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Started by Ragolution, 05-12-2012

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Ragolution

I opened my eyes and the cursed salt wind blew against my face. And seeing blue and red, I knew we were damned.
Six ships, god-damned ironclads, glorious as England herself sailed around us threateningly, and the crew started back. Their cannons were ready, and they circled us like hungry crows circled a dead dog.
I gawked at the man sitting at the table with me and swore:
"You rat, you dirty sea-rat, you sold us out!" The Admiral righted his pith helmet and smiled at me, cocksure.
"I'm sure I know not of what you speak, Mr. Seaworth. We had an arrangement and that arrangement is through." He spat "Though if you wish to make another... bargain, as it were, I'd be glad to listen."
He tweedled his thick moustache and his great bulk lurched as he chuckled. I only dare say chuckle because I had known the man as long as I did- his laugh was more of a great heave and an accompanying coughing sound.

I merely stood and stared at the man as he grew more offensive in his ribbing. I could feel the rage pouring out of my eyes, but I dare not strike the corpulent beast in my chair, dare his death lead to mine. To them he was worth everything, and nothing. A pauper and a prize sat on my deck, in my chair, at my table, eating my food.

"My, my, Seaworth, cat's got your tongue, eh?" He wiped his wide lap of crumbs as he rose to his feet "Well I wouldn't want to keep you from your water grave."

"Wait- I- That is to say.."

He turned and smiled with his three chins, setting back into my favourite chair and letting loose a milk-souring flatulence.

"Good, good. Now then, you and your ship will be heading to the Egypt tomorrow. You will meet my man Ludrek at the Black Ox and you will inform him you'll Captain his expedition."

"Expedition..?" I squawked nervously. "What are you on about?"

He showed me the same devil's teeth he had before and extracted a roll of paper from his filth-caked coat.

"You should know very well what I'm on about. Your boat is Her Majesty's, no? Then you are going to be assisting in one of the many great works, and no better a task than to find the source of the Nile River." With this he nodded and I unfurled the soggy roll he had handed me. A coarsely sketched map greeted me, streaked with sweat and blurred.

"That will be your guide." He said "And my gift to old Lugrek."

I stared at the man again, my mouth agape in confusion.

"You expect me to stop what little work I have gotten done, now, sail across the damndable seas, abandon my ship and give your friend a voyage up the Nile river?"

"Or something like that, yes. I hear he's been interested in attempting an expedition from the east, down in the Suez area. So hop to it, lad, lest you sink at sea." He grunted at that and stood with some finality.

"And this will be your final mission, so I suppose you'll need to hand over your ship to the port authority, afterwards." He stretched out his hand and wished me luck, and began to waddle back to his men and his rowboat.

I don't know what took me over, then, but I knew there was no way I would do this petty errand for this petty man. There was no way I would surrender my ship just for the whim of this corpulent beast. I scanned the faces of my crew, a few grimaced with fear of the mission, but many other were stone cold in determination. I read their lips and their minds, and I wrapped my fingers around the bastard's throat.