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@@ -12,14 +12,6 @@ Plots - The british captain from Charlestown is also the landowner of th etrees, McPhail. He comes after the family about the tree stumps, which he sees as his, being used for their profit, and also that they make the pirate ships that raid mcphail's ships more seaworth, insult to injury. Add moral complexity for the kids, is papa a bad person? Is the McPhail a bad person? Or is it all just wrong and now can own the trees? -I own them fair and square. -She thought this over a for miniute. "No, you don't. You forced out the Ediston and the tk, and the tk. You overwhelmed them with force and marched them out." -"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's quite right, I did." He smiled quizically at her. -"And that's wrong. Every bit as wrong was what you say papa did." -"No my child it's not." -"Then why is wrong when capitan Ratham overwhelms one of your ships and takes it from you. -"Woah!" He jerked the reins tight, and the horses nearly reared as the wagon can lurching to a stop. He said nothing, but turned and stared at her for a long time. She felt his eyes memorizing her features the way she had studied the pictures hir bool. then smilled aagain, shook the reins loos and resumed their journey, staring off into space and ignoring her the remainder of the way into Charlestown. - They eta waring from Ratham that McPhail is coming for them. How does the storm fit in? No good guys, no bad guys. her father helps both ratham and mcphail. Warns mcphail of the storm, helps bring his ship int to he esuary to shelther, they take the wagon to chareston. @@ -2420,34 +2412,47 @@ Lulu chewed on the fish and consider this. "Maybe Revenge is at Ocracoke?" "Maybe," said Henri. -There was no way to know until you came right up on it. Ocracoke was a small barrier island off the coast of Carolina with several very protected anchorages. It was favorite of Thatch's and Bellamy's before he'd gone down. It offered three things sailors loved, protection from storms, fresh water, and easy game. +There was no way to know until you came right up on it. Ocracoke was a small barrier island off the coast of Carolina with several very protected anchorages. It was favorite of Thatch's and Bellamy's before he'd gone down. It offered three things all sailors loved, protection from storms, fresh water, and game. It was also nearly impossible to sneak up on it. They watched Thatch's lookouts came toward them from the headland long before they rounded the bend and actually saw his ships. If they'd been flying colors they'd have no doubt been engaged, but they flew a solid blue flag with a small white trident in the upper left corner. It was another of her father's symbols which he was vague about. "It's the color of the sea he'd said once, and that's our only master. + +Tambo hailed the men in the long boat with the bullhorn, letting them know they sought Thatch. The men came alongside and tied off to Delos. They both clamored aboard and glanced around briefly before Tambo brought them to the wheel to pilot her in to the shallows where they could anchor. +They were both missing teeth and dirtier than Lulu had ever seen anyone be. Even the men of Jack and Anne's crew, while rough, were not a rough as these men. Lulu involuntarily shrunk from them. One of the men grinned at her. "Don't often see young ones on a ship out here, good for you girl. And don't worry, I won't bite." -### Lulu and Henri find Edward +Lulu was embarrassed that she'd tried to back away from them and nodded quickly and then busied herself with a line that needed coiling. She avoided them both the rest of the time they were on the ship, which wasn't long. There was one narrow passage between to shoals that Lulu felt sure they could have managed without a pilot, but then one probably didn't want to take any risks. It wouldn't do to run aground in front of Blackbeard and crew and then flounder ashore and ask them to help you. Certain people commanded a level of respect that meant you had to get things right the first time even if that meant accepting a pilot to help you through the shallows. Some times, her father had said to her when they came to Ocracoke the first time, you have to know when the real strength is admitting what you can't do. -Intro +Lulu was pretty sure they *could* do it, but then that was the point right? Not admitting that they couldn't sail the shallows, but admitting that they could not get to Blackbeard without a pilot. No one could. That was *his* point. -"Tambo! I thought I recognized that rigging. How are you? Still sailing with tk father's name." +They Anchored Delos close enough to Queen Anne's Revenge that they could have had a conversation with Thatch from the deck, but he was ashore according to the men who piloted them in. They left quickly, heading back the headland where they apparently lived, and presumably, kept watch over the anchorage. -"Edward." Tambo inclined his head in way Lulu had never seen him do before, it was not quite a bow, but it was more than she'd ever seen him do for anyone else. "I am in fact still sailing with tk father's name." +Tambo, Lulu and Henri climbed down into Delos's boat and Tambo rowed them ashore. A sixable portion of Queen Anne's crew leaned over the railings, watching them in silence as they paddled by. + +Here there was no surf to negotiate. The protected lagoon allowed them to row straight in and beach the boat. As the pulled her up above the high tide mark, Lulu glanced up the beach and saw two men walking toward them. One was stocky man of medium build that Lulu did not recognize. The other was a tall man with a massive black beard that stretched half way to his waist. He had long curly hair and sparkling, wild eyes. He reminded her of her father. + +"Tambo! I thought I recognized that flag." He embraced Tambo, they clapped each other on the back. "How are you? Still sailing with tk father's name I see. That's still Delos eh?" + +"Edward." Tambo inclined his head in way Lulu had never seen him do before, it was not quite a bow, but it was more than she'd ever seen him do for anyone else. "I am in fact still sailing with tk father's name and that is Delos, holding fast." Thatch nodded, stroking his beard. "Still making the tar then?" Tambo nodded. "Careened Revenge not more than a fortnight ago." -Thatch grunted. "Which Revenge? I've got a Revenge, and Queen Anne's Revenge, and then there's captain Ratham. I think Hornigold had a revenge down in Nassua as well. There's a lot of Revenges in these damn waters. What is it with us and Revenge? Tk father's name would say that's our problem, too much revenge, not enough original thought." Thatch chuckled. He turned to Lulu and knelt down. "You must be... Lulu?" +Thatch grunted. "Which Revenge? I've got a Revenge. And Queen Anne's Revenge. Then there's captain Ratham. Hornigold has a Revenge down in Nassua. Hell, Vain probably does too by now." He turned to the man next to him as if sharing an inside joke. "If he stops drinking long enough to sail that is." + +"There's a lot of Revenges in these damn waters Mr Tambo. What is it with Revenge? Tk father's name would say that's our problem, too much revenge, not enough... something else." Thatch chuckled. He waved his hand to the man standing next to him, you remember my quartermaster Mr Dobbs?" + +Tambo nodded to Mr. Dobbs. The Thatch turned to Lulu and knelt down. "You must be... Lulu?" She nodded. -"And you must be Henri, ready to be a cabin boy yet Henri? Mine has just left, I could use a new cabin boy." +"And you must be Henri. Ready to be a cabin boy yet Henri? Mine has just left, I could use a new cabin boy." Henri glanced uncertainly at Lulu. She spoke up. "He already is sir, on Delos." -"Ah, shame." Thatch stood up. "What brings you to my island Tambo? Not that you aren't welcome to visit, but tk father's name does not appear to be here, and only two of his children are, which suggests you might be running an errand of unsavory nature." +"Ah, shame. Well." Thatch stood up. "Come, let's walk to my new home. I have property now. Here. I own it. Thatch laughed. "So, what brings you to my island Tambo? Not that you aren't welcome to visit, but tk father's name does not appear to be here, and only two of his children are, which suggests... mystery." -Tambo looked down. "A British ship has come to Charlestown. Well. First to Edisto, not, I assume, Charlestown." +Tambo looked down at his feet. "Yes. You might want to hear this before we go to your property. A British ship has come to Charlestown. Well. First to Edisto, now, since we lost it in the night, I assume, Charlestown." -Thatch glanced up. "Do go on..." +Thatch glanced up. "A British ship? You mean a man of war? Do go on..." "A 32 gun frigate." @@ -2455,7 +2460,7 @@ Thatch glanced at his quartermaster and raised his eyebrow. "That's four more ca They brought a British nobleman of some sort, claims he owns Edisto. He arrested tk father's name for cutting down his trees." -Thatch burst out laughing. "I am sorry," he glanced at Lulu, "no offense to your father, but a British warship arrives on the most pirate infested coast in the entire America and arrests a man for cutting down trees. Oh lord, how very British of him." He doubled over laughing. +Thatch burst out laughing. "He was arrested for cutting down trees? That is the most British thing I have ever heard." He glanced at Lulu, "I am sorry to hear about your father, but a British warship arrives on the most pirate infested coast in the entire Americas and arrests a man for cutting down trees." He shook his head smiling. "Some times I almost like the British. When Thatch had composed himself he straightened his jacket and smoothed out his beard. "What do you want from us then?" @@ -2469,7 +2474,53 @@ Thatch grunted. "I imagine not. So we sail into Charlestown, blockade the harbor Tambo smiled. "Probably." -"Sounds like a fantastic plan." Thatch rubbed his hands together. "We're been itching for a prize here, doing a bit of maintainence, but when is it ever done? Never I tell you. A ship is nothing but work. Nothing put work. Sometimes you just have to say enough. Trim the sails and find the following wind." He patted Henri's head. "Mr Dobbs, call the men, let's put it to a vote and go get ourselves another ship." +"Sounds like a fantastic plan." Thatch rubbed his hands together. "We're been itching for a prize around here. It turns out the men are less impressed with my property than they are with more, well, tangible goods. We've a bit of work to do as well of coures, but when is that ever done? A ship is nothing but work. Nothing but work. Sometimes you just have to say enough. Trim the sails and find the following wind." He patted Henri's head. "Mr Dobbs, call the men, let's put it to a vote and go get ourselves another ship. Maybe we can even," he glanced mischievously at Lulu and Henri, "recruit some new crew members." + +### Birdie at the rich people's house, father in jail + +The road into Charlestown became too rough to lie down in the back of the wagon. Birdie braced herself against that side, her legs stretched across the width and bed and pressed firmly against the other side to keep her from sliding around as the wagon lurched and shuddered over the deep, dry ruts of the road. She tried to ignroe McPhail but her kept asking her questions and she knew it was impolite to not answer them, and she wanted him to like her since her fate, and her father's fate was as least partly in his hands. Until Revenge showed up anyway. Please hurry Lulu, she sent the thought out into the universe in hopes that her sister or her bother would hear her, please hurry. + +Then McPhail's voice brought her back to the world of the wagon and road. + +"Don't know that I'll be doing this much she heard McPhail muttering as they maneuvered through a particularly jarring set of ruts. + +"If you don't like the road, and aren't going to come to the island, why do we have to leave?" + +"Who said you had to leave?" + +"You did." Birdie looked away and rolled her eyes to herself. She found this habit of grownups playing innocent tiring. What did he take her for? + +"No, I never said you had to leave the island, I said you've been stealing my trees and need to pay for them." + +This was news to Birdie, but she did not let McPhail know it. Perhaps this was why her father didn't seem overly concerned. If all they were going to do was throw him in jail until he could pay these debts then that wasn't quite so worrying. Edward could certainly buy her father out if all else failed. + +"We haven't been stealing your trees. We didn't know they were your trees. I don't even know that they were your trees when we cut them, if we did cut them." She was quite proud of herself for adding the last bit, never admit to anything her father always told her. + + + + + + + + +I own them, I have a piece of paper that says I own them because the kind gave them to me. + +She thought this over a for miniute. "No, you don't. You forced out the Ediston and the tk, and the tk. You overwhelmed them with force and marched them out." + +I did not + +British soldier did + +"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's quite right, I did." He smiled quizically at her. + +"And that's wrong. Every bit as wrong was what you say papa did." + +"No my child it's not." + +This was what she'd been waiting for him to say. "Then why is wrong when Capitan Ratham overwhelms one of your ships and takes it from you?" + +"Woah!" He jerked the reins tight, and the horses nearly reared as the wagon can lurching to a stop. He said nothing, but turned and stared at her for a long time. She felt his eyes memorizing her features the way she had studied the pictures her book. Then he turned around again, shook the reins, and resumed their journey, McPhail staring off into space and ignoring her the remainder of the way into Charlestown. + ### following your path campfire talk @@ -2529,9 +2580,6 @@ He smiled at her. "Helping them isn't telling them to be just like you. Helping ## Into Town - The take Aunt Māra to Charlestown, she no longer want to live on the island -## Something -## Sails - - McPhail arrives # Glossary |