William Brand

Whoa...Bloody Spike Pierce is worth 250,000 Gold Dublooooons. That's over 220,000 in English pounds. Edward Teach was only worth 100 pounds. And Spike seems like such a nice guy.

They are for eating. Let's play draughts with them.

August 3, 1704 William, Dorian and Monsieur Durand arrived on deck blinking. The sun was at it's zenith and the eighth bell of the forenoon watch was almost upon them. Durand and Captain Lasseter exchanged pleasantries that were not altogether pleasant, though neither man was rude to the other. William called Preston aside a moment before departing the Lucy and explained his intentions for the two armed men bound for shore, giving him careful instructions before joining Durand on the gangplank. This done, they were ferried from the docks to the Watch Dog and passed the chosen men in the dingy. William nodded to them as he passed and they knuckled a salute back again. Once on board the Watch Dog, William and Durand retired to the ward room, where the Frenchman was surprised to be served a second time by a woman Steward. Tudor proved to be much more controlled, even confident in her role. She showed no outward sign that Durand's position or seeming power meant anything to her. She was polite and direct in her service, though Durand was not much interested in food or drink. "You'll take your leave ashore with the Starboard Watch, Miss Smith." William ordered, as he fetched the ledgers of the Watch Dog. Tudor thanked him graciously. "I was pleased with the part you played in all of the auctions yesternight. Please see that the inbound and outbound watches report amidships to receive the last of their shares. I will call for them presently." "Aye, Sah." She took her leave with the almost untouched tray. William settled into his customary chair as Durand went through the ledgers. William watched him as he had before, but was surprised to see the man's whole attitude altered. Durand had so carefully turned the pages of the ledgers aboard the Lucy, scanning every line for details and information. Now, thumbing through the books of the Watch Dog, the man all but skipped whole pages. Indeed, he focused his attention on the last ledger more than any other, particularly those pages concerning the Watch Dog's sojourn at Martinique. "This is the writing of Captain Lasseter." Durand pointed out, touching those pages at the beginning of the ledger. "Aye." William agreed. "He was the Quartermaster of the Watch Dog and the Whole Company prior to the taking of the Heron." Durand simply nodded and returned to the figures before him. He seemed most interested in the distribution of shares marked towards the end of the book, for reasons that William couldn't fathom. The letters of Marque, as they applied to the whole company, allowed for the distribution of shares as William and Dorian saw fit. The letters did not site the Lucy specifically, as she had not been in use by them at the time of the writing of either marque, but she was still a vessel of the Whole Company, and William was certain that no arguments would be made on that point. Still, Durand focused upon these pages with an unusual interest. "What do you see in those numbers that you dwell upon them so much, Monsieur?" William asked. "Are you considering an alteration of trade?" Durand smiled at this, but did not look up or answer. He simply traced the page. When he was at the bottom of the last, he stopped and looked up. "Miss Poole's name does not appear in the ledgers of the Watch Dog or the Lucy, Capitaine. Who is she and where does she come from?" Eight Bells of the Forenoon Watch. Afternoon Watch Begins. ~Larboard Watches on Duty~ Starboard Watches waiting aboard to recieve shares.

Excellent synopsis of your adventures. My compliments. Now...are you taking corrections? Chapter One... "Several folks stained the lanterns William bought for the event." The Callahans bought the lanterns. Chapter Six... " Mary Diamond (at right), William and several members of the Archangel crew headed off for a sunset cruise aboard the schooner Wolf, one of the sponsors of PiP, where Amanjiria was apparently photographed naked kissing a mermaid." We sailed on the Liberty Clipper that night, not the Wolf. And is it Silverhook or Silverhawk? I've heard both.

Have you ever tried homemade marshmallows?

August 3, 1704 - Ward Room of the Lucy William returned to the table without ceremony, though Durand gave him a questioning look. William let the look remain unanswered, and he sat facing the man with a posture that was more acrimonious than amiable. The glass turned and still Durand flipped a single, infuriating page. Jenny offered William tea during the long silence, but he shook his head gently and politely declined, fixing Durand with a look that was quiet but not pleasant. He was past politeness, and when Durand suddenly began going backwards through the ledger, William was certain that the gesture was designed to unravel their patience. William stood up. "Your pardon, Captain, but I have pressing business. Monsieur." "Capitaine Brand, I can expect to see your ledgerz within the hour...oui?" Durand asked as William stepped away from the table, though he did not do William the respect of looking up from the ledger. "Come and see them now, Monsieur." William offered, turning back to Durand slowly. "When I am finished here, perhaps." Durand returned without looking up. "Perhaps." William agreed. There was something then in William's 'perhaps' that gave Durand pause and he closed the ledger carefully. There was a deliberateness about the way William had said it which Durand mistook for subtle defiance. Only Dorian saw it for what it probably was and wondered who was baiting whom. William looked at Durand. Durand looked at William. The others had their pick of who to watch and how. A silence followed. Then Durand stood up from the table. "I will see your ledgerz now, Capitaine." "I will see you to them, Monsieur" William agreed at once. Between Seven and Eight Bells of the Forenoon Watch ~Starboard Watches on Duty~

William stood a moment in wonder at the strangeness of the visit. He tried to call Miss Kildare back again that he might advise her on a course equal to her fears, but she departed in the manner in which she had arrived. Unexpected and but partially explained, at least in terms that satisfied William's curiosity. Mister Pew, Tucker and Flint were in a close conversation about the day's work, but seeing the Captain alone, Pew crossed to where he stood. "If I could have ha'f a moment, Sah?" Pew asked, following William's gaze to Miss Kildare as she disappeared into the crowd. "What was that business about?" William shook his head, still watching the place where Briar had disappeared. "Mister Pew, I could not say with any certainty...though I was instructed not to speak on the matter in confidence." William made a note to visit the offices of the Particular Governor if time permitted. "And the man in the ward room...?" Pew prompted. William turned to him with a sigh and removed his hat long enough to run his fingers through his hair. It was a gesture he often made when he was tired or weighed down with many matters. "A Monsieur Durand is repudiating the ledgers, Mister Pew." "Shall I take care of it?" Pew offered, his eyes on the companionway door. William smiled. "If it comes to that. Your pardon, Quartermaster, I must return to the business at hand." William made his way aft, but stopped at once. "Mister Pew...please send for two men of the 'Dog, armed and fed for an errand ashore. I will return to the deck presently."

Durand did not pet the Pooka. He extended no hand and he made no overture to the ship's cat apart from the initial smile. He didn't mind such animals and he had never drawn a line in the sand either for or against cats, liking both dogs and cats equally since an early age, though to be honest, he was indifferent to them equally, having never had one that meant any more to him than a tool. Dogs for guards. Cats for rodents. Still, he was distracted. Miss Poole's company was bothering him considerably, though he wasn't sure that this was in fact her name. He had not recognized her upon arriving, but having slept upon the pillows she had bedded down upon before him, he could not mistake her smell. It was something about the soap she used or the perfume of her clothing. It was also the scent of the woman herself. 'Parfum de chair' he thought with a smile. "Might I have another cup of tea, Miss Poole?"

Silkie needs chicken soup with thyme. There. You'll feel better.

William found it hard to consider much of what she said, for the fact that her father was a Baron had surprised him, and he said as much. He was also surprised to learn that her intended fiance was a man of power. He was quiet for a time and considered several avenues of outcome, all of them bad. Then, he returned to the subject of Durand. "I have, even now, a man of some seeming power in the ward room aboard this ship who has been instructed to search our ledgers for discrepancies. To what end I know not. It is likely that he will employ any mistake found therein to harass the Lucy and the 'Dog to some unimaginable end, due in part to an equally mysterious occurrence which took place upon the Cul du Sac Royal just yesterday past. Now, you would have me add to the dangers spread before me by taking you on as a passenger, thereby incurring the wrath of your father the baron, who no doubt possesses some power here at Martinique and to whom I may find myse..." "My father is not at Martinique, Sah." Briar corrected, gently. This gave William pause. "And just where may he be found, Miss Kildare? Where did you part his company?" "England, Sah. My fiance is also..." "England...? Your father is in England? What danger can you be in at Martinique with your father in England?" William looked about the docks and spread a hand in one wide gesture. "This is France..."

It was a grand holiday and I made out like a bandit. Pirate books, food galore and no shortage of family fun.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just a brief pause in the festivities to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

And a good holiday for singing too. I shall add a baritone to the mix and we shall see what we can make of a few tunes.

"There may be no convenient time for some time, Miss Kildare. We are, even at this time, playing chess with those powers that be, and our situation is uncertain. This is of course, part and parcel to our existence, for I myself have been on the run for some eight years already." William paused, but he was troubled enough with the bothersome details, that explaining the larger picture would have indeed required him to sit down and discuss the matter with Briar over several hours. Meanwhile, the unknown Durand, the mysterious Miss Ashcombe and every other errand that waited for him were passing him by, moment by moment. "I am the Captain of a privateer. I have some one hundred able seamen aboard my ship, and while they are most able in every capacity and capability aboard the Watch Dog, great and small, they are also...many of them...capable of vile crimes against men and women alike. Some of them have committed acts both horrendous and capital. To add to this, nearly half of those aboard the 'Dog and Lucy are just recently come from the Fort Royal Prison, and I cannot say aught of them, but that they were so recently prisoners! I could never vouch for your safety anymore than I could vouch for my own. At least in any absolute way." William paused, because he could not contain the rising anger in his voice, and knowing that so little of it had to do with Miss Kildare, he forced himself to stop for the moment. Briar was as she was before and kept her own council long enough that William was, by sheer practice of a patience earned over many years, forced to change his tone to one gentle, if not a little artificial. "Miss Kildare. Your service to Mister Pew not withstanding, please understand that your request comes at a time when I cannot consider it...unless. Unless you make me understand why you must leave this paradise on Earth for destinations unknown in the company of pirates and prisoners while you have adequate lodging, clothing, friendship and the means to enjoy them all. I will not be making another appointment with you and will not hear this request again unless I may be certain that you will explain your need so well as to earn passage by the tale alone. Can you now give me any reason that I should give you an audience again on this matter?"

Welcome aboard.

August 3, 1704 - Aboard the Lucy William said nothing. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter which Briar had addressed to Captain Lasseter. He unfolded it gently, explaining as he did so, that Dorian had given the letter to him upon its arrival. He read it aloud, word for word, before folding it again and replacing it in his pocket. "Miss Kildare, your request, while unusual, is certainly not confusing. That said, I had thought to speak with you on this matter privately later today, but as you've come now I shall speak plainly. You cannot be unaware that the Watch Dog is a privateer, and that therefore, as her companion, the Her...pardon...the Lucy is also a privateer."

At first, Preston did not allow Briar to board. Durand's presence had caused enough tension in the otherwise pleasant morning. Then it occurred to him that he might learn more of Durand if he could get one of the Captains away from the man, so he invited Miss Kildare to step in at the rails of the Lucy and asked her to remain there. Then he sent Tucker aft to fetch back Captain Lasseter or Brand. Durand had just finished one ledger and was beginning a second when Christopher Tucker knocked at the ward room door. He was invited in, where he stood with his removed cap. "Beg pardon, Cap'n Lasseter...Cap'n Brand. One of the women that saw to Mister Pew...she's come aboard asking for the Cap'ns." William and Dorian exchanged a look, and William's face was as perturbed then as it had been over the tea. Durand looked up from the ledger during this punctuated silence, but watched them with only a passing interest. "Your pardon, Sah. Captain." William said, excusing himself from the table. He gathered up his hat and went out of the room with Tucker following behind. Tucker went directly to Preston's side again as William stepped up to Miss Kildare, bowing to her graciously enough though he had no real smile at that moment. "Welcome aboard the Lucy, Miss Kildare. How may I be of service?"

"This is too much at once." Tucker said, moving to the rail as Miss Kildare came into view at the bottom of the gangplank. Preston joined him there and was not pleased at the sight of Miss Kildare, though his mood had more to do with the quantity of events unfolding, than the quality of the company. "Miss Kildare." Mister Pew said with the smallest nod as she appeared at the gangplank. Briar thanked the man who had brought her to the Lucy and he left with a simple 'Pleasure!', hat in hand. "What brings you to the Lucifer this fine morning?" he said, with a small smile that had little mirth to it.

Monsieur Durand continued to look over the ledgers, and had only looked up as Miss Ashcombe was ushered into the room. His one good eye had fallen on her just long enough to acknowledge her arrival with the heavy laden tray and no more, his perusal of the ledger continuing almost unabated. He did stop once to make note of Dorian's 'good hand', complaining aloud that Captain Stoneburrow's penmanship demonstrated a man incapable of much finesse. Dorian agreed, for he had fixed some of Stoneburrow's notations due to the previous Captain's incompetence, and also to correct for goods lost in battle or sold in port. Jenny began the business of pouring tea, but not before pausing as she did so, uncertain who was to be served first, for it was Dorian's ship, William was the Captain of the Whole Company, Durand was a guest, and Miss McDonough was the only lady at the table. The matter of serving was determined by Dorian who gave her a nod towards Miss McDonough. The next serving went to Durand, who stopped as she served him. William had been watching Durand the whole time with a growing impatience, not because of the man's purpose, but because he could find no comfortable way to excuse himself to those pressing duties elsewhere. William did not want to abandon Dorian and the others to some intrigue that might be dismissed easier if he were present, so he lingered. Despite his growing fatigue at the stilted conversation and the long silences, he was rewarded for his diligence in watching Durand carfeully for any disagreeable signs, when Miss Ashcombe interrupted him with a cup of tea. The man not only paused, as was polite, he reacted. One moment he was reading along a page filled to the edges with tallies of rum and bread and the next he was turning to thank Jenny for the tea before him. William couldn't be certain, but he thought that Durand's nostrils flared. The Frenchman looked at Miss Ashcombe with a look of formality mixed with an habitual social grace, but with an added something that William found...telling. He couldn't decide if the smile that crossed Durand's eye, not his mouth, was a look that belied good or bad fortune. It was there one moment and gone the next, for Jenny did not meet Durand's gaze and he turned back to the ledgers before him at once. For the next few minutes William continued to watch the man and was quite certain that Durand was distracted ever after. William also noted that Dorian seemed to feel the change whether he had witnessed the subtle smile or not.

Jaaaaack. You'll be welcome as long as there's a Pub to welcome you back. You are on the menu. You're part of the traditional fabric of the place. Your name is scribbled on half the walls of the Pub. If there isn't room for you then there isn't room for any of us.

Let's toast friends instead. To Kardal, mess mate aboard the Kingfisher. I man of profound wisdom, despite almost 40 years of illiteracy. The man had a way with words he could never spell.

But who to talk about...? Andries, the Scarecrow, Tawny...? So many close calls. So many graves, watery or otherwise.

The year might be one of the few reliable things about that page. Admission...0.00 is misleading unless you are a re-enactor. Number of booths 100? Stages...ten? The numbers seem a little random. I would say...one huge stage spread across the whole park.

The Kate is quiet tonight. I had thought to hire a fife player and half a dozen drummers, but this will do. We'll save the candles and just sit by the fire and spin yarns about the Western Desert and the Virginia colonies. We'll speak fondly of old shipmates and dead enemies.