Continued…

Mr. Swansee, the quartermaster, watched from the edge of the shadows. He stood unmoving, arms crossed and held close to his chest. The crew members shifted their feet and glanced at one another, in silence.

The captain stepped forward and looked down at something on the long, narrow table in front of him. “Gentlemen, I have in my possession, a most wondrous map showing a multitude of islands. Each one of them contains hidden treasure.” He pulled out his dagger, bent over slightly, and without taking any interest as to where it landed, sunk the blade into the weathered wood. Leaning in closer, he placed a finger on the area where the blade pierced the parchment. “Mr. Swansee, we are headed for Morrymere Island.”

“Where did ye get this map, if I may ask, sir?” Swansee questioned. “How do you know it is not some type of distraction? Perhaps a trap?”

The captain released his hand from the dagger. The steady light from a nearby candle reflected off the golden hoop dangling from his ear. “I can assure you, its authenticity is beyond question.”

The group of men standing in front of the captain and the quartermaster began whispering to one another.

The captain pulled his dagger from the wooden slab, then straightened his back to stand full-height. “Well, if you must know, it was given to me by a monk,” he said. A wide smile appeared on his face. “I must confess. He did not willingly ‘give’ it to me. I had to demonstrate to him, how persuasive I can be.” He dropped the dagger on the table. “Besides, would such a man endanger his soul by telling me a falsehood?”