’

‘
Even if I did, I
wouldna tell yer. Yer after something that should jus
’
be left alone.
’

 
‘
We
’
re not after
Blackbeard
’
s treasure,
’
Uncle Percy said simply.
‘
Not as such. We
’
re after a single item from it, but the crew
that delivers us to Mary Island can have the rest.
’

‘
And yer think yer know
the whereabouts of his haul, do ya?
’

‘
No. But we
’
ll find it.
’

Beattie shook her head in despair.
 
‘
If
I
’
d a
guinea for every time I
’
d heard that I
’
d own Nassau. Many have gone lookin
’… few have returned. And none have been any the richer.’
She glanced kindly at Becky and Joe.
‘
And yer got young ones with ya. It
’
s not a trip ye should
be taking.
’

‘
Believe me when I say
that we have no choice …
’

Staring into Uncle Percy
’
s remorseful eyes, Beattie
’
s expression softened. She glanced at Bruce.
‘
Yer trust him, Bruce?
’

‘
With my life, Beattie,
’
Bruce replied.
‘
He
’
s a good man. And he
speaks the truth. We need to find Mary Island. And I swear on my momma, it isn
’
t out of any greed.
’

Beattie hesitated.
‘
Come with me. I may know of someone that can help ye.
’
With a heavy sigh,
she stomped over to a door at the far end of the room. Knocking twice, Beattie
opened it and disappeared into blackness.

Moments later, they all filed into a large, airless room. Sunlight
bled through a crack in the ceiling, exposing an old man sat at a crooked
wooden table. Wearing a long ragged cloak, he had long, lank, grey hair and a
pale, gnarled face.
 
He was staring
impassively at the wall and drinking rum from a pewter tankard.
‘
Who goes there?
’
he roared gruffly.

‘
All
’
s well, Hugh. It
’
s me, Beattie.
’

‘
Who
’
s with ya, girl?
’

‘
Strangers … But I
’
m promised they
’
re fine, honest folk.
They want to talk business with ya.
’

The old man paused for a second.
‘
Very well.
’

To Becky
’
s surprise, she saw the old man
’
s eye were as white as snow. He was blind.

‘
They
’
re lookin fer a crew,
’
Beattie said.
‘
A crew willin
’
ter go places others
won
’
t. And
they
’
ll
pay, Hugh. They
’
ll pay handsomely.
’

‘
Oh, aye,
’
the old man said,
suddenly interested.
‘
Then, all of ya, come over
‘
ere and take the burden from your feet.
’

 
‘
I
’
ll leave ya to yer
business,
’
Beattie said, and she left the room. Everyone walked over and joined him at the
table.

‘
Thank you, sir,
’
Uncle Percy said,
sitting down.
‘
I
’
m Percy Halifax. These are my friends Bruce Westbrook and Will
Shakelock. And this is my niece and nephew, Becky and Joe Mellor.
’

‘
And they call me Hugh
Livesey … but ter most it
’
s just Blind Hugh. Anyways, what
’
s this
‘
bout you needin
’
a charter? Where d
’
you
‘
ave a mind to go?
’

‘
We don
’
t exactly know,
’
Uncle Percy replied
simply.
‘
Do
you speak for a ship and crew?
’

‘
Best ship and crew in
these waters,
’
Blind Hugh said boldly.
‘
And what ya mean ya don
’
t know?
’

‘
We need to get to Mary
Island. But we don
’
t know where it is.
’

Blind Hugh fell silent. Slowly, he raised his tankard and drained
it.
‘
Ah,
another fool hopin
’
to find Teach
’
s gains, eh?
’

‘
Not exactly.
’

‘
Then what ya want with
Mary Island?
’

‘
That
’
s our business. Do you
know where it is?
’

Blind Hugh chuckled sourly.
‘
No. Mary Island is one of the ten Macaco
Islands. Only Teach himself knows which one it is. And Israel Hands, maybe.
Both of them are dead or dying, from what I hear.
’

‘
We know which one it
is. If we can get to these Macaco Islands, we can identify the island.
’

Blind Hugh scowled.
‘
And how you be knowin
’
that?
’

‘
Let
’
s just say a voice
from the grave told us.
’

Blind Hugh laughed coldly.
‘
And a grave is exactly where yer
’
ll be if ya try ter
get there. A watery grave.
’
His face grew stern.
‘
Them waters are cursed, so it
’
s told. And protected, too.
’

‘
Protected?
’
Uncle Percy asked.

‘
Aye. A serpent guards
those waters, so they say. A serpent as long as the Thames.
’

‘
A sea-serpent?
’
Joe said quietly.

‘
Aye, lad,
’
Blind Hugh replied.
‘
A beast that
’
d scare Poseidon
himself. At least, that
’
s the way the story goes...
’

Uncle Percy noticed the look of dismay on Becky
’
s face.
‘
Have you seen this
sea-serpent?
’

‘
Nope,
’
Hugh replied.

Uncle Percy shrugged.
‘
Then it could be just that … a story!
’

‘
Could be,
’
Blind Hugh replied
with a sneer.
‘
Except the story came from an old salt, Billy Benson … and Billy
never told me no lies in all the years we sailed together, not until scurvy
took him fer dead. You see, Billy was a boatswain in the King
’
s Navy, and as he told
it, in the summer of 1708 were part of a fleet of six gun ships sailin
’
through them Macaco
Islands. Anyway, accordin
’
to Billy, a serpent rose from below and took five out of the six
ships to Davy
’
s locker. Billy
’
s ship was the only one ter stay afloat. Years later, he gave me the
bearings fer those waters. But I ain
’
t never used them.
’

‘
And will you use them
now?
’
Uncle Percy asked.

Blind Hugh turned away as if something else, something important was
playing on his mind.
‘
What be your deal?
’
he asked faintly.

‘
If you can take us
safely to Mary Island, then I guarantee all of Blackbeard
’
s treasure is yours to
share between you and your crew. You can have everything with our thanks. All
we ask is to keep but one item: his treasure chest, or at least one of them. We
’
ll tell you which one.
’

Blind Hugh looked confused.
‘
A box?
’
he said with disbelief.
‘
All yer want is a box?
’

‘
Yes,
’
Uncle Percy replied
simply.
‘
And
as a sign of good faith, you can have this now.
’
He pulled something from his pocket.

Becky saw his fingers were curled round something that resembled a
small apple. Then she gasped. He was holding the largest emerald she had ever
seen.

Lightly, Uncle Percy placed the emerald in Blind Hugh
’
s hand, whose fingers
promptly traced its jagged contours. A smile curved on his face.
 

‘
Well, I may not be
able ter see it, but I knows me a remarkable stone when I feels one. An
emerald, right?
’

‘
That
’
s right,
’
Uncle Percy replied.

Blind Hugh tucked it swiftly into his cloak pocket.
‘
Now tell me, what manner
o
’
man
pays their passage with a jewel like that?
’

‘
I
’
m just a simple
traveller.
’