Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades

The Meeting Before The Meeting

Olu was at Cinna's door, ready to walk in. "Thought I'd join you, if that's alright." Cat had followed him, thinking she'd be able to help things along.

"No, no. That's fine. All this is new to me. You're welcome to add your thoughts...answers to his questions...solutions"

"What's the commotion out there?" came a shout from inside.

"I'd hardly say the two of us talking is a commotion!" Cat yelled back.

"Maybe I should be trying this alone" Olu thought.

The captain's door whished open. Cinna stood there, staring them down. Olu caved pretty quickly, but Cat held his gaze. Until he said "Alright, then, what do the two of you - who are not causing a commotion - want? I assume it has something to do with me, seeing that you're standing outside my door?

"Captain Cinna, this" Cat swept her hand to indicate she was referring to herself and Olu standing there "isn't a commotion. This is two loyal crew members trying to fend off something a little worse than a 'commotion' "

Olu found his voice again. "Can we come inside, Captain?"

"Yeah, sure" Cinna's response was somewhere between accommodating and disinterested.

"Cinna, how much thought have you actually put into the voyage to China you've raised a few times? Is it something you're willing to...discuss with the rest of us, maybe put to a vote?"

The captain looked from Olu to Cat, his expression illegible. "Sit down, sit down, you two. 'A vote', you say. 'Discuss it with the rest of us', you say" Cinna swiftly stood and went to his door. "Pete! Black Pete!" he called out loudly.

They all heard Pete's footsteps as he ran to answer the summons.

"Captain?" he said as he walked into the captain's cabin.

"I want to play a little game called 'What Would Blackbeard Do?' Tell Pete what you told me, the two of you. About discussing. Voting." The distaste for the words dripping off him as he spoke.

Pete looked at Olu expectantly.

"Captain Cinna, with respect, you need to reign in the bad assery." Cat said. "These are your men. They've been with you from the beginning. Since before Hell's Ferry, before the death of...your former self. They were there at the beginning of your...relationship...with Blackbeard. They've had plenty of opportunities to leave. At Port Royal, the Republic of Pirates. But they came back, each time, to man your ship, to serve you."

Feeling buoyed by Cat's words (and wishing he'd said them himself) Olu spoke up. "Thank you, Cat..."

"Wait a minute, I want to know how the game 'What Would Blackbeard Do?' works" said Pete.

"Pete! Isn't it obvious? Captain would've told you that we want a vote on sailing to China, so he'd ask..."

"What would Blackbeard do?" Cinna added helpfully, as Pete stood there, clueless.

"Well, as a matter of fact," Pete started.

"Come on, man." Olu's impatience with Pete was bubbling up to the surface. "Are you really gonna tell us what you think Blackbeard would do? As if we didn't all spend months on the ship with him? Watching him and Stede together?"

"Olu" It was Cinna.

"Yes, Captain. I know. I called you Stede. But that's who you were then, isn't it?"

"That's who I think you're fighting with more than anyone else, right now" Cat added.

"You know, I didn't even realize you'd called me...something other than 'Cinna' " his repugnance with the name clearly showing. "I was just going to do my captainly duty of breaking up a disagreement between you and Pete."

Olu and Pete looked at each other. They broke out in laughter. "Some things never change. Right, man?' Pete asked his fellow crew member.     

"No, no that's right" Olu's face lit up with a smile.

"I owe Kirkland such an apology," Cat thought to herself. "for all the times I thought he was exaggerating his stories of life aboard The Revenge. These people might actually be crazier than what he described."

With the tension eased, Cinna found himself in a more receptive, more present state. "Cat, can you say a little more about this fight you think I'm engaged in? "You know - the one between 'he who shall not be named' " Cinna looked playfully at Olu and Pete, "and me. Cinna?"    

To say Cat was confused would be an understatement.  Her brother had rightly stepped in when Pete said "changeable, much?" to the captain. Now she found herself wanting to ask the same thing. It was her turn to don a helpless expression, as she looked at Olu.

Olu went to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Actually, Captain" he began "We'd all like to have a talk. About...a few things. What do you..."

Cinna was up. "Ship's meeting!" he called out, standing at his door. "Pete, perhaps you'd better tell Buttons to stay at the helm. Wouldn't want a repeat of us getting temporarily stranded on an unfamiliar island." But in his mind he remembered meeting Izzy on that island, who reported to Edward, who he was missing, very very much. "Yes, well enough of that" he said. "Oh, it's okay, gang." he added, realizing the others seemed confused ."Just some inner dialogue attempting to come through. Cat, will you ask Roach to have some tea and sandwiches ready? I think we'll all be comfortable in here" he said, looking around.

"Talk on the way? Olu asked her.

"Yes. Okay." They'd intercept Roach, ask him for tea and sandwiches. For the meeting. The meeting to discuss a voyage to China. At least that's what Cat thought was happening.