Volume #7 in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series. Kydd is master of his own brig-sloop Teazer and must race against the clock to make her battle-ready to defend Malta against Barbary pirates and the French. But when peace is declared, the young captain finds himself ashore. To make ends meet, he agrees to transport convicts to Australia, where he will have to face his deepest fears and prove himself against all odds.