Day 59: Andrew and I continue to try and figure out what it is that Murphy is hiding. What device is so important that Murphy is willing to sacrifice the Lady Jean for it? I’ve been poking around his cabin when he is out, with Andrew on lookout, but we’ve found nothing out of the ordinary. So, we decided to try pulling the other end of the string.
Andrew—I’ve called her that so often now that it feels like the correct name—and I went to the shop of the shipwright building the Lady Jean. He is a jovial man by the name of Daltry. He is considered by most of the sailors here as the best shipwright for a thousand miles. He always incorporates innovation and artistry into his ships, things that no one has ever seen before. Some people whisper that there is magic involved, but that is crazy, of course. Though, with some of the things I’ve seen on this trip, I am not so sure of that any more…
Anyway, he took us on a tour of the Lady Jean. It’s a beautiful little ship. A crew of ten is optimal, but she is responsive enough to be handled by two or three men. The wheel has a curious indention on it, about the size of my fist. We haven’t a clue what might rest there.
Daltry clammed up when I asked him what it was that Murphy refused to give him, fiddling with something in his pocket. I told him, “I might be able to talk Murphy out of whatever you want, if I know what it is,” and he gave me the stink eye.
“If you don’t know, I ain’t telling you,” he replied in a huff, changing from jovial to surly in a second. “I’ve got work to do.” He jerked his hand out of his pocket.
Turning, he stepped into his office, slamming the door behind him.
As the door shut, I caught a glimpse of something held in his hand. It was about the size of my fist, green, and glowing.
—
I’ve managed to sneak a bit of pencil stub from the ship’s doctor, and a few scraps of paper from the cook. I’m recording my thoughts with them so I can reveal Black Jack Murphy’s infamy when I finally return to civilization.
There’s a universal truth about pirates. They hunt treasure, and they don’t care who they have to rob to get it.
There’s a universal truth about dragons. They hoard treasure, and they really don’t like for people to try and take it.
I was kidnapped by the infamous air pirate Black Jack Murphy and his crew of the airship The Lady Jean. They wanted me to chronicle their dragon hunts. Little did Murphy know where my sympathies lie! So, this journal — and the resulting CD, coming soon from Mage Records “Pirates vs. Dragons” — tell the true stories of Pirates vs. Dragons. The CD combines rousing sea shanties about pirates being pirates with songs about the majesty of dragons, and the journal details the privations I suffered. There’s a little something for both sides here–and I bet you find a new favorite or two.
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