Oloff the Pirate Series Box Set (eBook)

Ebooks 1 - 3

Gerrie Radlof, Pieter Haasbroek (Autoren)

Pieter Haasbroek (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
270 Seiten
Pieter Haasbroek (Verlag)
9780000923103 (ISBN)

Infos

A father murdered.

A son betrayed.

A deadly masquerade on the high seas...

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.

When young nobleman Oloff van Wagenaar arrives at the Dutch Cape Colony in search of the father who abandoned him, he instead finds only ashes, a burned estate, a murdered patriarch, and a false charge of murder hanging over his name. Branded a killer, Oloff is forced to flee for his life.

Hunted by a ruthless colonial fiscal and betrayed by those he once trusted, Oloff's only chance lies with the governor's defiant niece, Anna te Hoogen. Together, they plunge into the unforgiving world of sea pirates, where law is written by the cutlass and survival means becoming the very thing he despises.

Mistaken for a notorious pirate captain, Oloff must lead a ragtag crew of escaped slaves across perilous waters, through mutiny, betrayal, and vengeance, all the way to the pirate haven of Madagascar. But every mile he sails draws him closer to a chilling truth about his past. One that could cost him his honor, his love, and his soul.

Packed with swashbuckling battles, high-seas adventure, betrayal, and a touch of romance, this epic saga will sweep you into the golden age of piracy. Perfect for fans of Rafael Sabatini, Alexander Dumas, and fast-paced historical adventure fiction, this box set contains the first three thrilling Oloff the Sea Pirate novels. A gripping tale of vengeance, loyalty, and the price of freedom.

Set sail on the adventure of a lifetime. Oloff's legend begins here with the first three stories in one thrilling action-packed sea pirate story.

Textauszug

Chapter 2

A shot rang out. An exclamation of disappointment was followed by cheerful rebuke and good-natured teasing.

“It’s just the ship, Pieter!” one called out. “You’ll probably fare better on land.”

“You can easily talk, Jakob,” Pieter answered, feigning indignation, where he was still standing with the smoking pistol in his hand. “Come, see if you can get within ten paces of the target.”

The magnificent ship, the Lachende Zee, cleaved through the water. The sails billowed in the west wind. As one of the latest additions to the fleet of the Dutch East India Company, the Lachende Zee was designed according to the latest alignment. With the reasonably strong wind, the ship formed an almost motionless part of the sea’s surface, because it moved at the same speed as the undulating slopes of the water.

Captain Jansje van Breda climbed down from the stern. On the bottom step of the ladder, he looked across the deck at the group of merchants where they were standing against the railing, shooting at a target against the mainmast. He smiled. He had really enjoyed this trip. The honour had fallen to him, as one of the Company’s foremost captains, to take this group of wealthy young merchants to Batavia. With the exception of a few, they were sons either of the Lords Seventeen themselves or of the highest officials of the Company. When the unexpected storm had dragged them completely off course three days ago, and he therefore had to approach the Cape with a wide detour, he had thought that they would be dissatisfied. However, throughout, he had found that they were in a pleasant mood, and they were always the first to assure him what an enjoyable trip it was for them.

He walked closer, and those closest to the tastefully dressed young merchants greeted him vivaciously.

“Morning, captain!” one called out. “Today you have ordered a lovely sunny morning, haven’t you?”

Captain van Breda smiled.

“That’s not all,” he answered cheerfully. “With this wind, I challenge any other ship to overtake us. Within an hour, we can go ashore in False Bay. That will mean that you will only be able to visit the Cape with our return journey. However, this fits in perfectly with our plans, because it is your desire to arrive in Batavia on time to see how this season’s spice harvests are being processed, isn’t it? We will now just take on vegetables and water at one of the farms in False Bay. With the return journey, we can then stay a few weeks at the Cape.”

“Great!” exclaimed Cornelius te Heerden. “If you think so well, it suits us perfectly. Come on, Jakob, let’s see if you can emulate Pieter’s achievement.”

Captain Jansje van Breda smiled and turned away. He went back to the stern and the helm. Behind him, a pistol shot rang out, and then followed the cheerful laughter of the young merchants.

“Well, the closest you got to the target was forty-five centimetres. And where is Oloff? Where is that fellow, Oloff van Wagenaar?”

“Yes!” a few others also called out. “Where is Oloff? We would like to see if he can get closer to the mark today. It is one thing to be able to shoot straight when the water is as flat as a mirror, but now with the rolling swell, it is another matter, Oloff. Oloff van Wagenaar!”

A cabin door in the forecastle burst open. A young man of about twenty-five stepped over the high threshold. He was dressed according to Parisian fashion. The cravat around his neck was low, and it did not conceal the red locks that shone unpowdered and without a wig in the morning sunlight. And a pair of deep blue eyes laughed at the company before him. His pointed nose was elegant, but the strong chin and firm lips immediately contradicted all thoughts of effeminacy. He swung his arm, and the lace on his wrists fell back over his sleeves. With an easy, swinging movement, he walked across the deck as if he were completely at home on the rolling ship. His left hand rested on the sword hilt at his side, and the gleaming silver buckles on his shoes shot reflecting rays around him.

“Did someone call me?” he inquired cheerfully.

“Yes,” answered five voices. “Come here and see if you can repeat your earlier achievements.”

“Achievements?” Oloff van Wagenaar inquired slowly. “Which achievements? There are so many areas in which I...”

“There he starts again,” Cornelius te Heerden interrupted him. “Here Oloff, here is a loaded pistol. See if you can hit that thin little string against the mast.”

Oloff van Wagenaar looked in the direction of the mast. He raised his forehead in a wrinkle and squeezed one eye slightly shut.

“String?” he asked innocently. “I see nothing. You’re surely pulling my leg, fellows. You mean, of course, that we must see if we can hit the mast, don’t you?”

They laughed.

“Show him where the string hangs, Jakob!” another called out. The young man sprang forward and grabbed the string between his thumb and forefinger.

“Here,” he said.

Oloff van Wagenaar expressed his thanks. He regarded the pistol in his hand with raised eyebrows.

“How is it loaded?”

“Just a single bullet, old friend,” Cornelius answered.

“And you expect me...”

“Pieter got within twenty centimetres of the string.”

“But the string is moving,” Oloff countered.

“Then at least you can see it now, can’t you?”

Oloff took his stance. He looked around him.

“Those of you close to the stern,” he warned. “You’d better stand further aside.”

Everyone laughed again.

“Come on, Oloff. See what you can do.”

Oloff van Wagenaar took careful aim. He had often shot at targets with the others and, without any doubt, had proven that he was the best marksman on board. Until now, he had always jokingly made light of his achievements in his own way, but all of a sudden, he now felt that he would like to pull off this almost impossible feat. The ship moved under him. The string against the mast swung back and forth.

He pulled the trigger. The hammer came down. Smoke bubbled from the barrel, and a few of the young men jumped forward.

“The string is down!” one called out, and then they crowded around Van Wagenaar.

“Before you go ashore, Oloff,” said Cornelius te Heerden, “you are going to give me a few lessons. I’m serious, old friend,” he immediately added when he saw Oloff’s shoulder-shrugging movement. “Your skill with the pistol and the sword is almost unbelievable.”

“Yours is unsurpassable, Cornelius,” Oloff replied with a sincerity that removed all vain back-patting from his words.

“But not yet as good as yours.”

“Perhaps it’s a matter of practice. I do it regularly.”

“I don’t agree with you, Oloff,” another opined. “One person has a better eye for these things than another.”

Chatting, they stood around in groups. They moved to the railing, from where they could now see the Cape Point clearly. The elegant Lachende Zee pushed into False Bay. A few seagulls circled low in flight around the white sails as if they wanted to compare the white colour of their own bodies with it.

An hour later, the thick cables scraped over the sides, and the anchors sank among the lapping wavelets. The rigging and masts swarmed with sailors. The sails were quickly lowered, and a few boats were already descending from the side of the ship. When the long sloop hung a few centimetres above the water, the sailors released the ropes, and as it rolled over the rail, the sloop splashed into the water. Cheerful exclamations followed, because it felt as if the first step towards the shore had already been completed. They had been on board for a long time, and even the few hours on solid ground would be welcome.

On the forecastle stood Oloff van Wagenaar. He looked over the beautiful curve of the white beach of False Bay. To his left were the mountains, the backbone of the Peninsula. Somewhere in front of him would be Sandryk, his father’s farm.

He could still imagine what his father looked like. According to descriptions his mother had given him, he also had red hair and blue eyes. However, it was already fifteen years ago that he had left them, and it now felt to Oloff almost as if he would meet a stranger.

Thanks to the generous financial support they had received from his father, despite the estrangement between them, Oloff had fully assimilated the tradition and refinement of European civilization. From land to land and teacher to teacher, he had absorbed the wisdom of the writings and the beauty of the arts. He had brought the use of the sword and pistol to perfection. The gallantry, the courtesy of royal courts had become part of him. And yet, a void had remained in his life. Over the years, he had felt that as a young boy, he needed the guidance of a father.

He stood looking at the land, apparently calm and composed. Yet his heart was beating faster. He was close to fulfilling the great ideal of his life. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked into the friendly eyes of Cornelius te Heerden.

“You’re musing, Oloff,” said the young merchant. “It is rare to see you like this. So often you give the impression that you can’t be serious enough, and yet we have all guessed that there are much deeper thoughts hidden within you than what we will ever be capable of.”

“You flatter me, Cornelius,” Oloff answered quietly, “and I mean that honestly. It is rare that one will be able to make such a pleasant trip or that one will have the privilege of ending up in such pleasant company as the one you...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.8.2025
• Übersetzer: Pieter Haasbroek, Ai
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-13: 9780000923103 / 9780000923103