This Tyro Captain
Feb. 21st, 2014 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackdaws_master"I've made my choice, Adé. I'm calling her the Jackdaw, for a sly bird I loved as a child back in Swansea."
"A dark little creature, no?"
"Did it rub you wrong when I took this brig as my own?"
"It was the sort of rub I have learned to endure sailing among faces of such... fairness."
"It's true, most of these men wouldn't accept you as a captain. So what fair role would complement such unfairness?"
"I'll be your quartermaster. Nothing less."
"All right. And as quartermaster, have you any immediate counsel for this tyro captain?"
"Rest and repast would do us good before Nassau. Water for drinking. And hunting for food and repairs."
"Well reasoned, sir. Hunting it shall be. We'll find a decent place to drop anchor."
"I spied a few items in the hold earlier... powder and a few pistols. I think I'll fashion a second holster if I can."
"Ha! It's a good start."
"One you find laughable?"
"Could we talk a moment about the condition of the ship?"
"What's the trouble?"
"I had a walk about the gundeck this morning, and couldn't stand for what I saw. A clutter of linstocks heaped like tinder... and one with a slowmatch still burning."
"Christ."
"And just nearby, two barrels of gunpowder closer than man and wife, fit to explode at the touch of a spark."
"We'll stow ours, good and proper."
"As for the cannons, they might as well be tossed. Clogged touch-holes in need of scraping; corrosion on the bodies; barrel swabs as naked as knives and breech-ropes so rotted I could use them for knitting yarn. The short of it is, we need good equipment, kept in fine condition. For we cannot win every battle with sneers and shouts. So worry about your own armaments when it suits you. But don't forget about your Jackdaw as well."
"No, indeed. We'll make it a point to keep this ship and its crew in fine condition."
"Ahoy, Captain. Find what you need?"
"My needs and wants are oceans apart, mate. But I did fashion myself a new holster. All I need now is a pistol lie in it."
"Here. Taken from the hold, just as you said."
"Hm. Little more than a blow-pipe... but it'll do. So... are we rested? Or shall we idle a while longer?"
"Best weigh anchor, I think the crew is itching to reach civilization."
"You'll find no civilization in Nassau. But it's a fine place to be merry all the same."
"A dark little creature, no?"
"Did it rub you wrong when I took this brig as my own?"
"It was the sort of rub I have learned to endure sailing among faces of such... fairness."
"It's true, most of these men wouldn't accept you as a captain. So what fair role would complement such unfairness?"
"I'll be your quartermaster. Nothing less."
"All right. And as quartermaster, have you any immediate counsel for this tyro captain?"
"Rest and repast would do us good before Nassau. Water for drinking. And hunting for food and repairs."
"Well reasoned, sir. Hunting it shall be. We'll find a decent place to drop anchor."
"I spied a few items in the hold earlier... powder and a few pistols. I think I'll fashion a second holster if I can."
"Ha! It's a good start."
"One you find laughable?"
"Could we talk a moment about the condition of the ship?"
"What's the trouble?"
"I had a walk about the gundeck this morning, and couldn't stand for what I saw. A clutter of linstocks heaped like tinder... and one with a slowmatch still burning."
"Christ."
"And just nearby, two barrels of gunpowder closer than man and wife, fit to explode at the touch of a spark."
"We'll stow ours, good and proper."
"As for the cannons, they might as well be tossed. Clogged touch-holes in need of scraping; corrosion on the bodies; barrel swabs as naked as knives and breech-ropes so rotted I could use them for knitting yarn. The short of it is, we need good equipment, kept in fine condition. For we cannot win every battle with sneers and shouts. So worry about your own armaments when it suits you. But don't forget about your Jackdaw as well."
"No, indeed. We'll make it a point to keep this ship and its crew in fine condition."
"Ahoy, Captain. Find what you need?"
"My needs and wants are oceans apart, mate. But I did fashion myself a new holster. All I need now is a pistol lie in it."
"Here. Taken from the hold, just as you said."
"Hm. Little more than a blow-pipe... but it'll do. So... are we rested? Or shall we idle a while longer?"
"Best weigh anchor, I think the crew is itching to reach civilization."
"You'll find no civilization in Nassau. But it's a fine place to be merry all the same."
