The Royal Pyrate

A Play by Chas LiBretto

Draft Date: 10/25/2019

Agent contact: Katie Gamelli [email protected] A3 Artists Agency Literary Division The Empire State Building Fifth Ave. 38th Floor , NY 10118 ii

CHARACTER NAME BRIEF DESCRIPTION AGE GENDER Julian Smuggler 40s - 50s M Sam Bellamy Sailor 20s M Samuel Treat Reverend 50s M John Hallett Wealthy farmer 50s M John Hallett Jr Farmer 20s M Mary Hallett Farmer's daughter 20s F Mehitable Brown John Jr.'s fiancee 20s F Paulsgrave Williams Smuggler 30s M Miskito Indian 14 M Henrik Quintor Dutch African sailor 20s M James Ferguson Scottish sailor 30s M Bickers Cape Codder 20s-30s M Fetters Cape Codder 20s-30s M 1st Sailor 20s M Henry Jennings Pirate 20s-30s M Olivier La Bouche French Pirate 30s M Pirate 20s M D'Escoubet French Captain 30s M French 1st Mate French Sailor 20s M Pirate 40s M Edward Thatch Pirate 40s M Nanni African Pirate 20s F Orphonoko African Pirate 20s M John "Squid" King Pirate Boy 9 M/F Thomas Davies Unwilling Pirate 20s M Captain 40s M Mate Sailor 20s M King Death Lord of Hell ?? M Gentleman 50s M Samuel Harding Farmer 60s M Deputy Asst to Southack 20s M Bounty Hunter Lawman 30s M Governor of 60s M Judge Judge 50s M Bailiff lawman 30s M iii

Actor 1 - Sam Bellamy Actor 2 - Mary Hallett Actor 3 - Paulsgrave Williams, John Hallett, Southack Actor 4 - Treat, Hornigold, French 1st Mate, Mate Actor 5 - Ferguson, La Bouche, Southack, Shute Actor 6 - John Julian Actor 7 - Will Julian, Blackbeard, King Death Actor 8 - Mehitable, Squid, 1st Buccaneer, Vane Actor 9 - John Hallett Jr, Bickers, D'Escoubet, Bailiff Actor 10 - Quintor, Bounty Hunter, Actor 11 - Orphonoko Actor 12 - Nanni Actor 13 - Jennings, Thomas Davies, Fetters, Deputy Actor 14 - Lawrence Prince, Samuel Harding, Judge iv

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. - H.L. Mencken

So each man to his gun, For the work must be done With , sword, or pistol. And when we no longer can strike a blow, Then fire the magazine, boys, and up we go! It’s better to swim in the sea below Than to swing in the air and feed the crow Says jolly Ed Thatch of Bristol - Benjamin Franklin (age 13), 1719

Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, What do you mean by seizing the whole earth; because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you who does it with a great fleet are styled emperor. - St. Augustine, City of God ACT ONE

Supertitle:

The War of Spanish Succession is over. Those who sailed for the Navies of the great empires now find themselves without employment. Some travel to the New World for opportunity. Some look to support themselves by other means.

SCENE 1: WELLFLEET, MA - AUGUST, 1715

An apple orchard on a late summer’s day. SAM, a young man of about 27 enters the orchard, looking a little lost. He removes his coat and picks an apple. He takes a bite.

A girl, MARY, leans against a nearby tree, reading a book.

MARY I don’t believe Farmer Hallett would approve of strangers picking apples from his trees.

SAM turns and sees her.

SAM Thank god. A person! I’m so turned around in those woods, I thought I’d never find my way out.

MARY I suppose an Englishman gets rather hungry with all of that walking around.

SAM Oh. The apple, yes. Who did you say it belonged to?

MARY You know, Spinoza tells us man is slave when he is powerless to govern and restrain his passions. What are you supposed to be, anyway?

SAM Be? I’m...I’m Navy, ma’am.

MARY Well, then you are lost! The ocean’s that way. So is . 2.

SAM Actually the Navy let me go.

MARY Steal too many apples?

SAM The war ended. You heard about that, I’m sure.

MARY Did you see a lot of battles?

SAM Too many. I came to the colonies looking for work.

MARY You’re not the only one. You could always seek out Farmer Hallet. He can always use help picking apples during harvest. And you seem rather good at that.

SAM Know where I can find him?

MARY What’s your name?

SAM Sam Bellamy.

MARY Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Bellamy.

SAM Just Sam.

MARY I’m Mary Hallett.

SAM Hallett...Oh. Oh, I really am sorry. Here, you want the apple? Totally salvageable. Slightly chewed.

MARY That’s quite all right. You can keep it. Really, all property ought to be shared, don’t you think? What need for thievery then? 3.

SAM Seems like the king or the governor might have some objections to that. Your husband too.

MARY My father, you mean? Anyway, it isn’t just the king, you know, it’s his parliament and the Act of Union which put the power in the hands of a tyrannical ruling class.

SAM Oh. Well, yes, sure, of course, but...

She finds a patch of sunlight. Perhaps a bit of breeze blows her hair as she says the following.

MARY If we really want things to be different in the new world, we need liberty and unalienable rights. The people together need to make up the totality of the sovereign and we need to reject aristocracy and inherited political power completely, as the citizens will need to be independent in their performance of civic duties! We’ll need to stamp out monetary compensation and smother corruption if...what?

SAM Nothing.

MARY You’re looking at me strangely.

SAM It’s just...I don’t think I’ve ever heard a girl talk like you before.

MARY Well. I haven’t heard a man speak like me either.

SAM What’s that you’re reading, Mary?

MARY You wouldn’t know it.

SAM No?

MARY It’s the letters of Heloise to Abelard. 4.

SAM You’re right, I don’t know it.

MARY Told you.

She grabs hold of the tree and spins herself around and when she comes back around she’s reading, and sort of humming to herself, ignoring Sam.

SAM What’s it about?

MARY Hm?

SAM The book. What’s it about?

MARY Real people. They fall in love but it’s doomed from the start.

SAM Why’s that?

MARY They’re French.

SAM Oh.

MARY You see, Heloise was Abelard’s student. In Paris. France.

She stands up. Oh, how I’d love to go to Paris.

SAM I’ll take you.

MARY You will? 5.

SAM Sure.

MARY Have you been?

SAM No, but we’ll go together. When was this?

MARY Oh, a long, long time ago. And he fell in love with her and she with him and so they got married, but her family didn’t approve of him. So they beat him up and castrated him. Then she joined a convent and they wrote sad letters to each other.

SAM That’s terrible.

MARY I think it’s quite beautiful, actually.

SAM They have any children? Before he got, uh...

MARY You know, I don’t know that anyone’s ever said.

SAM I’m gonna go ahead and hope that they did. That their love carried on somehow.

MARY Well, it did carry on. All the way to us.

She’s close enough to kiss. Almost looks like they might.

SAM Us?

MARY I mean the book, Sam. Their letters.

She breaks the connection.

Now, let’s see about getting you back to town. I was under the impression you sailors were good with navigation. 6.

SAM At sea we are.

MARY Well, I can certainly guide you to town...for a price, of course. In exchange for my services as a guide, you will teach me...hmm, a sailing song.

SAM A song?

MARY And it better be good. Take us somewhere, Mister Bellamy! Somewhere I’ve never even dreamed of going! And I warn you, I’ve dreamed of going everywhere!

SAM ...Bristol?

MARY Think fast. It’s getting dark and I know where I’m going. Do you?

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 2: WELLFLEET, MA - NOVEMBER, 1715

A title comes appears: “The Royal Pyrate” with some music behind it.

It fades and in darkness, we hear the sounds of a harbor. The ocean gently splashing against a wooden dock. The cackle of seagulls. It’s a pleasant and soothing sound. As the lights come up, we see the sight it accompanies is very much not.

A man, WILLIAM JULIAN, 40s, stands atop a small stage. A noose has been placed around his neck.

A Reverend, SAMUEL TREAT, speaks out to a crowd of assembled townspeople, none of whom look happy about the proceedings.

TREAT ...Let all people hear and fear, and never do thus wickedly any more! William Julian, have you anything to say before your sentence is carried out? 7.

WILLIAM We going to get on with this, or what? Or you just going to blather on all morning?

TREAT Oh, we will ‘get on with this’ very shortly indeed, Mister Julian! You do yourself no favors by -

WILLIAM Don’t see where the crime is, getting cheap goods to people who needs ‘em, when the crown insists on bleeding ‘em dry for those same items.

TREAT That is our King you are robbing.

WILLIAM Who’s ? Me? In my little ship? Or the king with his big fleet and his tax collectors? Am I right?

TOWNSPERSON (OFF) Hey, he’s got a point, Reverend!

TREAT No he doesn’t! Who said that?

Some shouts of outrage and grumbles can be heard amongst the crowd. A man, JOHN HALLETT comes up to TREAT. His daughter MARY stands nearby.

HALLETT You’d better get on with it, Reverend, or we’re going to have a riot in the heart of Wellfleet.

MARY How...how can you be so certain of his guilt?

TREAT Because he was tried by a jury of good men. (to the crowd) A new era is dawning! Gone are the days when would turn a blind eye to and illicit activities. No longer will this colony be the common receptacle for Pirates of all nations! No long will Europe send her worst filth here! Hang him! 8.

SAM Wait!

A gasp from the crowd and all turn to see who has interrupted the proceedings. It’s SAM.

WILLIAM Aw, no...

TREAT Who is that?

SAM You can’t hang him, Reverend. Oh, hello there, Mister Hallett. Wasn’t really expecting to see you here...and...oh. (sees MARY) Mary.

MARY Sam, what are you doing?

SAM Reverend Treat, my name is Sam Bellamy. That man up there isn’t a criminal. He’s a hero.

TREAT A hero?

SAM Lean times have made a lot of us do things we might not’v dreamed of doing a few years back, but surely the goods things he’s done have to count for something?

TREAT I’m afraid they don’t. Gentlemen?

SAM I was really hoping it wouldn’t come this, Reverend.

SAM pulls a pistol and points it at TREAT. The crowd erupts.

TREAT I don’t think you know what you’re doing, boy. 9.

SAM Probably right about that, sir. (pointing at hangman) You there, cut him down.

TREAT You were Navy, weren’t you, boy?

SAM Aye.

TREAT Saw a lot in the War, I’m sure. But you’ve been sailing longer than that, haven’t you?

SAM Since I was...since I was thirteen.

TREAT You fought for King and country and for that we are grateful. Don’t throw it away for scum like this.

WILLIAM Sam. Listen to me, kid. It’s not worth it.

SAM What?

WILLIAM Take care of the others for me, all right? They’re going to need someone to lead them. I’m counting on you, boy.

The pistol in SAM’s hand shakes and he’s tackled by some of TREAT’s goons, who hold him tight.

TREAT You may proceed.

They throw a hood over WILLIAM’s head.

SAM No!

The trapdoor drops. WILLIAM falls. His body swings for a few seconds. There’s an awful quiet for a moment. 10.

SAM is in shock. MARY touches SAM’s shoulder. He looks up at her.

TREAT Cut him down and hang his body in a gibbet above the harbor. When they look upon his gull pecked flesh, this whole colony will know that is no longer tolerated!

SAM You...you...

TREAT Oh, and throw him in the gaol. We will deal out his punishment in due time.

HALLETT Reverend...

TREAT You have something to say? No? I thought not.

TREAT storms off. HALLETT goes to SAM.

HALLETT Come on, lad. Let’s go.

MARY Father, help him, please!

SAM He hanged him...

HALLETT Lucky he doesn’t hang you too.

SAM You taking me to the gaol, Mister Hallett?

HALLETT looks at his daughter a moment and then he looks at SAM, stern but not without compassion.

HALLETT I’m going to take you in that direction, Sam, and then I’m going to look the other way for a moment too long and you’re going to run off to wherever it is you and your folk lay low. 11.

SAM Why?

HALLETT You know why, boy.

SAM and MARY look at each other, her father aware of a closeness between them he’s not at all comfortable with.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 3: GREAT ISLAND TAVERN, WELLFLEET, MA - LATER THAT DAY

A small tavern in the middle of the woods. It’s not an establishment for people from town, but for sailors who wish to avoid the people from town. A place to unload hot items and to hide out if too much attention has been drawn. It’s empty as SAM and MARY enter the space. The last rays of sunlight come through the windows.

MARY Sam...you haven’t said a word the whole walk.

SAM You shouldn’t be seen here with me. Someone hears voices in those woods, they’re bound to wonder why.

MARY I wanted to make sure you were all right.

SAM I look all right? Will’s dead. I’m an orphan all over again.

MARY Do you want to talk about it?

SAM No.

MARY Sam...

SAM I thought we weren’t doing this. Your father made that pretty clear to me. 12.

MARY My father admires you Sam. You can tell that he does, he just -

SAM Not enough to let me marry you, though.

MARY Not at the moment, but -

SAM Aye, not ‘till I have money. So what happens when someone else comes around, a rich farmer, someone with money? He gonna tell him to get in line behind me? No, of course he -

MARY You talk about your feelings and my father’s feelings but not very much about mine.

She goes to him. They hold each other.

SAM That day in the orchard feels like a long time ago.

MARY Sam...

SAM Aye?

MARY I’m cold.

SAM Oh. Here.

He goes to a chest in the corner, and gets out his jacket. He gives it to her.

My old Royal Navy coat might be a little big.

She puts it on and feels in the pocket and pulls out a book.

MARY My book! Did you finish it? 13.

SAM Little high minded for me.

MARY Not if you work at it.

SAM Then I guess that’s my problem. Too many distractions in my life, like my friend getting hanged in the town harbor.

MARY Sam, why are you giving this book back to me?

Pause.

SAM Because I can’t stay here, Mary. I’ve got to go away.

MARY Where?

SAM I don’t know yet.

MARY I - Sam, I’m. I’m in a condition.

SAM What?

MARY A delicate one.

Pause.

SAM You’re - you’re with -

MARY Yes.

SAM doesn’t know how to respond.

Well, if you’re planning to leave, I suppose I should get back home. 14.

SAM I’m going to be...I’m going to be a father.

MARY Yes, that’s how it works. You’re disappointed. I should never have -

SAM No, I...it’s all I ever wanted.

Pause.

MARY What do we do?

SAM You have to come with me.

MARY Come with you?

Suddenly, JOHN JULIAN, an indigenous boy of about fourteen comes crashing through the ceiling. The kid scrambles out of the debris and SAM grabs a weapon and gets between the kid and MARY.

SAM Wait! John...?

MARY You know him?

SAM He crewed with Will. You were his pilot.

JOHN JULIAN You were there today. At the hanging.

SAM Aye. He was my friend.

JOHN JULIAN So you would help him? 15.

SAM Help him? He’s dead. How can I help him?

Suddenly, a group of men come bursting through the door.

QUINTOR Clear some space! Get a table!

One of the men grabs a table and pulls it to the center. QUINTOR and FERGUSON get the bundle they’ve been carrying and put in on top of the table.

PAULSGRAVE Sammy, give us a hand here, will ya? The old salt weighs more’n he looked!

MARY What is that?

PAULSGRAVE Hallett? What in the devil’s name are you doing in here? Aint’cha done enough to the poor lad? And who put a hole in the ceiling?!

QUINTOR Someone should say something.

FERGUSON Yeah, maybe after I catch my breath.

PAULSGRAVE Well, someone say something or else we bribed the corpse watcher and carried Will’s blasted carcass through the woods for nothing.

SAM You took Will’s body?

PAULSGRAVE We weren’t gonna let him stay hangin’ up in that damnable cage. The gulls can eat something else.

FERGUSON You gonna give us a couple words, lad?

SAM goes to the burlap bundle and tears it open so he can look at WILLIAM’s face. 16.

SAM You bloody idiot.

PAULSGRAVE Well, that’s not what I woulda said, but...

SAM You didn’t fight. You didn’t run. You thought making a bloody point was more important than that.

PAULSGRAVE When ye ever know William Julian to run?

JOHN JULIAN walks up to the body on the table.

JOHN JULIAN Will you bury him at sea?

QUINTOR Hadn’t gotten that far, son.

Suddenly, JOHN JULIAN explodes with grief, beating at the body with his fists, until SAM pulls him away. He hugs SAM who looks at everyone like “what now?”

JOHN JULIAN (to SAM) You have to help me!

SAM Help you? With what, lad?

JOHN JULIAN With this!

JOHN JULIAN slams a piece of parchment on the table. Everyone gets in close to look at it.

MARY What is it?

SAM It’s...it’s a map.

PAULSGRAVE Looks like Florida to me. 17.

JOHN JULIAN It’s the Wrecks.

PAULSGRAVE The wrecks, lad? You sayin’ ‘ol Will Julian knew where they was?

MARY What is he talking about?

PAULSGRAVE Spanish Fleet left Havana for Cadiz last July. Got caught in a hurricane, they did. Whole fleet went down, one and all, in shallow waters, with their bellies spilled out for those brave enough to go a-wrecking. You sayin’ you know where them wrecks is?

JOHN JULIAN Aye.

PAULSGRAVE Well, why ya sharin’ the knowledge with us? Where I come from, if somethin’ seems too good ta’ be true, it’s cuz it usually is!

JOHN JULIAN Because Will said you were his family.

Pause.

PAULSGRAVE Oh.

QUINTOR What do you think, Paulsgrave? Can your ship make it that far?

PAULSGRAVE I’m insulted, Quintor. What we don’t have is a captain.

MARY He said you needed someone to lead you. Will said it should be Sam.

FERGUSON Ha! How’s he supposed to do that? He can’t even look after hisself.

PAULSGRAVE What do ya think, Sammy? Ya up for bein’ captain?

SAM Me? 18.

PAULSGRAVE You’re the best sailor we got here.

SAM I...

PAULSGRAVE Will believed in ya. I believes in ya. Ye’re the best sailor around. Great riches to be had, me boys. Old Spain will make the heavens rain of gold and jewels for us all. What do ye say, laddie? You ready to fish upon them wrecks?

SAM Could I...could I have a moment?

PAULSGRAVE Why, sure, Sammy. Take your time.

There’s silence in the tavern for a moment. The sailors shuffle their feet and mutter.

SAM I mean alone.

PAULSGRAVE Oh, aye, sure, sure. C’mon, lads. Let’s go find a nice spot to bury William. Think he’d like that, restin’ at the foot of the Great Island Tavern. Cap’n William Julian unloaded a lot of cargo right in that harbor out there. And put down many a mug of toddy n’ flip too!

They go. SAM and MARY are alone in the tavern again.

SAM Will you marry me before I go?

MARY Sam.

SAM What’s your father gonna say, when he sees me comin’ into the bay, loaded up with treasure and slippin’ a diamond ring on your finger the size of...well, something really big!

MARY I think he’d wonder how you’d ever expect me to lift my hand with so heavy stone upon it. 19.

SAM So we’ll keep the bulk of the diamond somewhere safe, a cave, aye, and maybe sometimes we’ll go and take a look at it and laugh to ourselves at how damnably rich we are.

Reverend TREAT walks in the door.

TREAT I wonder if your father knows where you are, Goodie Hallett. I would wager he does not.

SAM What are you doing here?

TREAT This is a most notorious den of criminals and sinners. And I will root them all out before night’s end.

MARY You’re not here for me. You’re here for the body. You must feel very foolish having made such a show of today’s proceedings, only to have Will Julian’s body walk right out of the harbor as if he were still alive.

TREAT Where is he?

Some GUARDS come into the tavern, pointing muskets at SAM.

I will ask one more time.

SAM I buried him already.

TREAT No, I don’t think so. There’s not a speck of dirt on you. Try again.

PAULSGRAVE reenters the tavern.

PAULSGRAVE Sammy! You didn’t tell me we were expecting guests! I’d have patched up the broken ceiling. And Reverend Treat! Will wonders never cease?

TREAT You are harboring a fugitive, Mister Williams, and hiding stolen property. 20.

PAULSGRAVE Stolen property? Me?

He takes a tablecloth and throws it over some crates in the back.

GUARD What was that?

PAULSGRAVE What was what?

GUARD Them crates ya just covered up with that table cloth!

PAULSGRAVE Nothing. What crates?

They grab hold of PAULSGRAVE’s arms.

MARY What are you going to do with them?

TREAT We’re in a forest, aren’t we? We’ll hang them from the trees. (to his men) Watch them. I’ll be right back.

TREAT escorts MARY out of the tavern.

GUARD We’ve been after you a long time, Williams. Funny, from the crimes in these territories, I’d have thought there’d be more of you smugglers...

PAULSGRAVE Oh, there are.

SAM Paul!

PAULSGRAVE What? There are. Only thing is, theys smart enough to stay away from these woods at night. 21.

GUARD 2 And why is that?

PAULSGRAVE ‘Cuz a’ the witch.

GUARD W-w-witch? Did he just say -

GUARD 2 Quiet! There hasn’t been witchcraft in this colony in twenty years.

PAULSGRAVE Well, just the same, I wasn’t plannin’ on stickin’ around to find out. Ain’t that right, Sammy?

SAM Uh...

PAULSGRAVE Say, did I hear someone say something about a missing body before?

SAM (catching on to the plan) You did! The Reverend said Will’s body went missing.

GUARD 2 It was stolen.

PAULSGRAVE Now, who’d steal a body? You didn’t take it, did ya Sammy?

SAM Not me.

PAULSGRAVE Well, if you didn’t take it, and I didn’t take it...then...oh.

GUARD 2 What?

PAULSGRAVE Well, they say the witch steals corpses. 22.

GUARD Wha-what does she do with them?

PAULSGRAVE Probably something unspeakable. ‘Course, I got a theory...That she breathes a new kinda life into them. Only it ain’t like the kinda life we know. It’s the kinda life that makes the dead walk like men. They shuffle - shuf, shuf - shuffle...closer, and closer...shuf shuf...and you turn your head, thinkin’ to find out what the sound is..shuf...shuf....and when ya turn it back...it’s too late.

Suddenly, a piece of wall falls down. Standing there is WILLIAM’s corpse.

The GUARDS scream! And then the corpse bursts into flame! The henchmen jump through the windows to escape.

After a moment, the corpse falls to the ground.

PAULSGRAVE and SAM are left alone in the tavern.

PAULSGRAVE One last rescue from Cap’n Will Julian!

SAM I dunno, Paul. Lighting his corpse on fire seems almost ...disrespectful!

JULIAN, FERGUSON and QUINTOR burst in.

PAULSGRAVE Hey, it was the kid’s idea! I just told ‘em to come up with a diversion! Let’s go!

FERGUSON We do good?

PAULSGRAVE Fine enough, though burnin’ down our whole bloody tavern weren’t exactly what I’d a suggested, Ferguson!

TREAT enters again.

Well, your excellency! This is where we say goodbye! 23.

TREAT Yes, scurry away like the rats you are. You think you’ve won? You’re homeless wanderers from now on. And if you ever come back, I’ll be waiting.

PAULSGRAVE Guess we’ll see, won’t we?

MARY ducks under TREAT’s robes into the burning tavern.

MARY Sam!

SAM Mary! I - I have to go.

MARY But...

SAM I’ll come back.

MARY Promise?

SAM I promise.

They look at each other. SAM runs out the door.

MARY (to PAULSGRAVE) Tell him to be careful.

PAULSGRAVE Believe it or not, we like to avoid dangerous situations, Miss Hallet. Oh, Reverend? Your dress is on fire.

He lifts his wig and reveals a bald head and then the smugglers are gone through the broken wall. TREAT tears a piece of his robe off and beats it on the floor. MARY goes to the broken wall and watches them escape into the night.

LIGHTS SHIFT. 24.

SCENE 4: FLORIDA COAST - JANUARY, 1716

A sail billows out. We hear the cry of a gull and the sound of men singing a working song. As the wind blows the sail back, we see that we’re on a ship! It’s about six weeks later and the crew of SAM’s ship is pulling a line from the side of the ship.

SAM Heave Away!

ALL Heave!

SAM Heave away!

ALL Heave!

SAM Here she comes, lads!

FERGUSON What do you think we got, Sam? Pieces of eight? ingots?

QUINTOR I bet it’s a nice casket a’ silk stockings!

PAULSGRAVE Ye scallywags, it’s a trunk a’ porcelain and jewels, or I be Neptune’s maiden aunt!

JULIAN It’s…

SAM It’s…

It comes up. It’s a boot.

JULIAN It’s a boot.

PAULSGRAVE Toss it here, lads. 25.

JULIAN tosses it to PAULSGRAVE.

Not just any boot. See? Look at the name inside. Belonged to Cap’n-General Don Juan Esteban de Ubilla. Oh, we’re damnably close now and – hey!

SAM takes the boot and throws it back overboard.

Now, Sammy, I get that you’re frustrated! We all are! But after-all, a boot’s a boot and ye never know when ya might be needin’ –

SAM There’s nothing out here. It’s been picked away clean!

FERGUSON Hey, I know! Send the boy down with that big rock. He found a couple coins the last time, didn’ he?

JOHN JULIAN Maybe we should send you! You’re heavy enough to sink without a stupid rock!

SAM We ain’t sendin’ anybody divin’ again. We’re through here.

PAULSGRAVE takes SAM aside.

PAULSGRAVE Sam, I’m as disappointed as you are, but we’re outta food, outta grog, and we’s just sittin’ pretty in enemy waters.

SAM We never should have left the Cape in the first place, if you hadn’t put in our heads this stupid -

PAULSGRAVE Well, we did and it’s too late fer regrets, so unless Reverend Treat’s choked on his pudding these last six weeks, home ain’t an option. And if ya ain’t noticed, them sails up there ain’t gonna make it through another winter squall, so goin’ home’s a death sentence no matter hows ya cut it. We’s got a crew lookin’ for you to tell ‘em what’s next. Any ideas?

JOHN JULIAN Hey, Cap’n! We’re outta biscuits! Nothing left in the bucket but weevils!

FERGUSON An’ we’re almost outta the weevils now too! 26.

He belches.

PAULSGRAVE Well?

SAM We have to get out of here. Look you.

He points at the horizon.

PAULSGRAVE Damn.

SAM Do they see us yet?

PAULSGRAVE Hard ta say.

They flinch and there’s a loud boom from far away.

SAM S’ppose that answers that.

A loud splash as the cannon ball comes down nearby.

PAULSGRAVE runs to where the rest of the crew can see him.

PAULSGRAVE Spanish ship! Portside! Oy, ya nattering chum smelling wretches, make sail! (to SAM) Where we goin’, Capt’n? North?

SAM looks at the horizon. Sam?

SAM We’re going south! Julian, get us out of here!

PAULSGRAVE You heard the man! Julian, spin us around! Haul wind! We’re going south! 27.

Another loud boom is heard and the sail billows out and covers the scene.

SCENE SHIFT.

SCENE 5: WELLFLEET, MA - JANUARY, 1716

The Hallett family is gathered at the dinner table. JOHN, MARY, JOHN JR and his fiancee MEHITABLE.

HALLETT ...let Thy blessing rest upon these thy good creatures, to our comfort and sustentation: and grant we humbly beseech Thee, good Lord, that as we doe hunger and thirst for this food of our bodies, so our souls may earnestly long after the food of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

ALL Amen.

They begin eating.

MEHITABLE It all looks delicious, Mister Hallett.

JOHN JR Well, your future sister-in-law has been at it all day. Isn’t that right, Mary?

MARY What?

JOHN JR I said...oh, you are far away tonight, Mary. I said you’ve been working on supper all day.

MARY Oh. Yes, yes I have.

MEHITABLE Well, you have all been so welcoming to me. It really does makes me feel special to be here.

JOHN JR You’re family, Mehitable.

MEHITABLE Almost. 28.

JOHN JR Yes, of course.

MARY slides her chair back.

MARY I’m sorry. I’m suddenly not feeling very well.

MEHITABLE Oh! Can I help?

MARY ducks out of the dining room without answering.

JOHN JR Father?

HALLETT Hm?

JOHN JR Is she all right?

JOHN Mary? Oh, I’m sure she’s fine. Too much time today in a stuffy kitchen, I should think. (He stuffs some food in his mouth) Really quite a feast, isn’t it?

The lights shift slightly. We hear MARY vomiting into a bush. MEHITABLE comes out.

MEHITABLE Miss Mary?

MARY Oh, no, go inside, please. I’m so embarrassed.

MEHITABLE Embarrassed? No, please don’t be. Really, it could just as easily be me.

MARY Isn’t the meal to your liking?

MEHITABLE No! I mean it is! I mean, it’s not that at all! It’s - well, I’m really quite nervous to be here. 29.

MARY You are? But we’re not so bad, are we?

MEHITABLE No. But that’s why I’m nervous. I wanted to make a good impression and -

MARY turns and throws up some more.

MEHITABLE Oh, oh, you’re really ill! Do you need a physician? I can get John to -

MARY No! Please, I’m all right. Go inside. It’s cold. Don’t you get sick too.

MEHITABLE looks down at her, concerned.

MEHITABLE Um...excuse my prying, but...does this happen to you often?

MARY (looking up from the bushes) What?

MEHITABLE I mean...are you frequently sick to your stomach?

MARY stands up and looks at her cautiously.

MARY It isn’t usually this late when it happens. Let’s go inside. I’m feeling better.

MARY goes inside. MEHITABLE watches her with concern.

SCENE SHIFT.

SCENE 6: BAY OF HONDURAS - MARCH, 1716

The HALLET dinner table has become a card table. PAULSGRAVE plays cards with a gang of surly looking . 30.

PAULSGRAVE Oy! The game be Bone-Ace, One and Thirty! Lay yer bets down, laddies. Gold, coppers and doubloons, I accept it all. Place yer bets, have no regrets. Ducats and guineas, pounds, plates and twelve pence shillings, line ‘em up mates, lay ‘em down...

FIRST BUCCANEER Oy, Paulsgrave, I only got what bit o’ gold be in me tooth.

PAULSGRAVE Well, y’know, lad, I also perform very affordable extractions, that I do.

SAM enters.

Aye, Sammy, can ya beat life on the Honduran coast? The water be turquoise, there’s always pork jerky smokin’ on the beach...and have ya ever met a bigger pack of suckers than these English loggers?

SAM We should sign a few of ‘em as crew. We need more hands if we’re going to get home.

PAULSGRAVE Ah, aye, a few more hands ain’t never a bad thing, only...

SAM What?

PAULSGRAVE Well. I mighta...sorta...uh...lost the ship.

SAM What?! Lost it? How?

PAULSGRAVE ...in a card game.

SAM Paul!

PAULSGRAVE Don’t worry, I’ll get her back! In the meantime, I’ve got us something even better...

SAM Better than our ship? 31.

PAULSGRAVE Well, technically she was my ship, Sam, but yes...walk this way, walk this way.

They walk over to two piraguas. They’re basically canoes. Eh?

SAM ...They’re canoes.

PAULSGRAVE Actually, they’re piraguas. What do ya think?

SAM I think we’re never going to get home.

PAULSGRAVE Oh, we’ll get home, all right. I’ve got a lead on something that’s sure to put a smile on that face a’ yours. A job, Sammy.

SAM What kind of job?

PAULSGRAVE This ain’t like trickin’ that Dutch merchant a few weeks ago or raidin’ that sailboat what got tipped over in the bay. This is big, Sammy.

SAM You’re talking piracy.

PAULSGRAVE Well...some might call it that...I call it robbin’ the rich to feed the poor. Namely, us. Let me introduce ya to some new friends a’ mine.

Lights shift slightly. We’re in a different space now. It’s dimly lit and there’s a table with three men of low moral fiber sitting and drinking. JOHN JULIAN has joined SAM and PAULSGRAVE.

PAULSGRAVE ...so, ‘till we’ve come to an accord, you let me do the talking, savvy?

SAM Keep your eyes peeled, will ya, John? 32.

PAULSGRAVE What are ya so worried about? They’re friends!

SAM They’re pirates.

They approach three unsavory looking men of low moral fiber at a table. Henry JENNINGS, Charles VANE, and Olivier LA BOUCHE.

PAULSGRAVE Captain Sam Bellamy...meet Captain Henry Jennings. Charles Vane and Olivier La Bouche.

JENNINGS This is the scalawag you were telling us about? He doesn’t look like much. He’s just a kid.

PAULSGRAVE Well, appearances aren’t everything, and that’s our whole philosophy.

JOHN JULIAN It is?

PAULSGRAVE Well, we hired you, didn’t we?

SAM They don’t want to hire me. They don’t have to.

He starts to go.

PAULSGRAVE Wait! Hold on a moment, lads. Bellamy here is young. But it ain’t the years, me boys, it’s the leagues ya sail. You were just thirteen when the war broke out, weren’t ya, Sammy? Press-ganged into a Navy ship. Skirmish at Vigo Bay. Battle at the Lizard. Wager’s Action. Sicily. Gibraltar. That last one’s where I met him. Saved me life, he did.

VANE Bellamy...hm...now that you mention it, the name is familiar... 33.

PAULSGRAVE ‘Course it is. But the little Frenchman here probably knows ‘im by the one his enemies give ‘im.

LA BOUCHE And what eez that?

PAULSGRAVE Black Sam.

LA BOUCHE You are...Black Sam?

SAM C’mon, we’re not here to dig up ancient history. I put all of that behind me when the war ended. Nobody needs to hear about -

JENNINGS stands up from the table. He stands there silently and then walks over to SAM.

JENNINGS No, I think Black Sam is exactly the kind of man we need for what we’re about to do.

SAM And what’s that?

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 7: BAY OF BAHIA HONDA, NORTHWESTERN - APRIL, 1716

SAM, PAULSGRAVE, QUINTOR, FERGUSON, and JULIAN all sit in the two canoes.

SAM All right, men! Our target’s the St. Marie! She’s a French merchant, anchored over there in the sheltered bay of Bahia Honda.

QUINTOR We are going to attack a merchant ship...in a canoe?

SAM Hoping it won’t come to that, Quintor. Besides, Captain Jennings is gonna take the heavy fire. 34.

FERGUSON And where’s he?

PAULSGRAVE He’ll be here, don’t you worry about that.

QUINTOR Sorta seems like we’re a distraction. Don’t it?

PAULSGRAVE I don’t think that’s accurate at all, Quintor. Anyway, we’re more than capable of taking them on ourselves.

QUINTOR Why would they surrender to...five men in a canoe?

SAM Well, I’m hoping we can sneak up to them in these things and climb aboard their ship before they know what hit them.

FERGUSON What happened to our ship again?

PAULSGRAVE That’s...not important right now, Ferguson!

SAM Point is, these piraguas are small and stealthy. Perfect for this kind of raid.

QUINTOR Perfect for tipping over too.

SAM What’s that?

QUINTOR Nothing.

JOHN JULIAN Mine’s leaking.

SAM Off to a great start here. 35.

Lights shift. The men are rowing! QUINTOR lightly sings a work song to keep everyone rowing at the same time.

SAM All right. There she is. Keep ‘er steady, lads.

JOHN JULIAN Hard to keep steady when she gets swamped every time a breaker hits her.

SAM Just a little bit further. She won’t know what hit ‘em!

PAULSGRAVE This is gonna work. I got one of those good feelings.

SAM Let’s not get cocky. Still got half the bay to cross.

PAULSGRAVE I know it’s gonna work. Theys gonna soil their tights when he wakes up to us stormin’ their ship!

SAM Let’s just hope she’s not too heavily -

A boom is heard! A splash of water hits the canoes. They nearly tip over.

FERGUSON Uh. I think she spotted us, cap’n!

JOHN JULIAN What now?

FERGUSON Should we turn back, Cap’n?

SAM No!

QUINTOR What?! 36.

SAM We turn around now, they’ll lock on to us and blow us out of the water. Get closer!

ALL Closer?!

PAULSGRAVE No, the lad’s right. Those cannons can’t hit something that’s right on top of ‘em!

SAM Row, men, row!

Another blast! More water!

PAULSGRAVE Uh, think we might need a little addendum to this plan, Sammy.

SAM I’m working on it.

Suddenly, SAM stands up in the canoe!

FERGUSON What’s he doing?

QUINTOR Hell if I know.

FERGUSON You’re gonna tip us over, Sammy! Sit down!

SAM tears his shirt off! And he bellows into the wind! He screams his head off. Once they think he’s done, he screams again.

JOHN JULIAN ...Think the captain’s lost his mind.

PAULSGRAVE No, he knows what he’s doing.

PAULSGRAVE stands up. He rips his shirt off too. Then he screams! 37.

SAM takes his sword out! He shouts.

QUINTOR stands too! He pulls out his gun and fires it in the air.

FERGUSON Well, if ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, I always says.

He stands up and rips his pants off and moons the ship! JULIAN stands and screams too!

Lights shift.

In another space, The French captain D’ESCOUBET and the FRENCH FIRST MATE have a spyglass out.

D’ESCOUBET The fat one is mooning us now.

FRENCH FIRST MATE Oui, he is very fat.

D’ESCOUBET They are clearly mad with sun stroke. Put them out of their misery. Fire at will.

Suddenly, a blast is heard! From behind them! They spin around.

What?

FRENCH FIRST MATE Pirates, captain! Behind us!

D’ESCOUBET Damn it all! These mad men are a distraction! Turn this ship around!

Lights shift again. We’re back with SAM and the boys.

PAULSGRAVE Cap’n Jennings is here! Ha ha! I knew he’d come through!

SAM Keep rowing, men! They have bigger problems than us now! 38.

JOHN JULIAN Look! The white flag! They’re raising the white flag!

QUINTOR They’re surrendering!

PAULSGRAVE We did it! Ha! Ha ha! Captain Bellamy! What ya think of that?

SAM I think...I think I’m ready to get out of this canoe.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 8: BAY OF BAHIA HONDA, NORTHWESTERN CUBA - APRIL, 1716

A blood curdling scream is heard. And again.

Lights come up on SAM, looking pensive. PAULSGRAVE looks uncomfortable as well.

PAULSGRAVE Well, I, uh...certainly hope Captain D’Escoubet tells Jennings what he’s asking soon. Not sure how much more blood curdlin’ screaming I can take...

VANE comes out with a jug of rum. He hands it to SAM who drinks from it, with a distrustful eye on VANE.

VANE Oh, he told ‘im half an hour ago. 30,000 pieces a’ eight, hidden on shore. We just finished loadin’ it aboard this ship.

PAULSGRAVE Well, why in the bloody hell is he still torturin’ the man, then?

VANE ‘Cuz he’s Henry Jennings!

VANE leaves, chuckling “why?”

PAULSGRAVE Y’all right, Sammy? 39.

JENNINGS and LA BOUCHE come on. He’s covered in blood and smiling. He puts a blood spattered hand on SAM’s shoulder.

JENNINGS There he is! My man in the canoe! “Black Sam!” Well done, lad! Well done indeed! Why, ya taught these Frenchmen a lesson in terror indeed! They thought you were a pack of raving maniacs, screaming your heads off and waving your swords around like that! Aye! Brilliant bit of theatre there. Well, this was quite a haul indeed! 30,000 pieces of eight, stashed away right on that beach!

He tosses a coin to SAM and to PAULSGRAVE. Don’t spend it all in one place!

LA BOUCHE Cap’n!

LA BOUCHE goes to JENNINGS and whispers something in his ear.

JENNINGS Hmmm. Uh huh. Interesting. The Marianne, you say? Just twenty miles up the coast? What!?

He grabs LA BOUCHE by his collar. He wouldn’t dare!

SAM What? What is it?

JENNINGS Hornigold! Plague and perish that rascal!

He tosses LA BOUCHE on the deck and storms off.

Get the Barsheba and the Mary ready for sail! That ships’s mine! I’m going to teach Hornigold a lesson he won’t soon forget!

He storms off. SAM helps LA BOUCHE up.

SAM What was that about? 40.

LA BOUCHE Hornigold.

SAM What’s a Hornigold?

LA BOUCHE Come aboard the Barsheba and ye’ll find out all about him soon enough.

He walks off. SAM and PAULSGRAVE look at each other.

SAM You thinking what I’m thinking?

PAULSGRAVE Ya mean that there’s this ship with 30,000 pieces of eight just sitting here unguarded and most of ‘er crew headin’ over to those two ships over there?

SAM I guess you are thinking what I’m thinking.

Lights shift. In another space, JENNINGS is looking at the horizon with his spyglass when VANE comes up to him.

VANE Ah, Captain?

JENNINGS What is it? Can’t ye see I’m busy?

VANE Aye, sir, but, ah...

JENNINGS What? Spit it out, man!

VANE The Marianne...uh...she’s...not stayin’ anchored.

JENNINGS What do ya mean she ain’t stayin’ anchored?

VANE I mean she’s headed in the wrong direction, sir. 41.

JENNINGS swings around and points his spyglass in the other direction.

JENNINGS Those...those...pirates!

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 9: CUBA COAST - APRIL, 1716

The gang stand around the barrel of gold coins. Evening in the . QUINTOR, PAULSGRAVE, SAM, JULIAN, etc are all laughing and celebrating aboard their new ship.

QUINTOR Thirty thousand!

PAULSGRAVE And a new ship!

SAM Aye, let’s not hang around here too long. I don’t want to be figuring out how this thing sails while we’re being chased down by that maniac.

JOHN JULIAN goes over to the barrel of coins. He puts his hand in and scoops some up and looks at them.

I know it ain’t exactly Will’s treasure fleet, John.

JOHN JULIAN No. But I think he would have been proud of us just the same.

PAULSGRAVE Where to, Captain? Well, spit it out. Not back to a New England winter, I hope?

SAM We got what we came for. Didn’t we?

PAULSGRAVE Did we?

Pause. 42.

SAM Let’s...uh...we’ll put it to a vote.

FERGUSON A vote?

SAM Y’know, democratic like. Who’s for heading home with this haul. And who’s for seeing what else these waters might bring?

PAULSGRAVE Aye, a vote. You heard the man. All for seeing what else we can do down here, raise yer hand.

They all raise their hands except SAM.

For going home?

Nobody raises their hand.

Ya didn’t vote, Sammy.

Pause.

SAM I’m...I’ll do what my crew thinks best.

They all cheer! SAM goes to the side of the ship, lost in thought. After a moment, JULIAN comes up to him.

SAM Oh! John. Didn’t see you there.

JOHN JULIAN You’re not joining in the celebration?

SAM Maybe later. Think I might just sit out here a while.

JOHN JULIAN I can leave if you... 43.

SAM No, no, that’s all right. Come on, let’s join the celebration, eh? Not every day ya find a treasure.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 10: WELLFLEET, MA - MAY, 1716

JOHN HALLET leaves church with MARY. TREAT steps out and calls out to them, stopping them before they get too far.

TREAT Good morning! I was hoping I might have a word with you.

HALLETT Ah, good morning, Reverend. A...uh, rather stirring sermon today.

TREAT I was actually speaking to your daughter, Mister Hallett. Would you mind if I had a moment of her time alone?

HALLETT Uh...

TREAT Thank you.

TREAT ushers MARY away from HALLETT

You were not very attentive during this morning’s service.

MARY I wasn’t?

TREAT Your eyes closed during my sermon.

MARY I was praying.

TREAT For what? 44.

MARY I...it’s of a personal nature.

TREAT Personal? I am a Reverend, Goodie Hallett. I can help you commune with God. There is nothing too...personal for me.

MARY I will keep that in mind, Reverend.

TREAT If I may be honest, Goodie Hallet? In my expert opinion, you looked to be murmuring and not praying at all.

MARY I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.

TREAT No. Perhaps not. But just the same....where murmurs break out, cannot be far behind.

MARY I promise you, I was praying.

TREAT Who do you serve?

MARY I...the God that made heaven and Earth.

TREAT Hm. All humans are condemned at birth to spend eternity in hell. You know this. The exceptions are the few elect souls that God chooses at birth to save. Do you believe you are one of these souls?

MARY I...I choose to live as though I am. To be deserving of salvation.

TREAT You are strange and unusual, Goodie Hallett. You have more wit than your neighbors.

MARY I don’t think that’s true at all. 45.

TREAT No? Does not your learning come from the reading of books?

MARY We are a literate society in New England.

TREAT Do not be obstinate with me. There was only one book that crossed over with the Pilgrims.

MARY But several more since.

TREAT Indeed. And as you witnessed last fall, I am committed to stamping out all sources of contraband in this colony. Did Sam Bellamy provide you with the...books you desired?

MARY I provided them to him.

TREAT You are murmuring again. Be careful, Goodie Hallett. The honorable told me much of what occurred in Salem town. Many of the accused were offered many pretty things, whatever they desired. They were told they would be carried to the golden city of their dreams.

MARY Who told them that?

TREAT The devil, Goodie Hallett.

MARY He has never appeared to me.

TREAT Just because you do not see robbers on the road, does not mean they fail to exist. And Goodie Hallet...I know you to have seen many robbers.

MARY Reverend...I...

TREAT Yes? 46.

MARY My father should be wanting to get home. Good day.

MARY turns to go. She takes a few steps, when...

TREAT Oh, Goodie Hallett?

MARY stops.

Are you not broiling in that shawl?

MARY goes. TREAT watches.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 11: SOMEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN - APRIL, 1716

Nighttime in the Caribbean. SAM sleeps on a hammock. It’s peaceful until we see he’s being watched by a man, EDWARD who lights a pipe. The glow reveals his heavily bearded face.

SAM wakes up suddenly and stumbles out of the hammock and onto the floor.

SAM Wha-who the devil are you?

SAM pulls his sword and attacks him. The man very handily meets his blade with his own. They parry back and forth, but the outcome is never in doubt. SAM is knocked to the floor.

Another man, HORNIGOLD enters.

HORNIGOLD Where’s Jennings?

EDWARD Not here.

HORNIGOLD Is he dead? This is his ship, is it not? 47.

EDWARD Aye. ‘Tis the Marianne.

HORNIGOLD Well, who’s this then?

EDWARD Dunno. He was sleepin’ peaceful. ‘Till he started swingin’ that feather duster around.

SAM What do you want? How did you get on board?

HORNIGOLD I do the question askin’ around here. What’d ya do with Henry Jennings? How came ye to be sleeping on his ship?

SAM He...he...gave it to me.

HORNIGOLD looks at EDWARD and frowns.

HORNIGOLD I’m going to ask you again, son. How came -

SAM I stole it.

HORNIGOLD Lad, ye’re really testing my patience.

EDWARD He’s telling the truth.

HORNIGOLD How the hell do you know?

EDWARD You ever know Henry Jennings to give anything away?

SAM We did a job for him. Afterwards, he tortured a man. For fun.

Pause. 48.

HORNIGOLD All right, aye, that does sound like Jennings.

SAM I thought he’d be different than the merchant captains or the Navy ones, the ones who treat their men so terrible. But he -

EDWARD What do ye know of the Navy?

SAM I was in it.

HORNIGOLD Huh. A patriot, are ye? Me as well. What’s your name, son?

SAM Sam Bellamy. You’re pirates. Aren’t you?

HORNIGOLD So are you, it seems.

SAM Me? No, I - What are you going to do with us?

HORNIGOLD Well, you can’t have this ship.

SAM But -

HORNIGOLD I’m sorry, but that’s the way it’s going to be. Ye can crew on her, if ye like, though. I run an operation called the Flying Gang. Perhaps you’ve heard of us?

SAM No.

HORNIGOLD ‘Course the other option is you can take your chances out there.

SAM But we’re miles from land... 49.

HORNIGOLD Aye. Thought I’d offer it like a choice, even if it ain’t.

HORNIGOLD goes, leaving EDWARD with SAM.

EDWARD Sounds to me like ya made your choice a long time ago, son. Ye just haven’t woken up enough to realize it.

SAM I didn’t come down here to be a pirate.

EDWARD Oh, your fate was sealed long before that, weren’t it...Black Sam.

SAM I don’t go by that name anymore.

EDWARD But ya did. In Queen Anne’s War. No need for modesty, lad. Lots a folks heard a’ Black Sam. You’re younger lookin’ than I’d a thought. Still, ain’t a sailor alive whose forgot the war with Spain.

SAM I did a lotta things I ain’t proud of in that time.

EDWARD We all did. Me, I was in the Carolinas. Florida. Privateerin’ ‘gainst the Spaniards.

SAM I fought ‘em at Gibraltar. Other places too.

EDWARD I heard the stories.

SAM They’re not all true.

EDWARD No? Not the one about the brave lad who got past the blockade and shelled them Frenchies and Spaniards to Hell? Heard they’re still moppin’ ‘em up and findin’ scorched bones, amidst the black sand and the blood-stained stones. They thought that they had ye, lad, but they’d been fooled. Some say the sand on that beach still ain’t cooled. Is that one true? 50.

SAM I put that behind me.

EDWARD You’re like me. A disciple of King Death himself!

SAM I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

EDWARD Aye, and ye became a hero. You a family man now? Got a girl at home?

SAM Yeah. Actually, I do.

EDWARD She know ye’re wearin’ rags an’ stealin’ ships in the middle of the night?

SAM She’s the reason I’m down here.

EDWARD Aye. Thought ye’d have a chance a providin’ for her, down here, didn’t ya? How’s life been for you since the war ended? Easier? You get the future the Royal Navy promised? How yer employment prospects lookin’ these days?

SAM Don’t see how that’s anyone’s fault.

EDWARD It’s all their damn fault! A plague on all their scurvy heads! England, Spain, France! All them inbred kings n’ queens go throwin’ their pawns across the board an’ don’t bother ta clean ‘em up when they’s done playin! And them pawns don’t know where they is, and some of ‘em ain’t been told the game’s over. Some of ‘em don’t want the game to be ended!

SAM Is that you?

EDWARD The way I see it, we gots a whole generation a’ sailors trained for one thing who got sold a rotten bill a’ goods. An’ some one of ‘em want what they was promised. 51.

SAM That sounds like revenge to me.

EDWARD Hm. Maybe. Tell me, y’ever hear the tale of the Royal Pyrate?

SAM No.

EDWARD Alexander the Great was a king, ya know, and the greatest conqueror the world had ever seen. He was so great he became convinced he was a god, and mayhaps he right, because he pretty well conquered the world, from where the sun rose to where it set. But Alexander weeped! He weeped ‘cuz there were no more worlds left to conquer! He dreamed of bigger things. Some say his conquerin’ took him all the way to the Gates of Death itself, an the mad bugger tried to invade that place too! They say he stole somethin’ that day, stole it right from the bald head of King Death. Some say it was a stone from his crown. Some say it was the crown itself. Later on, ‘ol Alexander captured an enemy, a pirate who had disturbed some a’ the emperor’s ships tryin’ ta make it across the Caspian Sea. And when Alexander asked the pirate what the hell he meant by harassin’ the emperor of the world’s friends, peaceful merchants on the sea, he answered him and he told ‘ol Alexander this: "What do you mean by taking the whole earth; because I do it with a little ship, I am called a pirate, while you does it with a great fleet and they call you the great emperor. But you ain’t a great emperor,” he says and Alexander’s guards lift up their swords to strike the man down right then and there. But the Great Conqueror holds up his hand to stay them and he asks the thief, “What am I?” The thief gives a crooked smile and he looks him in the eye and he says, “You’re a Royal Pyrate.”

Silence for a moment.

SAM What happened to the crown?

EDWARD Well, Sammy, whoever wears the Crown of King Death is rightfully the King of Death’s realm. When Alexander died, he took the throne of that dark place. He’s still there down now, waitin’ for the right fellow to come and wrestle him for his crown and usurp him as the King of Hell itself. Ya see, all pirates fly under the flag of King Death, Sammy. But only a few of us know it’s real story.

SAM Who are you? 52.

EDWARD My friends call me Edward. But my enemies? My enemies call me Blackbeard.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 12: WELLFLEET - AUGUST, 1716

There’s the sound of a baby crying. The lights come up on a barn. MARY is sitting, cradling a very newborn baby in SAM’s Navy jacket. MEHITABLE, her sleaves rolled up, kneels and looks at the child.

MEHITABLE He’s so handsome.

MARY He is, isn’t he?

MEHITABLE What will you name him?

Pause.

MARY Sam. He looks like Sam.

There’s a knocking from far away. The women look at each other.

MEHITABLE Does anyone know you’re here?

MARY No.

There’s more knocking.

MEHITABLE Who is it?

JOHN JR (OFF) Your husband! What are you doing in there? 53.

MEHITABLE Oh, I uh...I fell asleep! Hold on, I’ll be right out. (to MARY) Wait here.

MEHITABLE leaves. MARY is alone with her newborn child. She looks down at it. The baby begins fussing.

MARY There, there. Shhh...no, no, I know, it’s been a very big day for you. I’ll sing to you, if you like. It’s a lullaby my mother would sing when I was little.

She starts to sing a lullaby to the child. As she does, we see the lights shift...

MARY stands up with the baby, startled.

I’ll - I’ll be right there.

BLACKOUT.

END ACT ONE 54.

ACT TWO

SCENE 1: , BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY, 1717

A stage in New Providence. It’s cheap and wooden. A banner hangs across it. It says “The Royal Pyrate.” Many pirates, new and old sit upon it with mugs of grog and beer, among them QUINTOR, PAULSGRAVE, DAVIES, FERGUSON, etc. The lights of the torch dim and an “actor” in cheap looking costuming comes out.

NANNI steps out, accompanied by several other “Chorus” members.

NANNI (as CHORUS) Let me weave for ye a tale from the olden days o’ sail T’was a bold ‘n young Pirate who met of his fate at the cold-gutted hands o’ Alexander the Great. T’was a bold ‘n young Pirate who met of his fate at the cold-gutted hands o’ Alexander the Great. To me! His brisk ruddy sloop cruisin’ out on the seas! Aye, he pilfered an’ plundered whe’ere he pleased Out a roguin’ one day on the Medeterree! He spied of the wildish fleet that ye ever did see! He’s taken a captive an’ wouldn’t ye guess? They brings him a’for the Emperor- nobody less!

Enter JULIAN and SAM.

JULIAN O Diomedes, Captain, they are here! The Emperor from Macedonia Has brought his army and his navy here! The poop deck and the quarter decks are theirs! We’re done for, ‘less a miracle occurs!

SAM I say thee nay, they’ll never take this ship! My lady love, please give me strength today! I draw my sword and fight for you always To Mary, lads, our mistress of good luck And swift vengeance and justice for us all! 55.

NANNI & CHORUS Bellamy, Black Sam, our commodore Elected by the people of his crew To lead the Flying Gang to victory! The greatest pirate captain of our age!

Enter the Macedonian troops!

MACEDONIANS Ye pirates, get ye down unto the ground, Our flagship has ye fully in her sights Surrounded, every single one of you The first corsair to make a move is dead.

SAM I laugh at death, you do not frighten me For death is not an obstacle to we. For truly I have faced a thousand hells Since taking on the banner of King Death.

MACEDONIAN Be quiet! Throw your arms upon the floor! And kick ‘em over here towards the door. Don’t try a thing, you scoundrel, you will see His eminence will try you for your crimes!

Massive drumbeats begin!

Alexander! Alexander, Alexander. Alexander! Alexander, Alexander. Alexander! Alexander, Alexander. Alexander, the great.

ALEXANDER (ORPHONOKO) enters the space.

NANNI Shanked by lean lances, clad all in their tunics Flanked by mean glances o’ Macedonian eunuchs And lest ye think then our hero received a coronation Alexander delivers his condemnation

ORPHONOKO Knowest though that death attends thy crimes, And thou shalt hang tomorrow morn betimes. 56.

What drives you, friend, to terrorize the seas? To sail your ship and plunder whom you please?

SAM The same things that drive you, O mighty king, You’ve plundered all the sections of the globe You call me pyrate, for my ship is small While you sit handsome in your robe The massacre at Tyre, the Gaza Siege A toast to you, the true master of fear! The slaughter of the people in Punjab You burned and sacked and raped Persepolis This be your legacy, your eminence. I am indeed a pyrate, through and through But I am not as great a one as you.

ALL How dare you slander Alexander’s name! You’ll never be as great a man as he!

ALEXANDER Amusing, Diomedes, very well! Let’s welcome this brave pirate to his cell When morning comes we’ll hang him from up there The light of dawn, the color of his blood!

They throw SAM down on the floor.

NANNI Aye, he hanged him by the yardam ‘till his tongue turned blue But the moral o’ the story, an whys I’m tellin’ you Don’t believe what they want ye t’blieve t’percieve about the robbers n’ thieves ‘cus the biggest thief of all be the chief of all we call the Royal Pyrate

SAM I ‘aint got ambitions to seize of no crown! We’ll be burning the monarchy down to the ground And’ democracy’ll reign just like on our ships! O’ that much I feel to be most well equipped

NANNI O’ the greater that ye get ye be but a bigger target 57.

If ye be goin’ up agin’ the boss best be equipped to pay the cost ya hear? if ye be seekin’ to topple the throne must have the cahones to sit on your own or you’re sure to meet of your fate, mate at the cold-gutted hands o’ Alexander the Great

ALL Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest Drink and the Devil had done for the rest Yo-ho-ho and a bottle o’ rum Thar be gulls on the deck to collect every crumb Just as soon as ye enemy falls, Ye see who got the balls To be the Royal Pyrate

ALEXANDER Nay, you shall burn in hell forevermore! Onto the stage, I think we’ll slay you now A rope, a rope, my kingdom for a rope And with your death, now dies the world’s last hope

A rope is put around SAM’s neck.. and suddenly A nine year old child runs out! It’s John “SQUID” King. He’s got a gun pointed at the actors!

SQUID Stop!!!

The action stops. The actors break character. PAULSGRAVE stands up from the assembled pirates who have been watching on-stage.

PAULSGRAVE Uh oh.

SQUID Don’t you do it! Don’t you hang my friend!

SAM pulls part of his costume off.

SAM It’s all right, Squid. It’s just a play! 58.

SQUID What?

SAM A play. It’s pretend. See?

He takes the noose off his neck.

SQUID I don’t - I don’t understand...

NANNI It’s for fun, Squid.

PAULSGRAVE Aye, that’s right. Thomas Davies, our resident carpenter, wrote ‘er, didn’t he, lads? A regular artiste aboard the crew, ain’t that right?

FERGUSON Aye, that he did!

DAVIES Because you kidnapped me and forced me to be your carpenter and I needed some kind of release from -

JULIAN elbows him in the ribs.

JULIAN Quiet.

PAULSGRAVE Now, come on, Squid, just lower the pistol.

SQUID does, slowly.

SQUID It looked so real.

NANNI Well, I dunno, I thought some a’ the choreography was a bit much…

SAM Paul, Nanni, just give me a minute, will ya, mates? 59.

PAULSGRAVE Aye, Cap’n. But don’t be tardy. There be some final arrangements to be met a’fore the mission ahead.

PAULSGRAVE and JULIAN start walking off.

JULIAN Why in the hell we let a kid in the crew, I’ll never know.

PAULSGRAVE We let you in, didn’t we?

JULIAN Well, you’d be food for Wellfleet seagulls if you hadn’t.

PAULSGRAVE, JULIAN and NANNI exit.

SAM Y’know, Squid, most a piracy’s just convincin’ folks that ya got the bigger cannon, even when ya don’t. Fear’s the most powerful weapon we got. More powerful than any cannon or cutlass. Cap’n Hornigold didn’t want to go after English ships. That’s why we voted him out. If the Navy knew the truth of a pirate’s life, how small a force we really are, they’d a cleaned us out of New Providence a year ago.

SQUID No way! You’re the scariest pirate in the world! Well…almost.

SAM Who’s scarier than me, huh?

SQUID The bearded guy...

SAM You know, some of the men placed bets on how long you’d last. I told ‘em appearances could be deceiving, though. John “the Squid” King was made a’ sterner stuff.

SQUID You did?

SAM Aye! Ya begged us for fifteen days to let you join the crew, while we robbed the ship we found you on. You threatened your mum to let you go with us, ya mad bugger! 60.

SQUID Aye...I did...

SAM It takes a lot of bravery to know what you want and to take it.

SQUID That’s not why I went.

SAM No?

SQUID I just...I just wish I could go back to the way things were. When we lived on . When my pa was around.

SAM Where’s he?

SQUID He died. My mum and me, we were on our way to Antigua, when you found us. She said she’d found a new pa for me...but I think she just wanted to get married again so she could have another kid and forget my pa and me and start her life all over again.

SAM So you thought you’d start over too.

SQUID Sam?

SAM Aye, Squid?

SQUID If you had a chance to go home...to you family...would you take it?

Pause.

SAM Let’s not keep the others waiting, eh Squid? We’ve got a ship to capture. 61.

SQUID goes. EDWARD comes out and watches them go and lights his pipe.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 2: WELLFLEET, MA - FEBRUARY, 1717

A courtroom in Wellfleet. TREAT stands before a gathering. At first it seems as though he is giving a sermon.

TREAT It always starts with a whisper. That part is oft forgotten. We remember the summer and the fall of ‘92 for the chaos it brought. The hay gone unhayed. The corn unharvested, fences un-repaired, crops untended. Orchards neglected and woodpiles depleted. The accusations, the pleas, the confessions...and the burials. That is how it ended, but my friends, it began just like this.

Some murmurings from the audience.

Friendships ended. Families torn apart. All thanks to that Deceiver, the Devil himself, who from this colony’s birth, promised to wage war on its people through insidious means. If you inhabit a city on a hill, you do by definition, stand atop a stage. Life is hard in Massachusetts Bay, and the Devil is wise in sniffing out the weak among the flock. He makes promises of beautiful gifts, tells his potential servants he will show them the wonders of the world. When you look up today you may think you see a neighbor. A friend. A daughter. I promise you that she is none of these things. Not anymore. Remember Exodus. “Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live.” Remember it well. Bring forth the accused.

MARY HALLET steps forward. Her hair is a mess, her clothing in rags. There is a mark upon her face.

TREAT Please speak your name before the jury.

She is silent for a moment before she speaks.

MARY Mary Hallett.

TREAT When did the devil first make his presence known to you? 62.

She doesn’t answer. She looks lost in this room full of accusing peers.

Do you deny he has spoken to you?

MARY I never saw the devil in my life.

TREAT He takes many forms. A wicked angel or a spirit, the prince of evil spirits or simply a vile and wicked person. A smuggler turned pirate, perhaps?

MARY I...

TREAT John 6:70. ‘As there had been a devil among the disciples, so, too, were there devils here in Christ’s little church.’ We are either saints or devils, goodie Hallett. The scripture allows no in-between. The Old Deluder tempts, afflicts, and works his infernal art through witchcraft. Are you a witch?

MARY No. No, no, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you what one was, Reverend. I couldn’t -

TREAT If you do not know what one is, how you then know that you are not a witch?

MARY Witches have...they have powers, do they not?

TREAT Aye, Goodie Hallett.

MARY Were I a witch...would you not know of my power?

There is murmuring in the room.

TREAT Do not threaten me, Goodie Hallett.

MARY I merely meant - 63.

TREAT You may not have power now, but you wanted it. Sought to gain it. Why?

MARY I didn’t. I don’t...I don’t want anything.

TREAT Everyone wants something. It is our life’s work to ignore those desires, for God is all we need. What was it, child? Splendid finery? Travel abroad? Fashionable books? I know you like your books...

MARY No!

TREAT Leisure from work? Gold? A husband? Your longings are no different than any other farm girl, stalled in this bleak, storm-prone landscape. What do you dream of?

MARY I don’t dare dream of anything anymore!

TREAT But you did. Something has latched on to your soul, felt your needs, your desires. Possessed you.

MARY No! Everything I have done, has happened because I willed it!

A gasp comes from the people.

TREAT So you admit it, then? What did he promise you?

MARY Nothing!

TREAT But he spoke to you? Hath the devil ever deceived you and been false to you?

MARY I do not know the devil and I never did see him!

TREAT What lying spirit was it then?

Silence. 64.

TREAT Did it demand you should go no more to meetings on the Sabbath day?

MARY No.

TREAT But you did yield to the devil, didn’t you? You never went to meeting, not once, since...since that day we spoke last spring.

MARY Because...because...

TREAT Yes. You thought I knew...your secret. This frightened you. Didn’t it?

MARY Yes.

TREAT I knew you carried a terrible secret, child. I wanted to help you. It’s why I came to you, sought you out in your brother’s barn that night.

MARY begins to weep. Did he make you do it?

MARY No! It...I left him, just for a moment...

TREAT Yes.

MARY He was bundled so tight. I left him in the straw when I got up to answer you at the door...

TREAT Yes.

MARY And when I returned to him. He...my baby...

TREAT You had offered your child up to the devil...for power.

MARY No! No! It was an accident. He...he choked...on a piece of straw! 65.

TREAT You traded him for what the devil promised you!

MARY I didn’t! It was accident! A terrible -

TREAT For the things you dreamed of. The end of a long ashen New England winter and a visit to exotic realms. Colors! Smells! Sounds! Were you jealous of Sam? Is that why you murdered his child?

MARY I...dreamed...I dreamed I could one day see...the things that he sees.

TREAT Do not worry. Sam Bellamy will soon enough see the inside of an executioner’s hood. And that’s a sight you will certainly share with him.

LIGHT SHIFT.

SCENE 3: WINDWARD PASSAGE - FEBRUARY, 1717

PAULSGRAVE and SAM at the deck of their ship. It’s a beautiful sunny Caribbean day. PAULSGRAVE’s got a spyglass out. JULIAN at the wheel.

PAULSGRAVE She ain’t here.

SAM Patience. She’ll be here.

JULIAN points at something in the distance.

JULIAN Sam! There! Sails on the horizon! It’s the Whydah!

SAM She’s runnin’ the gauntlet. Tackin’ her way between Cuba and . Dangerous. She must want out of these waters pretty bad.

PAULSGRAVE Can’t imagine why.

NANNI comes running on. 66.

NANNI Orders, captain! Raise the black flag?

SAM No. Not yet. We can’t outrun her. She’s the fastest ship in the ocean. Raise up the Jack, see how long we can fool ‘em into think we’re friends. Intercept course. And full sails!

NANNI Aye, aye cap’n!

SAM The chase is on.

Lights shift!

LAWRENCE PRINCE and his MATE aboard the Whydah. PRINCE has a spyglass out and looks out to sea.

PRINCE Looks like medium sized warship and a sloop-of-war...

MATE Pirates?

PRINCE I don’t know. She’s flying the Union Jack...but that warship’s far too big to be a pirate ship. They are following us, though...

MATE Following us? Do they need help?

PRINCE Perhaps. Their sails are rather...patchy.

MATE Shall we wait for them to get closer?

PRINCE No...no, I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. Look.

He hands the spyglass to the MATE.

PRINCE That’s an intercept course they’re on. (shouting to his crew) More sail! Stay alert! And keep some distance from those two ships! 67.

Lights shift back to SAM and PAULSGRAVE.

PAULSGRAVE Think they’re on to us, Sammy...

SAM Aye, I think you’re right...

JULIAN The Whydah’s going full sail!

PAULSGRAVE They’re definitely on to us.

SAM Tear down the Jack, men! Raise the Black Flag! After that ship!

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 4: WELLFLEET, MA - FEBRUARY, 1717

Evening. A jail cell. It is cramped and dirty. MARY sits on a small cot, staring into nothing. MEHITABLE comes up to the cell.

MEHITABLE I’ve spoken to your father and your brother says he won’t let this stand. We’ll find a way to get you out of here, I promise you. To acquit you and throw the charges away, before...before...

MARY Before they hang me.

MEHITABLE Oh, Mary...don’t say that, please...

MARY That’s what they plan to do. They can’t prove that I...I...

MEHITABLE Don’t say it, Mary. Please don’t say it,

MARY Murdered. My son. 68.

MEHITABLE God...

MARY A dead child. With a mouth full of straw.

MEHITABLE Your father plans to come here soon. He’ll help. He will. I’ll make him -

MARY If he were coming...he’d have been here already.

MEHITABLE Is there anything you need? Anything at all? I’ll bring it. I’ll come back.

MARY No. I don’t need anything anymore.

MEHITABLE We all need something, Mary.

MARY What do you need?

MEHITABLE Me?

After a moment.

I need you to hope.

MARY Is that when you believe a better future is coming over the horizon?

MEHITABLE Yes.

MARY I don’t think I can do that for you.

MEHITABLE goes. MARY continues to stare out. Time passes. The moonlight shifts and moves across the floor, the bars of the window striking through it. 69.

She starts to sing her lullaby again, to herself.

After a moment, a shadow passes from the hallway across the light on the floor.

MARY looks up. Is someone there?

There’s no answer. Please answer.

There’s no answer. A shadow passes into the moonlight. A dark figure with a crown. Who are you?

It goes. MARY goes to the jail door. She touches the bars. And the door slowly swings open.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 5: NEAR - FEBRUARY, 1717

A loud cannon blast is heard breaks the peace and we hear a splash of water as it crashes close, too close, to SAM and his crew! They all duck for cover

SAM They’re running scared now!

NANNI They been running scared three days, Captain! We’re almost three hundred bloody miles from where we started, halfway up the Bahamas!

SAM Then they’re tired. They’re bound to make a mistake.

NANNI They ain’t the only ones tired.

Another blast of cannon! SAM and NANNI duck!

SAM Not runnin’ scared enough maybe... 70.

SAM turns to go.

NANNI Where you going?

SAM I have an idea. Squid! Squid! ! Damn! Where is that blasted powder monkey?

SQUID rushes on.

SQUID Aye, Cap’n!

SAM Squid! You remember the play from before? ‘The Royal Pyrate?’

SQUID Y-yes?

SAM I want you to gather all the men, find Davies. Get them on board deck. As many costumes, props...weapons! Anything not bolted down!

SQUID But - aren’t we still chasing that ship? Why you want to put on a play?

SAM Now, Squid!

SAM looks at NANNI, who’s been watching him.

NANNI What was that you was sayin’ ‘bout mistakes, Captain?

Lights shift.

PRINCE and the MATE again look out to their pursuers. PRINCE puts down his spyglass.

MATE has the spyglass out.

MATE What in the nine hells... 71.

PRINCE What? What is it?

MATE They’re dressed in...table cloths?

PRINCE Tables cloths? Give me that?

He grabs the spyglass from the MATE.

What are they doing?

MATE listens. There’s the sound of drumming. And singing...?

MATE Is that...music?

PRINCE Sounds like they’re singing...yo...ho?

There’s a chorus of “Yo Ho” as we build into the song (which sounds like it comes from the show we saw that opened the Act).

Lights shift back to SAM’s ship. It’s looking like the play within the play again, only some of the props and a bit more anachronistic this time, as though they kind of had to just go with what they had aboard ship. There’s drumming and effects and the pirate fire their weapons in the air throughout, almost as added percussion.

Lights shift.

PRINCE Good lord in heaven. They’re armed to the teeth. Muskets, ...

MATE is practically dancing to the music.

MATE Haven’t seen anything half so good since I was last at Covent Garden... 72.

PRINCE gives him a look.

Uh, I mean...oh no, that one’s holding a grenade?

PRINCE Oh shut up.

The music builds.

SAM has snuck on board and has his sword pointed at PRINCE and the MATE.

PRINCE Aah!

SAM Like the show?

PRINCE Who? How did you -

SAM A pirate can work wonders with a row boat. Surrender or die.

PRINCE Wait...you’re...you’re...

SAM does a little bow.

SAM Black Sam Bellamy.

PRINCE faints.

MATE Sorry, he hasn’t slept in a few days.

SAM (to PRINCE’s crew) We don’t want a fight, just your ship. I figure if your captain’s like every other merchant captain I’ve known, that’s probably all right with you. Am I right?

NANNI, PAULSGRAVE, TAKYI, ORPHONOKO, FERGUSON, JULIAN, SQUID, and QUINTOR all come aboard, armed and still wearing bits of their costumes. 73.

SAM Paul, Nanni, go see what they’re carrying below deck.

They go. The MATE revives PRINCE.

Don’t worry. You’ll be treated fair enough. Fairer than you’ve treated your people, I’m sure, slaver.

PRINCE What about my ship?

SAM We’ll put its fate to a vote.

PRINCE A vote?

SAM What do you say, lads? Do we give England back her ship, or do we keep it for ourselves?

The men cheer “keep it!” “It’s ours!”

I’m sorry, captain. You heard my men. They won’t let you have your ship back.

PRINCE You put a ship’s destiny in the hands of her crew?! Why, it’s anarchy!

SQUID Actually, it’s democratic process and it’s proven quite effective in certain --

PRINCE On my ship, you’d be flogged an inch from death for such insolence!

SAM I’m sorry: on whose ship?

PRINCE My -

SAM Whose?

PRINCE (small) Your ship. 74.

SAM We’ll let you off in the Bahamas. Probably more than you deserve.

PRINCE You’re a traitor. You were Navy, you were -

SAM’s jovial air turns dark and he grabs PRINCE by the collar.

SAM Listen to me, Captain. You are a sneaking puppy, and so are all those who submit to laws the rich men have made for their own security. Damn you altogether!

FERGUSON Oh ho, Black Sam’s blood be hot, me hearties!

SAM Damn them all for a pack of crafty rascals, and captains like you who serve them, for a parcel of hen-hearted numbskulls!

A sailor makes a chicken clucking noise.

They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference!

SQUID What’s the difference, Sam?

SAM They rob the poor under the cover of law and we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage! You are a devilish rascal! I am a free prince, and I have as much authority to make war on the whole world as he who has a hundred sail of ships at sea and an army of one hundred thousand men in the field! And this my conscience tells me! There is no arguing with sniveling puppies like you, who allow superiors to kick them about deck at pleasure and pin their faith upon a pimp of a parson, a squab, who neither practices nor believes what he puts upon the chuckle-headed fools he preaches to. I’ll never be so pathetic again.

He looks at his crew. None of us will.

PRINCE You’re a devil. Me, I’m no saint but at least I never ruined a girl’s life.

Silence. 75.

SAM What did you say?

PRINCE That’s right, I know all about you, Bellamy.

PAULSGRAVE You shut your gob, you.

PRINCE Go ahead! Take my ship! Have fun down here in the Caribbean sun! You ever show your face in New England again, they’ll have your head on a pike for what you’ve done.

PAULSGRAVE He’s trying to get a rise out of you, Sammy...

SAM What are you talking about?

PAULSGRAVE Sam...

SAM Shut up! What happened to her. Tell me! Or I’ll peel your skin like a mango.

PRINCE No need for threats. They burnt her for a witch.

SAM No...

PAULSGRAVE Come on, Sam...he’s lying.

PAULSGRAVE leads SAM away from PRINCE.

PRINCE What reason have I got to lie? She murdered her baby. Offered it up to the only devil she knew. Now who does that remind you of?

SAM stops. He turns around and shoots PRINCE dead.

LIGHTS SUDDENLY OUT! 76.

SCENE 6: WELLFLEET - FEBRUARY, 1717

The wilds of . MARY HALLETT stumbles through a forest, her clothing in rags.

MARY Hello? I’m through following you until you tell me who you are!

There’s no response. The woods are very quiet.

Is there anyone out here?

An owl hoots. MARY jumps.

I’m so cold. I’m...I’m not going to make it. Do you hear me?

There’s no indication anybody does.

I’m going to sit down here and I’m going to make myself as small as possible and I am going to die. And I don’t care anymore. I don’t want this anymore. Any of it. They will find my bones in the spring and they will be just as confused as to how I got out of that jail cell as I am.

She sits down. She hugs her knees. There’s a howling in the distance. She looks up. She stands up. Another howl from somewhere else.

There’s suddenly a growling much closer. MARY clearly sees where it’s coming from, even if we don’t.

Stay back. I’m warning you.

She finds a stick and begins swing it back and forth.

You stay away from me!

Another growl, from behind her, she swings her branch and trips and falls. She spins around to fend off the other wolf but...there’s nothing there. She cautiously stands up and wanders to where the sound had been...and picks up a a large, warm fur. She holds it out cautiously. And then she throws it over herself. 77.

She begins to walk again. There’s the sound of a beach ahead. The crash of waves. No gulls, but the moonlight shines bright on the ocean.

Land’s end. Why did you bring me here?

There’s no answer.

Are you out there? Is this fur...is this yours?

Still no sound.

I can see you. I think. Or is that just the moonlight playing tricks with my eyes?

Suddenly, she pulls the fur off her shoulders and bellows at the sea.

I’m not going any further! It’s one hundred feet down from these dunes! I’m staying right here! I’m not going anywhere else! I’ll live here if I have to, in the ruins of this new world, but I won’t walk another step for anyone!

The wind begins to pick up.

I won’t do it! I won’t! My home is the sea!

The wind picks up and she collapses to the floor, crying., beating at the earth with her fists.

She pulls the fur back around her shoulders and bellows into the wind, screaming into the void. The noise of her shout seems to reverberate and get louder, louder than the human voice can shout, inhumanly loud, echoing into the infinite Atlantic Ocean.

LIGHTS SHIFT

SCENE 7: NEW PROVIDENCE, BAHAMAS - FEBRUARY, 1717

In darkness, we hear MARY’s cry continue to echo. And then it becomes a man’s voice. The lights come up on a room. SAM is sitting in a chair, he sits up. He’s been sleeping.

SAM Mary...? 78.

PAULSGRAVE enters the room.

PAULSGRAVE Sam?

SAM Wha - oh, Paul. Reckon I nodded off there for a moment. Was dreamin’...

PAULSGRAVE Well, no wonder. Three days without sleep, chasing a ship three hundred miles’ll tax the mettle of anyone. What’s the matter? You look all washed out. You feelin’ all right?

SAM I feel like someone walked over me grave.

Lights shift. A giant pirate party, right out on the docks of New Providence.

There’s a huge cheer as SAM walks out. Music from a pirate band, dancing! Women kiss him on the cheek, and pirates toss up their mugs of grog for a toast.

SQUID Elephant tusks!

DAVIES A fortune in ivory! Stacked like cordwood!

QUINTOR Gold, silver, gems! Bags n’ bags of ‘em!

PAULSGRAVE puts his arm around SAM’s shoulder.

PAULSGRAVE 30,000 pounds, me hearty! Ha ha! Who needs to go a wreckin’ for Spanish treasure with a take like this?

NANNI Sugar, molasses. Indigo plants, Cinoba bark...

EDWARD appears again.

EDWARD Damn my lights and gizzard, quite a take, me lad. Quite a take indeed, indeed! 79.

SAM Aye, Edward. Biggest we’ve ever had.

EDWARD And the Whydah too! I knew I was right about you. But I see it in yer eyes, Sam. You ain’t satisfied yet, is ya?

SAM No. I’m not satisfied.

PAULSGRAVE But lad, look at all this. Ya can celebrate a proud achievement for one evening, can’t ya? Then ya can get back to work.

EDWARD What would ya have the Flying Gang do, commodore? With a ship like the Whydah, there ain’t nothin’ in the world you can’t take for yourself.

JULIAN Sam doesn’t take for himself. If any man in the crew wants money, he can have it.

SAM Treasure’s left without guard here, Edward. Everyone’s paid equal.

PAULSGRAVE (to the crew) But ya can’t have any without yer quartermaster’s leave, mind you, ya sea rats!

EDWARD Aye, you trust each other. It’s commendable to see a crew so close. With every voice equal. ‘Course, ye’d be nowhere if ya didn’t have a captain as brave as Samuel here.

JULIAN That’s why we elected him.

EDWARD And you showed vision in doing so. A laudable thing, democracy. Them Greeks ya likes to dress up as did the world a favor when they created it, aye, that they did. ‘Course, it didn’t last forever. Ask Alexander. He weren’t elected. An emperor of the world, he were, ain’t that right, Sammy? The King of Death itself. Just like you.

DAVIES Well, in the play I wrote, I portrayed him as a - 80.

EDWARD So, what’s a man like Black Sam want to do next, now that he’s the king of the waves?

SAM We haven’t discussed that yet.

EDWARD No? (he looks at JULIAN) How about you, laddie? What would you have us do?

JULIAN I’d...I’d squeeze these merchants for all they were worth.

EDWARD So you’d stay in the Caribbean?

JULIAN Aye.

EDWARD (to NANNI) And you?

NANNI I would conquer Jamaica.

EDWARD Oh ho! And how would you do that, m’lady?

NANNI Blockade the harbor. Send pirates into the mountains to unite with the freemen there. Squeeze the plantations from both sides.

EDWARD Well, certainly not lacking in vision, though methinks the fighting’ll be hot in Kingston Town. Aye, damn hot! Ha Ha!

PAULSGRAVE What’s the point of all this, Edward?

EDWARD I want to know what Captain Black Sam wants to do with his ship of force. 81.

There’s a silence. They all look at SAM.

SAM I want...

Silence.

I want to go home.

There’s a reaction of surprise from the assembled party. Listen! We’ve done enough here! Spring’s nigh - we can head north again, we can seize ships passing in and out of the gates of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, the harbors of Charleston, New York...they’ve never seen anything like us. They’ll never know what hit ‘em.

PAULSGRAVE Wellfleet?

SAM What’s that?

PAULSGRAVE Ya got an eye on goin’ there? That’s north too, ya know. Ya didn’t mention it, so I just want to be clear on -

SAM You’re doubting my motives? You?

PAULSGRAVE No, Sam. Goin’ north in hurricane season, that’d makes sense, not in the dead of -

SAM Good. I’d be alarmed if a quartermaster didn’t trust his captain.

PAULSGRAVE Well, then maybe we oughta vote.

SAM Vote.

PAULSGRAVE On whether we stay here. Or go...home. 82.

EDWARD All who’d stay in fish these waters, raise yer hands and say ‘aye.’

The assembled crew is hesitant but they near all raise their hands.

All who’d vote with your captain, and sail up north to new and fresher waters, raise yer hand and say ‘aye.’

SQUID Aye!

They look at him.

What? I never been up north before.

SAM Not even you, Julian?

JULIAN Sam...

SAM You don’t trust me either?

JULIAN It’s not that.

SAM So, what is it then? Huh?

JULIAN It’s...

SAM What? Spit it out!

JULIAN They killed Will! I never want to go back there again! All right? I’d rather die than go back!

SAM You’re afraid? You? 83.

JULIAN Yes, I’m afraid, Sam. Afraid I’d go back there, get Reverend Treat in my sights and that I’d get so in love with killing, I’d never stop.

EDWARD Sounds like I need you on my crew, boy! Ha! Ha!

SAM You’re my pilot, Julian. Act like it.

SAM turns to the crowd.

We are at war. The crown, the Navy, the merchants, the slavers...they all want our heads. They’d burn this island to the ground if they could, knock it over like that earthquake swallowed up ! And in battle, the captain has the last say. And last I checked, that’s me. And I say, we’re going north! Anybody got anything to say to that? A vote a no confidence?

He looks at JULIAN.

Speak now. Or we’re done with it. No?

JULIAN looks downward.

I thought not.

PAULSGRAVE Hey, captain...You know you ain’t the Royal Pyrate, don’t ya?

SAM What?

PAULSGRAVE The Royal Pyrate. In Davies’ stupid play. It’s Alexander, not Diomedes! That’s the whole blasted point of that story!

SAM scowls and turns. DAVIS gets in his way.

DAVIES Ahh, speaking of my stupid play. Uh...since you’re headed north and all, I was wondering, cap’n, if you’d put any more thought into...uh...letting me go. 84.

SAM I would rather first shoot you, then whip you to death at the mast, Davies.

He goes to a door.

Enjoy your celebration tonight. Tomorrow we make preparation.

SAM goes.

DAVIES So, I guess that’s a no?

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 8: WELLFLEET - APRIL, 1717

Outside the house of JOHN HALLETT. It’s quiet and empty, lit only with candle light. There’s a knock on the door from MEHITABLE in a cloak.

HALLETT (OFF) Yes! Aye, I’m coming. Hold your damned horses. Who is it? Damned foolish to be out on a night like tonight...

He opens the door.

Mehitable? Well, come in, come in. What are you doing out on the roads on a night like tonight? Fog’s as thick as chowder. Can’t see a damnable thing.

MEHITABLE Mister Hallett, it’s -

HALLETT It’s John, please. You’ve been in this family long enough. You’re practically //my -

MEHITABLE //your daughter.

There’s a pause.

HALLETT What about her?

MEHITABLE I’m worried about her. 85.

HALLETT Why?

MEHITABLE Because of the weather. John says -

HALLETT What does John say?

MEHITABLE He says it’s going to be a bad one. That’s what they’re all saying in the village. The worst storm in a hundred years...

HALLETT Well, good reason to stay in doors, then, isn’t it?

MEHITABLE Mary -

HALLETT Is dead.

MEHITABLE No, she’s not.

HALLETT No one’s seen her in two months! Where would she be? Run off to live with the Indians?

MEHITABLE Why are you being this way?

HALLETT What way?

MEHITABLE So...cruel about it.

HALLETT Cruel?

MEHITABLE looks at him with concern. There’s no animosity in her question.

MEHITABLE She’s your daughter. 86.

HALLETT You’re my daughter.

MEHITABLE I’m not. Sir...John...she’s all alone out there.

Silence.

HALLETT It’s easier for me. To let her go. If...if I believe - that she’s dead.

MEHITABLE She’s alive, though! I know it.

HALLETT How?

MEHITABLE Please come with me. My husband has the horses.

Lights shift.

HALLET, JOHN JR, and MEHITABLE walk through the thick fog holding lanterns.

HALLETT Here? Out on the dunes? Nobody lives out here.

JOHN JR Old Man Harding said he heard someone singing. He saw a lantern on the beach, a hut -

HALLETT Bloody mooncussers! They lure ships too close to shore with their blasted lanterns and scavenge the wreckage like vultures once they’ve run aground.

JOHN JR It was a woman’s voice, pa.

HALLETT Don’t know how we’ll see anything in this soup...

MEHITABLE Mary? Mary, are you out here?

HALLETT Bloody foolish, if you ask me... 87.

JOHN JR Nobody did, Father.

HALLETT looks at his son in shock.

Mary! Please, if you can hear us...it’s your family.

The wind is picking up.

HALLETT We shouldn’t stay out here.

JOHN JR We’ll stay out here ‘till we’re satisfied she isn’t here!

MEHITABLE Mary! Please answer!

JOHN JR It’s going to get rather rough out here!

HALLETT You’re going to lose your voice shouting your head off like that. She isn’t here. No one with any sense would be. Come, Let’s go back, I’ll put some flip on, we’ll get warm and -

MEHITABLE Mary! We want to take you home!

A figure comes out wearing the wolf fur and holding a large staff with a lantern at its end. It’s MARY.

Mary.

JOHN JR Oh my god.

There’s silence. Even the wind has temporarily died down. No one knows what to do. JOHN HALLETT slowly shuffles toward his daughter.

HALLETT D-d-daughter?

MARY Who are you. 88.

HALLETT It’s me. It’s your father.

MARY I don’t have one.

HALLETT Please, Mary. Let us take you back. I promise you, I will make it right with the village. With the Reverend. Nobody believes you did the things he said. I swear it.

MARY But I did.

HALLETT What?

MARY My son is dead.

MEHITABLE But it wasn’t your fault.

MARY No? Whose was it? Someone needed to pay.

MEHITABLE Not you. It was an accident. God...perhaps God needed him.

MARY I don’t think it’s God who took him.

The wind picks up again.

You should go indoors. It isn’t safe out here anymore.

MARY blows out her lantern. She’s gone.

MEHITABLE Mary? Mary!

LIGHTS SHIFT. 89.

SCENE 9: SOMEWHERE NEAR NANTUCKET - APRIL, 1717

PAULSGRAVE and SAM aboard the Whydah.

SAM You’ll stay on the Mary-Anne. I’m putting Noland in charge of the Ann. We’ll scuttle the Agnes. Nanni takes the Endeavor. Quintor the Leith.

PAULSGRAVE Aye, that’ll do.

SAM I should hope so. That will be all, quartermaster.

PAULSGRAVE turns to go and then.

PAULSGRAVE All right, Sam, ya proved yer damned point! You were right! These waters be much richer indeed. Six bloody ships since New York! Hard to stay mad at ya when ye’re keepin’ us rich. Ye’ve got the makings of a fleet, boyo. A funny thing, though, your pal Blackbeard makin’ all that stink, and then not joinin’ us on this little journey.

SAM He has his reasons.

PAULSGRAVE I’m sure he does. The weather’s turning, Sam.

SAM I’ll put lanterns on the Whydah’s bow so the others don’t lose sight of me.

PAULSGRAVE Well, maybe the Whydah can handle the weather but I don’t know about the rest of ‘um. Think we oughta find a safe port somewhere, wait it out, don’t you think? I got family in Block Island. We’ll be safe there.

SAM You can wait it out. I’m sailing on.

The rain starts.

PAULSGRAVE Rain before wind, Sam. 90.

SAM Aye. Never a good sign. (to crew) Loosen up those sheets, boys. Storm’s coming.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 10: OFF THE COAST OF CAPE COD - APRIL, 1717

Darkness. Wind howls. Rain falls in sheets. Then there’s a flash of lightning, and we can see the chaos of the ship inside a tempest straight from hell.

The crew races about, pulling ropes, bringing down sails, bailing water out. Chaos.

SAM Bring the wind on the port quarter and steady her! Stay ye put upon the deck, and do yer jobs!

FERGUSON She’s rising, Sam!

SAM Damn it, she’s practically takin’ off! The braces! The braces! Stand ye by the braces!

JULIAN We should shorten sail!

SAM She can weather worse than this!

JULIAN Aye, Cap’n!

A loud noise as a cannon comes loose.

SAM Tie down those guns! The next one what comes loose is like enough to put a hole through the ship and take three a you with her!

SAILOR 2 Aye! 91.

SAM And square the mainyard!

SAILOR 1 Aye, Cap’n!

SAM Haul away the main brace! Put your backs into it! Haul away!

SAILOR 2 She’s comin’ apart!

SAM Go tie that cannon up! She’s coming loose! Hoist the peak of the goff-spar till’ there ain’t no wrinkles left!

A loud burst of thunder! Lights flash!

FERGUSON We be losing every inch we sail!

SAM Lay in, men! Catch a turn with that brace! All fast! This wind be delivering us straight ta’ Wellfleet!

JULIAN If we don’t cut sail, we’ll dash ourselves in those shallows, Sam! She’ll come right apart.

SAM She’ll hold together. We’re almost there! Julian! Shift her around -- take the wind on the starboard quarter!

Ripping sounds and men yelling.

FERGUSON She’s done for, Cap’n! You can’t jibe in this! The spanker’s carried away!

SAM Get the lads on the footropes, there’s wind enough to tack her in...

FERGUSON Tack her in!? The mainsail’s ripped in half! The mast is going to --

A loud crash and screams. 92.

SAM No...

JULIAN We’re a hundred yards from the coast -- we could make it, Sam, we could --

SAM You’d freeze to death before you got past the breakers.

FERGUSON She’s about to hit that --

There’s a loud crash as the ship hits the shallows, then time seems to slow. There’s a low, slow lurching sound and the men all go flying. SAM loses his balance and loses his footing and -

DARKNESS.

SCENE 11: ELSEWHERE, ELSEWHEN

There’s darkness for a long time. Then the soft singing of MARY’s lullaby.

SAM lies sprawled on the floor.

The lights start getting longer and more nightmarish. Drums can be heard in the distance.

A child comes out. SAM looks up. Who are you?

BOY My name’s Sam. What’s your name?

SAM Sam?

Two Macedonian soldiers appear.

They pound their spears on the floor, and a door swings open, pouring in demonic light. When SAM turns back to the boy, the child is gone. 93.

An entourage enters the space. An emperor, followed by his retinue. The emperor wears a crown that almost seems to float above his head in flame. It’s KING DEATH.

The guards chain SAM and pull him down to a kneeling position before the KING.

Who are you? What is this place? Why am I here?

A WOMAN approaches. She is garbed in a long robe and a hood covers here face. She holds a scroll that opens up and spills out onto the floor.

MARY takes a dagger and stabs KING DEATH! He collapses to the floor, his crown spilling off his head.

The guards back away from SAM and pull out their swords and point them at her. She simply holds the crown.

SAM’s chains fall away from him.

MACEDONIANS (singing) TURN THE CROWN UPSIDE DOWN, THROW THE OLD KING TO THE GROUND. DRINKETH THE BLOOD UP FROM THE ROYAL CUP. SEIZE THE POWER BY THE THROAT, FILL A MOAT OF BLOOD TO FORTIFY THY CASTLE WALLS. MAY FIRE PERSPIRE FROM YOUR ENEMY’S HALLS. MAY THE MAGGOTS CRAWL UPON YOUR ENEMY’S FALL. WHO CAN TEAR THE OLD KING DOWN? WHO CAN TEAR THE OLD KING DOWN? SEVER HIS HEAD AND EAT OF HIS HEART. TEAR THE PRINCE OF POWER APART. WHO CAN SEIZE THE OLD MAN’S CROWN? WHO CAN TEAR THE OLD KING DOWN? SEIZE THE CROWN, SEIZE THE CROWN! SEIZE THE CROWN! SEIZE THE CROWN!

SAM bends down and picks up the Emperor’s sword. MARY puts the crown on top her head. 94.

The lights go out! A long blackness.

Then a flash of lightning! The crash of waves! Winds howling!

Another flash of lightning and we see we are on the beach. The Whydah bow is pointing straight up out of the ocean, shipwrecked in the shallows. Two figures come out of the ocean together. SAM is barely conscious, being pulled by the other. MARY gets him out of the water and places him down on the sand. She bends down to touch his face and make sure he’s still alive.

She places an object down on the sand by his body. The glowing crown of KING DEATH.

The wind howls to a deafening level and then...

BLACK OUT.

END ACT TWO 95.

ACT THREE

SCENE 1: - MAY, 1716

In darkness, we hear thunder growing more distant. A storm ending.

Lights come up on the docks of Boston. A fifty-five year old man in a powdered wig oversees the loading of a ship. He is Commander CYPRIAN SOUTHACK, gentleman. He opens a book and begins to read.

SOUTHACK “From the Journals of Commander Cyprian Southack, gentleman. Tuesday, the First of May, the year of our Lord and savior 1717. Ten o’clock in the morning, Boston. ‘The Pyrate Ship commanded by Capt. , was shipwreckt on the shore of Eastham whereof about 130 men were drown’d and none saved that we yet know of...A great many Men have taken up Dead near the Place where the Ship was cast away.’ (to a dockworker carrying navigational equipment) Be careful with that. It’s very expensive and it’s your head if it is damaged! (back to his journal) My orders are clear. Recover and bring back to Boston the “Money, Bullion, Treasure, Goods and Merchandizes taken out of said ship before it is carried off by the farmers and local riff-raff of Cape Cod and take into custody any pirates who might yet be hiding out in the surrounding areas.

Ship bells are heard. The sails open up and gulls are heard. They are away! Lights change.

Wednesday, Second of May, 1717. Luck has not been with us and our journey from Boston to Cape Cod. I have obtained through exorbitant purchase an old map showing a natural canal crossing Cape Cod and ending at Nauset Harbor, just a few miles from where Bellamy’s ship has met its fate.

Lights change. A rooster crows.

From the Journals of Commander Cyprian Southack, gentleman. Thursday, Third of May, 1717. Our carefully plotted plan did not take into account the age of the aforementioned map. It seems in the years since our map was drawn, the natural canal’s depth has grown shallower than portrayed on paper. It was not long after setting sail that our newly purchased whale boat hit bottom and we were forced to create poles from nearby ash trees to free it. 96.

Lights change. Waves and gulls heard.

Fourth of May, 1717. We have counted more than one hundred dead pirates, and after a week without burial, the odor is ghastly. It is obvious to me that between the time of the sinking and the time of my arrival at the beach, opportunist Cape Codders, many with horses and wagons, have cleared the area of everything that could be carried away. Most disturbing of all is the state of the bodies. Beyond the bloating and bursting of bellies, the damage by gull and crab, it seems the locals, dissatisfied with merely taking such items as shoes and pistols from the corpses, have stolen rings and earrings, many but cutting off the pirates’ fingers and ears.

The next morning dawns.

Saturday, Fifth of May, 1717. Morning. I have placed an advertisement in the local newspaper stating my intentions and warning citizens that they will find themselves in perilous legal jeopardy if they do not cooperate with me and return whatever is in their possession.

Lights shift

Accompanied by a DEPUTY, he knocks on a door. An old man, SAMUEL HARDING, answers. Excuse me...have you -

SAMUEL HARDING Ain’t seen a dag-blasted thing!

He slams the door shut in SOUTHACK’s face.

SOUTHACK turns back to his journal.

SOUTHACK If I cannot retrieve what has been looted from the beach, I will go after the bigger prize! I have written to Governor Shute and informed him that I am in great hope that where the anchors are the money is. Weather permitting, I have a whale boat to fish upon these wrecks.

Lights shift.

Tuesday, May 7: At Pirate wreck this morning wind at south east and rain, a very great Sea on the wreck; nothing to be done. 97.

Lights shift.

Wednesday, May 8: At Pirate Wreck this morning, wind at East. Small gale & foggy, a great Sea on the Wreck. Nothing to be done there.

Lights shift.

Thursday, May 9: at Pirate Wreck this morning. Wind at South and fog. Strong gale & great Sea, nothing to be done on the Wreck.

Lights shift.

Monday, May 13th. It has become clear that the Whydah is in water too turbulent, too murky, too deep, and too dangerous to make recovery of its cargo. The mission has been a total failure. All I have to show for my efforts are a collection of timbers, cables, beams, canvas and now, a hefty bill from Eastham’s town coroner for burying the dead pirates that keep washing ashore. I was outraged to be asked to pay for these services, and have refused to do so, but the coroner has now determined to sue me for payment. I return to Boston empty-handed, save for a lawsuit hanging over my head. The vessel Swan, commanded by a certain Captain Dogget, has been commissioned to pick me up in Provincetown and sail me, my deputies and our meager recoveries back to Boston.

He puts his journal down. A DEPUTY comes forward.

Where is this Captain Dogget anyway? He was supposed to be here hours ago!

DEPUTY I don’t know, sir. Perhaps he ran into some nasty weather?

SOUTHACK (growling) Must everything on this bloody elbow of sand be a chore?

DEPUTY points out to the horizon

DEPUTY Wait! There he is, sir! Good heavens, his ship looks rather worse for wear, doesn’t it?

SOUTHACK Just praise God we will at last be delivered from this narrow land with its narrow minded yokelry forevermore. Let us board and be done with this place.

He hands the journal to the DEPUTY.

Make sure this journal get stored safely. 98.

Governor Shute will want a full report of this expedition and its myriad “failures” and this will serve as ah...evidence of that. Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone what we actually uncovered out in those dunes. Understood?

DEPUTY But I don’t understand, sir. What did you discover? I thought we didn’t find anything out there.

SOUTHACK Yes. You’re absolutely right. We didn’t find anything. Good lad. Well, what are you waiting for? I will wait here and greet Captain Dogget when he arrives.

DEPUTY Aye, sir!

SOUTHACK watches the DEPUTY run off. After a moment, he takes his powdered wig off and removes a folded up paper. We can see the giant red X clear as day.

SOUTHACK X marks the spot.

The lights shift. SOUTHACK comes aboard ship. Captain “Dogget” faces away from him.

SOUTHACK Ah, Captain Dogget, is it? I must say, I expected to sail back to Boston in something a little better kept than this.

“Captain DOGGET” faces away from his as he responds.

“DOGGET” I’m afraid the Swan saw a bit of action on our way across the Bay, Master Southack.

He turns around. We see that Captain DOGGET is in fact EDWARD “Blackbeard” Thatch.

You know these waters are simply brimming with pirates. Now, tell me...did you find anything interesting out on them beaches, matey?

LIGHTS SHIFT. 99.

SCENE 2 - EASTHAM, MA - APRIL, 1716 (ONE WEEK AGO)

SAMUEL HARDING, the old farmer from the previous scene, closes the door. JULIAN and DAVIES wait in the corner, nervously waiting for news.

SAMUEL HARDING He’s gone.

JULIAN Who was that? What did he want?

SAMUEL HARDING Says his name were...Cyprian Southack. Wondered if I’d come across any valuables, come off that wrecked pirate ship out there.

DAVIES Ya didn’t tell him about the two of us hidin’ in here, did ya?

SAMUEL HARDING Now do I look like the kinda fella who would do a foolish thing like rat out my meal ticket? You two are gonna make me rich!

He laughs. DAVIES and JULIAN look at each other.

Lights shift. The wind outside howls.

JULIAN and DAVIES walk the beach, with SAMUEL HARDING behind them, carrying a musket. HARDING sings to himself.

DAVIES I don’t like this one bit.

JULIAN You could always explain your innocence to him. I’m sure our host would completely understand.

DAVIES There’s nothing out here anymore. Farmer Harding? I don’t think there’s anything left! You and your neighbors have gotten it all!

SAMUEL HARDING Well, ‘tain’t no harm in lookin’ a bit more, I always says! 100.

DAVIES I think there’s something a bit ...off about our host.

JULIAN (squinting at something in the distance) What’s that?

DAVIES I mean, in the head. Like Cornelius Hoof. You remember him? Boatswain in the Flying Gang? Never the same after that bit of rigging hit him in the -

JULIAN No, that! (he points) Looks like a hut...

DAVIES Who the hell would live out here on this beach?

SAMUEL HARDING Moon-cussers, that’s who! You go on ahead and take a look inside. ‘Less it’s nailed down, it’s all fair game.

DAVIES But what if someone’s inside?

SAMUEL HARDING (indicates the musket) S’why I brought this, isn’t it?

JULIAN and DAVIES go to the hut. Some dogs bark in the distance.

Better hurry, lads. There’s going to be some company!

JULIAN and DAVIES come out of the hut.

Well? You find anything good?

DAVIES holds a book.

A bible? Already got me one of them. 101.

DAVIES It’s...Hello...helloweez? Helloweez and Able Yard. Or something. (he looks at JULIAN) This was the Captain’s. You don’t think...you don’t think he’s alive? Do you?

DAVIES Don’t see how he could be.

SAMUEL HARDING You ain’t hidin’ anything from me, is you?

He jabs the musket at DAVIES, who drops something.

What’s this? Thought we had some trust be’tween us, boys.

He picks up the item. It’s the Crown fromt the end of ACT TWO.

Well, now...this looks like something...

Suddenly, JULIAN knees the farmer in the stomach!

DAVIES What the hell are you doing?

JULIAN Come on!

JULIAN grabs DAVIES by the arm, and runs off with him. They run off, but then DAVIES runs back, grabbing the crown.

I’ll just, uh, be taking this.

He starts to run again when a musket goes off. JULIAN and DAVIES halt. But it wasn’t HARDING’s rifle. He’s still puking on the sand.

TREAT enters the space, along with some men (BICKERS, FETTERS?). 102.

TREAT It seems God has spared some survivors during this time of tide after all. Arrest these men and bring them to the jail. We’ll finish the job for Him.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 3: EASTHAM, MA - APRIL, 1716

In darkness, we hear MARY’s voice singing the lullaby again.

SAM lies on a cot. There’s a cloth covering one of his eyes. The door opens. A figure in a cloak comes in. The figure picks up an iron and bends down to stoke a fire. SAM sits up slowly.

SAM Where...where am I? I can’t see...

The figure stands up, still holding the iron.

MARY You lost an eye in the wreck. Had to close it up.

SAM Head...hurts...

MARY You almost died.

SAM Do I...do I know you?

He tries to get out of bed and stumbles to the floor.

MARY You shouldn’t try to move.

Some light catches her face. SAM sees that it’s MARY.

SAM Mary...

MARY Welcome home, Sam. 103.

SAM What happened to...What happened to our...You were...

MARY Yes. I was.

SAM What happened?

MARY The same as happened to me.

SAM What?

MARY We died.

SAM No.

MARY It’s true. We’re all dead here, you, me, our child. A pirate. A witch. A ghost.

SAM Who do this to you? Treat?

MARY No. Not him alone. There’s blame enough to go around.

SAM Tell me what happened.

MARY This is where the story of the Sea Witch of Eastham began.

SAM What?

MARY A woman gave birth to a boy, but the Sea Witch choked it with straw. And so they put the woman on trial for what the witch had done. And they marked her face and they put her in jail. But she got out. They couldn’t seem to keep that jail door locked. You see, the woman was the Sea Witch, though she didn’t know it then. That’s what the village determined. And for a time the Sea Witch of Eastham went to live in a hut on the beach. 104.

And they all knew she lived there and they stayed away from her...everyone except you. You found her one dark night. Or she found you. Perhaps you found each other.

SAM Mary, please -

SAM stands up slowly. She backs away from him.

MARY You stay away from me.

He goes over to a baby cradle. He bends down. He picks up his Royal Navy coat which had been used as a blanket.

SAM What was his name?

MARY doesn’t answer him.

You named him Sam.

MARY How did you...how did you know that?

SAM I don’t know.

MARY Not even his grave says that.

Silence. They look at each other a long time. They want to go to each other.

Then they do. They embrace.

I can still hear him crying for me. I let it happen. He was our child, I was his mother... (she looks at him) You left. Why weren’t you here?

SAM I wanted so badly to be.

MARY Then why weren’t you? 105.

SAM I had no choice.

She pulls away.

MARY No choice? You looked right at me. Everything burning around us. I thought you were going to stay. And then you turned and you ran.

SAM I would have come home sooner, but I had...there were things I had to do?

MARY Like what?

SAM I...I wasn’t enough when I left.

MARY You were.

SAM I never was.

MARY I thought you were.

SAM You did?

MARY What about now?

SAM What?

MARY Are you enough now?

Silence.

You’ve found your treasure? You’ve made yourself rich enough? Worthy enough?

SAM We were changing the world. Making a new world, worthy of the name. 106.

MARY It doesn’t seem so changed to me.

SAM There’s so much I have to tell you. I saw so much. Things you wouldn’t believe. What we accomplished -

MARY I’ve seen a lot too, Sam. Right here in Eastham.

He goes to touch her. No.

SAM But...

MARY The world changed for me too.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 4: EASTHAM - MAY, 1717

SAM, walking a bit better than before (but with the aid of a stick) wanders near an apple orchard. He taps a branch with his stick, but nothing falls. He finds a small grave. He bends down to it, and brushes off some grass. He puts the Royal Navy jacket down on top of it.

A boy appears at the edge of the orchard.

SQUID Sam?

SAM sees him and wonders if he’s again seeing his dead son. And then... Sam!!

He runs over to SAM and hugs him,.

SAM Squid!

SQUID You’re alive, Sam! Whoa, what happened to your eye? Is the socket empty? Can I see it? 107.

SAM How did you find me, Squid?

SQUID We been looking for you! After the storm, we pulled into the harbor and -

SAM Who? Who else is here, Squid? It’s very important that you -

SQUID Everyone who was on the Mary-Anne! Paulsgrave and Nanni and Orphy and -

SAM All right, we’re going to need cover, then. There’s a house nearby and a lady who will -

SQUID A lady? Is it Mary?

SAM Aye.

SQUID Whoa.

SAM She saved my life.

SQUID You mean I finally get to meet Mary!

SAM Yes, but...

MARY is at the edge of the orchard.

SQUID What’s wrong?

SAM She’s a little different than I described.

SQUID Different how? 108.

SAM She’s...she’s sad, Squid. And angry with me.

SQUID How could anyone be angry at you?

SAM Because I really made a ruin of things. From the very beginning. I loved her. We were going to be a family...I had everything I needed here and I threw it all away.

SQUID Oh.

SAM I hurt her very badly.

SQUID Can you say you’re sorry?

SAM I don’t know if that’s not enough.

SQUID Have you tried?

SAM We had a child together, Squid. A boy.

SQUID You mean...you’re a dad?

SAM I was, but...you see that marker?

SQUID Yeah...

SAM He’s buried there.

SQUID Oh. It’s so small.

Silence. 109.

Sometimes I think...I think if I were to see my Mom again...I’d tell her I made a mistake. Not that I don’t love being a pirate! I do! But...I miss her. I wish...

SAM What do you wish, Squid?

SQUID I wish you were my dad.

He hugs SAM.

SAM Me too, Squid.

MARY goes.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 5: EASTHAM - MAY, 1717

The barn. NANNI, ORPHY, and SQUID sit pensively as PAULSGRAVE paces.

PAULSGRAVE You’re saying Mary Hallett brought you here?

SAM She saved my life.

PAULSGRAVE Well, where is she then?

NANNI I don’t like it here. It smells like someone died.

SAM Think that’s me. I almost did.

NANNI You have looked better, Sam. I gotta be honest.

ORPHONOKO We should leave. They’re looking for us. 110.

SAM Where’s the Mary-Anne?

PAULSGRAVE Buzzard’s Bay. But listen, Sammy. We been sniffin’ around some our old contacts an’ they’re saying some pirates prisoners got took out on the beach just a few days ago.

SAM Who?

PAULSGRAVE Thomas Davies.

SAM But he was on my ship...

PAULSGRAVE Aye, and there’s something else too.

SQUID They got Julian.

SAM Julian...

PAULSGRAVE They’re bringin’ ‘em to Boston too where they’ll face trial. The Governor himself’ll be there.

SQUID We gotta do something, Sam.

They all look to SAM.

SAM What are you looking at me for? My ship went down. I ignored a vote, I violated the code. Look what we lost. Everything. You don’t want me to lead you. I lost more than I even realized.

NANNI Everyone here’s lost somethin’, Sam.

SQUID They’re gonna hang them, Sam! 111.

PAULSGRAVE This thing ain’t done yet, lad. Them sailors need Black Sam’s help one more time.

SAM Then I call an election for a new captain. I nominate...Nanni.

Pause. Everyone looks sort of awkward.

What? What is it?

ORPHONOKO Nanni’s already Captain.

PAULSGRAVE Well, uh, actually we voted her for Cap’n three days ago aboard the Mary-Anne.

NANNI We alls thought you were dead, Sam.

After a moment, SAM holds out his cutlass to her. They look at each other. She takes it and then holds it upward.

NANNI Sam, I know you thinkin’ you made a big mistake, wreckin’ the Whydah. I say let that cursed ship rot down in Davey Jones. If anyone haul her out of the sea, a curse upon their head too. Anyway, a ship ain’t the nails and the wood, it’s her crew. As long as we alive, the pirate dream survives.

SQUID Now, let’s go get our friends.

PAULSGRAVE Wait, now, ya wharf rat. We need a plan.

NANNI I got the beginnin’ a one. Whaddya think, Sam? Ya up for one more act of piracy?

SAM What do you have in mind?

Lights shift.

Everyone Goes. 112.

SAM takes one last look around MARY’s house and is about to go too when MEHITABLE enters the space.

MEHITABLE Sam?

SAM Mehitable?

MEHITABLE What are you doing here? I heard...we all heard...well, we all heard a lot of things. About you, about...

SAM I’m leaving. And I don’t expect I’ll be coming back again. I was hoping I’d see Mary one more before...well, I guess that was a bit too much to hope. If you see her, tell her...

Pause.

Tell her I’m sorry. For everything.

He goes. MEHITABLE watches him leave.

MEHITABLE But Sam. I can’t.

Lights fade on MEHITABLE. SAM finds SQUID.

SQUID Who was that?

SAM A friend from a lifetime ago, Squid.

SQUID Hey, Sam?

SAM Yeah, Squid?

SQUID This plan’s really good. But I was wondering...what if there’s someone in Boston who recognizes us? 113.

SAM C’mon, Squid. Massachusetts is a big colony. What’r the odds of that?

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 6: BOSTON, MA - MAY, 1717

Boston Courthouse. The JUDGE sits at his podium. TREAT stands smugly at his side.

TREAT I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this, your honor. I’ve had my eye on these rogues for over two years now and it is serendipity itself to see them here in irons.

The JUDGE bangs his gavel.

JUDGE Order! Order! So it is that Thomas Davies and John Julian, to the High displeasure of Almighty God, in open Violation of the Rights of Nations and Mankind, and in Contempt and defiance of His Majesty’s good and wholesome Laws aforesaid, Willfully, Wickedly, and Feloniously Perpetrated and Committed on the high Sea sundry Acts of Piracy and Robbery. We will hear testimonies after lunch. Court dismissed.

TREAT Don’t go too far.

The JUDGE and TREAT go.

From the window, a figure sticks his head in.

SAM Psst! Hey, lads! What say we get you out of here, eh?

JULIAN Sam!

DAVIES What the hell happened to your eye?

SAM Wanted one less thing for the crow to pick at when it’s me whose finally hung up in the gibbet. 114.

He jumps down through the window. The GUARDS catch wind of this.

GUARD Hey! You can’t come in here!

GUARD 2 Get your hands up!

NANNI has a musket pointed from the window.

NANNI You first.

She jumps down to the floor. PAULSGRAVE and ORPHONOKO come in from the side door.

ORPHONOKO grabs the rifles from the Guards.

Orphy, stash those guards somewhere.

ORPHONOKO Aye, Cap’n!

DAVIES Captain?

PAULSGRAVE Big plan unfolding here, Davies. Lots to catch you up on. Just go along with it.

JULIAN stands up.

These irons are going to take some doing. Sam, we bring anything to break these with?

DAVIES has remained sitting.

Well, ain’t you comin,’ Davies?

DAVIES I...I’m going to stay.

NANNI Stay? What the hell’s the matter with you? It’s a rescue! 115.

DAVIES I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t choose this life. I’ll heartily repent.

PAULSGRAVE Repent? What, ya hit yer head when ya fall out of that boat?

DAVIES I have made up my mind.

NANNI It’s all right. He’s made his decision.

JULIAN Be seeing you, Davies.

Suddenly, TREAT and the JUDGE walk into the courtroom.

TREAT I’m just so excited to see you all hanged I went and forgot my Book of Common - (sees SAM) Bellamy!

JUDGE What in God’s name is going on in here?

SAM Oh, you’ve really made my day, Reverend.

TREAT But you...you’re supposed to be dead!

SQUID pokes his head through the window.

SQUID Hey, Cap’n! The Bailiff is on his way back in here! And he’s got about a million soldiers!

PAULSGRAVE A million?

SQUID I dunno...a lot, though!

NANNI This plan’s goin’ to hell quicker n’ usual... 116.

PAULSGRAVE Squid! Throw us down a rope! Y’hear me, kid?

TREAT Trapped like the rats you are.

SAM I might have an idea. Davies, you remember that play you wrote for us?

DAVIES The Royal Pyrate?

SAM Aye. Might have to bend the words a little bit, though.

He snatches the wig from the JUDGE’s head.

JUDGE What! Give that back!

TREAT I will have you hanged, and then buried, and then dug up and stuck in a gibbet and then burned and then -

SAM Shut him up, will you?

PAULSGRAVE removes TREAT’s collar and jams it in his mouth. SAM borrows some pirate accouterments from NANNI and ORPHONOKO and dresses up TREAT to sort of look like a pirate.

NANNI Everyone lookin’ real fine.

SQUID pokes his head inside the window.

SQUID They’re right on top of you!

PAULSGRAVE Well, here goes nothing.

PAULSGRAVE sits in the JUDGE’s seat, just as the BAILIFF and some armed guards come in. 117.

BAILIFF Oh...am I late? I thought we were all on lunch?

PAULSGRAVE (as judge) Indeed! It was a...uh...very busy lunch break! You see, we’ve captured Black Sam Bellamy himself!

BAILIFF (looking at TREAT) That’s Sam Bellamy?

SAM Yes, that’s right. You can tell because he’s got both his eyes, just like Sam Bellamy is known to have.

BAILIFF Why’s he got a rag in his mouth?

PAULSGRAVE Because he wouldn’t stop threatening, swearing, cursing and blaspheming us every which way, that’s why. Hardly a way to conduct a courtroom! The Attorney General has the deck.

NANNI whispers in PAULSGRAVE’s ear.

Uh, the floor. He’s got the floor. Commencing the trial of The Royal Pyrate!

SAM (as Attorney General) An’t please your Lordship, and you gentlemen of the Jury, this Fellow before you is a sad Dog, a sad, sad Dog; and I humbly hope your Lordship will order him to be hang’d out of the Way immediately -- He has committed Pyracy on the High seas, he went on robbing and ravishing Man, Woman, and Child, plundering Ships’ Cargoes fore and aft, burning and sinking Ship, Bark, and Boat, as if the Devil had been in him. I hope, your Lordship will order the Fellow to be hang’d.

PAULSGRAVE Hearkee me, Sirrah - you lousy, pitiful, ill-look’d Dog, what have you to say why you should not be tuck’d up immediately, and set a Sun-drying like a Scare-crow? -- are you guilty or not guilty? 118.

SAM Oh, right.

SAM pulls the rag out of TREAT’s mouth.

TREAT I’ll have your heads for this! Guards, these men are the pirates, not me! Arrest them, they’re -

SAM stuffs the rag back in his mouth.

SAM See?

BAILIFF He says he’s not a pirate....

PAULSGRAVE They all say that. (looking at DAVIES and JULIAN) Any pirates among the accused?

The accused look at each other and then utter a cacophony of “not me,” “nope,” “I’m innocent.”

See? And damn it all, I believe them. Release the prisoners.

The GUARDS look at each other.

SAM Well, you heard the man. They’re innocent.

The GUARDS shrug and release the pirates from their irons.

PAULSGRAVE Think we’ll have to go ahead with this rascal’s trial though. What’s the plea?

SAM He says he’s not guilty, an’t please your worship.

PAULSGRAVE Not guilty! Say so again, Sirrah, and I’ll have you hang’d without any Trial. 119.

SAM An’t please your Worship’s Honour, my Lord, Mister Bellamy says he’s as honest a poor Fellow as ever went between Stem and Stern of a Ship, and can hand, reef, and steer, and clap two Ends of a Rope together, as well as e’er a He that ever cross’d salt Water; but he was taken by one Paulsgrave Williams, notorious Pyrate, a sad Rogue as ever was un- hang’d, and he forced him, an’t please your Honour.

PAULSGRAVE Paulsgrave Williams! I’ve heard of him! The most handsome and charismatic rogue on the seven seas! Answer me, Sirrah, -- How will you be tried?

SAM By God and my Country.

PAULSGRAVE The Devil you will --- Why then, gentlemen of the Jury, I think we have nothing to do but to proceed to Judgement.

SAM Right, my Lord; for if the Fellow should be suffer’d to speak, he may clear himself, and that’s an affront to the Court.

TREAT gets the rag out of his mouth

TREAT Bailiff! Pray, you consider -

SAM stuffs the rag back in his mouth.

PAULSGRAVE Consider! How dare you talk of considering? Sirrah, Sirrah, I never consider’d in all my life -- I’ll make it Treason to consider.

PAULSGRAVE Then heark’ee, you Rascal at the Bar; hear me, Sirrah, hear me. You must suffer for three Reasons: First, because it is not fit I should sit here as Judge, and no Body be hang’d. Secondly, you must be hang’d because you have a damned hanging look. And thirdly, you must be hang’d because I am hungry; for know, Sirrah, that ‘tis a Custom, that whenever the Judge’s Dinner is ready before the Tryal is over, the Prisoner is to be hang’d of Course. There’s law for you, ye dog. Guilty! So take him away, gaoler.

SAM You heard the man. Black Sam Bellamy’s guilty. 120.

BAILIFF I always heard piracy trials were short and to the point but I never realized -

He begins to usher TREAT out, but somehow TREAT is able to grab the BAILIFF’s musket and starts pointing it around madly.

He gets the musket up against SAM and spits the rag out of his mouth.

TREAT That’s Bellamy, you idiots! Shoot him!

There’s a blast from somewhere. SAM thinks he’s been shot. But TREAT falls to the ground, a hole smoking in his back.

EDWARD comes into the courtroom.

SAM Thatch?

EDWARD Lieutenant Governor Thatch, actually. You see? My Letters of Marque.

He hands the letter to the Bailiff and then digs around in TREAT’s corpse.

He pulls out the glowing gold crown of KING DEATH.

Ah, there you are. (to the GUARDS) Well? What are you waiting for? These men are pirates. Arrest them.

NANNI What!

The GUARDS get their rifles pointed at SAM and company.

PAULSGRAVE For the record, I never trusted the treacherous scut one bit.

EDWARD Can hardly blame ya for that. I don’t trust me neither! 121.

SAM Tell me why.

EDWARD ‘Cuz I’m in charge here and I’ve got all your gold aboard me ship! Every last bit of it what washed up on shore! Had to shake down every mooncusser on Cape Cod to get it, but it’s all mine now. You’re a mere common thief now, Bellamy. A pirate without a crew. Without a ship. And now, without even your treasure.

NANNI I can think of a few things that gold be good for besides givin’ to you.

EDWARD Oh, I know you can, dearie. But I drink damnation to you and your men, what little of them there are! Cowardly puppies, the lot of you, and I’ll not be givin’ nor takin’ no quarter today! (to the GUARDS) Get these pirates to the gallows. We’re under attack and this war. We’ll hang ‘em now.

The guards start ushering everyone out, including SAM.

Wait. Not him. I want a few words with this one first.

Everone leaves. SAM and EDWARD are alone.

SAM I don’t understand.

EDWARD ‘Afore ye’re hanged, I wanted to thank you privately.

SAM Thank me?

EDWARD Ya did it, Sammy. You alone.

SAM What?

EDWARD Black Sam. The Butcher of Gibralter. Sent 10,000 souls to hell in England’s name, Amen! You could have been king of us all! With a ship like the Whydah, ya would have been! Ah, but fate had bigger plans for you. Conquered the seven seas and then stole into Hell itself! 122.

He holds out the crown.

Just like I always knew ya would.

SAM I almost drowned, Edward. My ship wrecked. What are you talking about?

EDWARD A worthy successor to Alexander! A disciple of King Death! ‘Course, I knew as soon as you found it, ya couldn’t be allowed to keep it. Aye, she’s even more beautiful than I coulda fathomed.

SAM picks up a sword from the floor.

Oh, don’t look so betrayed. T’was poison and treachery which brought down ‘ol Alexander in the end, y’know.

SAM rushes at him. EDWARD easily beats him back with his own sword. They duel, but SAM is outmatched. He knocks the sword from SAM’s hands.

SAM What are you going to do, Edward?

EDWARD looks at him.

EDWARD That’s Emperor Blackbeard to you. Ruler of Hell. King of the Seven Seas.

He slowly puts the crown on.

There’s no change. No lights shift. Nothing.

SAM Was something supposed to happen?

EDWARD I don’t know. I never done this before.

Then the lights do seem to shift. Everything gets darker, like we’re in a negative image of the court room. SAM isn’t visible anymore. It’s just EDWARD alone with the crown. And there’s someone sitting in the Judge’s seat now too. 123.

Sam? Sam, where’d you get off to, boy? Think someone oughter replace the oil in these lamps...

He sees the figure in the chair.

Oh! Didn’t see yer there! Neptune’s Navel, ya nearly scared the devil outta me, ya did. Don’t think we’ve had the honor of acquaintance. Name’s Ed Thatch, but my enemies call me -

MARY Blackbeard.

EDWARD Aye, that’s right. Can ya imagine an idea of a fury from Hell to look more frightful than Blackbeard the Pirate? Guess my reputation proceeds me. Where are we anyway? This don’t look much like Boston.

MARY You’ve been trying to find this place for a long time, Ed Thatch.

EDWARD You mean...is this...it is! Oh ho! The Realm of King Death! I finally found it! Ha! Then I did it! At long last! I’ve won! You’re King Death! Well, this really is quite the honor. I’m a big admirer. Actually, with this crown on me head, I suppose I’m your successor. How does this work, anyway? Do ye just step down, or -

MARY No.

EDWARD What?

MARY That crown isn’t yours.

EDWARD I stole it fair and square.

MARY Only the thief who steals the crown from King Death...may find himself ruler of this place. And you merely stole it from a Preacher’s corpse. 124.

EDWARD Who-who are you?

MARY I am the Thief of Death. Blackbeard. Not a very fitting name.

EDWARD Wait - I know who you are...

MARY Your hair’s gone red.

EDWARD’s beard is smoldering and burning.

EDWARD Me beard! Put it out! Put it out!

He pats furiously at his face, rolling around on the ground to put out his face.

MARY Black beard. Red beard. No beard. Poof.

She blows at him and puts out the fire.

She walks to him and picks up the crown from his sprawled out, exhausted body. She puts it on her own head.

The lights shift back to normal. EDWARD is muttering to himself on the floor, his face still smoldering. SAM is dumb-founded to see MARY in front of him.

SAM Mary?

MARY Hello Sam.

EDWARD (muttering) Watch out for her, Sam... 125.

SAM I shouldn’t have ever left. I had everything I needed. You were all I needed. Let’s go away together, leave this place. I know a lot of places we could go, hide out, start over -

MARY Your friends need you right now, Sam. You have to hurry.

SAM Thatch! Wake up!

EDWARD Whuh...

SAM What did you do with the governor?

EDWARD I am the governor...

MARY Tell him...No Beard.

He screams!

EDWARD Governor Shute’s trussed up in his office! He’s locked away in his closet! Just keep ‘er away from me!

SAM Mary. If I make it out of this...

MARY Go.

SAM looks at her a moment. Then he runs off. MARY watches him go.

LIGHTS SHIFT.

SCENE 8: BOSTON, MA - MAY, 1717

There’s an executioner’s drum. We see the hangman come out. Our heroes are up on a stage. PAULSGRAVE, ORPHONOKO, NANNI, DAVIES and SQUID (who stands on a step-stool). 126.

JULIAN is to the side, by the JUDGE and BAILIFF.

DAVIES What are we going to do?

PAULSGRAVE Ya deny the charges with every breath ya take.

DAVIES Deny. Yes. All right. Then what?

PAULSGRAVE Then nothing. They still gonna execute ya, but ya might as well drag it out as long as ya can.

DAVIES What! What if we repent?

PAULSGRAVE Aye. Ya repent ya didn’t do more mischief and that ya did not cut the throats of them that took ya and then ya say yer sorry that thems that’d judge ya ain’t hanged as well as you! Aye, that way your corpse can go to the gibbet with a smile on its face when the crows start pickin’ at yer flesh and the sun starts bleaching yer bones!

Pause.

DAVIES Oh.

JUDGE Thomas Davies! This court has found you...not guilty of piracy.

DAVIES Not guilty?

JUDGE As you were kidnapped and held against your will, you are welcome to stay and watch the proceedings.

DAVIES Uh...that’s...that’s all right.

DAVIES comes down from the stage. 127.

Uh...is John Julian free to go too? He...ah, he actually saved my life on the beach the day of the storm.

JUDGE I’m afraid our legal system does not apply to pagans. He will be sold.

DAVIES Sold?

BAILIFF You heard His Honor. Move along.

DAVIES looks down at his feet.

DAVIES I don’t think I can do that.

BAILIFF What?

JUDGE What’s the hold up, Bailiff? This man is free to go.

DAVIES John Julian saved me life the night of that storm. Wouldn’t be right for me to let his get sold away.

JUDGE You are dangerously close to being in contempt of court, Mister Davies.

DAVIES Well...guess I am guilty of piracy, then.

DAVIES shoves the BAILIFF and gets his pistol out...but he’s suddenly surrounded by guards.

JUDGE This court finds Thomas Davies...guilty of piracy. Get him up there, will you.

JULIAN That was...not very well thought out.

SHUTE (OFF) Hold! Hold! 128.

JUDGE What now?

Governor SHUTE comes out to the courtyard.

SHUTE I said hold!

JUDGE Governor Shute! Why, we were looking all over for you! You have missed quite a day! Why, I was tied up and trussed and -

SHUTE Yes, I was too! By the rank blackguard Blackbeard the Pirate! Get every man you can and search the Court House! He’s still on the premises!

JUDGE But we’re in the middle of an execution!

SHUTE Pardons for everyone! All part of a plan to root out Blackbeard!

JUDGE What?

SHUTE You heard me! They’re all pardoned! Well, what are you waiting for?

The Guards and the BAILIFF go. The JUDGE walks off in frustration. SAM comes out and puts an arm around SHUTE.

NANNI Sam!

PAULSGRAVE Oh ho! Ain’t you a sight!

SAM Very convincing work, Mister Governor. You got the making of a pirate, I think.

SHUTE Me? A pirate? 129.

SAM Sure. Most a piracy’s just convincing folks that ya got the bigger cannon, even when ya don’t!

SHUTE I’ll have to think on that, Mister Bellamy. Now, about our little arrangement...

SAM I didn’t forget. Captain?

NANNI Aye, Sam?

SAM With your permission, I’d like to arrange that the, ah, the gold Blackbeard stole go to the treasury of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

NANNI Aye, I think we can arrange that. But then let’s get the hell out of this awful place. The weather crazy and the people worse.

SAM Julian.

JULIAN Sam. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to question you.

SAM Nay, lad. You don’t apologize to me. It’s me who should be beggin’ forgiveness from you. I was scared of what was waitin’ for me here, lad.

JULIAN You? Scared?

SAM Aye, it does happen, John.

JULIAN I don’t believe you.

SAM I needed my best pilot along with me. Only way I could face it.

JULIAN Really? 130.

SAM Don’t let it go to your head, John. I’m a filthy, lying pirate. Hey Nanni! Make sure you put this kid to work.

JULIAN You’re not coming?

SAM You got a new captain. Watch her. Learn from her. Someday it might be you.

JULIAN Sam?

SAM Aye?

JULIAN I think you made Will proud today.

SAM goes. PAULSGRAVE puts his arm around Governor SHUTE’s shoulder.

PAULSGRAVE Your excellency! Just the man I was hopin’ to talk to. I hear you’re between Lieutenant Governors! And it just so happens I’m between jobs!

SHUTE What, you for Lieutenant Governor?

PAULSGRAVE Aye, what’s wrong with me? I’ll have ya knows I knows a thing or two about how ta’ grease the wheels a’ power. Plus, I got all sorts a connection with labor. An’ I’ll keep taxes low, since I never paid ‘em meself! I’m really the perfect candidate, when ya think about it...

They walk off together, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

LIGHTS FADE.

SCENE 9: WELLFLEET, MA - LATE SUMMER, 1717

In darkness, we hear the crash of waves. It’s soft and peaceful. There’s the sound of gulls. 131.

MEHITABLE (VOICE) Mary Hallett died the night of April 26th. She had built a little hut on the beach and had lived there after her trial, but the storm that wrecked the Whydah was too powerful, the water too cold. She froze that night on the beach.

The lights come up on SAM and MEHITABLE standing by the grave in the apple orchard.

MEHITABLE We buried her here in the apple orchard. Next to her son. It was one of her favorite places. She would -

SAM Come out here to read.

MEHITABLE Yes.

SAM I met here right here. She was sitting by that tree.

MEHITABLE Imagining some far off place.

SAM Not so far off. Mary dreamed of a better world. For everyone.

He holds out a book to her.

MEHITABLE Heloise...?

SAM Her letters to Abelard. They were in love and she wrote to him when they were pulled apart.

MEHITABLE Oh.

Silence. What are you going to do?

SAM Right now? 132.

He sits down by the tree.

Right now I’m going to read beneath this tree. Maybe eat an apple.

MEHITABLE Oh. After that?

SAM After that? Turn to the next page.

MEHITABLE picks an apple. She sits down beside him.

MEHITABLE Read it to me. Mary’s book.

SAM opens the book. He looks at the passage he’s opened to. It stops him for a moment. What is it?

SAM She’d marked this page.

She takes the book from him.

“If the portraits of our absent friends are pleasant to us, which renew our memory of them and relieve our regret for their absence by a false and empty consolation, how much more pleasant are letters which bring us the written characters of the absent friend...

SAM “God knows I never sought anything in you except yourself. I wanted simply you, nothing of yours.”

She closes the book. She looks at him. He lightly kisses his fingers and touches MARY’s gravestone.

We hear MARY singing the ghostly lullaby as...

LIGHTS FADE TO BLACK.

END OF PLAY