Circle Sea 1: The Pirate Maze

Chapter Eight: The Nag's Head

Ships arrived in the harbour all the time. Many were frequent visitors, but it wasn’t unusual for an unfamiliar boat to pull in. Most were hoping to make money selling their cargo, or buying goods to trade. Some were just looking for shelter on a long voyage.

The ship that arrived that afternoon was an old and rather battered craft. It looked as if it had changed hands more than once and there were flecks of faded paintwork on its well-worn beams. These had been retouched many times and a range of colours had been used, from bright pink to forest green. The woodwork itself was a little tired and the masts had had been fixed and altered in a haphazard way. This ship was a testament to how long one vessel could keep going with minimal repairs.

The sails had been patched and none of the different fabrics seemed to match. This was not a boat that was ever going to be known for its good looks, but it had clearly survived a few adventures.

If the ship itself appeared to be ‘lived in’ the crew were no different. Sailors often looked rough when they came ashore in the harbour, but this group were more ragged than most. They caught a few eyes as they jumped onto the harbour wall and tied their frayed ropes to metal posts.

Jim and Polly joined a small crowd who were gathering to see the newcomers arrive. The harbourmaster, Jedediah Flint, pushed his way through to welcome the ship’s captain. His daughter Jessica dodged through the curious onlookers to stand at his shoulder.

The captain of the ship was easy to spot. He was tall and angular with a sharp close-shaven chin and long boney limbs. He wore a heavily padded jacket with vertical stripes in blue and purple. It had once been a rather grand garment, but was now faded with age and the seams were beginning to separate. His hat had been equally grand, once upon a time, but most of its decorative feathers had fallen out and it was now speckled with unrecognisable stains.

The captain stood tall but rested his right hand on a long thin stick. It was white and twisted and looked suspiciously like a narwhal’s tusk. There was a brass cap at one end while the other had been polished to a point.

Jim and Polly had never seen anyone dressed like his before.

The captain bowed grandly to the harbourmaster, like an earl visiting a royal castle.

‘Hadrian Mercy, at your service,’ he said with a flourish. ‘Here with my ship, the Nag’s Head. We’ve been at sea for many a month and we’re just looking for some place to rest our weary heads for the night.’

Flint nodded his head briefly in response.

‘Welcome to our little port, Captain Mercy,’ he said as he looked the stranger in the eye. ‘This is your first time here I believe. Have you come far?’

The sailor removed his hat and held it under his arm.

‘Oh yes, indeed we have,’ he replied earnestly. ‘We were sailing from Port Elizabeth to the Northern Isles but got caught in a storm. Tried to take a short cut past Eagle Rock and ended up in fast water. We were swept high up into the ice flows and had to work our way back slowly. We’ve been at sea a while and could do with some shore time, if that’s alright with you?’

The harbourmaster nodded solemnly, acknowledging a legitimate need.

‘We have an inn by the harbour and you will be able to get food and lodgings there - if that’s what you’re looking for?’

‘It is.’

‘Well, that’s most excellent,’ continued Flint. ‘Although there is still the small matter of taxes?’

‘Of course,’ said the Captain with a wry smile. ‘I’m sure we can oblige...’

A second sailor came forward. He was a little shorter but extremely well built. The flesh and shape of his muscles were clearly visible through the tears in his ageing shirt. He wore a simple round hat on his head and had a selection of brass rings in his ears. Some were basic loops, while others were decorated with beetles, human faces and some strange animal bones. He looked big and solid, like a decorated boulder.