The Proverbial War - Page 109/141

The wizened up little pirate called Swogs was pushed forward through the curious group of onlookers.

"Read what it says man and tells us what the pretty shiny paper says."

Swogs did as ordered and as he read the scroll began to glow more and more brightly. Almost for a match to the scroll's brightness was the avarice that gleamed from the eyes of the listening crowd.

Captain Sally held up a hand and Swogs stopped reading.

Captain Sally turned with a cruel smile to her crew of cutthroat's and said, "Boys I believe I can see how it'll be. What a day it is for a blimey lot of scum such as we! Stand lively and weigh anchor for we be soon about a change of fortune! Soon we be the masters of Undersea!"

The crew roared out in raucous agreement and threw themselves into the efforts of getting the old galley up to top speed. The pirate crew sang out in a lusty ditty as the pirate galley reached a speed it hadn't seen in years.

Captain Sally closed the door of her cabin and shoved Swogs into a chair that looked about to collapse.

"Now you be a telling me the rest of what that piece of fancy writing has to say now that we got a bit of privacy!"

Swogs looked up from the scroll, "I don't be a thinking that there is much more to be a saying rather than there is to be a swearing."

Captain Sally tossed an old mug at the man as she burst out with distemper, "Make sense or I'll be a dunking your foul hide into the briny to be a shark's play toy! Don't you be a thinking to fool the likes of me!"

Swogs now with his face damp with sweat, which only served to smear the grime of his unwashed features the more stammered out in a rush, "There's plenty to read! I only was a meaning to say that it says you got to swear as to what it's saying."

"Ahh you daft man why didn't you tell me so? Be on with it then and tells me what old Sally be a needing to swear to for by golly I will be a doing it!"

Obediently Swogs read out what the scroll said to be sworn to and with a cackle Captain Sally sat back in her chair and swore to every last thing that was read aloud.

Time went by and Swog's nervousness increased as he felt the ship seem to skip over the waves, and watched the Captain not quite be herself. She'd never been good, but now…… well he'd had to stop looking at her for she gave him the chill.