“Aurelian, I have to go.” I threw the dirty rag in the sink behind the bar after wiping up a few crumbs and I pulled the string of my apron.  Outside, the white chapel fog was thick and green street lamps glowed in the dark air. But the ten bells tavern glowed golden and warm, reflecting off the light wooden bar which we tried very hard to keep clean (not that it was a very clean place). Thursday night was quiet and I had told Leander that I would meet him in an alley on Osborne St.…

“It was dark, right? He’s not the same guy.” Roderick assured me, shuffling a recently read book onto its shelf. I stood in his doorway with a hand on the frame.

“You’re wrong. How many guys his size do you see on a daily, Roderick. This is bullshit. He’s not who he says he is.” I told him. Roderick just shook his head and laughed.

“Yes,” He said sarcastically, “Joannes, a pirate. Just because he’s a big man does not mean that he’s a criminal.”

 “That has nothing to do…

 Not even a pinch. It was a clear, massive squeeze. I tensed up, gasping in as the unlucky person behind me got a good feel. I smiled at Dominique who grinned, sipping her drink and winked at her before putting my hands in the back pockets of my trousers. I turned around and bent one knee, facing the massive Israeli man behind me.

“ahh zeh atah.”it’s you. I said, pretending to flirt. He grinned looking back at his pals before turning back to me.

“At ohevet zion?” He…

“What are the odds of you calling chanter, sugartits for the rest of the day.” Ezra asked with a smug grin on his smug face. We sat in the galley, my tarot deck shuffling in my hand. I pulled a card. “come on then, Ara, what’s it say?”

“It says you’re a cheeky little cunt.” I sighed with a sweet smile and stared at the card, “it also says I’m going to push you off the starboard side.” A giggle escaped through the back of my mouth as I put put the card back in the deck. Ezra…

 Breakfast on the widow has changed because of the following sgtory, making me happy EVERY morning since last week.

  I crashed my way into the galley of our target, the terrified chef in the galley, spinning around. Outside, my men were making immature battle cries and I jumped a little when I heard Dominique shooting a crew member some distance behind me. I smiled,

“Ani rotzah l’echol mashehu.” I want to eat something, I told him before the smile washed…

  "Boy.."  Papas weak voice trailed off "Listen to..me now I tell you over and over revenge not the path for anyone ...(he sputtered and coughed) Heaven know why but I love you boy everybody in this house love you" As he said this both Mrs Olean and Joan squeezed me tight " We all know you got the spirit in you to kill him, everybody gonna be expectin ya to run out there ..(more coughing, this time so hard it caused him to violently sit up in the bed.) I broke free of the women beside me and…

   I rushed to take hold of his hand as he beckoned me, "Yes Papa, I'm here". In truth the man always seemed ancient no matter my age and everyone has been calling him "Papa Jocko" for as long as I can remember. "I see you boy," he said half attempting to appear agitated "I ain't a gone blind or deaf " he let out a small chuckle as if this were just another day."Tell me Boy, where ya been hidin your self?"   "I'm afraid I've been somewhat busy of late,...mostly South America but I'm home now…

      “Why aren’t we selling anything?”

“This is how pirates originally lived. Shekels are no used to us back in England so we have to take what we have and use it for ourselves.”

 “ani rotzah l’echol mashehu.”

“Ara, I can’t understand Hebrew.”

 “Je veux manger un chose.”

“English, Arabella.”

I slammed the table.

“I want to eat something!” I yelled and held my stomach as it growled. My captain shook her head before staring at the empty bowl in…

   “Ara,” I snapped my head around from my desk to see Dominique panting in the doorway. “where is my gun?” she asked in her thick french accent.

         “how the fuck am I to know?” I replied, turning back to my writing. Dominique rushed to my desk and started opening drawers frantically.

            “Your fucking koala takes everything and he’s the only crewmember who would even think about stealing her.”  I stood up.

            “Hey,” I said, “arretez, maitenant. Je…

 We like to drink with Ara

Cause Ara is our mate

And when we drink with Ara

She drinks it down in

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A cold drink of god knows what ran down my throat as I rushed to get it all down before I slammed down the glass, my mouth twisting into a spiral. Qetura, a pub in the Arava valley in the negev desert on the border between Israel and Jordan was congested with drunk…

   Strolling casually through the lamp lit river of life that is Bourbon Street at night I check my pocket watch...11:30. This had better be good I had been spending some "Special " time in Storyville when the messenger found me. The old man must surely be upset sending for me at this time. I cut up Ursuline and the lack of lamp lights becomes more obvious, couples on porches taking advantage of the dim light. The moon was only half full so human vision wasn't at its best now,that being said…