The crowd parted and a unit of guards followed hot on the footman’s heels, escorting a man and two young women. Now Jack’s despair deepened to unimaginable depths. To his horror, he saw the three being held in the guards’ custody were Signor Horatio, Rose … and Jess! This was the final twist of the knife. Jess and his two loyal friends were to face the same cruel punishment.

Then an elderly silver-haired man wearing a formal chain of office and a slim rapier on his hip stepped forward from the unit of guards. ‘Cut them down!’ he ordered. It was none other than Lord Robert Percival.

One of the guardsmen dashed over and sliced through the ropes with his sword. Jack, Akiko and Yori teetered on the plank, Yori almost toppling headfirst into the water. Signor Horatio caught him and guided him safely to the quayside, before returning for Jack and Akiko.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ roared Sir Henry. ‘These criminals have been formally tried and sentenced to be hanged until three tides have passed!’

Lord Percival held up a vellum scroll bearing a large red seal. ‘I have in my hand a Royal Pardon for all three prisoners from King James himself.’

Sir Henry blustered. ‘Let me see that!’ He snatched the scroll out of Lord Percival’s hand and broke the seal. His indignant expression turned first to befuddlement, then to astonishment, and finally to outrage. ‘I don’t believe it! No one in their right mind would pardon these rogues!’

A collective gasp went up from the crowd. Lord Percival stared hard at Sir Henry. ‘Watch what you say, sir. Are you calling His Majesty the King mad?’

Sir Henry swallowed. ‘N-n-no …’ he stammered, ‘that’s not what I meant at all – just that this pardon might be a forgery.’

Lord Percival’s hand rested lightly on the hilt of his rapier. ‘Then if you aren’t questioning the King’s sanity, are you questioning my integrity, sir?’

Inclining his head in deference, Sir Henry replied quickly, ‘Of course not, my lord.’

‘Good,’ said Lord Percival, taking back the scroll. ‘Now, guards, arrest this man.’

‘What?’ cried Sir Henry, as he was seized roughly by both arms. ‘You can’t arrest me! I’ve done nothing wrong.’

Lord Percival peered down his arched nose at him. ‘No wrong, you say? The kidnapping and extortion aside, Sir Henry Wilkes, you’re hereby charged with failing to pay your debts. It has been decided that you should be held in Fleet Prison until such debts are repaid, in full.’

Sir Henry’s face blanched. ‘But I owe thousands upon thousands of pounds!’ he exclaimed, as the guards started dragging him away.

‘Then you’ll be in prison, sir, for a very long time,’ replied Lord Percival with a wry smile.

45: Cast Off