Update

[valarltd]

11,607 / 50,000 (23.2%)

So I'm at about a week's worth of writing.


They dropped anchor in the bay at Tortuga, called the Buccaneer Island, on the far side from the riotous cities and ports. Collins explained they were just here to do some trading. Stephan rolled up a barrel of powder from the magazine. Collins handed Adlai a heavy bag and took two for himself.

“Can you manage that belt?” he asked, jerking his head at a strip of leather with eight long hunting knives on it.

Adlai slung the belt across his chest and picked the bag back up. It felt full of tiny pebbles. He peeked in to see pounds of small lead balls. It took him a moment to realize he was carrying shot.

Deering rowed them to shore and they walked to the largest of the sideless, smoking huts. As they drew closer, Adlai saw and smelled the meat that was curing in the smoke. A large, filthy man, gory to the elbows, was sitting before the hut gutting a great sea turtle.

He whispered, “Master Captain, is this safe?”

“Nothing’s safe, entirely. But we’re more likely to walk away a live than not,” Collins said.

“You are not reassuring, Master Captain.” Adlai shifted the brace of knives and took a better grip on the bag.

He looked up at their approach, then stood and wiped his hands on his unspeakable trousers. “Collins, ya old dog. Whatcha tradin’ this time?”

“Powder, shot, a brace of good knives, Spanish steel. I need meat and information, Juan.”

“Ah, the first, easy. Very fresh turtle, plenty of smoked boar and cattle. Information... I tell you secrets if you tell me, no?”

Collins nodded for Adlai and Steven to set their goods down. Adlai was glad to be rid of the twenty pounds of shot. He unslung the knives.

“You tradin’ a slave too?” the boucan-tender asked Collins. “Your Stephan’s free, I know, yes.”

Collins scowled. “I don’t see any slave here. Adlai is my ship’s scribe. Just the shot, knives and powder. What can you give me?”

The man looked over the offerings, muttering in Spanish. “For fifty pound shot, fifty powder, eight knives, hmmm, I give you two barrels pig, one of cow and two pickled turtles.”