Round 5 Lynch: Fish of the sea

A pirate's reputation was a vital part of his success. Fear, more than any other tool in a Captain's arsenal, kept his prey weak and easily hunted. So it was best to have the stories of one's prowess flung far and wide. Captain Jack Morgan was better known than most but if the merchant fleets knew one's reputation then you can surely bet that other pirates did as well.


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The Gentleman had just sat down in the local inn with some of the more respected and trusted of his crew. They would go over the next clue while enjoying a rare fine meal on something other than fish and dried goods. In the middle of the table were several maps and Jack was pleased to note that his men were in good form, soon this latest riddle would be solved. Right now they simply needed to make certain that the location fit the description exactly so that they were not wasting their time.

“But the Clara was a ship wasn't it? So how can we find where she sank?”

Captain Morgan smiled, which was a rather unnerving sight all things considered, and carefully finished his vegetables before answering the question.

“Ah, but the answer is NOT the ship the Clara but a statue of the it.” He pointed to a port just north of their present location. It was well within sailing range and made perfect sense. “Some legends outlive their origins.”

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“Truer words have never been spoken.” A voice called from the entrance to the room.

The Gentleman looked up to find that he had visitors, quite a few of them actually. There was a thump and murmur of agreement, even a bwaak “hang him” bwaaak. Jack scowled at the dirty feathered creature and wondered just how it didn't end up on someone's plate.

“May I be of some assistance to you or is there perhaps some other reason you are all interrupting my dinner?”

The speaker for the crowd laughed and replied “ No, we have come to show our respects for such a fearsome foe.”

The seated captain looked puzzled and then irritated. “Please, state your business and be done with it. I do not have the time, nor patience for games.”

“Bwaaak -guilty- bwaaak” Several of the seated crew looked to be contemplating silencing their avian guest as well, one even raised a knife in its general direction.

“We'll not trouble you for much longer. You're guilty, Captain Morgan, and you've gone against the pirate code. For that you've got to pay.”

At this Jack jumped to his feet and reached for his weapons. “I'll have you know...” Suddenly the world tilted alarmingly and his vision blurred. “I've done no such...”

It was too late to argue, the other pirates had determined his guilt. Even through his failing vision, Jack could see that the rest of his men were having similar problems. Poison!

“You are what ya eat. Right, Captain?” Another voiced mocked him from the crowd. “How did that story go? A baby, was it? I'm afraid we couldn't find any babies but we did find some arsenic.”

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And now he'd pay for either the crimes of the past or the reputation that made him feared even amongst his own kind. For sometimes, legends did out live their origins.