The Lost Prince Read Free

behind Dean and put a hand on his shoulder. “The cap’n’s been hearin’ some rumblings about Harper lately. Last few payments from the
Reckless
have been a bit light. Word is, Gentleman Jim’s holdin’ out on us. Yer going to find out what’s what, savvy?” Dean nodded, but Scurvy Gill wasn’t finished. He leaned in close. “If ya don’t come back this time, we’ll do a lot worse than feed ya to the sharks, understand?”
    Dean winced. Scurvy Gill’s breath smelled like a dead octopus. “I understand.” He pulled away from Gill’s grip and turned to One-Eyed Jack. “I’ll do you proud, Captain.”
    Scurvy Gill kicked Dean’s legs out and shoved him to the deck. “Never mind that. Just do yer job.”
    Dean stayed down as One-Eyed Jack walked over to where he was. “Aye, Seaborne. Do your job. Get inside, gain the man’s trust, and report back what you see. Quickly. You’ve officially used up the last of my patience. You don’t want to be disappointing me again.”
    “No, sir.”
    One-Eyed Jack walked off, and Dean sat up. For once, the two of them were in total agreement. Dean definitely didn’t want to disappoint him again. He had been given a second chance. Therewould not be a third. Dean resolved to look at things differently from here on in. It was time for him to count his blessings and resign himself to the fact that he was a pirate spy, for better or for worse. If he was very lucky, he’d live to be an old pirate spy.
This is my life
, Dean thought.
This is it.

CHAPTER 2
B EEN C AUGHT S TEALIN ’
    D ean studied Gentleman Jim Harper from across the crowded tavern. It wasn’t hard to see how the man had gotten his name. He was a handsome rogue, sharply dressed in a spotless black frock coat and brilliant blue doublet. His mustache and goatee were neatly trimmed, and his long, auburn hair was washed clean. Gentleman Jim took more pride and care in his appearance than any pirate Dean had ever seen. Dean watched him at cards with the other pirates at his table. Gentleman Jim cut a dashing figure, but he was tougher than he appeared at first glance. His shoulders were broad, his hands were quick, and his eyes were unafraid. He had a strong presence about him. Of course he did. One-Eyed Jack would never have made the man a captain otherwise.
    Dean hung back in a corner of the room. Gentleman Jim hadn’t noticed him yet, and he wouldn’t, either, not until Dean wanted him to. The crowded tavern was the kind of place where it was easy for someone Dean’s size to get swallowed up by a crowd. It was also the kind of place Dean wasn’t old enough to be in yet, but rules like that didn’t apply on St. Diogenes. They did, however, apply on board Gentleman Jim’s ship. His crew was made up of kids who were all within a few years of Dean’s age, and their captain kept them out of establishments like this. Dean had counted on that. He needed to get himself a place on the
Reckless
if he was going to spy on its captain, and he didn’t have time to go through the Pirate Youth to do it. Gentleman Jim’s crew was known to be a tight-knit, territorial, and suspicious bunch. It would have taken months for Dean to work his way into their circle and build up enough trust to even get introduced to Gentleman Jim. But Dean had a plan.
    The moment Dean had been waiting for arrived when the card game broke up. The pirates Gentleman Jim had been playing with got up to leave, and he was alone at last.
Time for part one.
    Dean wove his way through the crowded room and took a seat at Gentleman Jim’s table. The young captain looked up at his uninvited guest and pulled the coins he’d just won a few inches closer to his side of the table. Dean leaned back and put his hands up, indicating he had no designs on Gentleman Jim’s gold. “Fiveminutes of your time, sir. That’s all I ask. It isn’t much, really … five minutes to change your life?”
    Gentleman Jim eyed Dean suspiciously for a moment, then