Post by John Darnacan on Feb 26, 2011 20:34:16 GMT
Part 3 – Tenuous Alliances
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So, which way did Blackbeard’s ship sail?” demanded Maynard.
“I will tell you on one condition,” Deiter replied.
“And what is that?” asked Maynard, expecting a ploy for money.
“Take me with you.”
“Out of the question,” he snapped. “I cannot be responsible for the life of a civilian.”
“I do not ask you to be responsible for my life. I am a former soldier. I can defend myself.”
“I thought you had the bearing of a Hessian.”
“If you take me along, I’ll fight for you.”
“For money?” asked Maynard, assuming Deiter was a Hessian mercenary.
“No, only to find my friends. I also don’t want any of your sailors shooting them by mistake. I am the only one who knows them by sight.”
“Very well, Hessian. To be quite honest, you did me a favour.”
“How so?”
“Colonel Middleton,” Maynard said gesturing to the elderly officer. “He was being difficult until you sounded the alarm. We sail within the hour. I hope you don’t get seasick, landlubber.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haku stepped onto the aft deck
“Mr. Haku, sir, may I have a word?” asked Snurdley.
“Go on.”
“Ol’ Blackbeard…I mean …Cap’n Teach doesn’t look like he is going hold up much longer.”
“Well, we have a doctor tending to him now.”
“Aye, but many of the crew would be glad to see you as our new cap’n…I mean….should Cap’n Teach not make it.”
Haku understood. While most of the crew had benefited financially from running with Blackbeard, many also feared him. He was a cruel man, the cruelest. Haku knew what Snurdley was suggesting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Doctor was passing his sonic screw driver over Captain Teach’s head.
“Anything?” Faye ventured.
“Well, you were right. Our good captain seems to have suffered a stroke, but a very localised one.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“I used the sonic screwdriver to create a sort of sonogram.”
“Should you? I mean, Blackbeard was a pretty nasty chap.”
“True,” the Doctor admitted. “But I don’t recall him dying of a stroke. So, perhaps our saving him is a part of history.”
“Yes, but what if he directs his nastiness towards us? We may become a victim of history.”
“We are all victims of history,” the Doctor mused.” However, it seems that we have the choice between Blackbeard’s wrath or Haku’s. Of course, I haven’t saved him yet.”
At that moment, the door flew open. Haku dragged a woman in. “I thought you might need another nurse.” He pushed her forward roughly.
“Very thoughtful,” murmured the Doctor.
“Help the Doctor. Your fates are bound together now,” Haku barked and left. The woman’s blonde hair was styled in an aristocratic style of the era, although slightly disheveled at the moment. Her features were quite delicate in the window light. From the refined fabric and ornamentation of her dress, it was clear she was not a member of the crew or the lower classes. The Doctor stood up and extended his hand.
“Hello, I’m the Doctor.” The woman seemed fearful, yet angry.
“A pirate doctor?” she asked a surprisingly mocking tone.
“No, no, just a doctor,” Faye explained. “We were pressed into service against our will.”
“Oh,” she said. Her body language seemed to relax. “I’m Lady Catherine Rutledge.”
Faye came forward. “I’m Faye Austin.”
“What did Haku mean when he said our ‘fates are bound together’?” the Doctor asked.
“That disgusting pig of a man,” she gestured toward Blackbeard, “tried to take advantage of me. By pure chance, my hand found a metal pot and I hit him with it, and knocked him unconscious. When he came to, he couldn’t walk.”
“Hmm, when you struck him, it must have knocked a clot loose,” he surmised as he looked back at Teach’s hulk of a body.
“Well, you’re safe now,” Faye reassured her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“Safe? In what manner, am I safe? If he dies, Haku will kill me. If he lives, Blackbeard will kill me, or worse!”
“Calm down,” the Doctor insisted. “There may be a way yet. Even in the darkest hour, the moons can still bring light.”
Lady Catherine seemed to relax just a little. “That’s what my mother always used to say.”
“Really?” asked the Doctor, a little surprised.
Suddenly, Faye and Lady Catherine jumped with start as Teach groaned and his body twitched.
Blackbeard was waking up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So, which way did Blackbeard’s ship sail?” demanded Maynard.
“I will tell you on one condition,” Deiter replied.
“And what is that?” asked Maynard, expecting a ploy for money.
“Take me with you.”
“Out of the question,” he snapped. “I cannot be responsible for the life of a civilian.”
“I do not ask you to be responsible for my life. I am a former soldier. I can defend myself.”
“I thought you had the bearing of a Hessian.”
“If you take me along, I’ll fight for you.”
“For money?” asked Maynard, assuming Deiter was a Hessian mercenary.
“No, only to find my friends. I also don’t want any of your sailors shooting them by mistake. I am the only one who knows them by sight.”
“Very well, Hessian. To be quite honest, you did me a favour.”
“How so?”
“Colonel Middleton,” Maynard said gesturing to the elderly officer. “He was being difficult until you sounded the alarm. We sail within the hour. I hope you don’t get seasick, landlubber.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haku stepped onto the aft deck
“Mr. Haku, sir, may I have a word?” asked Snurdley.
“Go on.”
“Ol’ Blackbeard…I mean …Cap’n Teach doesn’t look like he is going hold up much longer.”
“Well, we have a doctor tending to him now.”
“Aye, but many of the crew would be glad to see you as our new cap’n…I mean….should Cap’n Teach not make it.”
Haku understood. While most of the crew had benefited financially from running with Blackbeard, many also feared him. He was a cruel man, the cruelest. Haku knew what Snurdley was suggesting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Doctor was passing his sonic screw driver over Captain Teach’s head.
“Anything?” Faye ventured.
“Well, you were right. Our good captain seems to have suffered a stroke, but a very localised one.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“I used the sonic screwdriver to create a sort of sonogram.”
“Should you? I mean, Blackbeard was a pretty nasty chap.”
“True,” the Doctor admitted. “But I don’t recall him dying of a stroke. So, perhaps our saving him is a part of history.”
“Yes, but what if he directs his nastiness towards us? We may become a victim of history.”
“We are all victims of history,” the Doctor mused.” However, it seems that we have the choice between Blackbeard’s wrath or Haku’s. Of course, I haven’t saved him yet.”
At that moment, the door flew open. Haku dragged a woman in. “I thought you might need another nurse.” He pushed her forward roughly.
“Very thoughtful,” murmured the Doctor.
“Help the Doctor. Your fates are bound together now,” Haku barked and left. The woman’s blonde hair was styled in an aristocratic style of the era, although slightly disheveled at the moment. Her features were quite delicate in the window light. From the refined fabric and ornamentation of her dress, it was clear she was not a member of the crew or the lower classes. The Doctor stood up and extended his hand.
“Hello, I’m the Doctor.” The woman seemed fearful, yet angry.
“A pirate doctor?” she asked a surprisingly mocking tone.
“No, no, just a doctor,” Faye explained. “We were pressed into service against our will.”
“Oh,” she said. Her body language seemed to relax. “I’m Lady Catherine Rutledge.”
Faye came forward. “I’m Faye Austin.”
“What did Haku mean when he said our ‘fates are bound together’?” the Doctor asked.
“That disgusting pig of a man,” she gestured toward Blackbeard, “tried to take advantage of me. By pure chance, my hand found a metal pot and I hit him with it, and knocked him unconscious. When he came to, he couldn’t walk.”
“Hmm, when you struck him, it must have knocked a clot loose,” he surmised as he looked back at Teach’s hulk of a body.
“Well, you’re safe now,” Faye reassured her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
“Safe? In what manner, am I safe? If he dies, Haku will kill me. If he lives, Blackbeard will kill me, or worse!”
“Calm down,” the Doctor insisted. “There may be a way yet. Even in the darkest hour, the moons can still bring light.”
Lady Catherine seemed to relax just a little. “That’s what my mother always used to say.”
“Really?” asked the Doctor, a little surprised.
Suddenly, Faye and Lady Catherine jumped with start as Teach groaned and his body twitched.
Blackbeard was waking up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
