Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades

Red Sky At Night, Sailor's Delight

There it was. Emory Renshaw saw it. Izzy Hands saw it. Cinna saw it. Death saw it. A red sky stretched out over all of them the morning that they were destined to confront one another.

"Mary and Doug got safely home just in time, looks like." Death was speaking to Ed as he stood with him at the helm, peering out across the threatening waves. The foreboding thunderhead starting to form.

No response.

Edward was replaying last night's dream in his mind. Stede appeared in the dream. But he wasn't Stede. He was the person Blackbeard avoided believing him to be even though he heard the stories, even though the truth pushed itself into his thoughts again and again.

Stede was...?

Stede had become...?

Stede was living his life as...?

Cinna???

Stede was captaining Hell's Ferry? Attacking other ships? Sending warnings? Sparing lives in some twisted, mishmash of behavior as part "The Gentleman Pirate", and part fierce captain whose reputation was growing to rival his own?

Edward couldn't make it make sense. He didn't want it to make sense. He DID NOT WANT Stede to be Cinna. He wanted Stede to be STEDE. He - Blackbeard - was Stede's Ed. He remembered again Doug referring to him that way.

The pirate captain Cinna? Who was he to him? Who was he to Stede?

Stede would try to find him, wouldn't he? Stede wants to find him. Doesn't he?

But there were other things Stede wanted.

They only met because Stede remade himself, piquing Edward's interest. How long ago had Blackbeard heard the stories of the rich land owner who fancied himself to be a pirate captain?

From wealthy landowner with a wife and children, to Gentleman Pirate. And now...

Now...

Dread Pirate Cinna, captain of Hell's Ferry.

On his own. Sailing his ship. Fighting his fights. Living one adventure after another.

Without.

Him.

"WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT, MAN???"

Death was taken aback by Blackbeard's outburst.

"Hell's Ferry, Death. Hell's Ferry and her fucking captain. I'll take the wheel. You get the others up here. We have a course to plot."

"The storm, Blackbeard." Death said.

Ed turned to face Death. The look on Blackbeard's face probably could have stopped the storm in it's tracks if that was what he wanted. What he wanted, however, was for Death to obey his mother fuckin' ORDER!!!

The helmsman descended the stairs two at a time. He kept his thoughts to himself.