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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 1906514" data-attributes="member: 812">Dras looked dubiously down into the hole the man indicated she ought to clamber down into. It was narrow and led seemingly straight down into the limestone of the island's eastern headland. The old man grinned and pointed again."Friends?""Yes, yes. Friends."He pointed again. With a sigh and a look at Ana, Quinn and Black, Dras lowered herself down into the hole. Although rough and crumbling, the sides were close enough that she could clamber downwards fairly easily. The light from above suddenly cut out as Quinn entered the shaft above her. Dust tumbled down into her hair and got into her mouth and eyes as she worked her way downwards.Ana climbed in after Quinn, tucking her skirts tightly around her legs, and Black helped Lieutenant Davis down after her. Black stood for a second, looking off the cliff edge over the rough grey swells of the open Atlantic, remembering regretfully all the fine times he'd had NOT clambering down into a dank hole in the ground, and clambered down.Down below, Dras found the hole simultaneously widened and flattened, and brightened as though a fire were burning somewhere ahead. Crackling sounds and the distinct arome of burning wood clarified the situation, and Dras emerged cautiously into a high cave, at least forty feet around, open to the ocean on one side, filled with familiar faces."Ascots!"The cheer went up around the room and even the islanders scattered equally throughout joined in, though they had no idea what all the shouting was about. Another roar went up as Quinn entered behind Dras, and another for Ana, and a big cheer for Lieutenant Davis, but the biggest cheer of all was for Black as he came coughing into the cave.They five looked around in amazement. Nearly half the crew of the Ascot sat here, accompanied by various men and women who appeared to be mostly plantation workers. A feast appeared to be in the making, and Dras' stomach rumbled noisily at the smell of roasting meat. The five survivors of Firewatch Island moved into the crowd, smiling at former shipmates, drinking from mugs of rum forced upon them.Dras grinned over at Ana."It's a party.""We've earned it."The afternoon wore on to evening and the cave entrance grew dark, but the bonfire stayed high and bright and the drink and food kept coming. The story of the crew came out: they'd been put ashore by Bobo, deemed to unreliable for his new pirate adventure, and the Ascot Marine had set sails for the southward journey, seeking slave ships bound from Africa to rob.So they were twenty-five men without a ship, a captain or a penny to any of their names. Or indeed any sort of future whatsoever.Naturally, it was a great party.Quinn and few of the gun crew had formed a circle and were dicing for cuts of meats, laughing as one of the powder boys threw a disastrous throw and had to concede all his winnings. The hungry look on the boy's face had the rest of them helpless with laughter.Ana had started out talking with Dras, but the mulatto consumed three mugs of rum in a very short time and stumbled off into the crowd, muttering to herself, and so the island girl sat alone, thanking sailors who stumbled by and offered her a greeting.Black was deep in discussion with Peter, the old man who'd led them to this cave. He was a worker on the plantation of Devon Codrington, who owned the entire island. And was up to all sorts of no good, if Peter was to be believed."The Buzzard.""The Buzzard?""The Buzzard.""I see. What about the Buzzard?""He is with His Lordship today. Anchored off Spanish Point.""The Buzzard is a pirate?"Peter nodded."Olivier la Buse. He meets often with His Lordship.""And his ship is anchored near here? Is it guarded?"Black's eyes glinted in the firelight, dark and blazing with a surge of excitement."Most of the men are drinking in town. There is a tower, some guns. But the men are drunk, mostly."Excitement faded away in Black's eyes as he watched the crew of the Ascot Marine already drunk past the point of sensibility. There would be no organizing these sailors tonight. But he knew the pirates would be drinking as well, and if he could get this lot motivated tomorrow...Dras stumbled. She wasn't usually much of a drinker, but the terror of the voyage, to say nothing of that last night on Firewatch, had her feeling reckless and ready to abandon what caution she usually had.She tripped and fell flat on her face in a sandy pocket of the cave. Somebody nearby giggled and she pushed herself up.Guadalupe had watched the cook's mate come swaying across the cave. Everyone liked Dras, and not only because the young lad was responsible for doling out their rum ration every day. He was cheerful and friendly and always had a joke or a story. Watching him fight Robert Black had been a highlight of the voyage, and Guadalupe had cheered as mightily as the rest of the crew when the slender youth had bested the strong-willed Englishman.So when he tripped and fell prone in front of Guadalupe, the Portugese topman chuckled but reached down to help the drunk lad."You alright there, Dras lad? Maybe that's enough for you.""Guada. Hi.""Hi.""You're very handsome, Guada.""Am I?""Come here."</blockquote>

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