Get ready to mock
Feb. 23rd, 2012 10:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elingregoryYes, I know I said I'd make a stab at finishing Lee Shore this week but stuff has happened - including checking proofs for Alike As Two Bees and finishing the guide book I've been writing for work - so progress has been pitifully slow.
Not as far along as I had hoped but I've written one of the difficult bits and now I need to write another!
Here's a snippet for those who remember who's in it:
Wigram surged to his feet, gesturing with his bottle towards Griffin who shrugged and spread his arms.
"If you don't," Wigram's voice carried clearly to the place where Kit and Detorres were concealed, "it'll go hard with you and your crew. You’ll get your share and have my respect, but you'll follow my orders until we know we can trust you."
Griffin's lips tightened. "I can't sail the Santiago," he said as he rose to his feet. "She's too big a ship. You need someone experienced. You need an experienced crew. These laggards wouldn't do it. We'd lose her the first big blow."
"Then there's no reason to keep her is there," Wigram said. "And no reason to keep you."
Prosser was fiddling with his pistol and Kit's heart rose into his mouth.
"Shall we shoot?" Detorres demanded.
"No, wait." Kit slid back into the bushes and ran along the edge of the underbrush. He made sure that he made some noise as he pushed through the bushes then, when well away from where Detorres and Santos were lurking, he darted out onto the sand in clear view.
“Griffin!” he bellowed. “Damn your eyes, sir. I have an accounting with you.” As he was speaking he strode forward, ignoring the pirates, some of whom had scattered. Others had drawn weapons and were on their feet watchful but not yet alarmed. Some even seemed amused.
“What do you mean by this?” Kit raised his arm, to show the metal cuff and length of chain wrapped around it. “How dare you restrain me in such a fashion. Come, sir, an explanation if you please.”
Griffin had started along with the rest but now his mouth was set in lines of annoyance, though Kit was pleased to notice that some of the tension had gone from his shoulders. Prosser’s pistol was pointing at Kit now, less than half a pace away, and Griffin gave it a speculative glance before replying.
“You went against my orders, Penrose, which were to remain aboard the ship, out of my way. You have gone against my orders again. Indeed there will be an accounting.”
Kit stopped about ten paces distant and pretended to look about him for the first time. “Wigram? Why are you wearing Stockley’s coat? Come to that, where is Stockley?”
“Deposed,” Wigram said, his small brown teeth glinting as he grinned. “It was decided that yours truly would be a more appropriate captain now we have the two ships and you - why you might make yourself useful.” He nodded to Kit’s red uniform waistcoat. “With you in that uniform on the railing with a rope round your neck the Miranda would think twice about firing on us.”
“Not the Miranda,” Kit laughed. “You could have King George on the railing with a rope round his neck and Captain Thomas Wells will still fire. Didn’t you hear - he has declared war on all the pirates in the Leewards Isles.” He paused to let the laughter and muttering of the pirates die down. “And as part of the crew, even as a forced man, there’s no quarter. There’s no going back for me, boys.”
“Kit!” Griffin’s fists were clenched at his sides. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Buying time didn’t seem like a politic answer so Kit ignored him.
"I heard what you said, Wigram. Griffin may not be able to sail the Santiago to good effect but I can and I can navigate her. Sure, we’re short of crew, but Africa and Garnet don’t need many to sail safely. Give me - say, four dozen men who are prepared to try and we can soon pick up more men from our prizes. There's not a ship in these waters that could stand against us."
Wigram stared at him. Kit stared back, hoping it wasn't obvious that he was avoiding looking at Griffin who appeared to be thunderstruck.
"Let me get this straight in my head," Wigram said. "You're suggesting that you captain the Santiago?"
"Yes," Kit said. "As the one person in this company most qualified to do so."
"And what about Captain Griffin?" Wigram asked, he was grinning again.
"Griffin forfeited my loyalty when he chained me to a bulkhead." Kit swung the chain to glint in the dying firelight. "Let him take the Africa and its milksop crew to perdition for all I care."
There was a shout of laughter at that and Prosser snorted. “Well, Griffin, it sounds like your molly-boy’s balls just dropped. Let's vote on it, Wigram. If the ship founders, it's no loss. We’ll soon take another.”
“Santiago’s a good ship,” Kit protested, “unless the lubbers who were sailing her holed her when she ran aground.”
“Well!” Wigram shook out his cuffs, and Kit saw the dark stains on the lace. “Fo’c’sle Fancy to Captain’s cabin in just a few short months. Promotion’s easier when you only have to fuck one man.”
“You’d know, Admiral Wigram.” Kit showed his teeth, hoping the snarl might be taken for a grin. “Bet you never thought you’d hear yourself called that!”
More when - um - I've done some more.
Not as far along as I had hoped but I've written one of the difficult bits and now I need to write another!
Here's a snippet for those who remember who's in it:
Wigram surged to his feet, gesturing with his bottle towards Griffin who shrugged and spread his arms.
"If you don't," Wigram's voice carried clearly to the place where Kit and Detorres were concealed, "it'll go hard with you and your crew. You’ll get your share and have my respect, but you'll follow my orders until we know we can trust you."
Griffin's lips tightened. "I can't sail the Santiago," he said as he rose to his feet. "She's too big a ship. You need someone experienced. You need an experienced crew. These laggards wouldn't do it. We'd lose her the first big blow."
"Then there's no reason to keep her is there," Wigram said. "And no reason to keep you."
Prosser was fiddling with his pistol and Kit's heart rose into his mouth.
"Shall we shoot?" Detorres demanded.
"No, wait." Kit slid back into the bushes and ran along the edge of the underbrush. He made sure that he made some noise as he pushed through the bushes then, when well away from where Detorres and Santos were lurking, he darted out onto the sand in clear view.
“Griffin!” he bellowed. “Damn your eyes, sir. I have an accounting with you.” As he was speaking he strode forward, ignoring the pirates, some of whom had scattered. Others had drawn weapons and were on their feet watchful but not yet alarmed. Some even seemed amused.
“What do you mean by this?” Kit raised his arm, to show the metal cuff and length of chain wrapped around it. “How dare you restrain me in such a fashion. Come, sir, an explanation if you please.”
Griffin had started along with the rest but now his mouth was set in lines of annoyance, though Kit was pleased to notice that some of the tension had gone from his shoulders. Prosser’s pistol was pointing at Kit now, less than half a pace away, and Griffin gave it a speculative glance before replying.
“You went against my orders, Penrose, which were to remain aboard the ship, out of my way. You have gone against my orders again. Indeed there will be an accounting.”
Kit stopped about ten paces distant and pretended to look about him for the first time. “Wigram? Why are you wearing Stockley’s coat? Come to that, where is Stockley?”
“Deposed,” Wigram said, his small brown teeth glinting as he grinned. “It was decided that yours truly would be a more appropriate captain now we have the two ships and you - why you might make yourself useful.” He nodded to Kit’s red uniform waistcoat. “With you in that uniform on the railing with a rope round your neck the Miranda would think twice about firing on us.”
“Not the Miranda,” Kit laughed. “You could have King George on the railing with a rope round his neck and Captain Thomas Wells will still fire. Didn’t you hear - he has declared war on all the pirates in the Leewards Isles.” He paused to let the laughter and muttering of the pirates die down. “And as part of the crew, even as a forced man, there’s no quarter. There’s no going back for me, boys.”
“Kit!” Griffin’s fists were clenched at his sides. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Buying time didn’t seem like a politic answer so Kit ignored him.
"I heard what you said, Wigram. Griffin may not be able to sail the Santiago to good effect but I can and I can navigate her. Sure, we’re short of crew, but Africa and Garnet don’t need many to sail safely. Give me - say, four dozen men who are prepared to try and we can soon pick up more men from our prizes. There's not a ship in these waters that could stand against us."
Wigram stared at him. Kit stared back, hoping it wasn't obvious that he was avoiding looking at Griffin who appeared to be thunderstruck.
"Let me get this straight in my head," Wigram said. "You're suggesting that you captain the Santiago?"
"Yes," Kit said. "As the one person in this company most qualified to do so."
"And what about Captain Griffin?" Wigram asked, he was grinning again.
"Griffin forfeited my loyalty when he chained me to a bulkhead." Kit swung the chain to glint in the dying firelight. "Let him take the Africa and its milksop crew to perdition for all I care."
There was a shout of laughter at that and Prosser snorted. “Well, Griffin, it sounds like your molly-boy’s balls just dropped. Let's vote on it, Wigram. If the ship founders, it's no loss. We’ll soon take another.”
“Santiago’s a good ship,” Kit protested, “unless the lubbers who were sailing her holed her when she ran aground.”
“Well!” Wigram shook out his cuffs, and Kit saw the dark stains on the lace. “Fo’c’sle Fancy to Captain’s cabin in just a few short months. Promotion’s easier when you only have to fuck one man.”
“You’d know, Admiral Wigram.” Kit showed his teeth, hoping the snarl might be taken for a grin. “Bet you never thought you’d hear yourself called that!”
More when - um - I've done some more.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-02-23 12:39 pm (UTC)Oh and I for one wouldn't dream of mocking. We all know what it's like to have more than ons project on the go.
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Date: 2012-02-23 01:39 pm (UTC)Oooh 24th tomorrow - we'll be finding out about the Meet!
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Date: 2012-02-23 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-23 06:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-24 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-26 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-26 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-26 10:25 pm (UTC)