The Dancing Dolphin was a large tavern with an upstairs for private room. It served as the town's inn and social gathering place. It was usually full of sailors and local townspeople who enjoyed a bit of the locally brewed rum. Also served was mead, and stronger spirits as the ships brought them from across the ocean.<br/><br/>Trade in the islands was thriving, but there was also a bit of tension. The current rumor was that the Brit's had claimed some of the southernmost isles and established plantations for growing cane and making rum. Of course anyone who had any influence or wealth at all bought the rum and cane sugar and its byproducts and sold them for tremendous profit.<br/><br/>Then there were those who allowed others to do the work and then confiscated the profits! Pirates were as plentiful as the dolphins in the islands. Hell, a crew could mutiny a government backed ship and kill the Captain, then turn the well armed vessel into a pirate ship. Not all pirates were the same however. Some were smart enough to take advantage of rumors and seek out the treasure caches of the more ruthless ones, out of sight of those ruthless ones of course.<br/><br/>Altogether it was a chaotic mix of rum induced madness and mayhem. The recent sinking of one of the more famous and deadliest, Blackthorn, had rumors flying faster than a parrot back to its home roost.<br/><br/>Maria was saddened at the loss of Blackthorn. He had been kind to her and a generous benefactor. Now she might need a new one. She dressed as usual in a flirty white peasant blouse with a tightly laced bustier of black velvet. Her full skirt of bright red flounced around her shapely legs as she moved from one table to the next, serving the patrons their rum and mead. She kept a smile on her face and flirted with the Captains making sure not to give anyone of them more attention than the others.<br/><br/>The time came for her to perform with some other girls and they set down trays and went on the stage at the north end of the spacious tavern. Five girls in similar outfits all pranced on stage and did their song and dance. Lifting skirts to twirl and tease the patrons with glimpses of frilly underwear.