The End's Meeting - (AC4) (Rewrites)

Part 25: Off Course?

"Oh god!" Mr. Boyle gasps, looking at the animal, "Could that really be?"

The Jackdaw sailed past a huge corpse of a floating whale, with its huge white belly popping out and shining with the sun.

"It's a whale all right," Wong corrects, "Look's like it's been dead for about a day or two."

"So," Anne says, "What do we do with the darn thing?" She asks, examining the majestic beast.

Edward scratches his stubble for a moment, but the answer was already obvious.

"We'll just eat the damn thing," Edward points out, "It's dead, and we could definitely use this as a food source, so why not?"

Everyone including Mary exchange glances at Edward's proposal. Either way, he's the Captain so they shrug.

"Alright," Mary agrees, looking to Edward, "Just be careful, that thing is larger than the whole bloody ship itself, and I don't want to be sinking anytime soon."

Within hours, the whole tonnage of the great whale was hoisted up by a beam and skinned up for resources. The meat would be used for eating, and as for the rest of it, it would be used for other purposes. No-one in the crew knew exactly what to do with the whale.

By the time Mary got back from her shift, she was met by the presence of whale meat on her plate back in Edward's cabin.

"Really? We're eating whale?" Mary looks to it, not really feeling her stomach want it.

"It's better than nothing at all.." Edward restates, "Come on, chow down.."

Mary groans as she sits herself down on the table. The food smelled bile.

...

The Jackdaw was anchored, sitting hidden but near the mouth of Havana, waiting for their intended target.

All of the crew were ready on their heels, prepared for the order to speed and sail. In anytime, the target's ship could pop out of Havana exposed like prey.

Ah Tabai gave a broad description of their target's ship. It was a small, fishing sloop, acting as a merchant ship.

Boyle stood on the bow, with his spyglass opened as he scanned the area in front of him. His eyes were peeled, looking for any ship possible, and so far, no vessel was appearing. Not even the local fishermen and their small canoes.

"Oi, you see anything yet Mr. Boyle?" Edward asks tapping on his foot lightly of impatience.

"Not yet sir," He responds, removing his eyes from the scope, and he turns back to face Edward, "Either he's left already, or he's still in port," Boyle infers, holstering his spyglass.

Edward however, grabs the spyglass from his hand, and uses it himself, looking upon the sea ahead.

"We'll keep waiting, and if he doesn't come 'til nightfall, we'll have to depart these waters. The Spanish will be curious to why there's a brig sitting in the middle of the ocean," Edward throughly explains, giving Boyle's spyglass back.

"Tell the men to arm themselves, we might have to board them," He orders, walking off.

However, Boyle was curious, "Why couldn't we just sink them?"

Edward stops walking briefly, as if he was thinking. He turns back to face Boyle, "Ah, we might have to come to that!" He responds, chuckling slightly to himself.

"Prepare the halyards! Await word to unleash all sail! Hurry lads!" Edward orders loudly.

Boyle just stares at Edward's back as he walks away back aft, and he taps Wong by the shoulder. Mr. Boyle had a delicate thought.