"__" "Singleton, he has the votes to remove you as captain." "They think he has any idea how to put money in their pockets?" "Landfall." "We're home." " Is this English soil?" " It was once." " Whose is it?" " Ours." "You screwed me tonight." "Flint, his captaincy, I had an interest." "When the sea grows rough, you come to Max." "L'Urca de Lima." "Total cargo of $5 million." "Take them into custody." "What happened with Richard?" "Someone tore from this log the very page necessary to discover that prize and then stoked your resentment to make himself your captain." "It's the stolen page." "A whore for every finger on your hand, but your eyes keep drifting to this." "I think I have something you might like to buy." "When my father still lived here, this place was a fucking mess." "Men just fucked in tents, threw their shit in the streets." "I wonder if he didn't notice everyone living like animals or if he just didn't care." "Why all this talk of your father?" "A man-o'-war was spotted yesterday." "Royal Navy." "What if today's the day?" "What if Scott is downstairs right now waiting to give me the news?" "The British are back." "Decamp from Nassau." "And then what?" "Then they blockade the island, choke off trade." "A few crews will resist, but how long can they survive without my father's support?" "One by one their numbers will dwindle." "The fort will be abandoned." "Soldiers will storm the beach." "By the time the smoke clears, my father will have arrived." "First time he's set foot here in five years waving the royal commission that his bribes purchased and lording over the place." "Round of applause, the new governor." "Somewhere in London, some foul fuck will get news of all of this, light his pipe and say," ""Finally, all is right again in Nassau."" "You say this as if it is certain." "Perhaps you can buy this place." "Nassau will need an inn." "Max could be your partner." "There is no finer host in the world." "How will Mr. Noonan feel when he hears of this plan?" "I think maybe soon what Mr. Noonan feels will be of no concern to me." "Yes?" "It's Scott." "Can you let Mistress Guthrie know she's needed?" "I'll be down in a minute." "I think, perhaps, you may be a little longer than that." "Viens ici." "Where is he?" "Says he wants to be the first one Flint sees when it's done." "Prize master's in the tent." "Show us the color of the gold!" "Rum and snatch for each and all." "Gentlemen, I understand your excitement, but do we really think it is a good idea to open up what are, to be fair, depleted reserves and start spending money we haven't earned yet?" " Money we haven't earned yet?" " Gentlemen." "Gold for the whores!" "Billy." "Billy." "Billy." "Jesus." "What did I do?" "Have some whores!" "Drinks and whores!" "We don't like thieves." "Beg pardon?" "You shouldn't steal." "That's what happens." "I see that." "I'm hungry." "All right." "I'll see what I can do." "You mustn't steal." "He wasn't no thief, Randall." "Here." "Not now." "Don't be stupid." "The schedule is here on the island." "How do you know?" "Whoever stole it came back to read the log, find out exactly what it was they had." "Someone on that deck out there is our thief." "Well, it can't be one of our men." "How would they have known to look for it?" "And the men taken from the prize were all searched." "What?" "The cook." "I found him hiding in the armory standing over a dead body." "Said it was suicide." "Did you search him?" "Hold that boat." " There will be another." " I'm sure you're right, but..." "I understand everyone wants to get laid, but we disembark by seniority." "Perhaps if you made the men some food, it would take the edge off the spree they're about to go on." "Careful." "Unless you want everybody to know what he's got." "Where the fuck is he going?" "Ah!" "Ooh!" "That kid must really want to get laid." "Come on, give us your hand." "I know it's late." "For Max." "What happened to you?" "She worked late with the Ranger crew." "Noonan know about this?" "He's just gonna let it go?" "50 pieces they paid her." "That's worth a few nicks to the hull, wouldn't you say?" "I have news." "Please tell me it's the good kind." "A crew of 10 have just arrived out of Carolina." "Captain's waiting for us at the warehouse." "He bring a prize with him?" "50 barrels of tobacco and a fluyt's worth of rare silks." "Let's go say hello." "I had hoped we'd have a word first before we start work." "You walked away from me last night and did something very foolish to a man whose temper you can no longer afford to provoke." "He moved on Flint." "I responded." "And what did that accomplish?" "It made me feel better." "Eleanor, you can never forget who these men are." "They are not our friends." "They are not our subjects." "They want your father's business." "That is the only reason we do not find their knives at our throats." "Tell me you understand." "Be honest, is it bad?" "5,000 pesos in pearls." "Don't leave much in the reserves." "An investment, if you'll allow." "Good morning, Captain." "What are you up to, Jack?" "There's been a development." "It seems that Captain Flint has for weeks been chasing a piece of information that would enable the bearer to know the precise whereabouts of the Spanish treasure galleon" "Urca de Lima." "And you know this how?" "Because the thief who stole it from him has offered to sell it to me." " You've met this person?" " His agent." "The thief's too smart to show us his face." "He's asking 5,000 pesos for a chance at five million." "I'm sorry, have I said something funny?" "You'd empty our reserves to purchase what?" "A scrap of paper someone told you may be worth something?" "They have no reason to lie to me." "They have 5,000 reasons to lie to you." "Please tell me I don't need to explain further." "Well, I doubt the crew will share your sentiments with what they stand to gain." "Unless you have a score of your own to present." "Or are we to sit here patiently waiting for Eleanor Guthrie to arrive, place one at our feet?" "Remind me how many leads have the Guthries brought us since you two had your falling out?" "Please tell me I don't have to explain further." "Find me when Singleton's back and it's done." "The fuck's his problem?" "He thought that Flint was the only one standing in the way of his being crowned king." "He thought wrong." "Hey, friend, can you point me to the blacksmith?" " Which way to the butcher?" " In the square." "I need a new shirt." "Hey, anybody know where the cook went?" " That way." " That way." "Oh, Jesus." "What do we do?" "Don't get too comfortable in there, you twats." "A couple of fucks and you're back on this beach." "We got a score to chase." "I want to fuck, Max." " Max." " Yes?" " I want to fuck." " You know the rules." "That bitch keeps you all to herself." "And she pays for the privilege." "It's not fair." "It's not... it's not f... it's... it's not fair." "It's not..." " What are you doing?" " Apologies." "Don't let me interrupt." "Wait your fucking turn!" "Certainly." "Outside!" "Okay." "Okay, this is going to require a bit of an explanation." "Fuck." "Come back later, mon cher." "Have you no decency?" "Who do you think you are that you can cost me this money?" "Necessary, I'm afraid." "We have a problem." " Flint's onto me." " And so you come here?" " What if you were followed?" " No, I was careful." "Careful?" "You just told me you've been caught." "Well, that's true." "You fucked me." "There's no need to panic." "We can still make the deal and..." "And then what?" "How long before Flint discovers I had a part in this?" "When a man is being fucked, he wants to know whose cock was in him." "True, but by that time, these two cocks will be in a boat halfway to Port Royal." "Port Royal?" "After I get payment, we meet at the boat in the cove and leave tonight." "Unless there's something else keeping you here." "I was told Richard Guthrie was the fence in Nassau." "Brought his ships down from Boston." "Hides his plunder in sugar barrels." "But unless he went and sprouted tits, you're not him." "I'm his daughter Eleanor." "I run the operation here alongside my retainer Mr. Scott." "A schoolgirl and a sugar monkey." "We pay in coin, trade, or credit the moment your goods enter my warehouse." "And while we're off selling it at rates you couldn't hope to match, you and your men get to enjoy the many pleasantries Nassau has to offer." "And what will that cost us exactly?" " Around four reales on the dollar." " Half our profits go to you?" "At first." "But the more you earn, the better the terms." "Oh, you enjoy setting terms, do you?" "Since I sprouted tits." "Well, Port Royal is not that far." "I think I'll keep my haul and my profits." " No offense." " None taken." "Though you might want to keep that decision to yourself." "And why is that?" "Because the last fool who turned her down was never seen or heard from again." "Though the same can't be said for his plunder." "A seller brought it to Mistress Guthrie the very next day." "And that seller would be you?" "Well, perhaps you'll find me more of a match than that other craven bastard." "James Bridge of the Demeter." "Charles Vane of the Ranger." "The Negro gentleman takes our goods, does he?" " Come on." "We're off." "Come on." " Let's go." "That wasn't necessary." "But fun, nonetheless." "I'd like a word in private." "We have some business to get sorted." "Wonderful." "I don't have time for this, so if there's something..." "I want to talk about our business." "I noticed lately that my crew hasn't been given the same kind of information from you about potential prizes that we once did." "That others currently do receive." "You've noticed that, have you?" "I believe it to be personal and I'd like to put an end to it." "Things were better... are better for the both of us when you and I are on the same side of things." "I would like to return to that." "You have an odd way of showing it." "Excuse me?" "I have responsibilities here... commerce to oversee, profits to maintain." "The idea that I would withhold valuable leads for personal reasons is fucking absurd." "Is that so?" "I stopped providing you with intelligence because I don't like the way you run your ship." "Your men are undisciplined, unruly." "For as much money as they bring in, they cause twice as much damage." "They're fucking animals." "You encourage it." "And that makes you a poor investment." "You expect me to believe this is about business?" "I don't give a fuck what you believe." "I know that last night..." "last night, you killed a member of a crew that has value to me in order to depose a captain that has value to me." "And now not only do you expect to be forgiven, you wish to be rewarded for it." "Flint's so weak he needed protection from you and I'm the poor investment?" "From where I sit, you coming here means one of two things." "Either you're under the illusion that with Flint gone," "I have no other choice than to give you what you want or you think because you and I used to fuck, you can cross me without any consequences." "I'm not sure which of the two is more stupid." "Be careful, Eleanor." "Fuck you, Charles." "Captain says we're gonna be rich!" "Son of a bitch." "You made it." "I did." "What happened?" "I thought Singleton had the votes." "Turns out Mr. Singleton was unfit for command." "We have more pressing issues to attend to." "Shall I wait?" "Captain Vane was just leaving." "Hey, what the fuck happened on that ship?" "Where is Singleton?" "Fruit." "Fruit." "Tits." "Tits." "Plant." "Plant." "It's the fucking same." "Yes, Captain, I'm sure they look the same." "What the hell are you doing?" "Watch this." "As I explained, this is the work of Adriaen Hanneman." "A masterwork, unmistakably." "This is an abomination." "To suggest that the value of one has any bearing on the other simply strains the very bounds of reason." "Fruit." "Fruit." "Tits." "Tits." "I love this town." "I'm so glad you're entertained." "I'm sorry, weren't we supposed to be looking for the cook?" " We are." "Any luck?" " No, and I've looked all over." "Meanwhile, you haven't moved from this stump all day." "Billy, take a load off." "Fruit." "Fruit." "Tits." "Tits." "Plant." "Plant." "I've always been straight with you, haven't I?" "Never lied." "Never hedged." "You did the right thing." "Yesterday when you sent me with the captain to Harbour Island, you told me to restrain him if he tried to go too far." "I did." "Singleton wasn't a thief." "Flint baited him into that fight, then he killed him." "That's not going too far?" "Singleton was no saint." "That's not the point." "The point is I lied to my own crew to protect the captain." "You lied to protect the crew." "You saw the Scarborough, mate." "You know what's coming." "We can't thieve forever." "Flint said we need a king." "Is that what you think?" "I think we need something." "Five million pieces is a good place to start." "I guess we just keep looking, then." "No need." " There's a man up there." " Where?" " The brothel." " Ah, the brothel." "Take them inside." "Why are we following the appraiser?" "Because if I'm this cook and I want to sell the schedule and leave this place a rich man, I need two things..." "I need a boat and I need a method of payment." "A method of payment?" "What about gold coins?" "Gold is too heavy, attracts too much attention." "So I need a bill of exchange" " or..." " Jewels." "I was thinking pearls." "And I'd want to know the exact value of what I'm getting." "Mr. Gates." "Hello, boys." "Where the fuck have you two been?" "Come join us." "We'll be right with you." "Any chance he's up for a quick fuck?" "With Anne Bonny standing guard?" "Excellent luster and orient." "Rest assured, young lady, the quality is quite good." "200 pieces of eight at any clearinghouse in the civilized colonies." "And the rest of them?" " No offense." " None taken." "Sure I can't suck your cock while you do that?" "Uh, thank you, no." "Use my hand?" "Sing you a song?" "Something worth paying money for?" "Fucking peepers." "My father's under arrest?" "A fugitive, technically." "I have him on the Walrus." "He was injured in the escape, but he'll survive." "Unfortunately, the same can't be said for his reputation." "This is impossible." "He's been bribing the Lords Proprietor for years." "They've agreed to make him governor here." "It would appear they've had a change of heart." "You don't seem concerned about this." "I never much liked your father." "Too caught up in appearances." "She's not talking about your opinion of the man." "Once news spreads of Mr. Guthrie's arrest, our operation here will no longer be viable." "No legitimate port will have us." "And his ships, the ships that take your cargo to market, if they are not impounded already, will be on their way back to Boston." "Captain, we are finished here." "Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with you." " However..." " However what?" "Let me tell you a story about a Spaniard named Vazquez." "Happy to be of service." "Thank you for your patience in these matters." "You understand my partner simply wishes to be careful." "I wouldn't fault him in the slightest." "Now, shall we discuss delivery?" "The wrecks at sundown." "Once he sees the pouch with the seal unbroken, he will hand over the page." "Is something wrong?" "It's unclear which is more appealing, your beauty or your intelligence." "You are very kind, monsieur." "Well, let's not get carried away." "You." "Is there a problem, Captain?" "She doesn't have your page." "Flint does." "He killed Singleton, took it off his body." "His crew's skipping around the island like the prize is as good as theirs." "That is impossible." "My partner has the page." "What?" "Mr. Singleton is not the seller, I assure you." " What did you just say?" " Charles." "Shut up, Jack." "You really want to keep pushing this?" " Play me for a fool?" " You are mistaken." "Yeah, the fuck I am." "I need a weapon." "Tell me the truth." " The page is gone." " No." "Do you have a candlestick or perhaps a heavy shoe?" " That'll do." " Play me for a fucking fool?" " You are mistaken." " Yeah, the fuck I am." "Don't fucking lie to me!" "She isn't lying, Charles." "Flint is." " What?" " He lost the page." "So what does he do?" "He bluffs." "He makes Singleton the thief and kills him to prevent counterargument, putting a tidy end to his mutiny in the process, then hopes he can recover it before anyone's the wiser." "Honestly, Charles, are we to believe that Singleton, while conspiring with you to depose Flint, was using this whore to try and bilk your crew out of its money?" "Say what you want about Singleton, but he was neither that clever nor that dumb." "Now will you please put her down so we can complete our transaction?" "Is that what you thought?" "You could fuck us out of our money and then hide behind Eleanor?" "You think I'd really let that happen?" "You think I'm that fucking pathetic?" "Jesus, lady." "Unless Mr. Singleton rose from the grave to eavesdrop on us... it would appear she's telling the truth." "If he's wrong about this, he'll answer to our crew." "If you're lying, you'll answer to me." "Yes, all right." "The Urca de Lima?" "That's correct." "You're talking about a floating castle." "No one has ever taken a treasure galleon like that as a prize." "Let me worry about hunting her." "It's what comes after for which I'll need your help." "After?" "Why return at all to Nassau?" "With money like that and my father out of business, why not run?" "What's coming our way can't be outrun." "But with the money I strip from the Hulk, we could add 50 guns to the fort." "We could build ships to defend our shores and train new men to sail them." "We could work the land, grow crops and raise cattle." "Then whoever arrives on our shores first, be it England or Spain, will be in for a most unwelcome surprise." "A nation of thieves." "You have your doubts?" "Of turning pirates into farmers and soldiers?" "Of fighting a war against Whitehall from a sliver in the Atlantic?" "Doubt, Captain Flint, does not begin to describe how I am feeling." "If there's to be a war, that will be Whitehall's choice." "I'd settle for a pardon, title on lands, and a governor that I could trust." "And so would most of the men out there." "They're not animals, Mr. Scott." "They're men starved of hope." "Give that back to them, who's to say what could happen?" "Why do this?" "Why here?" "Odysseus, on his journey home to Ithaca, was visited by a ghost." "The ghost tells him that once he reaches his home, once he slays all his enemies and sets his house in order, he must do one last thing before he can rest." "The ghost tells him to pick up an oar and walk inland." "And keep walking until somebody mistakes that oar for a shovel." "For that would be the place that no man had ever been troubled by the sea." "And that's where he'd find peace." "In the end, that's all I want." "To walk away from the sea and find some peace." "I think we found it." "Found what?" "The Urca's schedule was taken from me." "When were you planning on mentioning that?" "Everything's under control." "We're close to recovering it." "Vane just met with Frasier at the brothel." "I assume he's the buyer." "We missed the thief, but he's using a whore as a go-between." "I left Billy to keep an eye on things." "If we get moving, there's half a chance to get in front of this." "Find the cook..." "Good." "Maybe you can get her to talk." " I'm fine." " Huh, the fuck you are." "She nearly got herself killed by Captain Vane." "I want to know why." "Leave us alone, Noonan." "Come on." " Max, I..." " I'm glad you are here." "I was going to send word for you." "You and I have a decision to make and it must be made right now." "I'm about to receive a great deal of money for a service I provided." "Max, I need you to give me the schedule." "Flint's schedule." "When you were talking this morning about being free from Noonan, that's what you meant, wasn't it?" "How do you know this?" "It doesn't matter." "Max, Flint needs that page." "The money he can get from his prize, it can give this place a future." "It can give us a future here." "If the page isn't delivered to Vane, he will kill me." "I can protect you." "Scott can protect you." "You have to trust me." "Leave with me." " What?" " I have a boat waiting." "I will have enough money for us to start anew." " But I can't leave here." " Why not?" "Because I've spent my life trying to build something here." "It's all I have." "I can't just walk away." "It is not all you have!" "Eleanor, this place is just sand." "It cannot love you back." "You know this." "You must know this." "Your father left you." "Your mother was taken from you." "Everyone you have ever loved you have lost and it terrifies you." "But not me." "I will never, ever leave you." "I love you." "Miss Guthrie." " You brought them here?" " I..." "Come with me." "Right now." "The boat is waiting." "We can be free of this place." "We can have a life together." "And it can start this very minute." "All you have to do is say yes." "Set us both free." "Come in." "Max, I need you to tell me where the page is." "And if I don't, then what?" "This doesn't have to go badly." "I want her to say it." "I want her to say that she would sit there and watch as you beat the answer out of me to save this place." "Say it." "Say it." "The wrecks at sundown." " Max, please." " Get the fuck out." "I meant what I said." "I can protect you." "Get the fuck out!" " Frightened, Jack?" " Please." "There's nothing in there but opium addicts, lunatics, and men who thought themselves too good to wear a condom." "The pearls." "He says you give me the pearls." "Did he say anything else?" "No." "I want him out here." "Captain." "I know you can hear me!" "You want your money, you show your fucking face!" "That's the only way this gets done." "Captain, I'm afraid our friend out there has all the leverage in this particular situation." "Now, we can rail and shout and stamp our feet, but that doesn't change the fact that unless we give this fellow..." "You were saying?" "Now, come out here and face me or these pearls go back where they belong!" "Fuck." "Charles, it is important this deal goes through tonight." "This is a potential prize that changes everything for us." "Do not scuttle it by..." "He says you give me the pearls." "Ah!" " Where's the page?" " You can't have it." "Not at the moment." "And, please, we should go." "Where have you hidden it?" "You're looking at it." "What the fuck are you talking about?" "Well, I couldn't be certain I would escape both the madman and you, so I took drastic measures for the sake of my survival." "Your schedule is up here." "Fuck!" "You don't have to do this." "Mr. Noonan has men at your door." "And Guthrie's put three more downstairs." "Vane can't get to you here." "I know." "But I cannot stay." "Will you help me?" "Meet our thief." " Why is he still alive?" " It's a long story." "Do you mind if we stash him here for the night?" "Billy can stand guard." "Flint will want our answer in the morning." "I know you don't approve of this, but I need to do this." "I need it." "Please." "Stay with me." "All right." "Take off your boots." "I'll boil some water."