Raiders' Ransom Read Online Free Page B

There’s shouts and calls as the oars are raised, and the warriors on deck put their swords down and get ready to moor Father’s dragonboat. One of them throws a rope to the deckway. It’s red-haired Eadan, leaning right out from the prow. He looks well proud.
    Straightaway, his mother’s going on, “Oh my son! My wonderful son!”
    Eadan’s four years older than me, and this was his first journey as a warrior.
    I wish it had been mine.
    More lines are thrown from the boat and get caught by slaves, standing ready. But Eadan’s mother grabs a rope and starts hauling it, which gets a laughing cheer from the warriors on ship. And soon everyone’s pulling in my father’s warship, not stopping until she’s moored tight to the deckway.Then it’s like the crowd falls into waiting. Everyone’s silent. The warriors on board move aside, making way.
    Making way for Father.
    And he’s smiling, calling out as people press forward, trying to touch him. Steps off the dragonboat, onto the deckway. But he don’t go into the hall, and now he stops smiling, looking around. He crosses his arms: frowning; searching. He sees I ain’t there. He’s wondering where I am!
    â€œWhere is Aileen?” he shouts.
    Not me! Why not me? All he cares about is his skanky concubine, and the stupid mare’s not even here. Like always.
    There’s the sound of footsteps out from the hall, and when I put my eyes to a different hole, I can see Aileen, walking out to him.
    She’s got a smile on her nasty face, probably coz everyone’s looking at her. It ain’t right: She’s only his doxy! A slave, sold down by some Scottish smuggler. But she’s got her claws in, for sure. If my mother was still here, she’d slap her into place in a second. But she ain’t here. Nor Saera, neither. My mother and my little sister, both floated out into the marshes three years back. Sometimes I wonder if Father even remembers them.
    â€œHere I am, my lord,” says Aileen, in her stupid Scottish accent.
    And my father opens his arms and takes hold of her. Squeezing her.
    â€œYou’re a sight to make a man happy. And I’ve got a sight as fine to show you, too. You’ll never guess what luck we had.”
    The smile on Aileen’s stinking face gets bigger.
    â€œDid you get it?” she asks.
    â€œWhat a sweet time we had!” cries Father. “Those villages is like oysters ripe for cracking. And what a pearl we found inside!”
    â€œSo did you get it? Can I see it?” pants Aileen.
    â€œThis is the start!” shouts Father. “Everything starts from now!”
    The warriors on the ship start laughing and shouting. I put my eye to a different hole, and I can see them pull something across the boat toward the deckway. It struggles. It wails. It’s a well miserable, thin-faced little girl, with bare blue legs poking out from a white nightdress, ropes binding her arms to her sides. She’s about the same age Saera was when she got sick. And she looks half sick herself.
    Aileen pushes out of Father’s arms.
    â€œWhat is that?” she snaps. “Where’s the jewel?”
    â€œForget the jewel!” says Father. “This little girl is far more valuable.”
    â€œI want to go home. Please!” wails the little girl.
    Aileen’s fists are clenched. “Why didn’t you do what you were meant to?”
    My father laughs at her.
    â€œDon’t worry, my love. You can have all the jewels you want, but later. First let me introduce you to Miss Alexandra Randall, daughter of His
Glorious
Majesty Archibald Randall — Prime Minister of England, defender of their useless Last Ten Counties!”
    Aileen’s mouth drops open.
    â€œWhat have you done?” she whispers.
    â€œI’ve got one over that fool! Now let’s see if the whining English puppy dares to leave his palace and test himself against