5853 words (23 minute read)

Today, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Mañana


Chapter 2 Today Tomorrow, Tomorrow Mañana

In the Spanish port of Santander, many a ship lie in port. The main tavern on the harbor was filled but quiet, as the heat of the day still carried in the air keeping the locals in siesta. The large dark oak cantina stank of stale beer. Yasac slow and deliberately eased through the cantina worn doors and quietly strode into the room. His short leather seafarer’s boots could barely be heard as his steps were so quiet. An old Spaniard in the corner of the bar played a slow melancholy tune on his guitar. The Yasac took a seat at the bar and let out a deep sigh suffering in the midday heat.

"Estás sed perro? The bartender inquired in poorly spoken Spanish.

Yasac looked at the bartender confused.

Thirsty?" The bartender hinted to the Yasac angrily with broken English.

"Aye, just give me some hot water, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a salt-less swig of that stuff," Yasac replied with a quiet, peaceful voice.

The bartender shot an eyebrow up at his request but shrugged and pulled a rough wooden jug and dirty wood mug from under the bar.

“It’s not my fault if you die from drinking it tonto,” the bartender said about to pour the water.

He took a kettle off a spit above a smoldering fire under a range and poured him some lukewarm water and passed it to him. Yasac gently sniffed the water and slowly sipped at it, not minding the warmth of the drink. He pulled a small purse from his coat and poured out some crushed tea leaves into his drink. He swirled his finger in the drink, mixing it. As he did he looked around suspiciously. As Yasac sat preparing at his drink many in the bar eyed him over. Yasac was no Spaniard but a mix of races. He had pale European skin and a gruff face though his eyes came from eastern decent. Finally, his hair was thick and a bit curly like one from the eastern Mediterranean. However, on his hands and neck and face, we bore a heavy tan a note of his obvious life at sea.

Yasac now wore two sabers, at his belt. The saber on his left side was of strong Spanish steel, decorated with silver Catholic reliefs on the sheath and on the blade. The hand guard was cross shaped with a curved guard to the side to protect the knuckles. From the guard the blade was a little over two feet, short for most sabers. It was lavished of all with swirling silver adornments twisting around the steel. At his left side was another saber of the same length, far plainer in comparison, though what it lacked in luxury it made for in quality.

The left saber was of much newer shining steel with a basket hilt and fresh leather grip. Upon his back under the cloak of his coat, was something heavy wrapped in a light green linen cloth, which only protruded its end behind the Yasac’s head.

As he stood up and stretched one could see he was about five foot seven inches tall. He wore a long mud and salt-tainted brown coat that hung to his ankles, it was thick and heavy as weighted down by objects within its many pockets. Under his sleeves, he wore dark leather bracers. A dark red, worn handkerchief was tucked into his brown leather belt and upon close inspection, one might notice it being blood stained as well.

Yasac sat deep in thought as he stared down into his drink. He finally picked up the mug and downed the rest. He reached into the folds of his coat and started to pull out a pistol, but then paused.

"Eh, what’s your policies on weapons here barkeep?" Yasac inquired in a low voice.

"Dun use em," the barkeep replied calmly

"Can I clean them?" Yasac asked

"Dun use em tonto," he grunted again and turned away swearing in Spanish.

“My Spanish isn’t so good I couldn’t quite understand which obscenity you were calling me.”

“Well, I dun understate your English so well, comprende? You’re lucky my cantina isn’t busy. I don’t serve no English dog.”

“I’m not English, I can just speak it.”

“Pah hombre rudo,” The bartender said walking away.

Yasac then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small soft silk cloth. Yasac then slowly and calmly pulled out the pistol and began wiping it with the cloth. The pistol was a very simple old relic of a pistol; covered in rust it was worn and outdated.

"Is that thing loaded?" The bartender asked a bit annoyed.

"No," he lied with a grin.

“Looks like it wouldn’t fire without falling apart anyway.”

The barkeeper sighed and turned away again. Yasac continued to wipe until the barkeep had his focus elsewhere. He let the cloth fall from his hands and carefully fiddled with the pistol. He sighed and leaned forward. He held the pistol in his left hand, while his right took off his glasses. He shoved the pistol back into his coat and rubbed his eyes. When his eyes were back to normal he slowly put his glasses back on.

"Nother drink here," Yasac called.

The bartender waved his hand at him dismissively while he chatted with another customer. Yasac then leaned back on his stool tipping it slightly but balancing it. He withdrew a small blade from another pocket in his coat. The blade had an orange tint from rust, which made him frown. He then tilted the stool backwards more, keeping himself balanced by holding onto the bar with his knee. He then began to spin and twirl the knife in between his fingers and all around his hand. The bartender turned back to him offering another mug of water.

"Ya know I think you should get going now. You got your water, I ain’t giving you any more."

"You got any olive oil?" Yasac asked, ignoring the man’s statement.

"Yeah...first water and now olives? What kinda sailor are you?"

"I prefer the title unique, but yes olive oil please."

"Eunuch?"

"Unique! As a fully constructed male, who happens to be different. Not to say Eunuchs aren’t unique that’s certainly obvious,” Yasac explained raising his voice in annoyance as he let his stool fall back forward.

The bartender handed him a flask of oil with glassy eyes not understanding what he said.

“This is why I prefer to talk to myself…” Yasac said with a sigh.

"After you’re done with whatever your goona do with that oil, get out." The bartender stated grimly.

“I...have no-where else to go sir. This is the most secluded place by the docks.”

“You hiding? Not my problem. Get going.”

"Does that mean I wouldn’t have to pay?" Yasac asked as he doused the cloth in the oil and gently wiped the knife with his cloth.

"No yer payin amigo, actually yer payin now."

"I’m sorry but I cannot leave until nightfall. Am I really such a bother?"

People in the bar suddenly took notice as the bartender motioned with his head and a muscle-bound, neck-less, Spaniard walked up behind Yasac with loud lumbering steps. He again leaned back on his stool not paying any more attention to the bartender or anyone around him as he focused on his knife cleaning.

"I’m not goona say again amigo, leave," the bartender ordered as the large Spanish bouncer behind Yasac slowly brought his hand to his shoulder, but the Yasac still seemed to pay no mind.

The bouncer started to pull on the man’s shoulder. Yasac resisted.

"I’d rather not hurt you..."

"Shut it runt!" The bouncer taunted.

The man let out a deep sigh.

The bouncer grabbed a chair and lifted it above Yasac’s head.

Before the bouncer could swing the chair down on Yasac head, he took the knife in his left hand and stabbed backwards into the bouncer’s hand. The bouncer roared in pain. Yasac rocked his stool forward and pounded the knife and the hand into the bar for a second until he rocked back with the stool and hit the bouncer in the face with the back of his head while simultaneously stomping the bouncer’s toe with the stool leg. The bouncer tumbled under the bar, he roared in pain as his hand was still stuck up on the table under the knife. Yasac quickly snapped the knife out of the bouncer’s hand and wiped it with his cloth again. He then leaned back on his stool once again and continued to wipe his knife.

“Sorry about that...” Yasac trailed off as he looked around.

The bartender gasped and the others in the bar began to become anxious. Yasac calmly looked around at the exits while he gathered his things back into his coat. The bartender looked over the bar to see his bouncer crumpled on the floor. He backed away from Yasac quickly. He breathed in ready to shout for help when suddenly a woman kicked the bar door open. She proudly strode in, with a one eyed man right behind her. She stopped in the middle of the pub, put her hands on her hips and studied the room.

She now wore a large black tricorn hat. In her right hand held a long tan oak quarterstaff and one could see her fingernails were long and freshly cleaned.

Everyone in the bar turned their heads to the commotion to this newcomer.

Then with a loud voice, Scarlet spoke in Spanish, "I be Hook-nail Scarlet and this is One Eyed Chives and we’re lookin’ for a crew to sail the seas and plunder the world of its riches."

Many of the people chuckled mocking her in Spanish and shook their heads and went back to their drinks.

“They still have pirates here?” one lady said through laughing.

“Oh hush any pirates around are weaklings, Spanish navy clears them out right away now,” another woman said with a guffaw.

Yasac sitting at the bar smiled at her entrance and then mockingly answered her in partial English, "Data venia, do you even have a ship, Miss?"

Scarlet walked up to him and cried back in English, "Of course I have a ship, you fool! Why would I be looking for a crew! And what’s that gibberish English yer speakin! You’re not from round here.”

“It’s Latin, it means with all due respect.”

“Well translate this boy, I do have a ship!”

The bouncer groaned at Scarlet’s loud voice from under the bar. Scarlet looked the bouncer over and slowly looked back up at Yasac with the knife, raising her eyebrow.

He answered before she could ask, "Then what is her name?"

Scarlet was taken aback, and then blurted out. "What?! I...her name is...va te faire foutre!"

Yasac started to turn back to the bar unimpressed.

"Pirates...interesting choice of work, but whatever suits people these days," Yasac mumbled to himself. “Though...” Yasac peered out to the port and then back to Scarlet.

He turned back to her and announced, "Well, Miss Scarlet, then I have the remedy to your problem if you are in the ship market. I would gladly join your cause."

“You...what? Are you joking with me now? Just who are you to suddenly offer me a ship?” Scarlet questioned with disbelief.

“Outside if you please…” Yasac said getting out of his chair.

Scarlet, Chives and the man left the cantina and walked out into the street.

“Alright listen. If you’re serious about this gather your things. Meet me tonight on the northern military quay an hour before dawn. Come armed.” The man instructed as he gathered the folds of his great coat.

“Armed? What kind of remedy is this?” Chives accused.

“Ahh but if you do not want my help then I’m sure you could find a more willing crew…” He said playfully.

“Enough!” Scarlet cried a bit startled. “No dear Chives, I’m sure the man knows what he is doing, yes?”

“You have no idea how right you are Miss Scarlet. Some men may see battle as a gamble, as a method that may not always work. I assure you, you will not find I am of their caliber. No, battle is a crude and certainly unrighteous method, but certainly a sure method for me,” the man said conniving.

“Intriguing. And just what shall we call you sir knight?” Scarlet joked.

“I…am Yasac. And for now, hasta la noche.”

Yasac drew back with a bow, then spun around to walk away from them.

“Wait...where are you going?” Chives asked suspicious of him.

Yasac spun back around and talked while walking backwards.

“I have to check a few things in town before we take off. I promise, I’ll meet you tonight.” Yasac answered back as he walked away.

“Somethin off bout im.” Chives said spitting on the ground.

“Oh? Chives he seems like an ok fellow. Though for you an ok fellow pertains to a dead man lying at your feet…”

“Oh come off it I’m not that bad a guy. I just lack…the certain moral principles most folk seem to have. Is that a bad thing? Maybe. But that one…he’s off the deep end, you kin see it in those crazy green eyes of his.”

“I know dear Chives. But you’re right it’s mighty suspicious of him to just give us a ship like that. Especially one we have to take by force.”

“Aye, just what is his position on this.”

“I’ll assume vengeance it’s really quite a common human motive. But let’s not ask why he does us this service, that’s his business.”

“That’s still pretty slim. For all we know, he’ll gut us in our sleep,” Chives muttered.

“You really think so? Or are you just trying to scare me out of it?”

“Just…remember you’re new at this. Don’t ever let anyone know that! But don’t forget it ye self. “

“Oh Chives, when have I ever let you think I didn’t know what I’m doing!" Scarlet giggled.

Chives cocked an eyebrow at her knowingly.

"That! Dear Chives does not count. Even if it did. My uncle and I sailed across the English canal plenty of times from France before that...unfortunate storm.”

“Sea legs don’t make a captain…captain.”

“Oh Chives stop trying to unnerve me, it won’t work. We need this!” Scarlet said stomping her foot.

“I’m just doing what I’m here to do. Keeping you safe.”

“And I need to make money now! After uncle’s ship got wrecked my family has been so far indebted to de matières grasses porcs la Paris!” Scarlet fumed in French. “I’m all they got. Sisters are all married. We’re still living so far down the pit you’d swear we were serfs!”

“I know I know. We also haven’t eaten today. First things first, us!”

“Chives we need this ship!”

“Aye…we’ll get a ship. We’ll meet that Yasac fellow and see if he ain’t full of it.”

That night Yasac, Scarlet, and Chives snuck onto the dock. The night was calm and cool. The moon and stars were hidden. The water looked like pitch below them without anything to set it alight. The area carried the stench of rot and fish but was far cleaner than the normal docks, for these were the docks reserved for the Royal Fleet. Yasac led them to the ship, a heavily modified brigantine with eight cannons on the cannon deck and six on the main deck’s gunwales each side. It sported three decks; the open air top deck with upraised helm and bow much like a galleon, the cannon deck with eight cannons in the center and crew quarters on the same deck in the aft, and then the lower deck that made up the ship’s hold. The craft was obviously built for speed; with sails that were brand new and sporting a smooth cedar hull and mast. Like many Brigs it had two masts, one main mast and another on the forecastle, much like a frigate with its squared sails but the size of the ship said otherwise. The bow boasted a roughly carven dragon as its figurehead that seemed oriental in design. It easily stood out among the rest of the ship.

The night was dark as the three approached the ship, for the clouds hid all moonlight.

"Blimey Yasac! What ship is that! I’ve never seen anything like it …oi and you’re going to just give it to us?" Chives said trying to contain his disbelief under his whisper.

“That my friends, was my ship. I was the captain until…things went awry.”

“Hold on,” Chives said, forcefully placing his large heavy hand on Yasac’s chest. “Now you’ve led us this far but, what you mean by awry? The captain and I ain’t goona be stealing from the king or nothing right?”

“Oh no I was just put in jail, that’s all. No political crimes here. And who said anything about stealing! This is…citizen’s reclamation of stolen property!” Yasac explained.

“Sod that! I ain’t going down for aiding some Spanish jail bird,” Chives said folding his arms and walking away.

"Actually they don’t know he’s gone yet..." A voice from a man walking down the street out of the darkness. "Also...try talking a little louder, I don’t think the guards heard you yet."

Chives took his rifle off his back and pointed at the man.

"Not one more step if you want your head!" Chives bellowed.

The man held up his hands casually and looked over at Yasac with a cocky smile. "What did I just say, man?"

"Hold on...he’s with me," Yasac explained walking up to Chives and guiding the rifle barrel down. "Miss Scarlet, Chives...this is my friend Revloc. The one I mentioned earlier..." Yasac started.

"And the main reason that no one is looking for Yasac right now.

Scarlet and Chives both looked at Yasac confused as he walked past them and up next to the ship.

“But Revloc is right we are making too much noise, it’s time to get going." Yasac explained as he walked over to the ship.

Yasac then, with an impressive leap and agile climbing, bounded up the side of the ship, all the way to a cannon hole. Yasac grasped the hole, and with expert balance brought his feet up into the hole and leaped once more all the way up onto the deck of the ship. Scarlet and Chives stood dumbfounded below.

Yasac silently let down a rope to allow his new-found friends aboard. Once on the main deck, Yasac headed for the captain’s quarters under the helm.

“This is all bullocks, Scarlet. Who is this?” Chives whispered.

“Hush Chives, Scarlet whispered back.

"Don’t be too impressed. You bring that guy to a party he’s useless," Revloc snickered. "Also, us three will want to go below deck. There are bound to be a few crew men on the ship still.

"Gladly," Chives grunted as he neared the top of the rope.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at Revloc cautiously. Chives tested the rope and began to climb.

"After you beautiful..." Revloc said with a playful bow to Scarlet.

"I’ll let that slide...but as soon as my feet hit the deck you call me captain." Scarlet threatened as she began to ascend the rope as well.

"Aye aye," Revloc murmured, unphased.

Yasac snuck across the main deck to a door under the helm. He silently pushed to door open and walked into the captain’s quarters. Yasac started forward and without a sound, he slowly unsheathed his shorter saber from his right hip with his right hand. The ship’s captain stood studying some maps further into the room under a lantern. He was dressed up in a yellow and blue captain’s uniform and sported well combed light brown hair with fine mutton chop beard. Yasac crept up behind the captain and put the blade to his neck. The captain stiffened and gritted his teeth.

"I was wondering when you would find me, Mr. Yasac," the captain said slowly. “It is you right?”

"I forgive a lot but betrayal, that’s a tough one Mr. Arsono, my good crew man" Yasac shot back.

"You didn’t care about the crew at all Yasac and you know it, hell you didn’t follow your orders even when they come from pure Spanish royalty,” Arsono responded.

"Stop. I don’t need the story you told the Spaniards. You’re the crew member who left them all behind while you took over my position I know not one of them is on this ship."

"Don’t act all high and mighty I’ve seen you, you aren’t stable and you surely are less trustworthy than even me. You led us on the wild hen chase like we were dogs. And then you canned Loki..."

"I said shut up!" Yasac roared and violently bashed Arsono with the butt of his sword in the side of Arsono’s head.

Yasac then grabbed the dizzied captain by the back of his white captain’s tunic, and forcefully marched Arsono out of the cabin and pushed him on the deck.

"I was hoping you were still a gentleman," the captain said calmly, while rubbing his head.

"I’m no gentleman, but I’m also not an executioner," Yasac replied.

Yasac grimly pulled out his other longer saber and thrust it down into the deck in front of the captain. Yasac then backed away, pointing his saber at the captain.

"I see you’re still pretty sportsman like..." Arsono said sarcastically. “I know what you can do with swords.”

"Look, I’m taking my ship back one way or another; you can fight me now or march off in peace. But two things are certain here...I’m taking my ship and I’m not killing an unarmed man. Where you come in, is entirely up to you. Besides…I gave you the bigger one. ” Yasac replied.

"Arse," Arsono shot back as he quickly rose to his feet.

Arsono, without a second thought, pulled the sword out of the rough floor board and quickly sliced at Yasac’s feet. Yasac jumped forward in the nick of time, shortly landing on the captain’s head. As Yasac pushed off hard, he kicked the captain to the floor and landed up onto the railing just in front of the wheel of the ship. Arsono, insulted, barely had time to admire Yasac’s balanced leap. The captain jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs after him.

Meanwhile, Scarlet skipped down the stairs below deck walking into the crew’s quarters with Chives and Revloc right behind her. Scarlet rapped on every door running around the stair case with her staff. She let out a loud piercing laugh, waking them all. Sending them rushing out of each door in the crew quarters. After such a rude awakening, all were quite angry and charged at the intruders. Scarlet led them into the next room which was the cannon deck, Scarlet began hacking away keeping the sleepy disoriented crew back as Chives and Revloc came in from behind and beat down the lot of them and they proceeded to throw them out the cannon holes into the water.

Yasac continued to parry, fending off the captain’s unceasing attacks. Yasac parried and gave the captain a few swings when he could. The captain continued to rain down blow after blow. Suddenly, he gave Yasac a swift kick in the gut, causing him to keel over, but more importantly making him drop his sword. The captain stood over him and raised his sword to drop a final blow on Yasac. Yasac narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrists while extending his arms. From his long overcoat sleeves, two shining long daggers fell from their hiding place under his sleeves hidden within his bracers. Yasac sliced upwards with both blades. Yasac continued his momentum into the air with the captain’s sword caught between Yasac’s. While flipping in the air, Yasac suddenly released the blade and in the blink of an eye whilst upside down over the captain’s head, scissored off the captain’s hand, and then landed behind the captain. Yasac showed no emotion on his face as he spun around and kicked him square in the jaw. The captain, holding his bleeding stump, stumbled backwards to the bulwark railings of the ship.

"You…ahh! Curse your tricks Yasac!” the Arsono yowled in pain “You were toying with me!”

"I gave you the chance to leave," Yasac said with a sigh.

The captain stumbled back trying to keep hold of his hand, but he fell over the bulwarks and into the sea with a loud cry. Yasac sighed and wiped the blood from his took his dark red handkerchief from his belt and wiped the blood from his daggers. Yasac tucked the handkerchief back under his belt. He then raised his arm and carefully placed his dagger back into the sheath hidden under his coat sleeve. Each blade was five inches from the hilt of polished steel with a ribbed wooden grip. Each blade was He reached into his sleeve and secured the leather binding on the sheath that held the dagger in place within his bracer and reset the mechanism that released the binding when he flicked his wrists back. After resetting his other dagger he then picked up his own saber and the one formerly held by the Arsono. Yasac immediately started to clean the hilt of his loaned saber when he heard Scarlet and Chives back on deck calling for him.

“Quit standing around and help us already ya git!” Chives said in an angry hoarse whisper.

"We’ll get the sails. Yasac...if you would please do what you do!" Revloc said as he started climbing the mast.

The moon had soon come out from behind the clouds and the Spaniards on the shore, who had already been curious about the noise on the ship, heard the captain fall into the water. Upon investigating the ship, Navy soldiers quickly assembled and rushed out of the town onto the ship to retake it along with several of the crewmen that Scarlet, Chives, and Revloc had jettisoned earlier.


Without any hint of emotion on his face, Yasac unsheathed both of his sabers one in each hand while running. He rushed to meet the invaders as they drew a plank to the side of the ship. Scarlet and Chives prepared for their attackers but they were vastly outnumbered. As soon as the first few soldiers bounded up the plank onto the ship, Yasac was suddenly upon them, driving them back to the plank so they would have to fight him one on one mostly. He fought in a most peculiar manner. He wielded his shorter left-hand saber upside down like a dagger, and would often parry blows away with it. During the battle his arms flew all over, slicing at one enemy while thrusting at another. He would interchange his grips during combat, often flipping his sword grips upside down to right side up depending on the situation. He would use every asset available to him in a fight, throwing powerful kicks to surprise enemies or toppling objects to distract other opponents. Lightning fast Yasac swarmed through them all, continuing all the way down the plank, leaving nothing standing in his wake. Though in his fierceness Yasac managed to only maim and never kill. His attacks were appeared wild and brutal but were mercifully precise.

Chives and Scarlet watched in awe as Yasac drove the entire crowd back away from the plank onto the dock.

“Break away! He is a demon! Get reinforcements " A soldier cried as they rushed away from the ship in fear of Yasac.

"Scarlet we need to go! Most of those sailors weren’t even armed, I won’t really be l as successful against a firing squad!" Yasac shouted from the pier.

"Too late! Yasac get back up here!" Chives shouted as he finished loading his rifle.

Sure enough, a large number of heavily armed Spanish soldiers were advancing on the dock. Scarlet ran up to the helm to take the wheel as Chives and Revloc above let down the sails. Yasac rushed back up the plank and kicked it into the water. Yasac then proceeded to cut the ropes and lift the anchor using a crank that had many pulleys on it allowing a single man to accomplish the feat.


They had only started away from the docks when a nearby, worn looking galleon left the dock right after them. Almost immediately the ship fired on them, missing in the darkness and out of hasty aiming. Chives then took up his worn but sturdy double barreled rifle and amazingly, with his one eye, shot the cannoneers on the other ship with impressive aim.

A cannon ball whizzed right above Scarlet’s head, causing her hair to come loose and fly madly around, but strangely it seemed as if Scarlet hadn’t even noticed. Scarlet had her eyes fixed on the horizon.

“Ahh…merveilleux,” She whispered to herself.

Yasac rushed to help Chives ready the cannon. A much smaller ship, a sloop left the dock following the first enemy ship. Chives saw the second approaching with great speed. It was smaller, a sloop smaller than their own brig of war. The second ship was almost all the way around the enemy galleon. Chives carefully aimed the cannon at the sloop’s unstable looking mast.

"Scarlet keep her steady!" Chives shouted.

Chives carefully watched as the smaller sloop rounded the galleon. He held his hand above the cannon with flame in hand. He quietly counted to himself.

“five, four...”

Chives eye went wide

“...three.”

"Hell with you blooters!"

Chives jammed the flame stick into the ignition. The cannon fired and rocketed through the air. The ball roared through air to the sloop. It smashed right into the mast, scoring a direct hit on the ship’s mast. The sloop mast then fell onto the other ship. The two ships got tangled into one another and veered off course. The rest of the port was in disarray, trying to prepare another attack force as Scarlet sailed the ship off with impressive speed.

"Aha! We did it! Chives! Yasac! We did it! There must have been nearly fifty Spaniards trying to take our ship! Then Crazy Armed Yasac makes ‘em run, pants fulla piss. Then two! Two! Spanish ships stopped dead in their tracks with one shot! Scarlet exclaimed with excited tears in her eyes.

“Aha! That was cutting it closer than normal Yasac," Revloc shouted from atop the sails.

"Were you two doubting me?" Yasac inquired.

"Never dear Yasac! But hmm... well, if you put it that way, mate... I guess I’ll just have to expect you all to be able to accomplish such feats all the time." Scarlet said playfully. "You’re so quiet Yasac! Aren’t you the least bit excited?" Scarlet shouted to Yasac who was leaning back on the starboard bulwarks.

Scarlet let go of the wheel to run over and shake him. Yasac was stunned by this, unsure what to do. Yasac retained his calm emotionless face.

"Hey! Yasac! That is forbidden! Smile, already you curmudgeon! Oh, no hard feelings about me being the new captain of your ship right?" Scarlet shouted happily.

Yasac finally gave in and beamed a fine smile.

"No really it’s fine I wasn’t particularly attached to the ship. You can keep at the wheel too, you seem to enjoy it, just tell me where you want to go...if I know anything about ships it’s navigation."

"Good. Because I absolutely love it, and probably wouldn’t have given it back. And seeing that you’re so willing to be my mapper you can be the navigator!" Scarlet shouted as she returned to her wheel, the ship began to stray.

Yasac couldn’t help but laugh softly to himself now.

Scarlet sighed, "I think you’re going to have to work on that, Mr. Yasac. Unless you have more nerve and hardiness than an ugly one-eyed Scotsman, then you better start smiling more." Scarlet shouted.

"Ugly!” Chives yelled.

Scarlet only laughed.

"Ya know what this ship needs?" Not waiting for an answer Scarlet continued. "This ship needs a new name. I spotted her name on the side of the hull. ‘The Boston Fall’ you called her! Boston? I’ll be captaining no colonial season, thank you very much! Yasac I am sorry but this ship needs a new one, gimmie a name!"

Yasac, surprised once more at Scarlet, pushed up his glasses and fumbled over his words. "Uh, well, how about tomorrow? And it’s not really that bad of a name. Hey! Have even been to the colonies? They’re quite nice"

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow! El Mañana! Excellent idea! We shall sail tomorrow onto tomorrow until tomorrow and tomorrow again. I have never seen tomorrow as when I think I have reached tomorrow, I have only found today! But with this ship I shall see tomorrow," Scarlet recited poetically.

“Ya know it’s bad luck to rename a ship…” Chives murmured.

“Bad luck to eat salt, bad luck to chew on glass. It’s all nonsense. If someone says it’s bad luck they just don’t want you doing something. They even said it’s bad luck to have a woman on board as well! Pah!” Scarlet chuckled.