William Brand

I have added bloodydavycash and capt_sparrow to the tentative list for PIP. I should be adding a few more very soon.

We're on the same page. That's what I meant by rough circle. The camp will have a fire pit as a central hub, with one or two lanes for foot traffic and public access.

The pleasure is all mine, and since requests seem to be the order of the day, I would like some blueberry pie.

I'm a thicker fellow. No model-thin actor could play me. Russell Crowe is about my height and mass. I like the way he played Lucky Jack, so I'd be flattered to be played by him. Apart from him, I couldn't say. I have been told I have Val Kilmer's nose, and so if he's reading here today, I want mine back and I'm willing to negotiate a trade.

Aye. No worries. As far as the camp, we probably won't be lined up in such an orderly line, at least not entirely. We were lined up primarily for space issues in the fort, so I imagine we'll be in more of a rough circle at best now that we are out under the trees. The exact setup will only be determined once we are there and we can place each tent according to the various advantages of the ground.

The first model ship I ever owned was a wooden model of the Cutty Sark.

From what I understand so far, mine may be the only wedge tent in attendance. The largest of the wedge tents featured in Patrick's pictures, was actually the Red Coat tent from that year. It housed several soldiers. The other wedge belonged to Mike and Andria, who will not be in attendance this year, though my brother may borrow it. Still, the issue of tent placement will be determined as much by arrival as anything. The encampment will be spread over a small area, and like most camps, each spot will be chosen for the best ground for each tent. The effect of the overall camp will have enough variety that no one tent will look either out of the way, or stand out beyond any others. The other props, and the presence of us as pirates, will determine the look of the camp anyway. It was and is a good subject of concern, and I have no doubt that the camp will be perfect.

Icing a sore tendon in my wrist and typing one handed.

1 is a lie - I did not get into a fist fight with a guy who sexually assualted a friend of mine while I was dressed as the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. He punched me, but he hurt himself on the armor I was wearing.

I'll make it easy. I'll put my elegant, commanding, well made, and utterly plain wedge tent in the middle. That way all of those sleeping in the other tents can defend my tent during night raids while I get dressed. No seriously, I wouldn't mind putting the wedge towards the back. I like the variety near the outer parts of the camp. Besides, the camp will be so much larger this year and include so many new pirates and set dressing, that any tents considered otherwise to ordinary will be lost in the overall picture of the encampment.

July 30, 1704 - The House of the Particular Governor The surroundings in which William and Bill found themselves were astonishing, not as much for their decorations, as for the austere lack of them. There was an unexplainable wealth expressed by the magnitude of emptiness that greeted them in the outer chambers of the Particular Governor's place of work. The place was decorated with a few works of art, to be sure, but many of the walls in the building seemed "underdressed" in William's estimation, though part of him appreciated the minimalism of the surroundings. They were led through several rooms, some occupied with secretaries, personal attendants, and servants of the house. They were greeted only by a few, and then only with a nod or a polite truncated bow, for they were seen as what they were. The relative newcomers in the game of local politics. Finally, they reached a room which made all of the others pale by comparison. It was a sort of carpeted hall with a vaulted ceiling rising two thirds as high as the rest of the building and faced entirely with large windows on one side. The glass alone was worth no small penny-weight, not to mention the view of the garden that the windows afforded. This wall of glass faced Northerly, allowing significant indirect light and a view of the sunbathed paths of a manicured garden to rival Versailles. William and Bill were left standing in this room facing the view, and only when the secretary who had escorted made his retreat, did they turn to see the real wealth of the room. A smile, large and revealing, spread on William's face, for the entire Southern wall of the room was spread with books and paintings. Several hundred volumes at least were present along the shelves which complemented the opposite windows area for area. Huge framed works of art filled the overhanging spaces of the room, washed with the afternoon light reflected off the gardens. "I would enjoy pirating this place, very much, Mister Flint." William said very quietly. "Aye, sah." Bill returned, smiling less than William, but no less distracted. William's first reaction was to walk directly to the bookcases and begin perusing titles by theme and author, but decorum suggested that this was both forward and that it might be considered an affront to the privacy of the collection, no matter how public the house might be. William allowed himself to drift only a foot or two, pulled forward by the gravity of the volumes before him, and this allowed him to see a few titles printed along the spines of the inviting tomes. Many of the volumes were bound and numbered as sets, having no titles at all, and it was obvious at a glance that most were comparative sets of information or ledgers. Some were uniquely bound and worn almost to decay. Others were new editions which still bore the fine gold and silver of blind-stamping. Most of these bore French titles or the names of French authors, and William thought that the marine at his left might enjoy any of these more than he might. Still, had he been offered such a treasure of words, he would have spent another month at Martinique in happy translation. William was again considering a drift in his location on the rug, when a door to the room opened and closed again with the arrival of Monsieur Nicolas de Gabaret, Particular Governor of Martinique. Monsieur Gabaret stood almost the same height as William, but well below Mister Flint. For a man of high station, he was simply dressed, though his clothing was as well tailored as might be found in the New World. His face showed the lines of a man careworn by the weight of many offices and even more responsibilities, but his smile belied the charm necessary to remain in office for so many years. "Bon après-midi, messieurs." "Bon après-midi, gouverneur." they returned. "I am to speak with one...Captian Brand, oui?" "Oui." William returned, and they exchanged a nod. "S'il Vous Plaît." the Governor said, gesturing to two of several empty chairs. "What brings you now to Martinique, Captian?" "If I may..." William began, and he retrieved several documents from the satchel he had brought with him. He passed these to the Governor. "As you can see by these documents, I have come to Martinique by way of His Grace." The Governor examined each document with the practiced art of one who has read thousands of such certificates. He nodded almost at once, having sighted the signatures of each marque above all of other words before him. He looked up again with an expression which said 'Continue'. "I have come on an errand of the utmost importance to me and to my crew. We are seeking your permission, Gouverneur Gabaret, to take from your prison some dozen or more men to serve aboard the Watch Dog and Heron, two of our ships here at Martinique." William explained, and he looked to Mister Flint for clarification in French. Bill repeated all and William watched the Governor closely as he did so. The governor simply nodded, and perhaps he smiled a little to hear the regional dialect made obvious in Bill's voice, but William couldn't be certain. "Zees men are prisoners of France." the Governor stated matter-of-factly as he now read each marque with a more discerning eye. "I trust I need not translate...?" "Non, Gouverneur." The Governor continued reading and there followed a long silence as he read each Marque in full. He was still reading when he began asking several questions in quick succession. "You have with you some hollandais...ehh...dutch?" "Oui, Gouverneur." "Also, you have some Anglais et Français, non...?" "Oui, Gouverneur. We have in our company some several Frenchmen...and English and Dutch in equal parts." "Noirs?" "Oui. We have but one." "Only one, Captian?" he returned, somewhat surprised that the two ships should have but one among so many. "He is large enough to be counted as two." William said by way of explanation, and the Governor smiled a little, watching William with the focus common to his office. "Zeez prisoners...zeez enemies of France...will you maintain zem? Can you guarantee control of zem?" "Non." William returned with simple honesty, and this above all else, conjured a nod from the Governor more absolute than any before. He fixed William with an appraising look and neither men spoke for a long time. "You have brought us many prisoners already, Captian." And William could see that he had secured a foothold in the Governor already, but he played the game of questions with his usual frankness. "Oui." William agreed. "Let me exchange for them a dozen from your prison whose loyalties to England have faded in the dark. I will alter them by...fortune." "Prison sometimes hardens a man's...résolution." William nodded. "We are possessed of an excellent cook." This made the Governor smile more than anything William had said before. "You are pragmatic, Monsieur." "I live on the sea, Gouverneur." The conversation continued, but the argument was won. Assurances passed between the two men, with Bill Flint sometimes translating the particulars of the arrangement. They were also joined by several secretaries who documented the proceedings in a more permanent fashion. When all was finished, William and Bill left the House of the Particular Governor with some seven documents in their possession that would allow them to hand pick their share of recruits from the prison of Fort Royal. First Watch Begins ~Larboard Watches on Duty~

I wish I had a second camera to lend you just for you leg of the trip. You need to befriend a travelling companion who wants to be a pirate and has lots of video equipment.

I'm giving you a larger share.

I try not to think about it, or I lay awake wringing my hands with evil laughter. I really hope we can get the raid boats for some night attacks.

You should bring sunscreen if you burn easily. Bring a sense of humor and a pension for violence.

I could use a little fruit of the pig right about now. Aye. Something salty.

Whenever people post weapon images, the crow in me gets all giddy. Shiney...things...must...have...for...me...many... And so forth.

Ah yes...a Pyrate of the Coast. I will update the roll call.

Which encampent would you like to be listed in?

today's special is Roasted Red Potato Bites...

Here's to immortality.

^ Yes and it went well. < I'm having a very good day today. Just an honest to goodness, blue skies day. V How many times have you mowed the lawn this year so far?

July 30, 1704 - At St. Louis The passing day had grown more hot with every passing hour, so that by the time they reached the prison, the shade of the Fort Royal walls were a welcome relief. The sudden respite of cooler stone and masonry altered their fatigue almost at once. The sweat each of them had carried throughout the day was turned to coolness by a steady breeze which crossed the walls of the fort as it traveled from the Cul du Sac Royal across the penninzula that the ramparts were spread upon. The day was a clear one, and even within the shadow of the fort, the sky was inviting. There was a small amount of commerce coming and going from the fort in the form of soldiers, citizens, and even a few prisoners, but for the most part, the place was quiet, like the day. William and the others were stopped a total of three times at various gates as the made their way into the bowels of the fortress. They were directed through gates and courtyards until they came at last to the place which served as quarters and office for one Bénédicte Dufour who served as an attache between Louis de Mallevaud, the commandant of marines, and the Ordonnateurs de la Martinique, the Intendant for all civil and justice matters for the island. William was not pleased to be told that he and his companions must tread across many more sun-baked roads, knowing that they would have to do so only to hike again to the fortress prison, but William was not surprised. He thanked Monsieur Dufour graciously, though his mood had soured a little, and the three of men went out into the heat of the day once more. William chanced to look at his pocketed timepiece as they stepped beyond Fort Royal's Northernmost gate. The afternoon was disappearing more quickly than he liked and it would be after second dog watch aboard the trio of ships in port before he was finished. "Beg pardon, Capitaine, but might we enlist a carriage for these...eh...unforeseen excursions." Claude offered. William nodded, and smiled at the idea, that for the present, he was a rich man. He sent Claude in search of the suggested transportation. While they waited, William made note of Bill's body language, for the man had been removed by some agitation all day. William almost asked him the reason, but then chose other conversation instead. "How are you enjoying the Bard, Mister Flint?" "Sah...?" Flint returned, coming back from his own thoughts. "Oh. I've not had the time, but for a little reading." "Any particular favorites?" "I like most of them in pieces, though King Lear..." Bill said, purposely trailing off with a gesture of his hand, as if the name of the play itself was enough to express the matter entirely. William nodded. "A particular favorite of mine. I saw some years ago performed by the great Call of London. He was, in a word, spectacular." "I've not had the pleasure." Bill returned, and he seemed grateful to be talking about anything but what was on his mind. "And I probably never shall." he added, bemused. "Aye." William agreed. "Though the performance that I witnessed was Call's last, so your privateering aside, you could not have witnessed any more of his work." Claude returned then with a carriage that was both fair and airy and they joined him aboard it. This reduced their travels significantly and William thought that he might pay a handsome price indeed to have use of a carriage for the duration of his time ashore. It was a foolish luxury of course, but he enjoyed it just the same and the men in his company wore their relief on their faces. The second bell of the First Dog Watch came and went just before they reached the house of the Intendant, a lavish and tailored piece of property located at St. Louis' Northern extreme. It was a vast tract of manicured land set with more than one building, including the main house itself. It managed to be austere and inviting at the same time and William was at a loss to say what it reminded him of, though it tickled some part of his memory. They were escorted only as far as the entryway, where they were met by one of the Intendant's secretary, who informed them that the Intendant was away to the other side of Martinique and might not return for some three days yet. William pressed the man politely to tell him how he might fulfill his business in the absence of the Ordonnateur, and he was directed to take the matter up with the Particular Governor, Monsieur Nicolas de Gabaret. William recognized the name at once. "Is not Monsieur Gabaret the Governor General of the Islands and...the Firm Ground?" William asked, unsure how to express the proper title in French. "Governor Gabaret served as this, oui, but only for a short time...and then with the demise of Charles de Pechpeyrou Comminge." "Ahhh. Thank you, Monsieur." "Je plaisir, capitaine." They left the Intendant's House then, and ounce more they boarded the carriage, this time in search of the Particular Governor's home. This proved to be more difficult than they would have expected, for twice they were given misleading directions, and the carriage driver seemed altogether void of any information as touching the official's whereabouts. Despite these wanderings, they were eventually lead to a stately structure which served as both a place of business for day to day matters concerning Martinique and a sort of second home for the Particular Governor, having additional apartments for long stays. It was overgrown after the fashion of the tropics, having some 5 different varieties of vine trailing up and under the various eaves. It was a proud place built after the fashion of France and the architecture of Europe, but it was also a style unto itself. They crossed a courtyard of paved stones and were met at the gate by several armed guards who informed them that they would not be permitted within thus armed. William had his pick of which man to take with him, and while Claude seemed an obvious choice, William chose Bill Flint instead. He did this, not for Bill's stature, but for his New World French, which he hoped would come across as charming and ingratiating, for William wanted English speaking prisoners very badly, and he hoped that by demonstrating that there were already English privateers among them who had embraced a loyalty to the French that he would win some favor. The irony that Bill Flint had so recently fought against the French was not lost on William as they stepped across the threshold. ~Larboard Watches on Duty~

I'll fetch a lantern.