As planned Jack tries to help Alfonso entertain the crew. Jack thought it important to show they weren't scared, but some how his heart wasn't in it. In the end he stopped singing after staring off key and listened to Alfonso while watching for signs of violence.
Treggor tries to track down the man called Owlbear and bend his ear.
"Seems we've been gettin' a bit ah Mister Plugg's sore side, me an' mine. I figger you might know a thing er two when it comes ta that, eh?"
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<--
Treggor has to go searching for the large man, as it seems the poor fellow's stature in the eyes of Mister Plugg has fallen sharply since his loss to Grizzle. But he does find him eventually.
Owlbear listens carefully trying to comprehend the words.
"Mister Plugg's my friend. He's good to me. He'll be nice to you too, soon. Just do what he says, like I do. The he isn't so mad."
***
Alfonso does his best to keep spirits up, and mostly succeeds. But even so he can sense a sharp divide brewing between allies and enemies as the crew seems to definitely be splitting into 2 camps.
***
Shikyo notices that the while there is always a few folks up at night, they tend to stick to the top of the ship to keep a look out. So far unlike the Press-ganged, Plugg's favorites haven't started keeping a watch.
He also knows that Dieredon not only cooks but helps to serve the evening meals and rum ration. The danger there is that any action there could heavily implicate Dieredon and also alienate Fishguts and Cutthroat Grok -- as they seem to be a package deal.
Upon hearing that Plugg's favorites are not being careful, Jack says, "Been thinkin'. I favor a drownin', or a dagger in tha dark, rather than anythin' tha will anger our friends. Tha question be how?"
"Ah'll be willin' ta mess em up ef need be. Ah've gone overboard befer, ah've swam ta tha shore, an ah cen do et again!" Grizzle says. "Ef we make et obvious nuff, ah'll take wha'ever punish-ment tha good gods chose ta bestow 'pon me. Learnt ta hold me breath, ah have!"
Aye...quickly and quietly to cull their ranks as best we can before things get really nasty. When we are ready, I can add cover with my bow from a distance.
"I never been one to shy away from a good knife in the back, but I may remind ye lads that we be in the dragon's maw at the present time, and I fear if we try ta pull 'is tooth, we may prompt 'im ta bite down. Twer it just meself, I think I'd be leanin toward a more accidental passing of those unfortunate souls as might do me wrong." Treggor says with the sly patience of a tried assassin.
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Shikyo confides in Treggor On deck. At night. A knife and then over the side.
Shikyo explains his plan, Alfonso will lure one of Plugg's men topside where several of us will ambush, murder and dispose of him over the side.
Why Alfonso, 1) He isn't well liked by Plugg's men after his stunt. 2) He is, at least perceptively, the weakest seeming of the Press Ganged. This means that any of Plugg's men won't be thinking he can put up a fight.
Shikyo and Treggor can hide and do the deed. The rest would be lookouts, ensuring we have a few minutes to do our work.
"I know well what ye mean, an' if it were different circumstances, twould be a gem of a plan, aye. But if someone is ta go missing, not a soul as would think he took himself fer a stroll along the seabed; we'd be as passable as if we'd knifed the fellow in broad daylight on the main deck. We'd answer fer it in prompt fashion, be sure ah that." Treggor gives it a moment to sink in before continuing. "Now if a sailor were ta fall overboard during a storm, or take a sword in 'is back during a raid, twouldn't be spared a thought or word."
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;-)
Mayhap the time is just not right?
Jack listens carefully to what Treggor had to say. Abstractly he could see the sense of it, a sudden unexplained vanishing would be highly suspicious. The sailors were a superstitious lot and if someone vanished during a storm, well that would just be the will of Besmara nothing to be done about it. "I hear ye, I also hear da song 'o' me heart. Singing fer revenge.". He pulls out a copper bit, the lowest denomination, and starts giggling with it. Setting it spinning he says, "A man's life in tha balance, how ta decide? Mayhap we let tha gods decide. Heads we follow Treggor's reasonin', tails some swab goes overboard!" Jack flicks the coin up with his thumb and it glints as it spins over and over, a faint ringing in the air. He catches it and looks.
"Heads, well well well. I be wid Treggor."
"I agree with Treggor. No sense drawing suspicion to ourselves on the first strike. Let's bide our time."
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Shikyomaru grimly nods his acquiescence.
"No kill."
His eyes squint and harden.
"For now."
The next morning the Press-ganged awake to their now somewhat routine abuse. Only this time, Master Scourge makes the effort to separate each of the Press-ganged from each other.
Dieredon is sent back to the kitchens. Alfonso is assigned to catch rats below deck. Grizzle is sent to be lookout in the crow's nest. Mad Jack is swabbing decks. Treggor is sent to the bilges. And Shikyomaru is made to haul rope.
The Press-ganged go on to their jobs.
***
Just as Treggor is arriving at the bilges to put in his labor, he is confronted by Master Scourge along with Mister Plugg.
"Not so fast there, boy-o," Scourge calls out. "Scuttlebutt around the crew is yer be packing weapons lately. We can't be havin' tha'. So we be needing ya to turn over any weapons yer got on ya."
Treggor looks around to see that none of his compatriots are nearby.
Treggor looks the men over and half-smiles as he evaluates them.
"Well now! Seems ya heard the right of it. As ya can plainly see, I have me sword back from me things, returned courtesy of are own fair captain. An' with the money ye lost on that fight with Owlbear, I squarely purchased another fine blade from the storekeep. If ye be here ta protest tha captain's judgment or yer losin' a fair bet, ye can make yer case afore Grok n the captain 'imself. I'm sure there's ta be a fair bit o muttering about a sore loser and disputin the captain's orders fer yer personal feelins. Ya wouldn't be pushin to agitate the crew, would ye fellows?"
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"You are more than welcome to keep your weapons in your locker, Mister Mynth, as the rest of the crew does," says Mister Plugg with a seemingly pleasant air. "But openly carrying swords is frowned upon. Of course, the Captain himself agrees. I have already spoken with him."
"Ah, weren't aware ah the policy, what with rats in the bilges." Treggor says with a solid glare and an arrogant grin. "I'll be more'n content ta lock them up fer yer peace ah mind, sirs."
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"Of course, Mister Mynth. Never did I suspect anything other than an unfortunate misunderstanding. You may return your weapons to your locker now, or simply hand them over to Master Scourge here."
Treggor smiles and turns to go stow his swords.
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Treggor glances over his shoulder after locking away his swords. With a sly grin he takes a slight detour to pay Alfonso a visit. "Seems Scourge and Plugg be harborin a pint ah resentment over are weapons. They've just had me lock away me swords. I fear they be awaitin me in the bilges fer ta undo me in a bloody way. Pass along the message an' then meet me in the bilges quick, less'n ye spot either of them on the way."
With that, Treggor hurries back to his duties.
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Shikyo hides his Wakizashi away in his locker, and then he creeps down toward the Bilges.
Alfonso eagerly shirks his duty to alert his teammates about the potential danger.
If anyone questions Alfonso leaving his station to head toward the bilges, he brushes them off. "I've got a special task from Plugg. He's expecting me down there soon."
Alfonso goes off to find the others.
Treggor returns with Shikyo hiding in the shadows. Master Scourge and Mister Plugg are still waiting there.
"Very well, Mister Mynth. Now if you would be so kind as to submit to a pat down. I imagine you are familiar with the procedure."
Shikyo watches and waits. However, if violence breaks out he will attempt to position himself to make an attack from the shadows trying to kill Plugg quickly.
Dieredon rushes to bilges when informed, but he only stays outside for now, with a view for a ranged attack down the stairs, if necessary. If he is unable to see them from the stairs, then he will try to move in stealthily, staying hidden.
Upon hearing the word, Jack races down to the bilges in time to hear Mister Plugg speak.
Angry but calm, Jack tells them loudly, "That'll nae be necessary Sir. Mr Mynth be a man o' his word, if he's agreed ta stow his blade then tha be tha end o' tha matter. Or do ye question his honor?" Something about the last let them know they where on dangerous ground.
"I think t'would be wiser ta keep us all on friendlier terms." he says with a smile. "No need ta be intruding on a man's person. If I were meanin any ill, I'd have kept me blades." He holds his hands up in a gesture of innocence.
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Gonna pump the brakes here. Alfonso is still out rounding you all up, unless he dropped any sense of pretense and just started yelling.
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"Yes, well, trust is a commodity we pirates cannot cheaply afford."
Plugg signals to Scourge, and the pirate pats Treggor down finding his daggers and various other weapons. Plugg shakes his head when he sees the weapons but doesn't make another comment.
"We'll just leave these by your locker. Have a good day in the bilges, Mister Mynth."
As the two are about to leave, Plugg looks directly at the spot where Shikyomaru is hiding.
"Mister Shikyomaru, I believe you should be hauling rope today. I would hup to it, if I were you."
Shikyo makes a show of moving up to the deck.