User:JohnB/The Book and the stone 3b

Wanted: A Sea Captain:

The crew of the longboat were moving chests of treasure and loose artifacts to the shore near Vos. This was their home port because it commanded a panoramic view of the treacherous rock-strewn sea north of the Grazelands and the treacherous rock-strewn Sea of Ghosts to the east. A lookout sitting on a dune alerted them that two people were approaching. Tarpaulins were thrown over the diving bell and the chests to hide what they were doing. Former owners of sunken ships would on occasion come to reclaim their freight, which the "wreckers" were required by law to hand over, but it was only a courtesy for the owners to pay a "finder's fee", but often they didn't.

As the men approached, they doffed their hats and greeted the crew, who weren't all too sure how friendly they should be to the newcomers.

"We are looking for a Maurice Delamer," one of the men announced.

"I am he," he responded stepping forward.

"We represent business interests in Cyrodiil, and we would like to consult with you in private."

"We needn't hold anything from my crew," he responded glancing around at his men, who were ready for a good fight should it start.

"We are in need of a sea captain, so we have come to you."

"A sea captain?" he guffawed in disbelief. "Me?"

"Look," the other man spoke, "we have scoured the length and breadth of Vvardenfell, which has the best mariners in Tamriel, and we can't find anyone willing to lead an expedition to the antipodes."

"The what?"

"The place where people stand upside-down from the way we do."

"I'm not a sea captain."

"All we need is a person with the right amount of daring-do, and we have heard you are that one. It certainly takes cojones to dive a hundred feet into the sea to bring up its spoils."

"I don't do all the diving."

"Yes, but you train and direct those who do, and that's more important to us than the actual diving."

"What's in it for me?"

The first man produced a large money bag and ceremoniously spilled gold coins onto the beach sand.

"Behold, your down payment. There's more where this comes from."

Delamer pulled the tarpaulin from a money chest.

"This chest contains five times as much as you've just spilled out."

The two men scooped the gold back into the bag and turned to leave.

"W-wait!" Delamer blurted. "I didn't say no!"

"So what will it be?"

Delamer consulted with his crew in the Breton language. He appeared to be getting their understanding and then giving instructions as to who was in charge and what they should do during his absence.

"All right," he finally told the two men, "I'm with you."

They traveled by boat to Ebonheart and then crossed over to the mainland where they proceeded on to the Imperial City. There they put him up at an inn and procured the necessities that they hadn't given him time to pack before leaving Vos.

The Ermine:

The next day, he was led to the docks of Cyrodiil.

"This is your flagship," he was informed matter-of-factly as they looked up at the 100-ton galleon that towered over them.

Delamer whistled through his teeth.

"You mean I am to captain this ship?!"

"Precisely, and two others that make up the convoy."

They walked up the gangplank, and the captain was given a tour of his ship. He was given a notebook and pencil to take notes because a lot of the ship jargon was unknown to him. He diligently made sketches and diagrams, labeling each item with the nautical term used to describe it. For example, what he always referred to the side of a boat was here called a "gunwale" and pronounced something like "gunnel" due to the sailor's penchant for speaking as if he was perennially drunk, which he probably was.

The new captain of the Ermine was given a thorough tour from top to bottom and shown where every item on board was stowed. Everything was duly noted in his notebook, which he studied diligently so as not to make a mess of his tenure on board.

When the crew was finally assembled to meet their captain, one of his handlers took him aside.

"The first mate would have been made captain had you turned the position down, but his personality is somewhat...uh, contrarian, and this would have been a problem in his dealings with the consortium. We urge you to treat him kindly and with respect to avoid any problems on board."

The crew stood at attention as the captain stepped from one to the next exchanging pleasantries and shaking hands. The first mate, who stood slightly forward from the line of crew, seemed a pleasant enough fellow, but the captain could sense a hard edge in his voice. He made a mental note to treat this fellow with kid gloves.

After the captain gave a brief speech informing the crew of their mission and encouraging them all to their utmost to help it succeed, he dismissed them to take their ease until the launching day.

As he turned to leave, the first mate approached him.

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but I hope you know what you are doing."

The captain was at a loss what to say given the warning he'd received concerning this fellow. However, before he could make a response, the first mate walked away.

This commission was going to be--difficult?