A Game Of Swans

Chpt 7 - Propositions

There were several unnerving minutes before all weapons were withdrawn and placed back in their scabbards or holsters. Apparently this process requires several distrusting looks, vague curiosity of some form or another, and an Englishman glaring at you as if you had offended his great ancestors.

Which, in total honesty, I was willing to believe had been the case in both Arthur's and Antonio's lifetimes.

The two continued to regard each other with varying degrees of hostility, and both remained relatively stiff and tense, as did their crews.

Hopefully this worked to my benefit.

The sea rocked the three pirate ships, lapping at the sides, and the wind rustled the sails above us. Eventually, after another several minutes of complete silence, Antonio turned to face me.

"Alright, amigo," began the Spaniard, "Explain why it won't be necessary for my crew and I to pillage dear Captain Kirkland's ship."

Before Arthur could retaliate (because it was clear from the glower that he shot in Antonio's direction that he probably wanted to stab him), I sent him a hard look.

He glowered at me instead. The exchange did not go unnoticed. Antonio narrowed his eyes at us.

"It would be better if we could show you some things as we explain," I said, making my way towards my Quarters, "If it would make you feel safer, Captain Carriedo, you will be welcome to have Javier join you."

He let out a bark of laughter. "What, and leave the rest of my crew on your ship without my First Mate? No. I can handle myself, especially against an Englishman and an amateur."

I bristled at that, but didn't rise to his bait. Instead, I got Carrie's attention.

"Bloodworth, no attacking unless in the preservation of life, understand!?" I hollered.

"You got it, Captain!"

Following close behind me, Arthur yelled out, "Hunter, if any of these Spanish pricks attack you, you have my authority to kill them!"

"Yes Captain!"

I was unaware as to what Antonio told his crew, because he shouted at them in Spanish, and the only part of the short conversation I understood was "Si, Captain!"

Arthur gripped my arm painfully tight as he hissed, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Trying to make sure no one dies prematurely," I growled back in a low voice.

Reaching my Quarters, I opened the door and let the two of them through, closing it firmly behind me. Antonio had his arms folded and was regarding the two of us with a suspicious glare. Arthur returned the look.

I began rooting around my desk for the notebook the Englishman had given me, and for the map that we were using to plot our movement. As I did so, I spoke.

"The reason that your proposed ways of receiving... compensation, I suppose you could call it, for the gold that you lost will not be necessary, is because the object that we are searching for was last known to be located on the Portuguese ship, the Flor de la Mar, which was a carrack ship. This means that when we find the object, we find the ship, and consequently..." I turned around to face the Spaniard, "We find the gold that is also on that ship."

Before Antonio could voice his opinion on this, Arthur scoffed, folding his arms. "First of all, we don't know if that ship had any gold on it. Secondly, what makes you think I want to work with that wanker?!"

The Spanish Captain looked at the Englishman with a frown of disdain. "The feeling is mutual, cejas."

I sighed. I didn't think that this was going to be easy. It was clear that I had been correct in my thinking.