A very interesting premise! I wonder if this will follow in the same vein of Red Dead, with Captain Morris forming his own fleet in the hopes of preserving a way of life that has long since passed.
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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment
I love comments
As for the Captain, only time will tell
It never is easy !The "silent conversation" at the beginning made me smile
Gun-running... Something tells me that Captain Morris's "simple, easy" assignment will be neither simple nor easy in the long run.
Thankyou so much for commenting man.
You made me very happy today man.
I hope Captain Samuel's gold advance was large, because this voyage is getting increasingly dodgy.
OK so revolutionary gun running is inherently dodgy, but the refusal to confirm the destination is suspicious. Samuel will need charts of where he is going so he needs to know, unless Diaz has just told him to buy charts for everywhere and is paying extra for secrecy. But that just makes the entire job seem even more worrying.
OK so revolutionary gun running is inherently dodgy, but the refusal to confirm the destination is suspicious. Samuel will need charts of where he is going so he needs to know, unless Diaz has just told him to buy charts for everywhere and is paying extra for secrecy. But that just makes the entire job seem even more worrying.
I do love "novel" AARs that use the game as the backdrop to the story. Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
Cheers!
Manuel should know that smoking is hazardous to your health, then again, so is being part of the leadership of an armed revolution against the Spanish empire.
Exciting developments, Samuel is in for the delivery of his lifetime, to a mystery location no less.
Exciting developments, Samuel is in for the delivery of his lifetime, to a mystery location no less.
Chapter 3
Samuel opened the door and stepped out. In the corridoor, Manuel and Diaz were discussing something. They had rented rooms adjacent to him. As he came closer he could feel the abrupt silence and awkwardness.
The delivery was made by a man called Steven Forsith who according to Diaz was an American sympathiser and owned a stake in an arms company. The delivery went quite well and the goods were quickly loaded into the Valentina with the help of the bribed Danish harbourmaster.
After the delivery ship had left port, Samuel decided to take a small 3 hour break in a local lodge and then set sail for the destination which to his utter frustration was still unknown to him. The only things still keeping his resolve alive were the advance payment and the patriotic sincerity of the 3 men.
Presently he declared "I am going out for a stroll through town".
Diaz nodded.
"Where's Fransisco ?" asked Samuel.
"He is sleeping in his room" said Manuel.
Samuel nodded and walked out the doors of the lodge. Outside, he could feel the hot Carribean air as it brushed past him like a hot inferno. Today it was unusually hot. It reminded Samuel of his time in the hot deserts of Sonora where he had once worked as a mercenary against a native rebellion. But putting all thoughts away, he decided to walk fast, he needed a good drink badly.
The central part of Saint Thomas was an affluent area where the residences of the governor and the rich trade company offices were complimented beautifully by the posh saloons and bars. Even as he walked, Samuel brushed past the crowds of rich men and elegant woman prowling the rich streets. Denmark's lone colony in the Americas was doing well for itself it seemed.
In the distance, Samuel spotted a smaller establishment called 'Seamans bar'. Hoping that it would be more to his taste, Samuel started walking towards it when suddenly he spotted something...........
Among the crowds, speaking with some 4 men of authority, wearing a badge of some sort and with colourful sashes on their coats. It was Fransisco.
Captain Samuel sighed loudly. This was it, he decided. As if things weren't already suspicious, this was even worse. He decided that after he had his drink, he would head straight to the lodge and inform Diaz that the mission was off and that he was leaving.
Like a defeated man, he plopped himself down on one of the tables at the Seaman's bar.
It had hardly been a few minutes when two men suddenly came and sat on his table. They wore some kind of badges and wide caps. They were dressed in elaborate clothes and held their heads high like men of authority, they looked somewhat similar to the men he saw talking with the thug Fransisco earlier.
"Captain Morris, enjoying your drink?" the first man asked.
"Speak clearly Senior, I don't have time for long conversations, though I can guess your intentions" said Samuel.
The man smiled and replied "Ok then, let me say it all in one breathe. We are officials of the Spanish empire, we know all about this game and the guns. We are loyal to the King and wish to stop these thugs, but we are powerless in Danish territory, especially because the villainous governor here is bribed by them. But if suppose, after leaving Danish waters, you turn on them and tie them up, then we can make the arrest with ease. They are just three anyway, they would be powerless against you and your entire crew" .
Samuel suddenly started laughing loudly. So loudly, that he coughed and had to drink some of his rum. Finally, after a minute, he recovered and said "Hah, and why do you think I should do it huh?"
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"Because if you do that, then firstly the news of this treason of yours will not reach Veracruz and second, you will get half the guns to sell along with a small reward." said the man.
"I see it better now" said Samuel.
"Good" replied the man.
"I will think about it" said Samuel.
"We will be ready to make the arrest just outside Danish waters. We will only be in a small pinnace to make the arrest if you comply, but if you don't, then you will soon find yourself chased by galleons. So think fast Captain" said the man.
Samuel walked up, bid goodbye to the men and started walking towards the lodge.
Inside, he went straight to Diaz's room and knocked. It was opened by Manuel, the two had been playing cards in the room.
"Diaz we have a problem, there are lawmen on our trail, we have been bettayed, we must call this off now" said Samuel.
Diaz looked at him puzzled.
Then, Samuel narrated the whole conversation to the two.
Samuel looked at Diaz expectantly, now the man would make a gloomy face he thought. Instead Diaz's eyes widened in a smile of triumph.
Manuel also smiled happily and said "He passed it Senior".
It was now Samuel's turn to look at them puzzled.
"It was a test you see, to see if you are sincere and loyal. The two men were my friends. Not that trust is ever enough in this trade, but I do trust you now my friend" said Diaz and extended a handshake.
Samuel, still stunned and unsure, extended his own hand in a friendly handshake.
"Now, Captain Morris, we can finally talk about the location of the delivery" said Diaz.
Samuel opened the door and stepped out. In the corridoor, Manuel and Diaz were discussing something. They had rented rooms adjacent to him. As he came closer he could feel the abrupt silence and awkwardness.
The delivery was made by a man called Steven Forsith who according to Diaz was an American sympathiser and owned a stake in an arms company. The delivery went quite well and the goods were quickly loaded into the Valentina with the help of the bribed Danish harbourmaster.
After the delivery ship had left port, Samuel decided to take a small 3 hour break in a local lodge and then set sail for the destination which to his utter frustration was still unknown to him. The only things still keeping his resolve alive were the advance payment and the patriotic sincerity of the 3 men.
Presently he declared "I am going out for a stroll through town".
Diaz nodded.
"Where's Fransisco ?" asked Samuel.
"He is sleeping in his room" said Manuel.
Samuel nodded and walked out the doors of the lodge. Outside, he could feel the hot Carribean air as it brushed past him like a hot inferno. Today it was unusually hot. It reminded Samuel of his time in the hot deserts of Sonora where he had once worked as a mercenary against a native rebellion. But putting all thoughts away, he decided to walk fast, he needed a good drink badly.
The central part of Saint Thomas was an affluent area where the residences of the governor and the rich trade company offices were complimented beautifully by the posh saloons and bars. Even as he walked, Samuel brushed past the crowds of rich men and elegant woman prowling the rich streets. Denmark's lone colony in the Americas was doing well for itself it seemed.
In the distance, Samuel spotted a smaller establishment called 'Seamans bar'. Hoping that it would be more to his taste, Samuel started walking towards it when suddenly he spotted something...........
Among the crowds, speaking with some 4 men of authority, wearing a badge of some sort and with colourful sashes on their coats. It was Fransisco.
Captain Samuel sighed loudly. This was it, he decided. As if things weren't already suspicious, this was even worse. He decided that after he had his drink, he would head straight to the lodge and inform Diaz that the mission was off and that he was leaving.
Like a defeated man, he plopped himself down on one of the tables at the Seaman's bar.
It had hardly been a few minutes when two men suddenly came and sat on his table. They wore some kind of badges and wide caps. They were dressed in elaborate clothes and held their heads high like men of authority, they looked somewhat similar to the men he saw talking with the thug Fransisco earlier.
"Captain Morris, enjoying your drink?" the first man asked.
"Speak clearly Senior, I don't have time for long conversations, though I can guess your intentions" said Samuel.
The man smiled and replied "Ok then, let me say it all in one breathe. We are officials of the Spanish empire, we know all about this game and the guns. We are loyal to the King and wish to stop these thugs, but we are powerless in Danish territory, especially because the villainous governor here is bribed by them. But if suppose, after leaving Danish waters, you turn on them and tie them up, then we can make the arrest with ease. They are just three anyway, they would be powerless against you and your entire crew" .
Samuel suddenly started laughing loudly. So loudly, that he coughed and had to drink some of his rum. Finally, after a minute, he recovered and said "Hah, and why do you think I should do it huh?"
"Because if you do that, then firstly the news of this treason of yours will not reach Veracruz and second, you will get half the guns to sell along with a small reward." said the man.
"I see it better now" said Samuel.
"Good" replied the man.
"I will think about it" said Samuel.
"We will be ready to make the arrest just outside Danish waters. We will only be in a small pinnace to make the arrest if you comply, but if you don't, then you will soon find yourself chased by galleons. So think fast Captain" said the man.
Samuel walked up, bid goodbye to the men and started walking towards the lodge.
Inside, he went straight to Diaz's room and knocked. It was opened by Manuel, the two had been playing cards in the room.
"Diaz we have a problem, there are lawmen on our trail, we have been bettayed, we must call this off now" said Samuel.
Diaz looked at him puzzled.
Then, Samuel narrated the whole conversation to the two.
Samuel looked at Diaz expectantly, now the man would make a gloomy face he thought. Instead Diaz's eyes widened in a smile of triumph.
Manuel also smiled happily and said "He passed it Senior".
It was now Samuel's turn to look at them puzzled.
"It was a test you see, to see if you are sincere and loyal. The two men were my friends. Not that trust is ever enough in this trade, but I do trust you now my friend" said Diaz and extended a handshake.
Samuel, still stunned and unsure, extended his own hand in a friendly handshake.
"Now, Captain Morris, we can finally talk about the location of the delivery" said Diaz.
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True. Samuel has got a tough job ahead for him.
Thankyou so much for commenting. I really really appreciate your comments. Please keep reading and commenting.
Thanksssssssss !
Thankyou good sir. I have read your own narrative ACW aar and gotten even more inspired.
Thankyou so much for commenting. Please keep commenting as it inspires me and makes me happy.
You made my day !
The Carribean was indeed an opportunistic and hostile place!
Thankyou so much for commenting man.
You don't know how happy you have made me man.
Your comment is like fuel to me.
Please keep reading and commenting.
A ripping yarn and a very promising AAR. This will be fun.
That is precisely what a Briton of the time would say.
That is precisely what a Briton of the time would say.
Whatever else they may be, we can see that the rebels are not naive. And Captain Morris is the sort of man who will honor a contract, even if he has misgivings about it -- the mark of an honest man, even if he wouldn't call himself one.
I'm liking this so far. Samuel makes for an interesting protagonist, and I'm curious what this pirate can do for the revolutionaries.
Interesting test. I guess you have to make sure when you deal with a pirate... I was actually pleasantly surprised he wouldn't betray the rebels for a big payout from Spain, somewhat un-pirate-like. Of course, he may be too smart to fall for a trap like that, and he may be planning something devious to make him very rich one way or another. I'm excited to find out where exactly he's supposed to bring the guns.
Anything can happenIt would be interesting if they were actually double agents
Stay tuned for more and of course.....Thanks so much for commenting !
Thanks so much for the insightful comment man !
Your comments akways inspire me to write more and better.
Thanks for that .
True
Captain Morris is one of those people who are difficult to understand
Thanks so much for taking out the time to leave a comment
You don't know how much it means to me.
Thanks pal
It's great that you are liking my tale man
It's even better that you took out the time to leave a great comment
Your comments are like food to me man
Please keep reading and commenting
Wow
Just wow. It seems like you are enjoying my story which is an honour for me
Thankyou so much for leaving a comment man
Please keep reading and commenting
Your comments inspire me and help me to get the best out of myself
And Yes, this is not a business for simpletons. It's for opportunistic men like the Captain !
I think what really makes this and others like it (especially this one) is the pictures, all around this is an interesting plot, the only criticism I have is the failure to use proper English at times, other than that "The Last Pirate" has a solid start.
Thankyou so much for liking my AAR and commenting.
I have made several necessary grammatical corrections after reading your post.
Thanks again !
To all my dear readers,
No
This great story isn't dead
Next update on Sunday
I had a lot of work to do this week due to some changes at my job.
Hence the big delay.
No
This great story isn't dead
Next update on Sunday
I had a lot of work to do this week due to some changes at my job.
Hence the big delay.
It'll take more than a week with no updates for me to consider anyone on this forum deceased...
This is not a big delay. It's not even a small delay. I read The Butterfly Effect: A British AAR, it's hard to beat that AAR for delay between updates. To be fair it was updated very recently, and the updates are worth the wait. If you publish quality content, it really doesn't matter that much how long we have to wait for it. We'll read it when it gets posted.
We all do this as a hobby, and thus real life does tend to get in the way. Delays are inevitable, and I've found the community on this forum to be very tolerant in this regard.
I hope things are going well on the job, and I look forward to your next update.
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Damn right, a couple of weeks is nothing. 18 months between updates, now that is a proper big delay.
Captain Samuel is a surprisingly honourable sort, though I suppose why would he trust any foreign government agent he met in a pub to keep to a bargain? For all he knew those men could have been fellow pirates pretending to be Spanish agents, though that would get a bit confusing.
As has been mentioned above it would be funny if the 'fake' agents were actually double agents all along. I do also wonder if the elaborate sashes and blatant conversations used for the test on Samuel were so visible that an actual Spanish agent noticed, or maybe just someone who knew the Spanish would pay good gold for that sort of information?
Chapter 4
Captain Samuel delicately enrolled his map of the Yucatan peninsula. Besides him sat his quartermaster Jack Kimbern and behind them stood Richardo, upright and at attention though unarmed.
In a similar positioning, the trio of the revolutionaries sat. Diaz unfolding his own map of the Yucatan peninsula and Manuel sitting besides him flanked by a standing Fransisco to the right.
They were sitting in the lodge's room.
"Okay now gentlemen, even though I disliked all your previous acts of proving my trust and all, I haven't taken it as a personal insult. But if you want me to make this delivery, I implore you that you tell me just where the heck we are supposed to sail" said Samuel.
"Yes, you need to reveal your secret spot" said Jack.
Diaz gave him a grinning look and directing his attention at the map, spoke "That is the goal Captain, even we haven't decided where to sail yet. You see, we have 3 possible spots on the Yucatan Peninsula where our men are ready to take the delivery. Every spot is in charge of some minor noble who is ready to pour out his treasury for paying you. But unfortunately, we all are not born fighters. Through years of training, we have acquired knowledge of land, but we have little of the sea. I need you to tell me which of these spots is the best and safest"
Samuel first gave a confused look and then sighed. This whole operation seemed ridiculous. He thought for some time and looked closely at both maps while the others sat in absolute silence.
After many minutes had passed Samuel suddenly clicked his fingers and smiled.
Then he said "Unlike what most people think, the Spanish patrols over the peninsula are not random. In fact, they sail over a strict invisible line in the water. Especially since Napoleon and his wars they behave very vigilantly. Now such a setup is bound to create some dark spots. And luckily for you......"
Samuel pointed at the northernmost of the 3 spots.
"Luckily for you, this spot, Orilla del Santo, just a few miles off Campeche is in one such dark spot. No patrol comes here. Maybe a few Schooners here and there, but certainly no big galleons or warships." said Samuel.
"So, is that the spot you are choosing Captain?" asked Manuel excitedly.
"Yes" was the answer.
Manuel clapped excitedly like a child and smiled at everyone in the room.
But Diaz was still serious
"The spot you have chosen was also my secret preference all along Captain. But are you sure that it really the best choice. I mean.......will we be safe there?"
Samuel laughed and replied "It's strange to hear such words from a revolutionary like you Senior. We are never safe, in this life, death can come anytime and anywhere. As for the spots, all 3 are dangerous because we are committing treason against the most powerful empire of the world. Anything can go wrong at any moment. The only reason I selected one spot over the other was because it's the less dangerous of the three if only by a small fraction"
Diaz now smiled contentedly.
After that, they discussed some minor details for half an hour. At the end, Samuel announced that he had to make some arrangements to the ship. Diaz got the cue and stood up. Fransisco also started towards the door. But Manuel had a curious look on his face.
Samuel saw it and asked "What are you wondering about Senior" .
"If you don't mind, can I ask something Captain?" asked Manuel.
"Speak" replied Samuel.
"How do you know about the routes used by the Spanish patrols Captain?" asked Manuel curiously.
"I found a map of the routes once" said Samuel.
"Umm..............where did you find it Sir?" asked Manuel again.
Jack grinned, twisting his face from side to side in a devilish way.
Samuel put up a hard expression on his face abd replied "I found it Senior Manuel.........on the bloodied massacred corpse of a Spanish soldier shortly after we looted his ship and hung his Captain brother."
"Now if you will excuse us, I gotta talk with Mister Kimbern here" said Samuel.
After the three had left the room, Samuel sent Richardo out to the ship to supervise arrangements.
Then, he looked towards Jack and spoke "Ok, put it out, what's bursting inside you?"
Jack gave a surprised look and replied "Why do you entertain these men so much Captain. I mean we could simply hand them over to the Spanish authorities and be done with it. Heck, we could get a reward."
"That's because we are in Saint Thomas Jack and here, there ain't no Spaniards around. At least not those of authority" said Samuel.
"But what about those Spaniards whom Diaz had put on for proving trust. Granted, they were fake, but you didn't know that before, did you ? Why then did you not betray them for the money ?" asked Jack.
It was evident to Samuel now that his quartermaster had spies of his own.
"That is because Kimbern, my whole life, I have lived on percentages. Life is all about choosing the right option. In the case of those men, I could not fathom how they agreed to use only a few men to collect the revolutionaries for arrest from me. It was impossible, I was sure then that they would come with a large ship full of soldiers and try to arrest me too. So I decided to do what was more rational. You see, that's what I always tell you, greed is Good, but you gotta keep your brain with you" said Samuel.
"Ok master, now I know how much I gotta learn" said Jack grinning.
"I bet you do" said Samuel.
Then, Jack excused himself.
Samuel smiled and thought. Jack had always been a greedy opportunist. He had first seen Jack on board a sinking ship back in 1810. A ship that Samuel had sunk. Jack had been shouting from the sinking deck "HEY WAIT........I CAN BE OF USE.......WAIT" .
Samuel had recognised the fire inside him and recruited him.
The man turned out to be an excellent manager and a good shot with the cannons too. He quickly rose through the ranks through his reckless bravery and raw motivation fuelled by greed.
Then, when his Quartermaster bad been cut down by French soldiers in 1812, Samuel chose Jack for the position amid the shocked looks of his other Senior crew members. Thankfully, Kimbern had managed to win them all over and had fit right in the position of quartermaster.
But Samuel knew one thing, this man's loyalty stemmed from his hunger for wealth. The moment that stopped.......... it was a risk.
But then, his whole life Samuel had lived on taking risk, well calculated ones at that, but risks nonetheless.
Presently he got up and decided to get ready. He had a journey to make.
Captain Samuel delicately enrolled his map of the Yucatan peninsula. Besides him sat his quartermaster Jack Kimbern and behind them stood Richardo, upright and at attention though unarmed.
In a similar positioning, the trio of the revolutionaries sat. Diaz unfolding his own map of the Yucatan peninsula and Manuel sitting besides him flanked by a standing Fransisco to the right.
They were sitting in the lodge's room.
"Okay now gentlemen, even though I disliked all your previous acts of proving my trust and all, I haven't taken it as a personal insult. But if you want me to make this delivery, I implore you that you tell me just where the heck we are supposed to sail" said Samuel.
"Yes, you need to reveal your secret spot" said Jack.
Diaz gave him a grinning look and directing his attention at the map, spoke "That is the goal Captain, even we haven't decided where to sail yet. You see, we have 3 possible spots on the Yucatan Peninsula where our men are ready to take the delivery. Every spot is in charge of some minor noble who is ready to pour out his treasury for paying you. But unfortunately, we all are not born fighters. Through years of training, we have acquired knowledge of land, but we have little of the sea. I need you to tell me which of these spots is the best and safest"
Samuel first gave a confused look and then sighed. This whole operation seemed ridiculous. He thought for some time and looked closely at both maps while the others sat in absolute silence.
After many minutes had passed Samuel suddenly clicked his fingers and smiled.
Then he said "Unlike what most people think, the Spanish patrols over the peninsula are not random. In fact, they sail over a strict invisible line in the water. Especially since Napoleon and his wars they behave very vigilantly. Now such a setup is bound to create some dark spots. And luckily for you......"
Samuel pointed at the northernmost of the 3 spots.
"Luckily for you, this spot, Orilla del Santo, just a few miles off Campeche is in one such dark spot. No patrol comes here. Maybe a few Schooners here and there, but certainly no big galleons or warships." said Samuel.
"So, is that the spot you are choosing Captain?" asked Manuel excitedly.
"Yes" was the answer.
Manuel clapped excitedly like a child and smiled at everyone in the room.
But Diaz was still serious
"The spot you have chosen was also my secret preference all along Captain. But are you sure that it really the best choice. I mean.......will we be safe there?"
Samuel laughed and replied "It's strange to hear such words from a revolutionary like you Senior. We are never safe, in this life, death can come anytime and anywhere. As for the spots, all 3 are dangerous because we are committing treason against the most powerful empire of the world. Anything can go wrong at any moment. The only reason I selected one spot over the other was because it's the less dangerous of the three if only by a small fraction"
Diaz now smiled contentedly.
After that, they discussed some minor details for half an hour. At the end, Samuel announced that he had to make some arrangements to the ship. Diaz got the cue and stood up. Fransisco also started towards the door. But Manuel had a curious look on his face.
Samuel saw it and asked "What are you wondering about Senior" .
"If you don't mind, can I ask something Captain?" asked Manuel.
"Speak" replied Samuel.
"How do you know about the routes used by the Spanish patrols Captain?" asked Manuel curiously.
"I found a map of the routes once" said Samuel.
"Umm..............where did you find it Sir?" asked Manuel again.
Jack grinned, twisting his face from side to side in a devilish way.
Samuel put up a hard expression on his face abd replied "I found it Senior Manuel.........on the bloodied massacred corpse of a Spanish soldier shortly after we looted his ship and hung his Captain brother."
"Now if you will excuse us, I gotta talk with Mister Kimbern here" said Samuel.
After the three had left the room, Samuel sent Richardo out to the ship to supervise arrangements.
Then, he looked towards Jack and spoke "Ok, put it out, what's bursting inside you?"
Jack gave a surprised look and replied "Why do you entertain these men so much Captain. I mean we could simply hand them over to the Spanish authorities and be done with it. Heck, we could get a reward."
"That's because we are in Saint Thomas Jack and here, there ain't no Spaniards around. At least not those of authority" said Samuel.
"But what about those Spaniards whom Diaz had put on for proving trust. Granted, they were fake, but you didn't know that before, did you ? Why then did you not betray them for the money ?" asked Jack.
It was evident to Samuel now that his quartermaster had spies of his own.
"That is because Kimbern, my whole life, I have lived on percentages. Life is all about choosing the right option. In the case of those men, I could not fathom how they agreed to use only a few men to collect the revolutionaries for arrest from me. It was impossible, I was sure then that they would come with a large ship full of soldiers and try to arrest me too. So I decided to do what was more rational. You see, that's what I always tell you, greed is Good, but you gotta keep your brain with you" said Samuel.
"Ok master, now I know how much I gotta learn" said Jack grinning.
"I bet you do" said Samuel.
Then, Jack excused himself.
Samuel smiled and thought. Jack had always been a greedy opportunist. He had first seen Jack on board a sinking ship back in 1810. A ship that Samuel had sunk. Jack had been shouting from the sinking deck "HEY WAIT........I CAN BE OF USE.......WAIT" .
Samuel had recognised the fire inside him and recruited him.
The man turned out to be an excellent manager and a good shot with the cannons too. He quickly rose through the ranks through his reckless bravery and raw motivation fuelled by greed.
Then, when his Quartermaster bad been cut down by French soldiers in 1812, Samuel chose Jack for the position amid the shocked looks of his other Senior crew members. Thankfully, Kimbern had managed to win them all over and had fit right in the position of quartermaster.
But Samuel knew one thing, this man's loyalty stemmed from his hunger for wealth. The moment that stopped.......... it was a risk.
But then, his whole life Samuel had lived on taking risk, well calculated ones at that, but risks nonetheless.
Presently he got up and decided to get ready. He had a journey to make.
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