Part 13 (1/2)

Grey shook his head. 'I don't follow you.'

'It's quite easy,' said the Doctor. 'The Prince disguised himself as a Highlander and was taken prisoner with the rest of the rebels.'

Despite himself, Grey's steely eyes gleamed as he leaned forward. 'And where is he now?'

The Doctor started twiddling his thumbs. 'I wonder what that information would be worth. Let's see now...' He raised his hand and started counting on his fingers.

Trask gave a sudden growl, his hand going to his cutla.s.s, and pulled it out of his sheath. 'Leave him to me,'

he said, 'I'll burn it out of him.'

'No,' Grey stopped him. 'What do you think it's worth, Doctor?' he said, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

The Doctor looked up at the deck head for a moment before replying. 'Shall we say...' he finished his computation, '... ten thousand guineas, yes?'

Meanwhile outside, Kirsty and Polly, their oars carefully m.u.f.fled to avoid making a sound, had rowed across the firth and were now sc.r.a.ping against the side of the brig.

Kirsty stood up and looked through the small porthole.

She turned back to Polly and shook her head. 'Not this one,' she said, 'it must be the one further round.'

Polly, grasping the rough timbers of the brig, started pulling the boat further round towards the other porthole from which a faint light was s.h.i.+ning.

'Right,' whispered Kirsty.

Polly leaned over the bow and grasped one of the Brig's securing lines stretched out to a nearby buoy, and held the boat alongside the hull.

Kirsty stood on one of the thwarts and gazed through the porthole. Inside, Jamie and w.i.l.l.y had dozed off. Colin, his wound still throbbing, was leaning back beside the porthole, in a dream between waking and sleeping. He heard a voice that seemed to come from his thoughts, which were back with his family in the beautiful glen they called home.

'Father. Father. Father,' the voice called.

Colin, still in his dreams, smiled. He imagined his lovely young Kirsty running along the path to welcome him home. 'My child,' he called.

Kirsty's voice came through a little more urgently.

'Father, listen to me.'

Colin nodded, still in his dream. 'I see you, Kirsty.'

'Ye canna,' the voice said, 'I'm out here.'

'Aye.' Suddenly Colin came to and snapped up. 'Och, I must be dreaming.' He looked around him wildly. 'Kirsty!'

he called.

Kirsty's voice came through the porthole.

'Whist, Father,' she said, 'keep your voice down.'

'Where are ye?' Colin said.

'In a boat,' said Kirsty, 'outside here.'

Colin turned, looked out of the porthole, and put his hand through to clasp Kirsty's soft one. 'My Kirsty.' Colin was in tears. 'Are you well, child? You've come to no harm?'

Kirsty nodded, also unable to keep the tears from her eyes. 'I'm aye fine. And ye, Father?'

'Much better,' Colin whispered, 'a world better for hearing your voice, child. But you canna stay here. They'll find ye.'

'Then quickly, Father,' said Kirsty, 'take this.'

She pa.s.sed him a pistol through the porthole and Colin pulled it in, amazed. 'It's a miracle. I must be in a dream.'

'Nae dream, Father,' Kirsty's voice came through, 'we have arms for all of you, and a plan. Now come closer.'

Colin put his ear to the porthole. 'Listen to me.'

15.

The Fight for the Brig Grey glanced meaningfully over at Perkins, then looked back to the Doctor. 'You drive a hard bargain Doctor, but no matter. We agree. Now where is the Prince?'

'The very last place you'd think to look for him,' said the Doctor.

'Well?'

'Right here on this s.h.i.+p.' The listening men broke away in disbelief.

Trask reached for his sword hilt again. 'Let me have him,' he said.

Grey's thin mouth curled. 'A dangerous jest, Doctor.'

The Doctor nodded eagerly. 'Did you mark the young Highlander with me? The piper?'

'Piper?' Grey tried to remember, then shook his head.

'With soft hands and face. Did you notice his hair?' He looked around. First Trask, then Grey, then Perkins all shook their heads. 'Unmistakable,' the Doctor went on.

'He is the Prince.'