Thor stood on the main deck, looking at the men assembled before him. He had ordered The Dragon to slow and stop. Now the ship drifted lazily on the calm sea. Edgar, Ezekiel, Iakob, and Seth stood beside him. From the general tenor of the group of pirates, Thor knew Ezekiel had kept his word: the crew had no inkling of what he was about to say.
Thor glanced sideways at the men who stood on either side of him. Seth looked nervous. The previous night when Thor had told Seth of Ezekiel’s reaction to his announcement of his intention to resign as captain, Seth had expressed concern he might be blamed by the crew. Edgar wore an expression of sadness and was biting his lower lip. Thor knew he had loved his life aboard ship. He felt honored that the lad must feel strongly enough that he would gi
