Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:11:20 +0200
From: Amy Redek <adultreading@gmail.com>
Subject: Fighting Pirates. Part Six.

  This story is for persons of eighteen years or over.  All comments, good
or bad, are welcome and all will be answered.

   Part Six

     Our prize was moored in the harbour alongside the other we had
captured and William had his arm round my shoulder in the evening's short
twilight and he told me that when we had four there, we would go back to
England. Oh, I did get to let Baxter fuck me in the rope locker in case you
are wondering because of our successful capture of the Spanish ship. He was
pleased that I hadn't forgotten and had given me a good ride in the
process. Digby too didn't go without and neither did I, getting to fuck him
and wished that I could have more time with him for me to do that more
often to him.

     My sixteenth birthday came and so did my seventeenth before we
captured our fourth ship intact. Seaworthy in other words because we did
lose some of them that we caught. I was now able also to lift a forty pound
cannonball tied to my ankles for an hour. My thighs became like tree trunks
and they fitted me admirably to go with my arms and shoulders and I gained
another two inches in height and now stood at five foot ten.

     In those last six months at sea, hunting for plunder, we took a bitter
blow. It was not our last encounter but one that cost us dear. It looked
like an ordinary attack on a merchantman but they fought back with a
vengeance. We ran the ship down and exchanged broadsides before we came
close enough for William to call up the gun crews for boarding. I again was
held back to go in the second wave behind William, watching Mr Tombs lead
the first assault, climbing over the bulwarks and leap onto the other deck,
swinging his sword. Mr Davis was right behind him and as he leapt, a
cutlass came across his middle and he just folded up and fell out of my
sight. I tried to go forward myself at seeing this but was restrained by
William.

     `Wait. Let them move further over the deck.' He had to shout over the
screaming men and the sound of steel on steel as the men fought and it was
several minutes before William raised his sword. `Forward!' he screamed and
we went over the side screaming as much as the others as blades were swung
and blood sprayed everywhere when steel met flesh. I had by now lost count
of the number of men I have killed in these boarding forays and always
finished up with a massive erection when I came out unscathed. I'd been
wounded twice but not serious enough to stop me from slashing and stabbing
anyone who came up before me.

     I followed William up onto the poop deck and we stood back to back
fighting at least six sword wielding officers. We slowly decimated them and
finally took the deck and had the flag pulled down and the ship was
ours. There was much cheering from our men as they pushed the vanquished
men to one side and collected their weapons. I went back to our ship and
then had my second shock for at the helm, lay Digby. I rushed over and
knelt down and raised his head only just in time for him to give me a
twisted smile before he died. He'd taken a musket ball through his chest
and had probably died from blood in his lungs.

    I couldn't help but cry as I held his dead body until he was carried
away to be placed with our other dead.

     `Jim! Stand up!' William commanded in a low voice but with
authority. `You're an officer. Act like one.'

     `But William...' I began only to be cut off with an order.

     `Go below to our cabin. I'll be down shortly.' It was a curt dismissal
and could do nothing else but obey. I went down and poured myself a large
glass of wine and drank it straight down and wiped my eyes. Digby dead! My
second love was now laid out on deck, oh how I wished that it had been me,
and poured out another glass when William came in. He strode over to the
wine decanter and poured himself out a glass and drank it down and putting
down his glass turned round to me and slapped my face.

     I reeled back in shock!

     `You have the body of a man and yet you still have the heart and mind
of a child. You cried because your toy was taken away from you. Well I cry
too! I cry for every man I lose in battle, but I don't cry in front of the
crew. I wait until I'm down here and let my grief for them go in the
privacy of this cabin. Now get back up on deck and be a man and see that
all the dead are treated equally as we bury them in the sea. Tonight you
can weep for Digby, now go.' I stumbled out of the cabin, severely rebuked
for my show of emotion before the others and resolved to do and act as he
said.

     Our dead had been laid out and William said a small prayer for them
before they were let drop into the sea. We then went over to the Spanish
ship and he said the same prayer for them which was translated at the same
time and they too, were then put over the side.

     `They fought well and deserved the prayer as much as our men did,' he
said gruffly and began giving out orders for making good both ships for us
to escort it back to Antigua. Our dinner was a silent one, William, Mr
Tombs and myself, being served by Dinky. Mr Tombs left as soon as it was
over, saying that he had to see to setting up watches for the night for we
were still not quite ready to move off.

     `Go to bed Jim,' William said to me and sat at the table for a good
ten minutes before rising up himself. I was naked in bed waiting for him
and still loved to see his body as naked as mine. He came over and gave me
another shock, for he bent down and took me into his mouth and began
sucking on my erect cock. For the first time in nearly seven years of us
sleeping together, he was actually seeing to me with his mouth. Though only
for a minute or two for he released me and got into bed with me.

     `Oh William,' I cried as I kissed him.

     `I did that for one reason only for it will be the only time as you
will hear. If you remember what I said this morning.' I nodded at this as I
lay in the crook of his arm, his hand still holding my erection. `Well you
have the body of a man and used this with Digby,' giving my cock a
rub. `But you still have the mind and heart of a child, and, a woman. You
are letting your heart rule your mind and so tonight I want you become a
man in your mind. For nearly seven years now you have been a woman for
me. Well tonight, for this night only, you are going to become a man and I
will be the woman for you. Not only a woman but Digby. You can take me as
you took him and you can then say your farewell of him through me.'

     `Oh William,' was all I could say and tears came to my eyes at what he
was giving me. He knew that I loved him and now he was showing how much he
loved me. Loved me enough to give me his body even if it was only for one
night, it was a gesture that touched my heart and I resolved to be a man in
the future. He kissed me and rose up onto his knees and for the first time,
I stroked the cheeks of his bum before sticking my prick inside. We both
grunted and sighed as I then fucked my first love and he was as firm and
not unlike Digby in the tightness. But too soon I was straining and holding
his hips firm, fucking him with sharp prods as I came inside him and then,
still inside, leaned over his back and wept and he didn't say anything as
the tears dropped on his back for he knew I was saying goodbye to Digby.

     I pulled out of him and went and washed myself and got back into bed
and into his arms and kissed him.

     `Thank you William. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will
try very hard to live up to your expectations,' I said.

     `I hope so and because I think you will, tomorrow, you will be acting
captain of our prize.'

     `What?' I said in astonishment as I sat up and looked at the smile on
his face. `What about Mr Tombs?'

     `I've already spoken to him and he agrees that it's time you spread
your wings. Besides, he's more than capable so it`s your turn. There's more
to it for if you handle yourself well on your own, you'll be commanding one
of our prize ships home to England.'

     `I...I'm lost for words,' I stuttered.

     `Then find some other use for your tongue and mouth then,' he laughed
and I quickly found a use for them as I slid down the bed and took him into
my mouth and sucked till he came in quite a copious flow which was like
nectar to me.

                                                            *

     Next day I was on the poop deck of the Spanish ship and as we let go
the ropes tying us to the Vespa, I was in sole command of my first
vessel. It was an exhilarating feeling and many emotions passed through me,
one of them thinking of how proud Digby would have been to see this. I
think William was too for I got a friendly wave from him and a good cheer
from my old shipmates that weren't with me.

     With my rough Spanish, I was able to get on quite well with the crew
of that language and ours seemed to mix quite well with them. I must admit
I took great pains with my task and very seldom left the deck, even
sleeping up there for my bed was empty except of ghosts.

     We sailed as a pair and were quite often that close that we could
shout across to each other and so this was how we went on to Antigua. I
felt very proud on sailing into the harbour with the men trimming the sails
as we approached our mooring place and lined up perfectly with the others
at rest and shouted out the order for the release of the anchor. It
splashed down and we came to a slow stop and then the ship turned with the
tide and rode at anchor with the others in perfect formation.

     William had already had the Vespa tied up to the quay and I had the
jolly boat launched to take me ashore and there William greeted me.

     `That anchoring was perfect Jim, ` he said, clapping me on the
back. `Come and have a glass and tell me how you managed.' We went on board
and I told him of our trip back to the island but he knew most of it
anyway. I just think, well hoped, that it was that he liked me being in the
cabin again.

     `So everything was perfect then?' William asked when I'd finished
speaking.

     `Not really. Our cook isn't a patch on Cookie and er, well I missed
you,' a little embarrassed at saying the last.

     `Missed me eh?' he mused. `Dinky!' he called out and our cabin boy
came in.

    `Yes sir?'

     `Dinky. We need to find a cabin boy for Captain Jim,' William said.

     `Captain Jim?' He asked with a little awe in his voice, looking at me
with wide eyes.

     `Yes. He must be able to speak English and see to Captain Jim's every
need. I mean every need for he will be expected to sleep in the cabin,' he
emphasised.

     `You want a boy to sleep with Captain Jim for fuck-fuck yes?'

     `You put it so nicely Dinky, yes,' William said with a smile. I had to
hide mine but it was that exactly. Dinky left and William gave me quizzical
smile with a lifted eyebrow.

     `You know me too well,' I said with a laugh, `but seriously. You
called me Captain in front of Dinky. Did you really mean it? You know, that
if I handled that ship well you would see that I would captain one of the
prizes back to England?`

     `Yes Jim. I meant what I said. You will be one of my captain's' he
said with a big smile on his face.

     `Oh William!' I cried and went and sat on his lap and gave him a big
long kiss and wiggled my bum on his thighs and felt him react to this. I
broke off the kiss and got up and went over to the bed and got undressed,
dropping my clothes on the floor before getting on to it and waited for him
to do the same.

     He was smiling at me as he took his off and I was pleased to see that
he'd come erect and what he had swaying between his thighs would soon be
inside me and giving me pleasure. I reached out to take hold of it but he
knocked my hand away.

     `Roll over,' he said, his voice a little hoarse and so I did and rose
up onto my knees to let him move in behind me. His hands came up onto my
hips and I felt the head of his cock press against the space between the
cheeks of my bum.

     `From one captain to another,' he said and he pushed himself forward
and I had his lovely big cock enter me, to slide in till his thighs met
mine and I had that throbbing tool pulsating away inside me. I drooled at
the pleasure he was giving me as he moved back and forth and also that at
seventeen, I was now a ship's captain. Of the two, I think I still would
have rather have his prick seeing to me forever than even be an admiral.

     He fucked me again later that evening as he used his hand on me to
make us both come at the same time, me over the sheet and him inside of me.

     We had just got up and dressed the next morning when Dinky ushered
another boy into William's cabin. He was a bit on the scruffy side and as
well as being an islander, black, he could only have been about twelve
years old. He had big dark eyes and flashed me a smile to show that he had
the most perfect white teeth I had ever seen and wasn't backward in coming
forward. His eyes literally sparkled as he looked me up and down and held
out his hand. I shook it and went and sat down .

     `Do you know why you are here boy?' I asked him, he smiled and nodded
his head and Dinky stood beside him, beaming.

     `Do you speak English?' Again he nodded his head. `Well say something
then!'

     `You look a big strong man and I like you. Yes, I would like to sleep
with you,' he eyes looking pointedly at my crotch and it made me a bit
uncomfortable with Dinky being there. `Dinky, I'll take him. Here's
sixpence. Go and help him buy some clean clothes and see that he has a bath
and be back here within two hours.'

     `Okay Captain Jim,' he said, taking the coin and pulling my new cabin
boy out of the cabin and it was only after they had left that I realised
that I hadn't asked his name. When he was presented to me again, clean and
with new clothes instead of rags he'd previously been wearing, I was told
his name and found it unpronounceable and couldn't even begin to spell it
so I decided on another name for him to be called.

     `You not quite small enough to be a midget, but nearly, so I'll call
you Midge. Is that alright with you?' I asked of him.

     `Midge. Yes. I like that name Captain Jim.'

     `Okay Dinky,' I said slapping my knees. `Show and tell Midge what the
duties of a cabin boy are. Also about being the powder monkey on the gun
deck. We'll be going off to our ship in a couple of hours, that should give
you long enough.'

     I spent those two hours with William up on deck and assured him that
all would be well and said that I would be staying on my ship for we sailed
in two days and it would be better if I got everything in order before we
did so. We shook hands and said that we would meet up again in the Pool of
London and so I walked down the gangplank with Midge carrying my things,
and we went along and down some steps into the jolly boat and were quickly
ferried to the ship that I was now in command of.

     `It's a big ship Captain Jim,' he said as we sat in the stern and I
felt his hand rub my leg and he gave me a smile. That smile turned my heart
and I found that I was getting an erection at seeing that and wondered if
he would still be smiling afterwards.

    We came alongside and he scampered up with my things and waited up at
the top for me. I introduced him to Wilson who would be my first officer
and I took Midge to what would be our cabin. I sent him off to find our
cook and get me my dinner and went back up on deck to see that all was well
and made small talk until I saw Midge appear from below with a covered tray
which would be my dinner.

     I went below and had my meal and then had a glass of wine while Midge
cleared things away and later returned. I found I was actually trembling
and it took some effort to control myself and began to get undressed and
passed them to Midge to fold up and put to one side.

     `My, my Captain Jim is a big man in all respects,' he said as he
looked me up and down, from my broad shoulders to the massive erection I
had. `I can't wait to have my captain have me,' he said as he began taking
off his clothes as I got onto the bed. A bed I'd had made bigger the day
before, big enough for two to sleep in comfort and, well, other things.

     Midge nimbly jumped up onto the bed and squatted down at the foot and
looked down my body length. My cock lying up on my stomach seemed to be the
attraction for him and it proved so as he moved in between my legs and
opened his mouth wide as his black hand lifted my cock upright so that he
could take the head into his mouth. It was hot and tight and felt his
tongue rove over my circumcised cock and his teeth gently rake it as he
sucked.

     `Enough of that for the moment Midge,' I said, pulling his head up off
me and pulling his small body up onto mine, squashing my cock between us. I
wanted to kiss that black face but thought that I was supposed to be the
man now and he the woman and that he would kiss me in time if he wanted
to. `Roll over,' I said hoarsely and helped him to do so and I got up onto
my knees as he did the same but it was for me to move behind him and get
between his legs. The cheeks of his bum were small and tight and I thought,
except for the colour, that must have been how my backside had looked when
I was his age, and then thought that that was only about six and half years
ago when I first had William fuck me.

     My cock was now throbbing and paining me as I stroked his black
backside and gently eased them apart and saw the entrance. The hole that I
moved the head of my red cock to and felt it give slightly as I eased
myself forward. I felt him shiver at my touch and he gave out a loud
exhalation of breath and knew that he was relaxing himself. I pushed harder
and saw the resistance of flesh that suddenly parted and he widened as the
head of my cock moved inside him and it was then easy for the rest of my
shaft to follow. He was tight and hot, the warmth all round my prick as I
nestled his bum up against my thighs and felt him squeezing me. I put my
hands onto his hips to hold him steady as I began to move and fuck my cabin
boy, my woman. My means of relief, and gave a thought to Digby as I moved
in and out as I fucked the backside of the body beneath me. I pulled him
tight to me as I started to come, grinding my hips up tight to his body and
came, bucking him up and down as I shot the load I'd been building up all
day for this very moment.

     I didn't sob or cry for this wasn't Digby. This was Midge and he was
now mine to have and to hold, to fuck and even love if it ever came to
that. Midge gave out a cry as I came inside him and knew that he had felt
it.

     He gave out another as I pulled out and saw the pink hole of his flesh
begin to shrink back to normal size and I moved off and rolled over onto my
back. He was quickly off the bed and came back with a bowl of water and a
cloth and washed me carefully before drying me and then getting back onto
the bed.

     `Oh Captain Jim,' he said as he snuggled up to me. `Never I had such a
big man as you. It was lovely. Do not be long it getting to up rise again
for I want to taste you too.'

     `You were good too Midge,' I said giving him a hug. `Are you a good
cocksucker?'

     `I think de best,' he smiled and I made a move to kiss him but held
back and I think he sensed this for his eyes went solemn. `Can I kiss you
Captain Jim?'

     `Yes Midge,' I said softly and his smile came again and his eyes lit
up and he rolled on top of me and put his arms round my neck and kissed
me. His lips weren't that thick and they were soft, soft as I believed that
a woman's would be like, lips that I would one day have to find out for
myself. But he was as close as I was going to come in having a woman and so
I accepted the kiss and enjoyed it. So much so that we carried it on whilst
he stroked me until he was able to get my cock to rise up again and showed
me that he knew how to suck on an erect prick and bring forth my
essence. He gurgled as I came in his mouth and took it all and rolled it
round in his mouth and swallowed it.

     `Like honey man, like pure sweet honey,' and licked his lips and I had
no problem with kissing those wet lips that had just been round the head of
my cock. Small as he was, his body fitted nicely to mine and it felt good
to hold in my arms as we fell asleep.

                                                            *

     We now had our four prizes and time had been spent in transferring
some cargoes to give them an even distribution making the Vespa as light as
possible because it would be acting like a sheep dog, circling the herd to
keep predators at bay. They were all provisioned and William had found many
stranded sailors only too willing to be crew for their return to
England. We even had a English merchant ship request to join us, for its
own protection, and it was agreed. So after three weeks at the island, our
little flotilla of six ships carrying large British flags at the gaff, set
sail. What a sight we must have looked, loosing our sails one by one and
sedately moving out of the harbour to form up outside and at a hoisted
signal from the Vespa and William, turned our bows in a northerly direction
and sailed away.

     My designated officers were competent enough for me to leave them
alone which I think they appreciated, that me with my first time really in
command, wasn't throwing my weight around. The voyage was good except for
the quality of the meals served up by our cook. The crew seemed to be in
good spirits at having this chance of returning to England and leaped into
the rigging when required and did gun drill efficiently enough. I had a
good bed mate and was quite happy and proud to stand on my own quarter deck
as we sailed towards home.

     Home. The place I had left nearly eight years ago to start a new life
in Jamaica but found one on the high seas. I wondered what my folks would
say when they saw me? For I was of an even younger age than Midge when I
left and I was now returning as a fully grown man.

     We sighted a total of five ships on our ten week voyage but they all
sheered off when they counted six of us, sailing along like a flotilla, one
too large for them to tackle. Eventually we entered the grey green waters
of the English Channel, William doing the navigation for us and leading us
up towards the River Thames. I celebrated my eighteenth birthday on that
passage as we passed the big white cliffs that denoted we were off the port
of Dover. But then spent two days in the estuary for a favourable wind to
carry all six of us up to London itself.

     It was mid-afternoon when we dropped anchor in the Pool itself and I
was able to look at this great city that I'd heard of but never visited
before. Warehouses and other buildings crowded the waterfront, some of them
three stories high and the whole covered in a pall of dark smoke. It must
have been like this for a long time for all the buildings were dark and
blackened and the river itself was of the same colour and awash with
filth. I was not impressed on this first vision of this center of the
world.

     I had the jolly boat put over the side and had myself rowed over to
our flagship, the Vespa, for instructions from William. I was greeted with
a warm embrace as we met on the foredeck.

     `A good safe passage Jim,' he said. `You appear to have done well,
congratulations.'

     `Thank you sir. What do we do now.'

     `Well first come down to the cabin for a drink. The other captains
have been sent for and should be arriving soon for their final
instructions.' I followed him down to the cabin and when the door was shut
he held out his arms. `It's great to see you again Jim.'

     `I could say the same for you,' I said as I went into his arms and we
kissed. It was a deep kiss and I felt that he was aroused by the proximity
of our bodies and I hoped of his love for me. `Oh William, I've missed
you.'

     `Bloody liar! You've got your own cabin boy now.'

     `But he's too small to fuck me. Please William, before the others
arrive.' He didn't need a second asking for his clothes were off as quick
as mine and we were on his bed and I had the pleasure of feeling his hands
stroke my bare bum cheeks.

     `Don't tease me William,' I begged and immediately had the head of his
cock press against my back passage and enter and fill me. Oh God it was
wonderful to have his big prick back up inside me. He was as anxious as I
for he was soon ramming himself into me and held me tight in that familiar
way as he came inside me. I was back in heaven. I don't think I would ever
not long to have a cock as big as his being shoved up inside me. I might be
a man now but I still loved to have another man use me as I used little
Midge.

     He soon pulled out and I quickly got a wet cloth and washed him like
old times and we then got dressed before the others arrived. The captain of
the independent merchant ship came in first and thanked William for the
escort and after a glass of wine, gave his thanks again and departed as the
captains of the other three ships, one of them being Mr Tombs came into the
cabin. Dinky was on hand to see that all of us had drinks in our hands and
seated round the table. William then told them of what his plans were.

     All four prizes plus their cargo would, on the following day, be given
over to his Majesty's representative for accounting purposes and advised
that all of our original crew should stand by and return to the Vespa until
the value could be ascertained and some monies that were due, receive their
share of the six years that they had served him. He would, the next day
also visit his bankers and draw money to pay the other men who came from
the islands, their pay in the delivering of the ships to England.

     This he did and the men were brought over from each ship in turn and
he gave them their few coins of silver for which he was thanked for getting
them back to England. The revenue men had already been aboard and carried
out his wishes in regard to the prizes and it wasn't long before we had a
visit from one of the King's ministers.

     I was present when he was announced into the captain's cabin and he
introduced himself as the adviser to the High Lord Chamberlain of Her
Majesty Queen Anne. We'd had this news of a change from King to Queen a
couple of years ago and now William asked if his charter as a privateer
would be accepted as his service in this capacity was for the benefit of
the crown. He was assured that this was so but it would be advisable to
re-apply for a new one. He gave out a chuckle and added that with what we
had brought to England would most definitely insure him on getting one.

     At the meeting it was also agreed that the crown took half and William
would be paid the other half for sharing out after it had all been
valued. It was reckoned that this would take a minimum of a month or so and
after this emissary left the ship, the crew were told to look out for a
notice to be posted at the tavern called the Red Lion in respect of their
share of the prizes that had been brought home. In the meantime, William
paid each man enough money to last two months until such time.

     It had been a long day and Mr Tombs left us as Dinky and Midge cleared
the table where I was sitting there yawning.

     `Dinky!' said William. `Take Midge and find somewhere to sleep. Go now
for we're tired and want to get to bed.' They quickly left and William and
I got undressed and into bed.

     `Hold me William,' I said, cuddling up to him. `I'm so cold. I'd
forgotten how cold it is in England in the winter.'

     `Yes, it is rather,' he said holding and warming me up. `And you've
still been walking about bare footed. First thing tomorrow, we'll go out
and get some clothes that'll suit the climate.'

     `Midge and Dinky will need some too for they must be feeling it more
than us,' I said as I stroked his penis, bringing it nicely up to size and
rather than uncover us, slid under the covers and took him into my
mouth. He groaned and stretched as I used my hand on him too, and soon had
him really throbbing and he came in nicely tasting shots that I savoured
before swallowing.

                                                            *

     After breakfast, William had a hired coach fetched to the ship, for we
had warped alongside while we ate. The four of us got in and William had it
take us to a tailor he knew of. William was booted and also saw to us
having some boots to wear. Ready clothing had to do for the time being but
I was also measured up for some more fitting apparel to be seen about
town. Though I said to William that considering the state of the clothes
the locals were wearing, I suggested that they shouldn't be too
ostentatious. Most of the people I had seen in the filthy, dirty narrow
streets of London all looked like beggars to me. Even with the simple
clothes he bought us we still looked over dressed compared to the
locals. He even bought us cloaks to wear and I found the footwear most
uncomfortable because I had been barefoot for the past eight years. I
didn't like the restriction but at least it kept my feet warm and cleaner.

     He then stopped at a swordsmith and gun makers and bought me a sword
and belt and I felt really grand when I looked in a mirror wearing this at
my side. Also a brace of pistols along with powder and shot and overall I
think he must have spent all of ten pounds on the three of us.

     We piled back into the coach and he surprised me by having us taken to
a ship building yard and there he took me to the quay-side to look at some
ships that were near completion. Two new frigates and I counted twelve gun
ports and they would probably have stern mounted chasers too. The masts had
been stepped and it looked as though they had just started on the
rigging. William had left us to look while he went off to an office but was
soon back with a rather florid faced man and they stood together talking
and William was pointing things out to him about the ships and finally
shook hands with the man and came up to us.

     `Well what do you think of them Jim?' he asked with a smile on his
face.

     `They're lovely,' I said. `They look sleek and fast. More guns and
look longer than the Vespa.'

     `One hundred and sixty feet long, twenty four cannon plus three other
smaller ones. Six hundred and fifty displacement tonnage with a speed of
about six knots. I'm giving one of them for you to command.'

     `What?' I said astounded. `Me? How can you say this? You are jesting?'

     `No Jim. That I'm not. I wrote two years back ordering these and they
are about two months from completion. I want you to be the captain of one
of them. You showed that you could handle a ship and this is what I want. I
want us to work along with Mr Tombs who I have already told him that he'll
be taking command of the Vespa. We will wreak havoc with the French
merchant men and any other ship that gets in our way.'

     `Would one of these be yours then?' I asked.

     `Yes and I'm naming mine Wasp.'

     `But...but if you're giving one to me that means that we'll be apart,'
I said with a catch in my throat. He put his arm round my shoulder.

     `Jim. You're a man now and it's time you stood on your own two
feet. You had that time with that Spanish ship, now you have your
own. Besides, we'll still be in port together on quite a few occasions.'

     `I...I don't really know what to say or how to thank you for this
trust,' I stammered.

     `Just be good in bed tonight,' he whispered into my ear. `Now,' he
began in a normal voice, `what will you call her?'

     `I...well, you're naming yours Wasp. You already have the Vespa which
is Latin for Wasp. I don't know how the word comes out in another language,
but how about Hornet?'

     `Capital!' he cried, clapping me on the back. `Hornet it is. I'll have
the shipwright have those painted on the transoms. Now let's find somewhere
to eat.' William had hired the carriage for the day so it was still waiting
for us and he had it drive off to a tavern in the city. I was amazed at how
crowded the city was. Houses going up three floors and side by side and
some even touching each other across some narrow streets. The two boys were
just as amazed as I was at the many people milling about, the stench and
filth and I remarked on this.

     `Bloody place should have another fire and then rebuild it
properly. They've made a fine mess of this,' said William. He was referring
to the fire just over forty years ago. `I've seen enough of this,' he said
and shouted out instructions to the coach driver and sat back down. `We're
going back over the river.' I hadn't realised that we had crossed the river
and that some the houses that were so close together had actually been
built on a bridge. We drove for half an hour out of the restrictions of the
city and soon stopped at a coaching inn where we got out and went into the
warmth and had some ale and sat down to eat. We got quite a lot of strange
looks and it took me some time to realise it was because of Dinky and
Midge. The inhabitants hadn't, or many of them hadn't, ever seen a black
man before, or boy I should say, and they were a curiosity. William and I
had come to take their colour as normal having been in that part of the
world where they came from.

     `I don't know if this is the right time to ask,' I began as we came to
the end of our meal, `but I wondered if I could have a little time off as
it were. I left England eight years ago and though I wrote three letters
home, I don't know if they ever received them. My family I mean. They might
think I am dead.'

     `Oh Jim,' William said, putting his hand over mine. `I'm sorry, very
sorry. I should have thought of that myself. Of course you must go and see
them. Devon wasn't it?' I nodded. `Well the ships won't be ready for at
least two months, go for a month and I hope that all is well with them.'

     `Why don't you come too,' I said with hope but he dashed that idea.

     `I'm sorry to say that I can't. I've too much to do here and I can't
pay for those ships until the Lord Chamberlain's finished assessing the
worth of the ships and goods we brought back. I've got to keep pressing
them for this. Plus I need an audience with our new Queen for fresh
charters in her name for us to go privateering. Take Midge with you for
company at nights for I think your parents would love to see him,' he said
as he ruffled the boy's tight curly head. `Also please extend my apologises
for not being able to visit them.'

     `Er, could you lend me some money then?' I asked, red in the face at
having to as

     `Of course, but let's wait on your going until you've got your nice
new clothes so that you'll look grand for your family. They'll be proud of
what a fine figure of a man you are now from that dirty waif that I first
clapped eyes on. Even more so when you tell them that you are now the
captain of a new frigate.' I blushed and thanked him and brought up another
subject.

     `This meal was good and yet, it wasn't as good as what Cookie serves
up,' I said.

     `True, true,' he answered.

     `Well, I suppose you'll be taking him with you on the Wasp,' and he
nodded his head. `Do you think Cookie could be sent out to find people of
his race to come and cook for Mr Tombs and myself?'

     `Bloody good idea,' he said. `I'll see that he finds some people to
cook for you both. Well you two young scamps,' he asked of the boys, `what
did you think of London Town?'

     `It stinks!' they both said in unison and we laughed for they were
quite correct in their appraisal.

                                                            *