Round Four Lynch: Look Lively!

Captain Cleene looked up at his First Mate and scowled at the intrusion.

“Has the deck been washed and the sails cleaned?” If not then why in the name of Neptune's beard was the man interrupting him?

“Aye, Sir.” The sailor did his best not to roll his eyes skyward, at least not while his Captain was looking.

“I want everything ship shape before the end of this journey.” William said, more to himself than to the man standing in the room with him. His head had already bent down towards the map that lay across his large wooden desk. “Clara was around here somewhere...”

A shadow over the precious parchment caused him to look up again. “You're still here, Jones? What is the matter then?”

“You, sir.” The first mate stepped aside and several of the larger members of his crew crowded into his small quarters. At a nod from Jones, they crossed the room and took hold of their former commander.

It was to be mutiny then? At least it wasn't messy. Cleene sighed and stood resigned, he straightened his long coat and marched out with his head held high.

On the deck others awaited, Captains from other ships. They smiled menacingly at Cleene before turning to his former first mate. “Good work, Captain. We'll take it from here.”

William took a final look around the vessel that had been his home for so many years. “Take good care of her, Jones.”

The former First Mate seemed startled to be addressed. He had been told that his captain was responsible for the killings of fellow pirates and had to be brought to justice, the harsh tribunal that existed among thieves and cut throats. “Captain” Jones shivered slightly at the thought, had he been lied to?

“Aye... I will,Sir.”


“Touching, very touching.” A voice said from the crowd of captains that had come to play judge, jury and....executioner. “But we have a race to win and a treasure to find.”

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The small pistol made a neat hole in the center of Cleene's forehead. It was painless and surprisingly clean. As fate would have it, the once Captain of the Innocence fell backwards onto a sail,recently cleaned that had been stretched out to dry in the sun. His crew, well trained to handle such things, quickly moved forward and wrapped the body tightly in the crisp white and blue sail. William Cleene was then well packaged before they tossed him overboard.