Captain Graybeard's Plunder

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A galleon riding low and fat in the water, laden with gold. A juicy target for my <<if hasVisited("Hungry Crew")>>hungry crew<<else>>[[hungry crew|Hungry Crew]]<</if>>. A slight swell on the sea. The smell of gunpowder in the air. A taut silence falls over us. The only noise is the slap of the waves against <<if hasVisited("The Dreadful")>>The Dreadful<<else>>[[The Dreadful|The Dreadful]]<</if>>'s hull, the creaking of the yard arms, the flap of canvas in the wind. I feel the coming fight in my bones. I sense victory and plunder. My hand is <<if hasVisited("Wind Rises")>>steady on the wheel<<else>>[[steady on the wheel|Wind Rises]]<</if>>. <<if hasVisited("Hungry Crew", "The Dreadful", "Wind Rises")>> [[And then...]] <</if>>

<<set $hand to "">> <<set $shipDescrip to "">> <<set $sailDescrip to "">> <<set $crewDescrip to "">> <<set $shipName to "">> <<set $shipSize to 0>> <<set $crewSize to 0>> <<set $treasure to "">> <<set

And then everything goes wrong. This is no ordinary galleon. It is The Indominitable — Prince Sebastian's personal flagship. Of all the ships in the gulf, I had to choose the one belonging the king's only son! We are outmaneuvered, outmanned, outgunned. Everything is chaos and cacophony. <<linkreplace "Chain shot swinging through the air.">>Chain shot swinging through the air, cutting our masts, shredding our sails. <<linkreplace "A platoon of well-trained soldiers with long rifles at their shoulders and cutlasses at their hips.">>A platoon of well-trained soldiers with long rifles at their shoulders and cutlasses at their hips, firing again and again, picking off my crew one by one. <<linkreplace "And then we are being boarded.">>And then we are being boarded. My pirates are taken captive or run through with cutlasses. They show us no quarter. <<linkreplace "A hideous numbness in my hand.">>A hideous numbness in my hand. [[And then nothing|my library]].<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

My only solace is <<linkreplace "my library...">>my library. I have always collected books. Even during my pirate days, I would plunder ships' libraries for the treasures they contained. As my crew hauled treasure chests from the hold of a captured ship, I would enter the captain's quarters and take any books that caught my fancy. If the captain was still alive I would consult with him as to the best titles in his collection. If he was cooperative and the books looked promising, I might show him mercy. I built my library on an old barge. I tethered it to the docks at Saltwreck Quay and retired on what little treasure I had amassed during my career. It's not much. A few dubloons, a handful of pieces-of-eight. But it will see me out. [[And yet...]] <</linkreplace>> <<set $treasure to "A few dubloons, a handful of pieces-of-eight...">> <<set $shipDescrip to "Destroyed...">> <<set $sailDescrip to "Inn tatters...">> <<set $crewDescrip to "Slain...">> <<set $hand to "Shattered...">>

And yet I still yearn for the sea. More than that, I yearn for plunder. Even now, I can hear the roar of cannonfire, the flapping of sailcloth in the wind, the creaking of the timbers as we give chase. Now all I have is a sea of ink, my only gold is the gilt edges of the pages of my books, the only sound is the rustling of paper and the creaking of leather. [[But maybe...]]

Just maybe... It turns in my mind like a whirlpool — slowly at first, and then faster and faster as the idea pulls me in. Maybe it is possible. Maybe I can recapture that life of plunder that I left behind. I spring to my feet and run my hands across the spines of my books, seeking the tales of seafaring adventure. I am frantic with excitement. The first thing I need is a ship. I can take the best characteristics of the greatest ships from all of literature and fashion a vessel capable of defeating even The Indominitable. Onto my coffee table I toss copies of [[Moby Dick|The Pequod]] by Herman Melville, [[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea|The Nautilus]] by Jules Verne, and [[Peter and Wendy|The Jolly Roger]] by J.M. Barrie. They lie there like treasure chests waiting to be plundered. <<set $shipName to "THE DREADFUL II">>

“Call me Ishmael...” I leaf impatiently through all that nonsense about whaling. It's the ship I want. The Pequod. At last I find it. The passage I was looking for: <blockquote>“[[She is a thing of trophies. A cannibal of a craft, tricking herself forth in the chased bones of her enemies.|Chose Pequod]] All round, her unpanelled, open bulwarks were garnished like one continuous jaw, with the long sharp teeth of the sperm whale, inserted there for pins, to fasten her old hempen thews and tendons to..."</blockquote>[[Keep Browsing]]

<<if $shipSize == 0>><<set $shipDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $shipSize += 1>><<set $sailDescrip to "">>Yes, that's a ship that inspires terror in the hearts of my enemies, a ship worthy of a pirate! <<if $shipSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Keep Browsing]]<<else>>[[Onward!]]<</if>> <<set $shipDescrip += "A thing of trophies. A cannibal of a craft, tricking herself forth in the chased bones of her enemies. ">>

"The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten..." I leaf impatiently through all that nonsense about Captain Nemo. It's the ship I want. I want the Nautilus. At last I find it. The passage I was looking for: <blockquote>“No defects to be afraid of, for the double shell is as firm as iron; no rigging to attend to; no sails for the wind to carry away; no boilers to burst; no fire to fear, for [[the vessel is made of iron, not of wood; no coal to run short, for electricity is the only mechanical agent; no collision to fear, for it alone swims in deep water; no tempest to brave, for when it dives below the water it reaches absolute tranquillity|Chose Nautilus]]. There, sir! that is the perfection of vessels!”</blockquote>[[Keep Browsing]]

<<if $shipSize == 0>><<set $shipDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $sailDescrip to "">><<set $shipSize += 1>>Yes, that's a ship of stealth and cunning, a ship worthy of a pirate. <<if $shipSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Keep Browsing]]<<else>>[[Onward!]]<</if>> <<set $shipDescrip += "The vessel is made of iron, not of wood; no coal to run short, for electricity is the only mechanical agent; no collision to fear, for it alone swims in deep water; no tempest to brave, for when it dives below the water it reaches absolute tranquillity. ">>

"All children, except one, grow up..." I leaf impatiently through all that nonsense about Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. I want the ship. I want the Jolly Roger. At last I find it. The passage I was looking for: <blockquote>“One green light squinting over Kidd's Creek, which is near the mouth of the pirate river, marked where the brig, the Jolly Roger, lay, low in the water; [[a rakish-looking craft foul to the hull, every beam in her detestable|Chose Jolly Roger]] like ground strewn with mangled feathers. She was the cannibal of the seas, and scarce needed that watchful eye, for she floated immune in the horror of her name.”</blockquote>[[Keep Browsing]]

<<if $shipSize == 0>><<set $shipDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $sailDescrip to "">><<set $shipSize += 1>>A ship worthy of a pirate! <<if $shipSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Keep Browsing]]<<else>>[[Onward!]]<</if>> <<set $shipDescrip += "A rakish-looking craft foul to the hull, every beam in her detestable. ">>

Most of my fellow pirates have been with me since the beginning. They are battle-hardened and ready for a fight. My only worry is that they have grown complacent due to a series of easy victories. They have had a month of shore leave in the Port of Bon Isle while The Dreadful lay in drydock. Perhaps they became too accustomed to the ease and stability of life on land... <<return "I remember...">> <<set $crewDescrip to "Her crew has seen their share of battles, but they have become complacent after too many easy victories and too much shore leave. ">>

The Dreadful is an old sloop-of-war, captured from the king's fleet more than a decade ago. She is fast and capable, with a full complement of cannons on her upper deck. But I worry that the world has changed around her. The shipwrights at Bon Isle have been building bigger, faster, and better-armed ships of late. It may be time to try my hand at capturing a more recent model. <<return "I remember...">> <<set $shipDescrip to "She is an old sloop-of-war, fast, capable, and well-armed, but perhaps a little long in the tooth. ">> <<set $shipName to "THE DREADFUL">>

My hand is steady on the wheel as the wind rises and fills The Dreadful's sails. She is square-rigged and boasts more canvas than many ships of her class. I have steered her through many a fight with skill and cunning, using the wind and currents to my advantage. I bring us around and move us into position for a broadside. <<return "I remember...">> <<set $hand to "Strong and steady.">>

MY HAND: <blockquote>$hand</blockquote> MY SHIP: $shipName<blockquote>$shipDescrip</blockquote> MY CREW: <blockquote>$crewDescrip</blockquote> MY TREASURE: <blockquote>$treasure</blockquote>

On the coffee table lie copies of <<if not hasVisited("Chose Pequod")>>[[Moby Dick|The Pequod]] by Herman Melville<<if $shipSize == 1>> and <</if>><<if $shipSize == 0>>, <</if>><</if>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Nautilus")>> [[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea|The Nautilus]] by Jules Verne<<if $shipSize == 1>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Jolly Roger")>> and <</if>><</if>><<if $shipSize == 0>>, and <</if>><</if>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Jolly Roger")>> [[Peter and Wendy|The Jolly Roger]] by J.M. Barrie<</if>>. They lie there like treasure chests waiting to be plundered.

I have a ship that is ready to take on The Indominitable. Now all I need is a crew. I plunge once again into the pages of my books, casting aside Twenty Thousand Leagues this time. Jules was always much better at describing machines than people. Instead, I pull that old classic Treasure Island from the shelf and lay it on my coffee table with the others. Where will I seek a crew worthy of my new ship? In the pages of [[Moby Dick|Moby Dick Crew]] by Herman Melville, [[Peter and Wendy|Peter Crew]] by J.M. Barrie, or [[Treasure Island|Treasure Crew]] by Robert Louis Stevenson? <<set $shipName to "THE DREADFUL II">> <<set $crew to "">>

I introduce myself to Queequeg, Starbuck, Stubb, Flask, and the rest of the crew of the Pequod. Perhaps these fine fellows are a worthy crew? I soon find the passage I've been looking for: <blockquote>“Here, then, was this grey-headed, ungodly old man, chasing with curses a Job’s whale round the world, at the head of a crew, too, chiefly made up of [[mongrel renegades, and castaways, and cannibals — morally enfeebled also, by the incompetence of mere unaided virtue or right-mindedness in Starbuck, the invulnerable jollity of indifference and recklessness in Stubb, and the pervading mediocrity in Flask. Such a crew, so officered, seemed specially picked and packed by some infernal fatality to help him to his monomaniac revenge.|Chose Pequod Crew]]”</blockquote>[[Keep Browsing|Crew Return]]

I introduce myself to Cecco, Bill Jukes, Skylights, Smee, and the rest of the crew of the Jolly Roger. Perhaps these fine fellows are a worthy crew? In the pages of Peter and Wendy I find a classic crew of pirates: <blockquote>“[[A more villainous-looking lot never hung in a row on Execution dock.|Chose Jolly Roger Crew]] Here, a little in advance, ever and again with his head to the ground listening, his great arms bare, pieces of eight in his ears as ornaments, is the handsome Italian Cecco, who cut his name in letters of blood on the back of the governor of the prison at Gao... Here is Bill Jukes, every inch of him tattooed, the same Bill Jukes who got six dozen on the Walrus from Flint before he would drop the bag of moidores... and Gentleman Starkey, once an usher in a public school and still dainty in his ways of killing... and the Irish bo'sun Smee, an oddly genial man who stabbed, so to speak, without offence, and was the only Nonconformist in Hook's crew; and Noodler, whose hands were fixed on backwards; and Robt. Mullins and Alf Mason and many another ruffian long known and feared on the Spanish Main.”</blockquote>[[Keep Browing|Crew Return]]

I introduce myself to Long John Silver, Job Anderson, Abraham Gray, and the rest of the crew of the Hispaniola. Perhaps these fine fellows are a worthy crew? I soon find the passage I've been looking for: <blockquote>“Well, sir, I thought I had only found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered. Between Silver and myself we got together in a few days [[a company of the toughest old salts imaginable — not pretty to look at, but fellows, by their faces, of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate.|Chose Hispaniola Crew]]</blockquote>”[[Keep Browsing|Crew Return]]

Where shall I seek a crew worthy of my new ship? In the pages of <<if not hasVisited("Chose Pequod Crew")>>[[Moby Dick|Moby Dick Crew]] by Herman Melville<</if>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Pequod Crew")>><<if $crewSize == 0>>, <</if>><<if $crewSize == 1>> or <</if>><</if>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Jolly Roger Crew")>>[[Peter and Wendy|Peter Crew]] by J.M. Barrie<<if not hasVisited("Chose Hispaniola Crew")>><<if $crewSize == 0>>, or <</if>><<if $crewSize == 1>> or <</if>><</if>><</if>><<if not hasVisited("Chose Hispaniola Crew")>>[[Treasure Island|Treasure Crew]] by Robert Louis Stevenson<</if>>?

<<if $crewSize == 0>><<set $crewDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $crewSize += 1>>Yes, that's a crew who could take on anything! <<if $crewSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Crew Return]]<<else>>[[Onward!|Onward2]]<</if>> <<set $crewDescrip += "A pack of ruffians long known and feared on the Spanish Main. A more villainous-looking lot never hung in a row on Execution dock. ">>

<<if $crewSize == 0>><<set $crewDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $crewSize += 1>>Yes, that's a crew who could take on anything! <<if $crewSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Crew Return]]<<else>>[[Onward!|Onward2]]<</if>> <<set $crewDescrip += "Mongrel renegades, and castaways, and cannibals, specially picked and packed by some infernal fatality to help me in my monomaniac revenge. ">>

<<if $crewSize == 0>><<set $crewDescrip to "">><</if>><<set $crewSize += 1>>Yes, that's a crew who could take on anything! <<if $crewSize lt 2>>[[But I think it can still be improved upon.|Crew Return]]<<else>>[[Onward!|Onward2]]<</if>> <<set $crewDescrip += "A company of the toughest old salts imaginable — not pretty to look at, but of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate. ">>

I have a ship. I have a crew. Only one thing remains. I require a hand. As I see it, I have three good options: From Treasure Island: “Silver had two guns slung about him—one before and one behind—besides [[the great cutlass]] at his waist and a pistol in each pocket of his square-tailed coat.” From Moby Dick: “‘See you this?’ and withdrawing it from the folds that had hidden it, he held up [[a white arm of sperm whale bone, terminating in a wooden head like a mallet.]]” From Peter and Wendy: “He has [[an iron hook instead of a right hand]], and he claws with it.”

I strap Long John Silver's cutlass to the stump of my damaged arm. Now I am ready. [[Onward!|Onward3]] <<set $hand to "Long John Silver's Cutlass">>

I fasten Ahab's ivory limb to the stump of my damaged arm. Now I am ready. [[Onward!|Onward3]] <<set $hand to "Ahab's Ivory Arm">>

I fasten Captain Hook's iron hook to my damaged limb. Now I am ready. [[Onward!|Onward3]] <<set $hand to "Captain Hook's Iron Hook">>

I have a ship. I have a crew. I have a hand. I am finally ready to have my revenge. [[Set Sail]]

The Dreadful II plunges into a sea of pages and unfurls her sails. We sail across oceans of paper and parchment and vellum until at last I reach the yellowing waters of my diary. The sea becomes dark with ink and I sail through the calm waters of my life on Saltwreck Quay. Further and further I sail, traveling back through time, until at last I see it in the distance. [[The Indominitable]] in all her finery.

A galleon riding low and fat in the water, laden with ill-gotten gold. A juicy target for my <<if hasVisited("Hungry Crew II")>>hungry crew<<else>>[[hungry crew|Hungry Crew II]]<</if>>. A slight swell on the sea. The smell of gunpowder in the air. A taut silence falls over us. The only noise is the slap of the waves against <<if hasVisited("The Dreadful II")>>The Dreadful II<<else>>[[The Dreadful II|The Dreadful II]]<</if>>'s hull, the creaking of the yard arms, the flap of canvas in the wind. I feel the coming fight in my bones. I sense victory and plunder. $hand is <<if hasVisited("Wind Rises II")>>steady on the wheel<<else>>[[steady on the wheel|Wind Rises II]]<</if>>. <<if hasVisited("Hungry Crew II", "The Dreadful II", "Wind Rises II")>> [[And then...|And then II]] <</if>>

<<if not hasVisited("approach...")>><><</if>><<if visited() is 1>>“No! Please. I'll give you anything. Take my ship. Kill my crew. Just spare my life." The mighty prince grovels at my feet, trembling with fear. “Anything?" I ask. “Yes, anything. The greatest treasures from all of literature — I can make them yours." <</if>><<if not hasVisited("approach...")>><><</if>> What should I claim as my prize? The treasure from [[The Gold-Bug]] by Edgar Allen Poe. The treasure from [[The Fisherman and His Soul]] by Oscar Wilde. The treasure from [[The Count of Monte Cristo]] by Alexandre Dumas.

I flick through the pages of Edgar Allen Poe's collected works until I find “The Gold-Bug”, a story of treasure hunting and cryptography. I throw the book onto the deck and instruct Prince Sebastian to bring me the treasure described within: <blockquote>“The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and the greater part of the next night, in a scrutiny of its contents. There had been nothing like order or arrangement. Every thing had been heaped in promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin there was rather more than [[four hundred and fifty thousand dollars—estimating the value of the pieces, as accurately as we could, by the tables of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was gold of antique date and of great variety—French, Spanish, and German money, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy coins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There was no American money. The value of the jewels we found more difficulty in estimating. There were diamonds—some of them exceedingly large and fine—a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable brilliancy;—three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest. The settings themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments;—nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings;—rich chains—thirty of these, if I remember;—eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes;—five gold censers of great value;—a prodigious golden punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller articles which I cannot recollect.|Load Gold-Bug Treasure]] The weight of these valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois; and in this estimate I have not included one hundred and ninety-seven superb gold watches; three of the number being worth each five hundred dollars, if one. Many of them were very old, and as time keepers valueless; the works having suffered, more or less, from corrosion—but all were richly jewelled and in cases of great worth.”</blockquote> <<return "Let me consider the other treasures before making my decision.">>

I leaf through Alexandre's Dumas's tale of swashbuckling adventure until I find the passage I am looking for. I throw the book onto the deck and instruct Prince Sebastian to bring me the treasure described within: <blockquote>“Three compartments divided the coffer. In the first, blazed [[piles of golden coin; in the second, were ranged bars of unpolished gold, which possessed nothing attractive save their value; in the third, Edmond grasped handfuls of diamonds, pearls, and rubies, which, as they fell on one another, sounded like hail against glass.|Load Count Treasure]] “He then set himself to work to count his fortune. [[There were a thousand ingots of gold, each weighing from two to three pounds; then he piled up twenty-five thousand crowns, each worth about eighty francs of our money, and bearing the effigies of Alexander VI. and his predecessors; and he saw that the complement was not half empty. And he measured ten double handfuls of pearls, diamonds, and other gems, many of which, mounted by the most famous workmen, were valuable beyond their intrinsic worth.|Load Count Treasure]]”</blockquote> <<return "Let me consider the other treasures before making my decision.">>

I flick through the pages of Oscar Wilde's short story collection A House of Pomegranates until I find “The Fisherman and His Soul." I throw the book onto the deck and instruct Prince Sebastian to bring me the treasure described within: <blockquote>“Thou couldst not believe how marvellous a place it was. There were [[huge tortoise-shells full of pearls, and hollowed moonstones of great size piled up with red rubies. The gold was stored in coffers of elephant-hide, and the gold-dust in leather bottles. There were opals and sapphires, the former in cups of crystal, and the latter in cups of jade. Round green emeralds were ranged in order upon thin plates of ivory, and in one corner were silk bags filled, some with turquoise-stones, and others with beryls. The ivory horns were heaped with purple amethysts, and the horns of brass with chalcedonies and sards. The pillars, which were of cedar, were hung with strings of yellow lynx-stones. In the flat oval shields there were carbuncles, both wine-coloured and coloured like grass.|Load Fisherman Treasure]] And yet I have told thee but a tithe of what was there.”</blockquote> <<return "Let me consider the other treasures before making my decision">>

I return to Saltwreck Quay, The Dreadful II riding low in the water under the weight of my plunder. I sink into my armchair, my treasure heaped around me, and begin a new entry in my diary. <blockquote>“Today, I built myself a new ship — <<linkreplace "The Dreadful II">>The Dreadful II. $shipDescrip “I recruited a <<linkreplace "new crew">>new crew. $crewDescrip “And I plundered a <<linkreplace "treasure beyond my wildest dreams.">>treasure beyond my wildest dreams. $treasure “And I have [[my library|the end]] to thank for it all." <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>></blockquote>

I stand and watch as Prince Sebastian orders his surviving men to load the treasure onto The Dreadful II. When the work is complete, I slap him on the shoulder with $hand and bid him good day. [[Return to my library]] <<set $treasure to "Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars; gold of antique date and of great variety — French, Spanish, and German money, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had never seen specimens before; several very large and heavy coins, so worn that I can make nothing of their inscriptions; diamonds — some of them exceedingly large and fine — a hundred and ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable brilliancy; three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and twenty-one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken from their settings and thrown loose in the chest; a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; nearly two hundred massive finger and earrings; rich chains — thirty of these, if I remember; eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes; five gold censers of great value; a prodigious golden punch bowl, ornamented with richly chased vine-leaves and Bacchanalian figures; with two sword-handles exquisitely embossed.">>

The Dreadful II boasts a crew worthy of the greatest pirate lords. $crewDescrip <<return "My crew is ready.">>

The Dreadful II is fit for a true pirate king. $shipDescrip <<return "My ship is truly a terror of the seas.">>

I stare at my new hand. $hand has been fastened to the remains of my arm. <<return "My hand is perfect.">>

Chain shot swinging through the air, <<linkreplace "cutting our masts, shredding our sails">><s>cutting our masts, shredding our sails</s>. <<if $shipType is "Nautiquod" or $shipType is "Nautirog">>but my ship is safe in the absolute tranquility beneath the waves. I need neither sail nor mast to power my vessel.<<elseif $shipType is "Jollyquod">>but I don't care. Every beam in her is detestable. She is foul to the hull, and she keeps plowing forward even as the cannonballs rip her sails and break her masts. She doesn't need to survive beyond this battle. She exists only for revenge.<</if>> A platoon of well-trained soldiers with long rifles at their shoulders and pistols at their hips, <<linkreplace "firing again and again, picking off my crewmen one by one.">><s>firing again and again, picking off my crewmen one by one</s>. <<if $shipType is "Nautiquod">>As my ship surfaces mere yards from The Indominitable a look of terror crosses the faces of those soldiers. The Dreadful II is a thing of trophies. A cannibal of a craft, tricking herself forth in the chased bones of her enemies. She is enough to make the bravest men tremble in their boots and the sharpest marksman falter.<<elseif $shipType is "Jollyquod">>As my ship draws alongside The Indominitable a look of terror crosses the faces of those soldiers. The Dreadful II is a thing of trophies. A cannibal of a craft, tricking herself forth in the chased bones of her enemies. She is enough to make the bravest men tremble in their boots and the sharpest marksman falter.<<elseif $shipType is "Nautirog">>As my ship surfaces mere yards from The Indominitable a look of terror crosses the faces of those soldiers. The Dreadful II is a rakish-looking craft foul to the hull, every beam in her detestable. She is enough to make the bravest men tremble in their boots and the sharpest marksman falter.<</if>> And then we are being boarded. <<linkreplace "My pirates are taken captive or run through with cutlasses. They show us no quarter.">><s>My pirates are taken captive or run through with cutlasses. They show us no quarter</s>. <<if $crewType is "Pequiola">>But my crew is a company of the toughest old salts imaginable — not pretty to look at, but of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate. They are a collection of mongrel renegades, and castaways, and cannibals, specially picked and packed by some infernal fatality to help me in my monomaniac revenge.<<elseif $crewType is "Jollyquod">>but my ship is crewed by mongrel renegades, and castaways, and cannibals, specially picked and packed by some infernal fatality to help me in my monomaniac revenge. They are a pack of ruffians long known and feared on the Spanish Main. A more villainous-looking lot never hung in a row on Execution dock.<<elseif $crewType is "Jollyola">>but my ship is crewed by a pack of ruffians long known and feared on the Spanish Main. A more villainous-looking lot never hung in a row on Execution dock. They are a company of the toughest old salts imaginable — not pretty to look at, but of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate.<</if>> We repel those soliders with blazing pistols and flashing cutlasses, forcing them back across the gangplanks onto their own ship. We follow them onto the Indominitable, cutting them down as we go. <<linkreplace "A hideous numbness in my hand.">><s>A hideous numbness in my hand</s>. I find Prince Sebastian cowering in his cabin. I raise <<if $hand is "Long John Silver's Cutlass">>the great cutlass that is strapped to the remains of my missing arm and [[approach...]]<</if>><<if $hand is "Ahab's Ivory Arm">>my arm of polished ivory and [[approach...]]<</if>><<if $hand is "Captain Hook's Iron Hook">>my iron hook and [[approach...]]<</if>> <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> <<if hasVisited("Chose Nautilus", "Chose Pequod")>><<set $shipType to "Nautiquod">><</if>><<if hasVisited("Chose Nautilus", "Chose Jolly Roger")>><<set $shipType to "Nautirog">><</if>><<if hasVisited("Chose Jolly Roger", "Chose Pequod")>><<set $shipType to "Jollyquod">><</if>> <<if hasVisited("Chose Hispaniola Crew", "Chose Pequod Crew")>><<set $crewType to "Pequiola">><</if>><<if hasVisited("Chose Hispaniola Crew", "Chose Jolly Roger Crew")>><<set $crewType to "Jollyola">><</if>><<if hasVisited("Chose Jolly Roger Crew", "Chose Pequod Crew")>><<set $crewType to "Jollyquod">><</if>>

I lie back in my armchair and heave a satisfied sigh. My ship is feared throughout the Seven Seas, my crew is fierce and loyal, my plunder is beyond that of the richest kings. And yet, I own <<linkreplace "something of far greater worth...">>something of far greater worth. I am surrounded by a thousand vessels, each of them <<linkreplace "loaded with treasure...">>loaded with treasure. <<linkreplace "And I need never fire a cannon nor spill a drop of blood to plunder their riches.">>And I need never fire a cannon nor spill a drop of blood to plunder their riches. <div class="centered">THE END</div> <div class="centered"><<click "RESTART">><<script>>Engine.restart()<</script>><</click>></div> <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

I wake from a <<linkreplace "dream of plunder...">>dream of plunder. In my deam, my crew was alive again. We sang shanties as we loaded the cannons and sharpened our cutlasses. We laughed and brawled and gambled belowdecks. We boarded ships and discovered enormous treasure chests overflowing with gold. This was the life I loved. This was the life I lived before it all went wrong. [[A memory...|A Memory]]<</linkreplace>>