Betrayal Read Free Page B

“Captain Drake has an amusement for you and your Court if you’ll come this way.” His expression reminded me of my friend Masou when he is about to pull off a spectacular trick.
    We all processed along a walkway covered with canvas to a pool like a big rectangular fishpond. There were two winches with handles at one end and two rollers at the other. Floating on the water, held by ropes that went round the rollers and back to the winches, were two beautifully made model ships.
    A chair stood on a dais under an awning for the Queen to take her ease upon, which she did, while Mary and I arranged her train.
    Captain Drake stepped forward and his sharp blue eyes sparkled as he talked about the models. “This one here is the exact shape of a Spanish galleon, Your Majesty. Do you see how high her castles are and how round her hull? We based her on a ship I took two summers ago.” He moved to the other model ship, which looked much less magnificent. “Now, this one here is a kind of ship that does not even exist yet, although my own ship, the
Judith,
has a hull not so very unlike it. This is what you might call a race-built galleon and the trick’s in her hull, which is long and narrow and smooth like a dolphin.”
    The Queen nodded. “And the winches?” she asked.
    “Ah, that’s for the wager.” He waved forward two sturdy young men. “Now, here are Jem and Michaelthat are ’prenticed shipwrights and built strong, as you can see. Do you think they could turn the winch quickly?”
    Everybody nodded, fascinated to know what he would say next. “Well, I say that the English race-built galleon can beat the Spanish galleon, even if two of the Queen’s own gentlewomen are turning the winch for it! In fact I’ll wager ten shillings on it. Who’ll take my bet?”
    Well, the Court gentlemen thought this hysterically funny and, to be truthful, so did we, because the two young shipwrights looked as if they knew a thing or two about turning a winch. Mr. Hatton stepped forward at once to take Captain Drake’s bet and so did some of the other gentlemen. But I noticed that Captain Derby simply grinned at his friend and made no move to gamble. The Queen watched and smiled.
    “Now, ladies, who shall turn the English galleon’s winch?” asked Captain Drake of all of us.
    Nobody said anything at first because we were all still giggling and murmuring amongst ourselves. But then I decided to step forward, because it certainly looked an interesting activity. To my astonishment, Lady Sarah stepped forward, too, dropped a curtsy, and said, “I’ll do it, too.”
    The Queen blinked in surprise and then gestured us over. Lady Jane smirked at the girl next to her—and then looked sour when she saw the rapt expression on Drake’s face, as he stared at Lady Sarah. I thought Captain Derby looked fairly stupid as well. And the two shipwrights seemed as stunned as rabbits facing a fox at the sight of a damask-clad, red-curled lady of the Court advancing on them, pulling on her gloves.
    I hurried after her, only I’d forgotten my gloves so I had to manage without.
    “Ready, steady, go!” cried Captain Derby.
    The shipwrights started turning their winch, which gradually wound in the rope attached to the Spanish galleon model and pulled their ship through the water.
    Sarah and I had a bit of trouble because Sarah was trying to turn the winch one way and I was turning the other, but once we sorted that out, and the English race-built galleon started being pulled through the water, too, it was easy. We even caught up with the Spanish galleon because our ship moved more easily through the water—then fell back a bit because we were still arguing. But then, with everyone spurring us on, we stopped talking, turned the winch together, and our ship got to the other side of the pond first!
    Everyone cheered and clapped, and Lady Sarah curtsied prettily, standing in front of me so that Captain Drake would get the full benefit of her