Pirates of the Storm (Stranded In Time Book 1) by Fletcher Best Read Free Book Online Page B

remarkable things with the limited ingredients at
hand.”
    All of the food on the platter was
actually quite good and after squeezing the last of the lime wedges
into his water, even it tasted relatively good.
    “I trust you slept well last night,
Mr. Greene.”
    “Yes, Captain.”
    “Good. Today will be a busy day. When
the crew finishes the morning chores, I will take you to Port
Royal. We will be making a few trips in the longboats to gather
supplies and once that is done, we shall visit the local tavern for
some refreshments and entertainment. You will see much of the town,
not that there is much to see, and that should give you a means to
help you decide whether to stay ashore or travel with
us.”
    “I’m looking forward to it,” Jeff
said.
    “Now, Mr. Greene, I should warn you
about Port Royal. It may not seem dangerous, but I can assure you
that it is. I know that you are quite capable of defending
yourself, just do not let your guard down.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind,” Jeff
nodded.
    The men finished the food and the
Captain stood up and pulled out his pipe box. “A smoke, Mr.
Greene?”
    “No th… Well, sure, why not, I should
practice so I don’t cough up a lung if I have to do it
later.”
    The Captain smiled, “Very good, Mr.
Greene. You are already fitting in!” The Captain prepared the pipes
and handed one to Jeff. “Remember, suck the smoke in slowly and
hold it in your mouth,” Coxen said as he lit a splint and held it
to his pipe before passing it to Jeff. Jeff followed suit and
managed to light his own pipe without choking. “Well done!” the
Captain said with approval.
    As the men smoked, Jeff asked,
“Captain, please forgive my ignorance, but are you a privateer or a
pirate?”
    “There really is no difference but a
document of authorization ‘twixt the two, Mr. Greene. I have been
both at one time or another. Currently I hold documents of
authorization as a privateer for the crown, though in truth they
were actually granted to another.”
    “You stole someone else’s privateering
documents?” Jeff asked with amusement.
    “I prefer to say that I liberated
them. After all, he wasn’t going to be using them - he was
dead!”
    “You killed him!?” Jeff
exclaimed.
    “No, nothing like that. Though in my
younger days, such deeds were not beneath me. But Captain Clarke
and I were actually good friends. We were enjoying some drink and
wenches at the tavern one evening when he simply fell over dead. I
took his corpse back to his ship and while there I liberated a few
items, including his privateering documents. He would have wanted
me to have them, I’m certain,” the Captain said with a smile and a
wink.
    “No doubt,” Jeff laughed in
agreement.
    “Since you have brought it
up, Mr. Greene, I should explain what you may expect if you stay
with us when we sail. Over the next few months, I, along with a few
other of my brethren, shall be raiding several Spanish settlements
along the coast. Most are not well defended, but there is always
the risk of Spanish warships showing up at the least opportune
moment. If you choose to stay on the Wandering Wench you would not be
expected to join my raiding parties, so you would not be at risk
from that, but if the ship were to be captured, you would no doubt
be sentenced to death with myself and the rest of the
crew.”
    “I understand, Captain. I will factor
that into my decision.”
    “Speaking of which,” Coxen replied, “I
will need your answer before sundown tomorrow, for we sail at dawn
the next day. You are welcome to leave in your canoe, but if you
choose to do so, you will want to go ashore some distance from Port
Royal and hide it in order to avoid questions. So, you will want to
leave yourself sufficient daylight to go ashore and make it to town
before dark.”
    “Understood,” Jeff nodded. “Do you
have any suggestions on how I might make some money to get me
started if I do stay in Port Royal?”
    “Worry not, Mr.