"So, I presume you are Lord Drinian?" the Lotor stunt double said.  "  'Low me to introduce meself, I'm Captain Pickering and this is me ship!  Oh, and I don't think ye are supposed to be here" he bellowed a laugh.  "   'An this shipmate is Priscilla!  Fine young woman, wouldn't you say?"<br/><br/>Drinian stood bewildered; he realized now he looked foolish in a Monk's costume when it was clear he had almost no religious persuasion whatsoever.  He thought a fight would soon ensue; but instead, Pickering seemed more interested in Drinian.<br/><br/>"So, why would you chase after the likes of Lotor and his slaves?"<br/><br/>"Slaves; Amora is not a slave!"<br/><br/>"Oh, sorry Drinian.  Didn't mean to alarm ya; I mean, you're gonna be my slave in a second.  But, I'm still interested in why you want him and that girl so badly?"<br/><br/>"I need to kill Lotor; he stole my one current and only love, Amora.  Plus, I think she has a destiny to fulfill."<br/><br/>"Oh!  You mean that box they carried; and that foolish Monk.  It's a silly story, really.  Anyone can carve any names on any wooden cross pieces.  But if it really was from 200 years ago, I'd be rich!  So ..."<br/><br/>"So, what?" Drinian was now captivated.<br/><br/>"So!  When I met Lotor to get payment for this job, I might have ... ohhh ... swithced out the boxes.  It was quite easy, he's such a dolt!  I remembered I had a box just like it, cept the damn thing wouldn't open for years.  It just has a few sextants and shipping gear in 'em; nothing I couldn't find more of when I needed to.<br/><br/>"Right before this here ship docked out the shore of that monastery place, I went by a small raft to meet him in the mountains.  He likes hangin' there for some reason; I was never much for volcanoes.  When he saw me, he said - immediate change of plans.  I gots me ship here in the dead of night ready to do business, and he says - change of plans, he needs a cog to get him ... he thinks you guys are on to him.  I say - okay, show me the sterling silver pieces, mate.  I got to go make other arrangements and fast.  Well, at the time I caught him in a rush.  He left without his black box.  So I took it, went back to the ship, got me own black box, and took it back out there and laid it where he left his.  It was gone next day, so I knew he took it thinking it was his!"<br/><br/>"Wait a second, you have the black box?" Drinian inquired.<br/><br/>"Well, now that's where you come in I think.  I got three proposals for ya: see, I'm a business man ..."<br/><br/>"And a grecian thief!" Drinian added.  "Now, now.  What, ye think I have loyalty to Alexander or them greek nonsense people?  I'm a Grecian warship!  'Cuz that's what I'm paid to be; I'll be whatever ship ye want me to be ... for a price of course.  And I do side excursions; like this one.  No hard feelings 'bout deceiving ya, just doing what I was paid to do, you see.  Anyways, here's me first proposal.  I give you me ship mate and a private room.  You do what you like with her all day."  Priscilla gave Captain a scowl.  "Hah hah, Priscilla!  You know I'd kill him after he wert done!"<br/><br/>"Or second proposal, instead of making me slash you with me buckler - you just come quietly down to the belly of me ship and row same as any other slave."<br/><br/>"Or ..."  Drinian had reached into the pockets of the cleric's garb; he had stashed, since leaving Drinian Manor, plenty of currency on him.  However, he feared this person's prices might make him a poor man in a heartbeat.  "Or, I give you one thousand quid, and you chase after the cog and give me your box."<br/><br/>Pickering grabbed the money, bit into a sample of it, then looked at Drinian.  "1500 quid, and I'll throw Priscilla in to help ya."  Drinian couldn't believe he was doing business with such an ass; but maybe he wasn't such an ass, maybe everyone had their own business to do and Pickering just needed to make a living, same as everybody else.  "1500 quid, and I still want the box."<br/><br/>Drinian gave a rather large smile; "Look, Lotor told me you might try to do this.  He said I shouldn't let ya, I should throw ye off the plank immediately.  But I told him I would just "distract" you; so here's the deal.  I turn this ship around and if me girl Priscilla hasn't convinced ya to abandon your plans - I won't kill you, plus I'll help you board the cog and give you private audience to Lotor!"  He picked up a stammering Priscilla and thew her at Lotor.  Then ascending the deck of the ship, he shouted, "Turn this ship around!  We chase after Lotor's cog!  They've not gone far, we should catch up to them within the hour."<br/><br/>"You!"  Pickering pointed to Lotor and Priscilla.  "You wait within these quarters; Uh oh ..."  Pickering opens his hands to receive his payment.  "Good.  Me best ship mate will make sure you are ... comfortable.  But if ya give in to her, you know what happens.  So if you want me to give you the black box before you leave, you'll be a perfect gentleman next hour.  'Course, if I were you - I'd sure be tempted what with a pretty woman in the cabin with me and all.  You know, if I were you - I'd take me up on me first offer.  All day with Priscilla, then I get killed.  More fun; now, ya only got an hour!  Hah hah hah!"<br/><br/>"Oh Pickering, I'm not that kind of lady!"  Pickering shouted at him.  But, she knew how to lie well.  For, she was the last one in the cabin quarters before she turned around and smiled back at Captain Pickering, finest business man the world had ever known.