Chapter 3
14 December, 1659 = Sunday
I awoke the next morning with Meg still in my arms. A look out the window showed just enough light to tell me the sun was rising, but with the naked form of a beautiful woman tucked in tight in front of me, I had to admit I didn't care. Meg seemed to sense my waking up as she stretched her body out against mine before relaxing again, but didn't make any move to leave my embrace.
"You know your crew will be returning soon, if they haven't already," Meg told me.
"So we're not doing it once more before I hit the seas?" I commented to make her laugh.
"Oh I'm sure the whole dock knows what we've been up to," she commented as she finally turned over to press her bare chest to mine. "The things I've learned..."
"Didn't know you could feel sensations that intense?" I asked and she wrapped a leg over mine to pull me in closer.
"I'm just glad for the thick wooden hull to keep the town from knowing," she said with a smile, then grimaced. "Herc never made me feel like that."
"So goes what you do after today," I said, watching her close her eyes and her smallish body heave a big sigh.
"A girls gotta eat," she finally said as she turned back over. She made to slide out of the bed, but I snaked an arm and pulled her back in close.
"I can take care of that," I told her. "I know I'm new in port, but if you're willing, I'll take care of you. Just like I have tonight."
"With gold or the feelings?" she finally asked after several long moments.
"Both," I told her. "We don't have to rush to the altar, and you can always leave if you find someone else you want to be with, but if you want to stay with me, it'll just be me. We can always see where this goes."
"I know where it goes," she told me. "Eventually you'll get me pregnant, and then you'll want to marry me so it won't be a bastard and give you an heir, and where will I be?"
"Wherever you want," I told her. "Whatever you want. I'll respect your decision."
"You make it sound so easy," she finally said after a long pause. When she slid out of bed this time, I didn't try and stop her, and she went to the window to look out over the sea. "Stay with you, or be alone."
"At least with me you know where you stand in the world," I told her as I admired her beautiful body. "But as you said, it's only the first night. It's your choice whether it's your first night with me or your new career."
"Career," she said softly. It was only from my angle on the bed that I could see the single tear glisten on her cheek in the morning sun. I knew she had to be weighing her options as the cool morning breeze caressed her bare skin, and no decision was more weighty to a woman than whether or not to whore herself out to survive in the world. Even in 2020, that decision weighed on many.
"Promise me you'll stay away from the northwest of here?" she asked.
"Was that where Hercules went down?" I asked and she nodded.
"Hook has his base in a small pirate town on an island west of here," she told me in a soft voice I didn't think she was capable of with her normal throaty way of talking. "I hear it's called Neverland, because you never want to land on its shore. Any ship that wanders close, be they merchant or privateer, falls prey to his brig of war, the Jolly Roger."
"Well, I guarantee you I'm not fighting a brig of war," I told her. "And I'll steer clear of any place that means my death."
Meg bowed her head, then turned back to me. "It isn't even a choice. Either way I get pregnant, more mouths to feed. If I don't stay with you, any children I have will have no future, especially for the girls who will just have to do what I'd be doing, selling themselves."
"Made a decision have you?" I asked her.
"Yes," she said as she came back to the bed and climbed back in with me. "Fill me up one more time before you sail off to pillage and plunder?"
"Sure," I said as I pulled her in close. "I take it you decided to stay?"
"Yes," she said, sliding over the top of me to allow me to see her bare body under the privacy of our covers as she worked my hardening cock inside her. "From here on, I'm only yours."
"That's all I ask," I said as I wrapped my arms around her and plunged myself into her depths. Meg let out a howl, arching her back as her insides were suddenly forced to expand to allow for my massive size, arching her back as she did so to grab the overhead rafters.
Placing my hands on her hips, I guided her as she began to undulate herself on top of me, slowly at first then faster as she got in the rhythm. Her moans of pleasure increased with the speed she moved at, until she was almost screaming in pleasure. She began to tighten around my cock as she enjoyed herself, telling me she was ready to cum, so I began to thrust in rhythm to her movements.
The effect was immediate, and she climaxed with a loud shriek as if she'd been stabbed. Holding the pose for the moment, I climaxed myself and shot another load of seed into her body before Meg eventually relaxed as she pooled herself on my chest, her own still heaving from the exertion.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" she asked once she caught her breath.
"Oh yes," I said as I lay there. "But, I do believe my crew will be returning soon and I'll need to lead them to sea."
"At least you have something to remember me by," she said playfully as she rolled off of me.
"Oh, I'll be counting the days until I return," I told her as she slid out of bed. Knowing that our time for play was over, I slid out myself to get dressed myself. We dressed in silence, and we I embraced her as she headed for the door.
"Before you go," I said, then led her over to my trunk. I pulled out my cache of gold, counting out about eighty pieces. "Take this. It should hold you until I return."
"Thank you," she said with a wan smile. She scooped the gold into a pouch, then tied it off. "I'll be waiting for you to return."
"I'll try not to be long," I told her before I gave her a kiss. "Just a quick jaunt to the nearest port to take a ship or two and I'll be back."
"Be careful," she told me with an earnest voice. "Privateers and military vessels might come after you as well."
"They better have a fast ship," I told her. "I just want to take a few merchantmen. Anything bigger or better armed I'll let pass."
"Thank you," she said as she kissed me. She held the kiss, then backed away once it was over.
Meg opened the door and stepped out onto the ship, which was populated with a dreary eyed crew. She walked quickly to the gangplank and descended to the dock as she walked back towards the buildings. I followed as far as the railing, watching her hips that had danced for me many times over the course of the night fade into the morning crowd until I lost track of her completely.
"Very loud, isn't she?" Stiles said from beside me.
"I wasn't going to leave the ship uncrewed all night," I told him. "Finding a lady to spend the night with was a lucky break for me."
"Aye," was all he said before he turned and walked away.
A pudgy man carrying a bundle soon caught my eye as was the package he was carrying. What caught my eye was he seemed to be searching for something, then seemed to smile as he caught sight of me. It took me a moment to place him as the shopkeeper I'd purchased my Dutch flag from and had arranged to have it delivered this morning before I set sail.
"Morning, captain," he said as he came up the gangplank. "I have your flag."
"Well timed," I said as he handed me the flag. "I wanted to get underway early this morning."
"I wholly understand," he said as he turned. "I've got a few more deliveries to make, so I must bid you adieu."
"Good day," I bid as he hurried away. I turned to the mast, my eyes going up to flag. Stiles was nearby talking with a couple of sailors. My look towards him caught Stiles' eye, and I held up the flag as I walked over. His eyes went up to the flag, and I nodded when he looked back to me.
"New flag?" he asked in confirmation.
"Just got it," I told him. "As Dutch privateers, we sail under a Dutch flag for the Dutch."
"And should we ever get caught," he said as he took the flag from me, "we can only be jailed instead of hung. I'll get this up the mast, right away."
"Thank you, Stiles," I said as I looked around the ship. A bell began to sound, and I cocked my head as I counted. Three double rings and a single told me it was seven bells, or seven thirty given the early hour, so I had some time to kill.
Walking up to the poop deck, I pulled out the chart and studied it for the closest port, finding the closest was Saint Kitts, which was controlled by the British. The nearest Spanish port, which according to memory would be where the gold was was San Juan, but that was close to where Hook was based. If I kept my promise, which I really had no reason to break, the next nearest Spanish ports would be in South America, and ranged from Trinidad to Caracas.
Shaking my head, I couldn't see going so far to attack ships when I had several British and French targets much closer to a home port, which I considered Saint Eustatius to be, and decided to keep my raids between Saint Kitts and French owned Guadeloupe, giving me five ports total to raid over two countries.
Hearing the bell again after studying my map, I set it back in the desk and looked out over my crew, seeing a good knot of men assembled. I knew we still had a stock of supplies from our crossing, so I wasn't worried about a food shortage and decided it was time to ready the ship.
"Eight bells!" Stiles yelled to the crew as if sensing my decision. "Fall in for count!"
The crew roused from their inactivity and many more came up out of the hold. They milled about on the deck as Stiles came up to join me, pulling a sheet of paper from his vest.
"Crew is assembled, sir," he said as he stood in front of me. "I took the liberty last night of making out the Articles, if you wish to review them."
I mentally slapped myself for not thinking of writing the Articles, myself. The Articles were an old term meaning a contract that a ship sailed under, most often talked of as the Code. They laid down both the rules of the ship, powers and limits of its captain, and also established a sort of retirement if a man was made unable to sail because he lost the ability in the service of the ship.
Taking the Articles as written by Mister Stiles, I found it written as followed and read it off to the crew.
"To each man that signs herein, we do conclude ourselves to act as follows;
"One, that each man may have one vote, on any affair of the moment, and has equal right to fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and may use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary, for the good of all aboard, to vote a retrenchment.
"Two, all goods seized or captured, including ships taken, shall be divided fairly by being first sold, their value added to the ship's ledger and the gold stored in the ship's hold, until such time as a vote to divide the loot is made.
"Three, any person, to the value of a piece of eight, caught stealing or keeping secret any prize, shall be marooned in such a place that is not uninhabited, but to cause hardship with only a flask of powder, small arm, and single shot.
"Four, that all lights and candles are to be put out at at eight o'clock, and if any crew wish to drink or game, they are to do it on the open deck.
"Five, all men are to keep their piece, pistols and sword clean and fit for service with any man found lacking to be deprived of his share and either marooned or left behind after a call to arms is made.
"Six, any man deserting the ship or their quarters in battle is to be punished with death.
"Seven, no striking another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword or pistol. The quarter-master of the ship, when the parties will not come to any reconcilliation, shall accompany the parties to shore with assistance he thinks proper, and shall turn the disputants back-to-back, walk ten paces, then at the word of the quarter-master, shall turn and fire immediately. If both miss, they come to their cutlasses, and then he who draws first blood shall be named winner.
"Eight, the elected Captain and Quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize, any officer elected shall receive one share and a half, all common sailors receiving one full share.
"Nine, any man losing losing limb, or otherwise becoming cripple in the performance of their duty, shall receive three full shares of the loot acquired to that point, then dismissed at the next friendly port.
"Ten, every man shall obey civil command, and he who does not, shall receive forty lashes."
I looked at the men still arrayed, and then nodded my head in acceptance. Going into the desk where the ship's ledger was kept, I pulled out the bottle of ink and the feather pen and set them on top, then unstoppered the bottle. Dipping in the pen, I signed off with my name on the captain's line, then handed the pen to Stiles who signed off as the quartermaster.
"All hands wishing to set sail, shall sign the Articles," Stiles yelled. "Then we shall hold a vote for direction of sail, then cast off."
Stiles and I stepped back to allow the parade of men up the stairs and access to the Articles, each man signing off before going back down the stairs. I kept a count of the men, finding thirty-five souls were brave enough to sail as privateers. When it was done, I stoppered the Articles in the desk and removed the ship's ledger.
"Where to, lads?" I asked them, and they only shrugged. "To our west is the Spanish port of San Juan. According to local word, though, a rather nasty pirate named Hook sails those waters and takes any ships he sees a-prize and kills their crew."
That had the desired effect of many of the many shaking their heads, so I could rest easier at knowing that I wouldn't be sailing for my own death. "To our south is Saint Kitts, an English port, and further south is Nevis, also British owned, and past that is Martinique, French owned."
The men began to talk amongst each other, then the chants of Saint Kitts began.
"Any man wanting to vote for some place other than Saint Kitts, speak now," I asked but no man raised his voice. "Saint Kitts it is! Cast us off, lads, and let's get this ship sailing!"
That got the crew to cheer, then each man began to move as they headed for their preferred station. Stiles began shouting more specific orders such as how to cast off and set the sails, and I manned the helm, turning it hard over so we could leave as the wind began to push the carefully selected sails.
Once we were successfully turned, Stiles gave the orders to go to full sail, and I turned us south to open waters, turning a bit so the wind caught the sails and propelled us to full speed. As Saint Eustatius fell behind our rudder, Stiles returned to the poop deck with a grin on his face.
"Making about twelve knots, sir," he informed me.
"Good," I said as he took control of the helm. That allowed me to watch the sailors as they sailed, something I don't think I could ever tire of doing.
Sighing, I could only wonder what life would bring in Saint Kitts.