Narrator:
As the ship turns and sets sail, the Captain joins Richard at the stern.
Captain Mack:
Milord, I hopes yous is not in such as hurry as wots thems that came outta here this mornin'.
Narrator:
Richard examines the face of his captain. He's known the man for a few years now, and it's obvious that Mack is itching to tell a story about something. Mack likes to talk, mind you, but he's not a gossip and Richard has nothing he needs to be doing.
Sir Richard:
What do you mean?
Captain Mack:
Haven't ya heard it already? Why, I was there an I'll tell it to you striaghtway and true. Y'see, when we're in port, I do some pilotin', an I's awaitin in the pilot's lounge in the harbor master's offices. Was this mornin, and we was in the midst of unloadin so's I'd little to do onboard.
In walks this fancy pants-this nobleman, beggin yore pardon, dressed to the nines he was, silk and purple. 'e 'olds up solid gold fiver and 'e says to us all, "Which of you lot is the best harbor pilot to be found?" Just like that, in a room full o' pilots, some of the finest pilots there be. He do that in a drinkin room full o pilot's 'n 'e'd be lucky get way with his life. But he looks us all down like he means it, and any man but the best 'e'd kick out 'is way inta the gutter. Pack a mean pig-sticker of a blade, looked like 'e'd used it a time or two.
Sos Harbormaster Jean stan's up and look's him right the eye an 'e says, "I am. Ask any of these fine pilots and when the truth be told each will tell you that there is none better in these waters than me. I'm the harbor master six years now, and no fish out there moves a pebble without my leave."
Close to the truth it was too. Me and two others be the best deepwater pilots, but Jean knows the harbor best of any of us.
So 'is worship tosses the coin smooth and pretty to Jean an 'e says, "You'll be provin that today." an 'e turns to go.
Jean 'e says, "Sir, you can have this coin back for now. But when I've proved to you what I says you'll pay me five of them, put me ashore in a boat that you'll give me for the troubles." and Jean tosses his fiver back just as pretty.
Now a fiver's a whale of a lot of money just to get a boat out into deepwater. I recon it's a month o' Jean's pay. An' 'e asks for five of the pretties, just like that.
'is worship just snatches the coin out of the air and says to Jean, "Done. You are already two minutes behind." and 'e walks out. Jean goes with 'im. We went to watch.
They go aboard an the captain calls for the sweeps to warp 'em off the docks. "B'lay that," Jean calls, "Backsail on the mains! Make it snappy!" The captain looks at Jean and he looks at 'is worship, an' 'e looks at the Devonshire Royal Family pennant he's flyin an 'e calls to the men, "Make it so! Put yore backsides into it! It'll be the lash to any who bollix this one up! Cast off all lines!"
I can tell you taint easy sailing backwards off a dock, but it's shore quicker 'en waiting for the lazies in the sweeps to warp you off into the channel. This crew makes it look like they do it every time. Jean gets her clear of the dock and puts the wheel over. 'e calls for the bowsails and the breeze takes her noze over. 'e has the mains rigged and she's under way. Then Jean 'e yells, "Rigg everything she's got! Gallants, T' Gallants and Royals!"
The captain he looks hard at Jean and sorta nods. Now, we had one pisscutter of a breeze this mornin, and Jean's been known to have the cojones of a pilot that goes blasting out o' here rigged with full mains. An' he was rigged with every scrap she had. She goes over real nice and Jean puts the wheel to her an' then I hear 'im ask the captain real easy, "How much does she draw man, and I need the inches as well as the feet!" The captain tells him, an' Jeans asks how the cargo is loaded and lashed, and how many hunnert weight of it there is. The captain goes white and sorta green aroun' the gills an tells him, an Jean takes her off the main deep channel, cuttin the corner through the shallows.
She's got the bit in her teeth, cuttin a wake that would swamp a sweep, and Jean takes her ziggin a bit and zaggin a bit through the shallows forbidden to cautious deepwater captains. She goes bump once, and we all thought, "Now Jean's done it, 'es left her bottom on the rocks". She flaps her canvas and blasts through - we found out it was a sandbar - and she's heeled over like it was clear deepwater ahead an' Tiamat herself chasin 'em. Jean puts her through the narrows at the harbor mouth an' e' don't back off an inch.
It took him all of ten minutes from the time he stepped onto her decks. It takes him a few hours to row back, but 'e holdin his five fivers and says that he'll have the guts of any who tries it again.
Sir Richard:
Silk and purple, carrying a big blade, and flying Devonshire's pennant? Was he about so high... [describes Reggi]
Captain Mack: [Grunting]
Nope, Lord, he be nowt like that 'tall. More like [returns a different description]
Sir Richard:
[muttering to himself]
Who could that have been... and bold, in Arundel harbor, where I at least would recognize most every man serving Alistair or Reggi?
[Sighs, speaks more loudly]
Captain, we're in need of speed now. I'll have to ask you to maintain all possible sail and proceed straight across the sea. We must arrive in McMannon as fast as possible.
Narrator:
Now, it isn't unknown for ships to sail directly across the sea, and the Baron's ship (a converted messenger ship) has done it several times. But in an age without sextants or accurate compasses, it is never popular. The good Captain has been working for the Baron for a half-dozen years, though, and knows better than to ask.
Captain Mack: [Swallows]
Aye, me' lawrd.
Narrator:
He turns and yells orders to the first mate, then bellows for the sailing master. Looks like it's going to be another one of those trips...