The Secret King

A Meeting of Minds

Willum donned his finest clothes for his meeting with the brethren fraternity. He polished his boots himself and dusted off his tri-corner hat, carefully placing it over the black silk bandanna he wore tightly over his head. Even his fur, which normally looked like a storm at sea, was brushed back and tight against his body. He chose a freshly washed white blouse and a loose fitting dark frock from among the scavenged articles of clothing aboard the Rose.

Though he would relinquish his weapons prior to the meeting, he boldly wore a handsome ornamental sword and dirk, tucked into the scarlet sash which circled his waist and crossed over his chest and right shoulder. When he was ready to depart, he instructed Wilbur to take charge of the crew and selected Ursamus as the single crew member to accompany him. They took a small rowboat from where their ship was moored and tied it up securely at the city dock.

Willum and Ursamus entered the bustling Demon's Breath pub and made their way to the main bar where Burgle stood waiting. The unkempt sable pointed to a door behind the bar and the two beasts nodded. Before entering, Willum handed his weapons to the sable, who placed them on a pile of armaments stacked at the thick wooden door. With a smile and a friendly pat on the back, the sable pulled back the door and bade Willum and Ursamus in.

The room was large, plain, and well lit by several dozen candles and lamps. An angry fire blazed in a large stone fireplace to the rear of the room. Smoke oozed from the burning logs to the stone slab floor.

The fire was being stoked by a kneeling rust-colored fox, wearing an eye-patch over his right eye. The center of the room was filled by a long battered pine table around which nine hard-looking beasts sat drinking ale. They looked in awkward silence at Willum and Ursamus until the fox, now done with the fire, approached and embraced the pirate cat.

"As I live and breathe, Captain Crookfang in the flesh! It's been many a year since I seen ya...still lookin' fierce, I may add."

Willum smiled.
"Captain Redbush...a familiar gob among all these strangers. Thought sure you'd be dead by now, run through or hanged...Nearly did it meself if'n I recall correctly."

The fox stroked his neck in remembrance.
"Aye, we've had our quarrels, 'tis true. But bygones be bygones, matey," He looked past Willum at Ursamus who stood directly behind the cat, "that's quite a cove you brought with ya...is he housebroken?"

Ursamus snarled, revealing his impressive teeth. Willum laughed and slapped the bear on the back.
"Aye, he's right gentle, though if'n I were you, I'd mind getting' me paw too close to his mouth."

They seated themselves at the table, except for the snow-bear who instead sat on his haunches to the right of Willum. Redbush addressed the cat.
"This here's all that's left of the brethren in Minga, no one you'd remember from your days among us. These be Captains Hogbrow and Tonguescab...that ratty-lookin' feller be known as Yellowtooth...," he pointed at the sole human sitting at the table, "and that scary lookin' cove is Cap'n Greensap. The rest of these blokes be their seconds...not nearly as impressive as your white terror sittin' there by yer side, but perilous none the less. They all knows you, Crookfang, fer good or bad and we're all wonderin' what you called this meetin' fer."

Willum stood and addressed the meeting.
"I heard lots o' stories, me fellow sea-devils. I heard youse were gonna go reap havoc on those Scarlet devils what hunted us and killed our mates and I thought 'Good, that be the brethren way', but then I got to hearin' how youse all gave up and sit here like little girls in grade school, afraid of yer own shadows."

There were angry, indignant rumblings around the table, Willum continued angrily,
"Quiet yer hurt pride mateys, things be what they be and growlin' won't make them less true. I aim to take the Brotherhood on, with or without youse. I come here figgerin' that I owes the brethren the chance ta be brave beasts agin rather'n a pack o' cowerin' little girls. This ain't the corsair way...hidin', pretendin' things ain't what they is, livin' on old tales and new lies," he threw up his arms, "what happened to youse?"