The Angel's Command
by Brian Jacques
Back at the helm
Ben and his Labrador, Ned, castaways from the legendary ghost ship
—but a mishap in South America lands them aboard a French pirate ship with not one, but two villainous sea captains
in pursuit. To make matters worse, Ben is still haunted by visions of Captain Vanderdecken, whose ghost seeks
vengeance on the former cabin boy. And that is only the
'Jacques has . . . come up with another page-turner. Readers who enjoyed the first book will find this sequel even more
exciting.'
—
'This big, sprawling adventure will win new fans for Jacques's series.'
—
'The threads of this action-packed adventure include magic, a wicked witch, and a good dollop of nail-biting danger,
all finally weaving back to the good captain, closing the loop of these two tales. Fans of the first book, Jacques, and
old-fashioned adventure could find this book to be just their cup of tea.'
—
'As in all of Jacques's books, he conjures a colorful, fully realized world (particularly the gastronomic delights) and
injects the pages with plenty of snappy repartee ('Cease cackling like a market goose, you old relic,' the nobleman calls
affectionately to his cook). Readers can once again take satisfaction in the fact that virtue is rewarded, evildoers get
their comeuppance and good triumphs over evil in Jacques's universe.'
—
THE REDWALL BOOKS
OTHER BOOKS
PADRE ESTEBAN
'Peace be with you, my son. I am Padre Esteban. I hope that you and your friends mean no harm to me or my people.'
Ben returned his smile. 'No, Padre, we only need food and fresh water, so we can continue our voyage.'
A thought from Ned flashed into Ben's mind as he saw Ned returning, dragging a large dead tree branch along the
sand: 'I felt your fear. Who is the man? Where's he from?'
Ben replied mentally to the Labrador. 'Come here and take a look at his face, Ned—he's a friend, Padre Esteban.'
Ned released the branch and came to sit by Ben. 'Padre Esteban, eh? He's more like a statue of a saint than a man. I
like him!'
The padre reached out a hand that was the color of antique parchment. Stroking Ned's offered paw, he was silent for a
while. Then, staring at Ben, he shook his head in wonder. 'Who taught you to speak to an animal?'
Somehow, the boy was not surprised....
THE LEGEND OF THE
Captain Vanderdecken and his ghostly crew, bound by heaven's curse to sail the world's vast oceans and seas, for
eternity! The curse was delivered by the angel of the Lord, who descended from the firmament to the very deck of the
doomed vessel. Vanderdecken and his evil crew were bound, both living and dead, to an endless voyage. Only two
were to escape the
two aboard who were pure of heart, innocent of all wickedness.
The angel had washed them both overboard in a storm off Cape Horn—castaways of the
alive, they came ashore at Tierra del Fuego, the tip of South America. Unfortunately, they, too, were casualties of the
angel's curse, destined to live endlessly, without growing older by a single day. However, heaven, being merciful,
decreed that Ben was granted the power of speech in any language. Additionally he could communicate with