A Pirate's Life For Me

They've sailed from Tripoli to Singapore, the Horn to the Hope, Bombay to Tortuga and more. Weeks, even months of travel in the normal course of things, all compressed through the use of the astrolabe's magic to cheat both time and space.

(tempus frangit)

They'd spent the previous night celebrating in port, in Tortuga. The crew had scattered quickly to spend a goodly portion of their coin in drunken carousing. Jack had led his "guests" into his favorite tavern-- where Svava's blonde beauty had attracted a great deal of interest.

Not for long, however, as Archie's first and only question to the barkeep had been,

"Are the beds clean?"

Upon receiving both a hearty affirmative and a room key, he'd turned and taken his wife in his arms, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. The two of them had vanished upstairs while Wellard looked on in shock at this much of a breach in propriety, blushing furiously.

Jack had just grinned and snagged a bottle of rum for himself, then slung an arm around the lad's shoulders and led him off to another table.

"Allow me to explain, son."

---

A day later, the Black Pearl is back under normal sail once more, en route to the Isla de Muerta. There, the rest of the treasure will be safely stored away, and the three visitors from Milliways will cross the portal to return to the bar.

In contrast to how the weather has been for the last few days, the sky at the moment has turned surprisingly clear, with a strong following wind and gently swelling seas.

Of course, the easy sailing means that Jack's got plenty of time to continue his explanation.