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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Matthan" data-source="post: 6840038" data-attributes="member: 20005">Blaise tore a piece of hard bread and popped a bit into his mouth as he listened to Etienne.  "I am not fully aware of how many investors this expedition has taken on, but I am loathe to part with more treasure than we must.  There is another consideration.  I know that the island is whispering about this expedition, but it is only idle gossip at the moment that will blow away when the next ship comes in with tall tales of Spanish gold and French women.  If we tip our hand about our goal to Blackbeard, he may well push for more than we care to give, and idle gossip will turn to real planning.  We could provoke competitors for our prize.  That is not a situation that I would like to find myself in.""The ship has little value at the moment.  It is haunted and beached.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but Blackbeard is a man of reputation around here is he not?  We can use that to our advantage.  The ship's present existence is an insult to Blackbeard's honor as it stands as a monument to his inability to solve the problem.  What does it say about a fearsome pirate king that cannot save one of his ships?  I say we play ignorant of the ship's haunted nature and simply speak of it as a beached ship in need of salvage.  A man like Blackbeard is bound to make enemies, and when you have enemies your reputation is paramount.  I say we play to his ego.  Offer to deal with an enemy of his in exchange for the ship.  He'll believe that he has gotten the best of everyone involved.  He'll deal with an enemy.  He'll get rid of stain on his reputation.  He'll publicly outwit us.  What will he have to lose?  From his perspective, he is a winner no matter what happens.  By the time we turn things towards our favor, he'll have made such a public show of the deal that he won't renege on it.  We might even earn his respect."</blockquote>

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