The Dark Amazon
A head suddenly broke the surface as McCurdy watched; and spat out water, and spoke. "Me lad !" the man said, ignoring the gun McCurdy levelled at it, looking past him to Hawksmoore.
.
"Captain !" Sebastian Hawksmoore cried, with apparent delight, jamming the pole into the bottom to slow the boat.
"Permission to come aboard, Master Hawksmoore ?" the man asked, the blackness of the river rendering him as a dripping wet, disembodied head. He had an eyepatch, and a bald spot, but did not look particularly threatening. His accent was akin to Hawksmoore's.
"Granted !"
The man swam to the side of the boat, and he set an arm along it, to haul himself aboard, then made a gesture at the water, a beckoning one, to something or someone below it; Brother Clary saw this clearly. "Do I mistake me, or is this Pedro Morales' boat, Bastian ?" he said, as Hawksmoore bent to offer him a hand up.
"Tis, Captain," Hawksmoore replied.
"And where is the good man ?"
"Seeking his boat, happenstance," Hawksmoore said, with a smirk.
"Oh, me lad, a pirate forever ye are." grinned the man, and easily got onto the boat. He was dressed mostly as a native, but wore boots and a knife on his belt. Dripping wet, he bowed, with flair and courtesy, to the ladies, first Liza, then Marianne. "Miladies !" he said, with delight, and a rogueish smile. "May I present myself; Jonathan Hornsby, at your service !"