Ill Winds Blowing Across a Troubled Sea

With the wretched Sol Faolchin destroyed, with war between England and Spain drawing to a close, Mary resumes smuggling contraband between the Old World and the new one and life is better than fair - until grim misfortune finds her. A freakish wave during a monstrous storm off the coast of Florida sweeps her overboard and she is lost. Mary's plucky protg Elizabeth - headstrong, full of Spanish fire and raw ambition, but also very young - takes command. With prospects dwindling in the Americas, Elizabeth pledges Mary's ships to the newly formed Dutch East India Company and sails to the Spice Islands for nutmeg, mace, cloves and pepper - cargo more valuable than gold. Then, on a childish whim, Elizabeth ventures even farther east to Portuguese-held Macau where she is introduced to a powerful Chinese merchant named Fng W - and to the plentiful opium served liberally at the House of a Thousand Pleasures. She strikes a good bargain with W purchasing exotic Oriental goods - foolishly using a portion of the Company's spices as payment - but as she leads her little fleet west for home pirates sent by W attack. A ship is lost, a crew is slaughtered. Elizabeth withdraws in shame to her cabin and turns to opium for comfort. Upon reaching Amsterdam, the Dutch promptly arrest Elizabeth for her betrayal. They confiscate her ships. Elizabeth plummets into a dark and bottomless pit of despair. As Elizabeth falters Mary, having survived her misfortune a world away, is slowly making her way back to Ireland. She travels on to Amsterdam where she is joyfully reunited with her men, though her rebuke of Elizabeth is harsh, and she makes amends with the Company. The cost is steep. Mary and her lads must sail into war alongside the Dutch against the Portuguese in the Far East. Still, such a voyage offers an opportunity. After fulfilling her obligations to the Dutch, Mary will introduce herself to the Chinaman named Fng W... Based on true historical events, this is a tale about war and adventure, about love, betrayal and revenge.