"A Map"
Part III
Frenam speaks: "Once they had all agreed about being together in a 'venture, Joe's friend & main promoteur of the enterprise had the idea of going to a fellow renegate officer of the British Royal Navy, who might provide them with some main needs ... As long as he didn't know much about the matter!"
CARPENTER 'Xcuse, Dan! ...
DAN Aubrey Carpenter! ... It's been a while.
DAN What brings you here, after such a long time?
CARP Well, Dan ... I thought you might be happy to see an old friend! ...
DAN Friendship, aye? ... Right. You might have left your servant in the attendants quarters, at the back ...
CARP Eh? Oh, no, this is Joe. He isn't a servant, he's an associate!
DAN Associate ... Him?!
DAN These people are better servants than associates. He's probably run away or something. You should try search his masters ...
JOE Now he's getting on my nerves ...
JOE Now you listen, mister! ... *
shhhinnng*
CARP Hey!! Hold your temper, Joe, me-friend!!
DAN Hoh!! ... Aye!
DAN Even because, boy, you'll see that some men are hardly ever caught unprepared for tough situations ... Specially in my case, who have to avoid British Royal company, now and then, not to tell some Frenchy ol' "friends", who happen to pass by ... I don't think you know
my associate, master-of-arms Black Phil ...
PHIL *
click*
DAN ... Aubrey here, however, knows him well, as well as miss Tareja Key (Chain).
MISS KEY *
click*
CARP Joe ... Would you stand down a while, and let me handle this? ...
GUS Awesome!!!
DAN So, Aubrey : Do you agree that the servant's place will be the attendants room at the back of the house?
CARP No way, Davies! Joe Cartagena is a honourable associate ; He leaves, we leave, and you may stay with your pride, or kill us at your will, that's up to you!
DAN Brave man! I like this. A' right, Aubrey ... / Come, little sir Elmo!
SIR ELMO Meeow!
DAN Honourable, aye? And free, as well, I suppose ...
JOE You bet I am,
sir!
DAN I'm intrigued ... How was it that you became a free man, boy?
JOE It's mr. Cartagena,
sir. And I don't think we've been properly introduced!
DAN And how was it? ... Born free, I believe?
JOE I bought it, mr.!
DAN Bought it? ... How, I wander : At the tip of a sword, did you? Who was your last master, if I may inquire you an intriguing matter, mr. Cartagena ...
JOE I am sorry, sir : you
are being inconvenient.
DAN Doesn't want to talk about it ... All right. But I tell you: someone will know this, you know?
JOE Hmpf!!
DAN And what about you, sir? What's your name? And what are you doing here, with these ... "goys"?
GUS I'm Gus Johnson, sir! I'm--
DAN Gus--
Johnson?
GUS Sorry, sir. My name is Gustaf Johnson ... I've come to the Caribbean in search of my lost brother! ...
DAN Hm ... Here we have a quite fine task ...
GUS Thank you, sir.
DAN Davies. Dan Davies. The fellow in green coat is right: we
haven't been properly introduced, mr. Johnson. It's a pleasure to meet you.
CARP Enough talking here, Davies! It's been awkward enough. Will you help?!
DAN And how is it you suppose I might help, Aubrey? Help in what, in the first place? ...
CARP I'd
love to talk, but, you see: all this excitement left my throat in real need of some drink. So, maybe I'll come back some other time!
DAN Thirst, aye? ...
DAN BART!!
ITALIAN BART Yes, master.
DAN Serve mr. Carpenter a dring, will ye?
BART Yes, master Davies, sir.
DAN So : Will you begin talking, or in need of some more bribe? ...
CARP I need a boat, Davies!
DAN Make it Dan ; We're ol'
friends, didn't you say so? ...
CARP We need a boat,
Dan. Are you willing to help?
DAN A boat ... I believe you're aware of what His Majesty's mates have been doing with all ship that don't hoist his colours, Aubrey-boy ...
CARP As well as I am well aware of your lack of need in worrying about it, Dan : a small boat, that's all I need.
DAN And what'll it be worth for, might I inquire you on the matter, Aubrey-boy? ...
CARP I'm in search of the boy's brother. I have to sail around.
DAN How humanistic of you, Aubrey-me-boy! I'm deeply moved, I am! So, once you won't tell me what it's all about, you'll have to pay: I can dispose you two boats, two pieces of ten in gold each!
CARP I have no chrome, Dan ; four pieces of two each, non-chromed silver!
DAN You're miserable! Three gold -- non-chrome, ne'er expected you to have chrome anyway! --, so three gold pieces of two, one silver, and it's a low price: it's take it or loose it! Unless you're beginning to think that it'll be worth telling me a bit more ...
CARP Where am I supposed to take such amount of money? You're out of your mind!
Frenam speaks "And so, after going a bit farther in the bargaining, there it came that Carpenter did take two boats from Dan Davies, for a price not so cheap as he would have expected ..."
"Better, anyhow, than to reveal the renegate Red Coat any more details about Jim's map. So, this was how Carpenter, Joe & Gus got their two boats, for the beginning of their adventure! ... Or so they thought they had, until ..."