Twenty-Six

Tobias

"Toby..." Mary's voice trailed off as she stared down at the big blue heart-shaped diamond in her palm. The surrounding diamonds caught the light and sparkled. The crowd fell silent.

"I thought I lost this to Jonathan Barnet," she murmured. "Where did you get it?"

"I swiped it out of Barnet's desk when I was trying to rescue you," Tobias said lightly. His heart was doing strange acrobatic things in his chest. This was it, wasn't it? Game over? The end? He turned to Hornigold. "This means Captain Read wins the contest, right?"

"Uh, er, well, let's see here..." Hornigold pushed his spectacles up on his nose. "What is that? Some kind of big sapphire?"

"A diamond," said Mr. Witherell, pushing Hornigold aside so he could get a closer look. He snapped his fingers, and Mary gently placed the necklace into his gloved hand. He put a mini-spyglass up to his eye and peered through it at the stone. He whistled. "A very rare diamond. I'd estimate it's forty-five carats, the biggest diamond in the world. And cut into a heart shape like that—how very distinctive! What a piece! The diamonds on the chain alone are worth a fortune!" He was growing more and more excited, more even than he'd been by the pearl crown or the map to Atlantis. "Where on earth did you find this, my dear?"

Mary shrugged. "Someone tossed it off the back of a boat right as I happened to be swimming by."

"Why would anyone ever do that?" The appraiser's nose wrinkled. "And you were... swimming?"

Tobias stepped in. "Captain Read enjoys diving, sir. A bit of a hobby of hers."

"Ah." Mr. Witherell cleared his throat. "Well, I don't suppose it matters where you got it. The fact is, it's here. It's real. And it is priceless. It's a great treasure all on its own."

"Which means Captain Read wins, right?" Tobias tried again.

"Uh, er, well..." Hornigold stepped over to the other two members of the AARP to discuss.

"Oh, come on," Tobias heard Anne complain loudly from nearby. "You said they were tied, and then Mary—er, Captain Read—added a priceless treasure to her pile, which put her clearly over the top, and then that filthy scum Captain Vane added what was supposedly another priceless treasure—although it was really just a map, which makes it potential treasure, mayhap, but in my experience, a map doesn't always equal real treasure, but whatever, call it priceless if you like, it's pretty, I guess—which made Captain Read and Captain Vane tied yet again, and now Captain Read has put in yet another priceless treasure, which means she's the winner. Unless you're still meaning to try to rob her of her rightful title. Again."

"All right, darling," Tobias heard Jack say cajolingly. "You've said your piece. No need for your dagger just yet."

"And Captain Vane also broke the rules," Anne pointed out.

Hornigold folded his arms over his chest. "It is not against the rules for one contestant to sabotage another's ship."

Anne folded her arms, too. "I wasn't speaking of that—which is a low-down dirty move, too, if you ask me. I was speaking of when Captain Vane betrayed Mary to the pirate hunter, Jonathan Barnet, and testified at her trial, which led to her being sentenced to death. Captain Vane attempted, then, to murder Captain Read. And that's against the rules, is it not?"

"Ah now, don't get hysterical, lass," Vane retorted. "I did not intend for Mary here to be killed."

"You could have fooled me, since you pulled out your gun and shot two of her crew."

"That was an accident," Vane argued.

"Accidental murder is not allowed, either."

"And you did say, sir," one of Vane's crew members piped up, "that you wouldn't rest until Captain Read and every one of her crew were dead."

Vane shifted uncomfortably.

All eyes returned to the judges. After a moment of further discussion, they broke apart. Hornigold looked put out but resolute.

"Let's deal with the treasure part first. It seems that Captain Read indeed has more treasure," he said. "Unless anyone has something more to add?"

No one did.

Hornigold sighed.

"Very well. I pronounce, on behalf of the AARP and pirates everywhere, that Captain Mary Read has won—fair and square—the position of the Pirate King. Er, Queen."

"Three cheers for the Pirate Queen!" Tobias called out, grinning, and Mary's crew (which was quite large by now), burst into raucous whooping and clapping, and their enthusiasm was so heartfelt and genuinely joyful that soon the entire crowd filling the seats at GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS began to cheer for Mary as well.

Equality, you see, is catching.

"Take Captain Vane to the fort," Hornigold added then. "He did indeed seem to be intentionally trying to murder his competition. It's a gibbet for him."

"NOOOOOOOOO," Captain Vane yelled raspily as they dragged him away.

The crowd turned their attention back to Mary.

"SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH!" they began to chant, and Mary's face flushed bright red, but she nodded and held up her hand for them to quiet down.

"Give us a speech," croaked Croaky the parrot from Child's shoulder.

Mary laughed. "All right, you stubborn bird! I do have a few words I'd like to say." She took a deep breath. "My fellow pirates, I am honored and humbled to have such a title as Pirate Queen bestowed upon me. But it is a name only. I don't intend to rule over anyone. If anything, I hope this position gives me a chance to lead us into a new and better Golden Age of Piracy, where there are no kings and queens, no masters, no wealthy, entitled overlords, but in which men and women of every creed and class and color find themselves equals. The Future of Piracy is us!"

Everyone applauded wildly. Tobias felt like he would burst, he was so proud of her.

She put up her hand again, and the crowd quieted.

"I have some people to thank, without whom I wouldn't be here." She glanced around the room, blue eyes shining. "First, I owe my thanks to the best darn crew a captain could ever ask for. We've had our own ups and downs together, but you've made me the woman I am, the captain I am, and you will always have a place by my side, even if our ship is lost."

More than one of her crew broke down into noisy sobs over that.

"Thank you to the other lady pirates—you know who you are—who inspired me to be myself. Especially the fiercest swashbuckler I've ever met, and my friend, Anne Bonny!"

Anne stood up, waved excitedly to the crowd, belched, for some reason, and blew Mary a series of kisses.

Mary chuckled. "I want to thank my family, who were always willing to sacrifice part of themselves to help me." She fingered the pearl crown. "Particularly my dearest cousin, Jack, who most of you will know as Calico Jack Rackham. Seriously, without you, Jack, I wouldn't be here, in the very best way possible. I'm so glad you invited me into your world. Thank you for believing in me."

"You go, Littlest!" Jack called, and blew her a kiss as well.

Then Tobias's breath caught, because Mary had turned to him now, and her gaze locked with his, so intently that his entire body went warm and fuzzy.

"And last, but not least," she said, "I wish to thank my partner in literal crime, Mr. Tobias Teach. I always thought your name was an apt one, because from the very first day I knew you, you've taught me so much. About how to be a pirate, yes. But also about how to be the truest friend and companion a person could have." She paused for a moment, staring at him as if they were suddenly the only two people in the room. "I should have told you everything from the beginning, and I'm sorry I didn't. You are the cleverest, most trustworthy, funniest, sweetest, kindest, most blatantly attractive man I've ever known, and I've been a fool to wait so long to tell you so. I... I—"

"Go on, tell him," yelled someone from the crowd.

Mary smiled a little smile, just for Tobias. He could read her expression, almost like he could hear her soft voice in his head.

Not here. Not now.

Mary finally broke her gaze from his. "What I mean to say is, Toby, thank you. For giving me my heart." She held up the necklace, then closed her fist around it. "For everything." She gave an embarrassed laugh and glanced around. "And that's enough listening to me blabber on, isn't it? Let's celebrate! Drinks on me! Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!"

"YO HO, YO HO, FOR THE PIRATE QUEEN!" the crowd roared, and some of them surged forward and lifted Mary onto their shoulders, carrying her from the stage to the floor.

In the chaos, Tobias took the opportunity to slip out. He walked the nearly abandoned streets of Nassau almost without looking at where he was going. It was fully dark now, and the lanterns had been lit, and he thought this filthy, rickety town had never seemed so beautiful. She had done it. They had done it, together. They had won.

But there was a sadness inside him at this, too, because he knew it meant that things would change between them. He understood now. Their friendship was so precious, more than a crown or a diamond necklace or a lifetime worth of gold. If it changed, he would lose some part of her.

But he supposed that was life.

When he reached their little shack, he unlocked it and spent a few minutes tidying it up. He swept the floors and dusted, pumped fresh water for the pitcher. (He may have also gussied up a bit, washed his face, dabbed some old spices in his armpits, and changed into a clean shirt and trousers.) Then he sat at the beat-up table in the corner and began to draw a new map.

A map of their time together. Charles Town. Nassau. Plum Point. A mark for the Queen Anne's Revenge in its resting place off Ocracoke Island. A coral spire in the sea to represent Underwhere. The beach where he'd found Caesar again. The island shaped like a boot. Port Royal. Booty Island. And back to Nassau.

What an adventure they'd had.

He heard the door open and shut, but he didn't look up. "We need to get some oil for that creaky door," he said. "Put that on the list."

"We also need to see about getting that new table." She plunked down in the chair opposite him, took off her hat, tossed it on her bed, and shook out her tawny hair. Then she set one of the heavy bags of gold on the table, along with the coral crown. "We can afford it now, I think."

He nodded. "Aye."

She was wearing the heart necklace again, he noticed. He felt like his own heart was out of his chest, too, dangling there for her to see.

He focused on the map.

"It's been some night," she said with a deep sigh. Then she grinned. "I suppose you should be calling me Your Majesty from here on out."

He scoffed. "Yeah, that's not happening. But you did give a pretty good speech."

"Oh, you thought so?"

"Aye. Especially that bit at the end." He glanced up and met her eyes again, as blue as the stone around her neck. He swallowed and glanced away. "But I don't agree."

"You don't agree," she repeated flatly, her smile dropping.

"I don't think you're a fool, Mary."

She sat back, clearly relieved. "Ah, well, that's good, I guess."

"And what was that other part?" He squinted like he was trying to remember what she'd said, like the words weren't already etched on the stone tablet of his heart. "You think I'm clever and funny and"—he made a face—"sweet? How's a pirate to stand being called sweet? How can I show my face on the ship after that?"

"You don't have to be a pirate, Toby," she said earnestly. "Not anymore. Not if you don't wish it."

What I wish is to be with you! he thought, but found he still couldn't voice the words. Wherever you are, that's where I will be. Instead, he tried for another joke. "But there was something else you called me. Blatantly attractive, I believe it was. I'm afraid I didn't quite catch your meaning." He'd never had a woman call him attractive before. Heck, he'd never had a woman call him any of those things Mary had up there on the stage. Not because he wasn't those things, dear reader, but because he hadn't spent much time up to now in the company of women. (That he'd known about, anyway.)

"You're beautiful," she said. "Your eyes have this warm depth to them, layers of brown and amber, and they crinkle up around the edges when you're trying not to smile, and your lips are perfect, too, and your ears—"

"My ears?" His ears were burning. Other parts were beginning to feel decidedly heated as well. "You've been... looking?"

"Aye," she admitted. "I did try not to notice, truly I did, Toby. But if you'd ever seen yourself from the back." She shook her head. "You're fetching as blazes."

He was really beginning to regret that there was this old crappy table between them. He stood up abruptly and crossed around it. She jumped to her feet, too, but took several steps back, raising her hand between them. He stopped.

"What it is?"

"I have to say this first." She straightened, her eyes on his. "I love you, Tobias Teach."

He closed his eyes, letting the words wash over him. "I know," he murmured, and opened his eyes to drink in the sight of her, flushed and terrified and sweet. "And I love you, Mary Read. Mark. Littlest. My captain. My queen. Whatever name you want me to call you, I love you."

She wet her lips nervously, and it was all he could do not to surge forward and take her in his arms. "So we're agreed?" she said, a bit gruffly. "We love each other, then."

"Aye." He took a step toward her, but she stepped back again.

"But we will still be friends," she insisted. "Promise me. Because I can't lose that."

"I promise, Mary," he said.

She nodded, satisfied by his answer. "All right." Then she closed the space between them in two long strides. At last, at last, she kissed him. And kissed him. And kissed him. (He could have swum to Underwhere and back, is all we're saying.) They explored each other in the cozy, quiet dark of their own little corner of Nassau. Tobias learned so many things about Mary he hadn't known before. What she tasted like—sweetness and salt. The feel of her breath against his ear. Her hand on the back of his neck, reeling him in for yet another kiss. The tangle of her legs with his. The map of her skin. The warmth of her body when later, she slept in his arms.

"Good morning," he said softly, when the sun streamed in the window and she stirred against him. They were squeezed into her narrow bed.

She yawned and smiled at him. "Good morning."

It was a new day. It felt like a new world.