Voyage of Slaves

“A grand adventure story. Once the reader is hooked, there is no peace until the final page.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“Old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure.” —Locus

“The Redwall books . . . add a touch of chivalry and adventure reminiscent of the King Arthur stories.”

—Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

“Filled with rousing adventure, strong characters, and vibrant settings.” —The Boston Sunday Globe

“Packed with action and imbued with warmth . . . richly inventive.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Jacques’s effortless, fast-paced narrative gets its readers quickly hooked. He clearly loves this other world he has created— there’s a genuine sense of involvement and care (lots of lovingly descriptive passages), as well as an overflowing, driving imagination.” —Birmingham Post

“Great reading . . . entertaining. Classic confrontations between good and evil will never go out of style.” —Orlando Sentinel

“A richly imagined world in which bloody battles vie for attention with copious feasting and tender romancing.”

—The Cincinnati Enquirer

Also by Brian Jacques

The Redwall Chronicles

REDWALL

MOSSFLOWER

MATTIMEO

MARIEL OF REDWALL

SALAMANDASTRON

MARTIN THE WARRIOR

THE BELLMAKER

OUTCAST OF REDWALL

PEARLS OF LUTRA

THE LONG PATROL

MARLFOX

THE LEGEND OF LUKE

LORD BROCKTREE

TAGGERUNG

TRISS

LOAMHEDGE

RAKKETY TAM

HIGH RHULAIN

Redwall Picture Books

THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST

A REDWALL WINTER’S TALE

The Tribes of Redwall Series

THE TRIBES OF REDWALL: BADGERS

THE TRIBES OF REDWALL: OTTERS

THE TRIBES OF REDWALL: MICE

Other Redwall Books

REDWALL MAP AND RIDDLER BUILD YOUR OWN REDWALL ABBEY REDWALL FRIEND AND FOE A REDWALL JOURNAL THE REDWALL COOKBOOK

The Flying Dutchman Series

CASTAWAYS OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

THE ANGEL’S COMMAND

VOYAGE OF SLAVES

Other Books by Brian Jacques

SEVEN STRANGE AND GHOSTLY TALES

THE TALE OF URSO BRUNOV

THE RIBBAJACK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

VOYAGE OF SLAVES

An Ace Book / published by arrangement with The Redwall Abbey Company Ltd.

PRINTING HISTORY

Philomel hardcover edition / September 2006

Ace mass-market edition / September 2007

Copyright © 2006 by The Redwall La Dita Co., Ltd.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form

without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in

violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-0-441-01528-3

ACE

Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

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ACE and the “A” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

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To Nan Melia, always a pal!

BOOK ONE

LORD OF THE BARBARY COAST