Sea of Vengeance (eBook)

A Cape pirate adventure, Book 2

Gerrie Radlof, Pieter Haasbroek (Autoren)

Pieter Haasbroek (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
95 Seiten
Pieter Haasbroek (Verlag)
978-0-00-072733-6 (ISBN)

Infos

Branded a murderer.

Hunted as a pirate.

Betrayed by a phantom who wears his face.

Plunge into the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1720), where the treacherous waters of the Cape of Good Hope are just the beginning of a worldwide adventure.

In the perilous 18th-century Indian Ocean, young Dutch nobleman Oloff van Wagenaar is framed for his father's murder and forced to flee the Cape Colony. To survive, he seizes a ship and becomes the dreaded Oloff the Pirate. A name whispered in fear across the trade routes from Africa to Madagascar.

But while Oloff builds his legend on the high seas, his heart remains captive to Anna te Hoogen, the governor's beautiful niece. When fate throws them together once more, Anna must decide whether the man she once loved is a ruthless outlaw or the only one who can save her.

Then a darker threat emerges. A cunning impostor, Oloff's exact double, ravages the seas in his name, leaving villages in flames and oceans soaked in blood. Branded as a phantom killer, Oloff must hunt down his murderous twin through pirate havens, treacherous waters, and battles that will test his very soul.

To reclaim his honor and win back Anna, Oloff must expose the truth before vengeance consumes him forever.

Packed with swashbuckling sea battles, forbidden romance, and a deadly mystery, this historical pirate epic is perfect for fans of Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood, The Count of Monte Cristo, and the high-seas intrigue of Black Sails.

Set sail today on the second unforgettable voyage of Oloff the Sea Pirate!

Textauszug

SEA OF VENGEANCE

Chapter 1

It is shortly before midday. Pleasant sunbeams fill the bay of the Cape of Good Hope. Upon the mirror-smooth water lies the large ship Jansje Meer. Its sails are furled, and the magnificent vessel appears like a castle among the smaller ships and boats in the bay. The Jansje Meer has already been in the harbor for a week. The luxurious craft of the Dutch East India Company is en route to Batavia. This afternoon at high tide, it will depart, and the fiscal of the Cape, Frederick de Nuys, as well as the governor’s niece, Anna te Hoogen, will be aboard.

White breakers lap against the clean sand of the broad beach that curves away from the city, receding far in the direction of Blaauwberg. Table Mountain and Lion’s Head stand out clearly against the cornflower-blue sky. No mist or clouds obscure their image.

The streets of the Cape are bustling. Lavish coaches rumble in the city center over the cobblestones of the main roads. Wagons and carts are drawn up in front of shops and businesses. At wine houses and other taverns, dozens of horses stand with their reins hung over the crossbeams. Sons of wealthy merchants, attempting to fill the idle hours of their comfortable existence, mingle with slaves who hasten through the city to carry out one or another command.

A luxurious coach rumbles over the paving stones in the direction of the Castle. When it passes beneath the gate, the guards salute smartly. They recognize the daughter of one of the senior merchants. Bertha Neethling is the intimate friend and confidante of the governor’s niece. She visits the Castle often. This morning, she has come to help her friend pack her last belongings and make the final preparations for the long journey to Batavia, and also to bid her farewell. In fact, she is one of the dignitaries who have been invited to enjoy the midday meal at the Castle, a farewell meal for Anna te Hoogen and the fiscal, Frederick de Nuys.

A porter in the official livery of the building to the right of the Castle gate awaits. He hands her over to one of the ladies-in-waiting of the governor’s niece.

In Anna te Hoogen’s room, the friends embrace.

Bertha looks around in astonishment at the multitude of large trunks and parcels. She shakes her head while smiling.

“One would say you’re never coming back, Anna!” she exclaims.

Anna te Hoogen laughs. She glances around.

“It does indeed seem that way, Bertha,” she replies in her soft, melodious voice, “but as you know, it takes weeks to get there. Moreover, we will likely stay in Batavia for six months before we return.”

Bertha looks at her friend tenderly. She sees the wistfulness in her bright blue eyes.

Anna te Hoogen is a strikingly beautiful girl. Her face is strong, but around her chin and lips there is a fullness that lends a pleasant warmth to her appearance. From her satin-smooth forehead beneath the high, curled wig to the soft curve of her neck, she is perfectly formed. The simple but expensive tabard extends from her shoulders, cinching around her slender waist, and then flaring out widely over the hoops to the ground.

Most people who know Anna te Hoogen know her as the orphan who was adopted and raised by the governor. She has lived in the castle for several years. She is intelligent and has received the best education that the governor could provide. In many respects, she has identified with the problems of the Cape settlement. As the governor’s confidante, she wields considerable influence over his decisions, and the Political Council has also realized that her opinions are fair and well-founded, and that they dare not disregard them lightly.

However, this is not what Bertha Neethling is thinking about now. That expression in her friend’s eyes carries her back several months to an event that deeply shocked the Cape at the time.

“Anna,” she says softly, “it seems to me as if you haven’t forgotten Oloff van Wagenaar yet?”

“How could I ever forget him, Bertha?” Anna te Hoogen exclaims, as if even the thought of him pains her. “No other man has ever drawn me as he did. To this day, I still believe in his innocence. But it is so very difficult, after all these months, to still have faith while the whole world is turned against him.”

“You can’t blame them, Anna,” says Bertha. “According to all the evidence, he took his own father’s life. He returned with ridiculous stories that the people who could prove his innocence had been killed by pirates. I know that you told me how he promised you to bring back his father’s murderer and thereby prove his innocence, but that has not happened yet, Anna, you must forget him.”

“I cannot,” Anna te Hoogen lowers her head. Her hands are clasped in front of her. “I believe that he will still come. It is only you, Bertha, who knows this secret of mine. It is only to you that I have told of his promise to me to track down that man who is his double and who actually committed the crime of which he is now accused, and to bring him to justice. Perhaps, Bertha, perhaps I will encounter him somewhere in the East. After all, he departed in that direction.”

“You know what stories are being told,” Bertha resumes. “You’ve heard of the atrocities of the pirates. The mightiest of them all is the dreaded Oloff. The man who calls himself Oloff the Pirate. They describe him as someone with blue eyes and red hair. The most terrible cruelties are attributed to him. And who else could he be but Oloff van Wagenaar? The very same Oloff is suspected of murdering his father with the help of pirates!”

“Stop it, Bertha!” exclaims Anna, and her friend can see how tense she is. “I refuse to believe that it is Oloff. It must be that other man who looks just like him.”

“You’re the only one who thinks so, Anna.” For a moment, she falls silent. “Oh Anna, Anna,” she then exclaims, “you know how sorry I feel for you!”

Anna smiles quietly. She puts her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“I know that you are my best friend, Bertha. I cannot say more than that.” She shrugs and holds her head proudly upright.

“Come,” she says. “Let us forget these unpleasant things. Perhaps it’s all just dreams anyway. Tell me, Bertha, what are people saying about the fact that the attractive young independent fiscal and I are going to Batavia together?”

“What aren’t they saying!” exclaims Bertha, clapping her hands together. “Everyone is convinced that we will soon be hearing wedding bells.”

Anna te Hoogen laughs, but it is somewhat dry.

“Even he thinks so,” she says slowly.

“Don’t you perhaps think that it would be much better if ...”

“Don’t say it, Bertha,” Anna interrupts her. “You know how I feel about Frederick de Nuys. He may well be an intelligent young man, and he has quickly risen in the Company’s service, but, no. Bertha, let’s forget that too. Help me empty these few drawers. That is all that remains. After that, we must go inside, because the midday meal will begin in an hour or so. We must move amongst the people for a while, so that I can bid them all farewell.”

The large antechamber is already full of officials, merchants, and other dignitaries. They stand in groups, chatting. Servants move slowly among them with trays full of the sparkling Constantia wine.

When Anna te Hoogen and Bertha Neethling make their appearance, they are immediately surrounded by a group of young men. At the front is Frederick de Nuys. His elongated eyes are wide open now that he sees Anna. His high cheekbones are emphasized by the smile that spreads across his face. He offers her his arm, and they move through the crowd to a comfortable corner where a few chairs still stand empty. As soon as the ladies have taken their seats, the young men gather around them. They laugh, chat, and joke. The men lament the fact that they must remain without Anna’s beautiful presence for so long. They envy De Nuys the privilege of making this journey with her.

The young fiscal stands proudly beside her. He is still quite young, and yet he already holds an unparalleled position of power at the Cape. He is directly responsible to the Lords Seventeen, and even the governor must be careful how he acts before the fiscal. Through this, and also because he is constantly busy with official matters at the Castle, he has gotten to know Anna well. It has often happened that they have been seen together, especially at official receptions. This journey to Batavia has strengthened the suspicion that Anna te Hoogen is entirely pleased with the young fiscal’s attentions, although he is actually going on a business trip and she to visit family.

Captain Roelof Manker, captain of the Jansje Meer, and a few of his officers bow before the ladies. They exchange a few words, and then Captain Manker introduces two other men to the group. One is Captain Ruiter, and the other is an officer, Jan Heerden.

Upon hearing these names, several of the young men exclaim in surprise. Frederick de Nuys also steps closer.

“So, you are the Captain Ruiter who had the miraculous escape when the Seewraak attacked you? We had so hoped to meet you.”

“Yes,” Captain Ruiter replies slowly, and there is the calm smile of a man who has endured much suffering around his lips. “We were tired and wanted to rest before seeing people again. You can surely understand that the hardship...”

“Of course, of course!” exclaims de Nuys. “You must forgive us for being so curious and for bringing up the matter right away. If you prefer…”

“Not at all,” answers Ruiter. “We don’t mind talking...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.8.2025
• Übersetzer: Pieter Haasbroek, Ai
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-072733-4 / 0000727334
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-072733-6 / 9780000727336