Isle of Swords
© 2007 by Wayne Thomas Batson.
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Interior art and layout by Casey Hooper.
ISBN 978-1-4003-1363-1 (trade paper)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Batson, Wayne Thomas, 1968â
Isle of Swords / by Wayne Thomas Batson.
    p. cm.
Summary: A young man awakens on an island, alone and seriously injured, with no memory, and as he searches for his identity he finds himself caught between two notorious pirates battling for a legendary treasure reportedly hidden by monks.
    ISBN 978-1-4003-1018-0 (hardcover)
[1. CastawaysâFiction. 2. IdentityâFiction. 3. PiratesâFiction. 4. Buried treasureâFiction. 5. Christian lifeâFiction. 6. Spanish MainâFiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B3238Isl 2007
[Fic]âdc22
2007005580
Printed in the United States of America
09 10 11 12 RRD 8 7 6 5 4 3
T
O THE
M
ASTER OF WIND AND WAVE
,
I
WILL FOLLOW
Y
OU INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY
.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
A BLACK BIRD IN THE STORM
Chapter 2
ECHOES OF CANNON FIRE
Chapter 9
DEATH'S-HEAD ON SABLE
Chapter 12
THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG
Chapter 14
MAGNIFIQUE JACQUES ST. PIERRE
Chapter 20
RAID UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS
Chapter 23
THE END OF DECLAN ROSS
Chapter 26
WRITTEN ON HER HEART
Chapter 28
THE ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT
Chapter 29
OF SLAVES AND CAPTAINS
Chapter 30
THREE FATEFUL DECISIONS
Chapter 32
THE FALL OF THE WILLIAM WALLACE
Chapter 37
DESTINATIONS AND DETOURS
Chapter 39
GHOSTS AT SEA AND ON LAND
Chapter 50
THE EVE OF DESTRUCTION
DECLAN ROSS
Red-bearded Scottish pirate; captain of the
William Wallace.
ANNE ROSS
Feisty daughter of Declan Ross; longs to be a pirate.
STEDE
West Indian sailor, quartermaster, and second-in-command of the
William Wallace.
MIDGE
The main carpenter on the
William Wallace
; he has extremely bad teeth and horrendous breath.
NUBBY
The cook and doctor on the
William Wallace
; he has a walrus moustache and only one arm.
CROMWELL
The bosun of the
William Wallace
; he has a very flat face and wears one large gold earring.
JULES
Deck hand on the
William Wallace
; also acts as Anne's bodyguard. Jules is a gigantic muscular pirate. He has a bristly moustache and wears a black skullcap.
RED EYE
A powder monkey, i.e., one of the quick fellows who sprints down to the hull to get black powder for the cannons. Red Eye is blind in one eye, and his cheek is scarred from an explosion that took place while he was doing his job.
CAT
A young man who awakens on an island, alone and seriously injured, with no memory. Rescued by the crew of the
William Wallace
, he searches for his identity.
JACQUES ST. PIERRE
Former French naval officer turned private businessman; he has a penchant for fire and explosives.
PADRE DOMINGUEZ
Priest of the Brethren who travels with the
William Wallace.
THIERRY CHEVILLARD
Bartholomew Thorne's lieutenant; called the Butcher because of his murderous past.
BARTHOLOMEW THORNE
The most notoriousâand ruthlessâpirate in the Caribbean; Thorne wants to build a pirate fleet large enough to control the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
MR. SKELLICK
Bartholomew Thorne's quartermaster.
SCULLY
Bartholomew Thorne's spy and chief source of information.
COMMODORE BLAKE
Young leader of the British naval forces in the Caribbean; commissioned to hunt pirates on the Spanish Main.
SIR NIGEL
Commodore Blake's adviser and right-hand man.
VESA TURINEN
Very oldâand very richâsailor, always ready to make a deal.
RAMIRO DE FERRO GONCALO
Portuguese shipbuilder; likes to duel.
Aft:
the back of the ship.
Bow:
front of the ship.
Bowsprit:
long pole extending forward from the bow of the ship.
Crow's-nest:
the highest platform on the mainmast used as a lookout point.
Forecastle
: the front of the ship, often where the crew's quarters are located.
Halyard:
rope used to pull a sail up.
Hull:
The body of a boat or ship.
Jib-rigged:
ship's sails that are triangular in shape.
Keel:
the structural spine that runs along the bottom of the ship.
Mast:
tall pole that supports all the ship's sails.
Poop Deck:
rearmost deck of the ship.
Port:
if standing on the deck and facing the front of the ship, port is left.
Quarterdeck:
raised deck behind the mainmast where the ship's wheel is found.
Spar-collar:
(sometimes known as a gooseneck) a moveable iron collar used to hold horizontal spars to the mast.
Spar:
long horizontal pole that a sail is attached to.
Square-rigged:
ship's sails that are square in shape.
Starboard:
if standing on the deck and facing the front of the ship, starboard is right.
Stern:
the back of the ship.
The watch:
a four-hour period when a sailor is on duty.
P
apa, I'm scared!” the little girl cried out as she slid awkwardly across the deck. Before she could regain her balance, she crashed into her father's arms.
“Oh, Dolphin!” he said, shielding her from sheets of rain and sea spray. “What are you doing up here?”