(TFT) SOLO III, part 048

["David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

Solo III
Demon World
Part 048

    As astral dragons, the three of you are flying around.  Following 
Uncle's words.  Seeing the places he speaks of.
    "The pirates will land outside of a large port."  A crowded cluster of 
brick buildings.  Clumped along a large natural harbor.  Every chimney is 
smoking and casting a grey haze away from the docks.
    "They dress a cabin boy as one of the kids and take him into the city, 
to a tavern, one where nobles hang out."  At the edge of the city, a large 
three story tavern sits.  It has a large parlour on the ground floor, with 
three fire places and many plush chairs.  In one corner is a small orchestra 
set, with a harp and chairs in a simi-circle.  Servants are moving around 
sweeping, and lighting lanterns.
    "Our captain then tells a tale.  A tale of poor lost chidren, rescued 
from pirates.  He presents his own cabin boy as a rescued child.  The cabin 
boy has been coached on how to look frightened and lost.  The captain 
explains his plan to the nobles."
    Suddenly the three of you are back aboard the Triangle looking into 
each others eyes.  "We don't have the money to get this child home our 
captain will say.  There was a lot of expensive furniture on the ship.  If I 
could hold an auction, I could raise enough money to cover my expenses and 
to buy the kid a trip back to his parents."
    Uncle smiles.  "Now during this time the mates of the Triangle will be 
unloading the pillage from the other ship to a spot somewhere outside of the 
city.  Usually a farmer is paid off and his barn is used.  When the nobles 
ask to see the furniture, they are brought there."
    "What these pirates do.  Our pirates.  Is fill this barn with all the 
best loot from every ship captured for the entire year.  When the nobles see 
the selection they start wattering at the mouth.  A date for the action is 
set, and word of the exotic goods spread through the city like wild fire."
    "Also these nobles are strange.  They can be quite competative about 
affairs of honor, and they will out do each other trying to be the patron of 
the rescued boy.  Even offering to shelter the boy in their own house while 
they find his parents, just so they can be the one who handles getting the 
boy home.  I think the real reason is they want to be the one who keeps the 
fee for carrying the kid back to his parents.  And he can be put to work in 
the mean time."
    "After the acution, the real children are brought.  All of them.  And 
the nobles are quite pleased that there are enough for each of them to keep 
their honor."
    "The Pirates sail off with a chest full of money.  The nobles are into 
each other's buisness till all the kids are returned home.  And eventually 
some parents are made happy."
    "Thus the pirates get to convert their plunder to cash.  But they need 
the pretext of returning kidnapped children.  This is how they get enough 
wealthy patrons to buy the plunder in the first place.  And unlike the 
legitimate shipping in this world, they have no interest in selling the 
children to demons."

David Michael Grouchy II

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