“Surely you can dispense with the restraints at this point, Kadir, my friend?”
“Spare me the sweet talk, Archard. I know you too well.” Kadir turned to Quidest. “The only thing faster than that sword of his is the incessant yapping of his mouth. Besides,” he sat and pulled off his hat, “even though I doubt you’re here to kill me, nor could you if you wanted to, I’m not the one who ordered you bound. You can tell it to Roberts. He’ll no doubt be here in a moment.”
“So, you’ve handed it over already, then? You have a successor?”
Kadir stood and slow clapped while walking toward Archard. “Bravo for French intuition. Figured that out all on your own?” He took off his sword belt and threw it across the room. “You’ve really mucked it up good, Archard. What on earth are you doing here?”
“Actually, we came to kill you.”
Quidest let out a chuckle.
Kadir smiled. “Is that so?”
“Well, not me personally, a young Guilderian fellow, good chap, Trajan’s his name. Apparently, you killed his father some years ago and he’s sworn a blood oath to enact his revenge. It’s all very proper and we decided to assist him in locating you. Surely you see I had no choice. It’s a matter of honor.”
Kadir sat and put his feet up on a table. “Surely.”
“He requests a duel. I am merely the messenger.”
“Uh huh. And you, ma’am?”
“I go where my love goes, and yes, it is a matter of honor.”
“Your love has had a rather bad run of it. Perhaps you should have stayed home?”
Quidest laughed. “Hardly. I speak of the man who captains the ship that will descend upon you in a heartbeat should you lay another hand on either of us.”
“Yeah, I saw that cute little yacht a moment ago. Tough talk for a ship with no cannon.”
“Your cannon will not save you from the blade of my love, should you encounter it close up.”
Kadir put his hands behind his head and stared at them, saying nothing.
The door of the cabin opened with a mild fury as Roberts walked in and slammed it behind him.
“Out with it! State your name and your business and be quick. I have a mind to end you right this instant.”
Archard bowed. “My lord. My name is Archard. I was once a…master of this fine vessel you’ve inherited.”
“So I’ve heard. Why are you here?”
“Well, this is rather awkward business, where to begin?” Archard’s hands were still bound behind his back so he had to turn slightly to point to Kadir. “You see, Kadir there…”
“Oh, heavens,” the pirate said as he took out a dagger and thrust it so quickly toward Archard that Quidest yelped. In the blink of an eye Archard’s ropes were cut and fell to the ground.
“Ah, very well, thank you. Say, you’re rather quick with a blade. Marvelous indeed.”
“Get on with it.”
“Right,” Archard said, rubbing his chafed wrists. “Well, I was just discussing with Kadir that a few of my associates and I have escorted a young fellow here with the intent of challenging him to a duel. You see, Kadir,” Archard held up his hand in an apologetic manner, “in the course of his duty as Roberts, no disrespect intended, well, Kadir made a widow of this young man’s mother, and now he seeks his revenge.”
“He seeks his revenge on the Dread Pirate Roberts.”
“Well, yes, but, and correct me if I’m wrong, you are only recently the Dread Pirate Roberts. This man was slain years ago, by Kadir, and so it is with him that the challenger must have his satisfaction.”
“Impossible,” he said.
Kadir, Archard, and Quidest stared at him with questioning looks. Archard ventured, “But you must see…”
“See? Yes, let us see how the board is set at present. We’ve only recently taken on this crew of miscreants from the worst of the worst around Australia, handpicked for their ruthlessness of course, and all under the assumption that I am, in fact, Roberts. Did they believe it? Hardly, but that mattered little to wanted men with blood on their hands so long as they received their share of the spoils. If I can’t establish complete dominance over this ship and everyone on it, they will turn on me in a heartbeat, and you will die as well.”
Roberts took off his hat, jacket, and sword belt as he positioned himself in front of a mirror. They watched as he removed his gloves and his outer shirt. He turned to them as he picked up another, more formal tunic, and brushed some of the dust away from it.
“Get your man, the unfortunate fool, and bring him here. I want to be done with this business here and set sail before sunset. It will give me no pleasure to kill him, but he should have known better than to set out on a such a ridiculous errand as this, or to cast his lot with pirates.”
Archard bowed. “Of course, you are right, sir. But the man is proud, he will not want to fight you once he hears that it was not by your hand his father was killed.”
“He sought the Dread Pirate Roberts, and the Dread Pirate Roberts he will face.”
He threw on the tunic, removed his sword from the scabbard, and examined its length, running his hand along the razor-sharp edge. “It will hardly matter, anyway. He was already dead the moment he committed himself to leave the comfort of his front door.”
Archard and Quidest were silent for several seconds, then Archard bowed again and turned to leave.
“No,” Roberts said, “have a seat.”
“I would like to return and present your acceptance to the other party, sir.”
“You will stay as you are. Kadir will signal them aboard.”
Archard raised his hand in protest. “Sir, a neutral site will be more befitting a proper duel.”
“He will fight and he will die on the deck of the Revenge, just like his father before him. Perhaps it will satisfy this dastardly crew of ours.”
Archard sat. Quidest remained standing.
Kadir nodded and took his leave.
Westley saw the signal flag. “They’re hailing us to come aboard.”
Inigo and Trajan stopped their sparring and came up next to him.
“So it is on the Revenge where you will have your…revenge,” Inigo said.
“That’s rather befitting, is it not?” Westley smiled.
Trajan hadn’t smiled in days. Now he stood proud, defiant, and his voice carried vengeance and strength. “It matters not. Get me in front of this monster and may God have mercy on his soul, for I will have none.”
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