A few more details

“It's quite a bit of a step-down from your position on the Siren's ****, what does she carry, twenty heavy guns?” Brenan decided that stepping around the elephant in the room was getting tiresome, if Mr. Michaels wasn't willing to take on this very reduced role then he had better things to do with his time.

“Twenty-two in all, but not one of them was the same as its neighbor.” Mr. Michaels was clearly annoyed at the inefficiencies of his old ships guns. “The Siren could throw a heavy broadside Captain, but I sincerely doubt if more than two of her guns would hit anything but salt-water.” The normally quiet man took a big swallow of bear and set the pewter mug back down on the table with a heavy thud.

“Will you let me do gun drills?” He asked and before Brenan could answer Mr. Michaels expounded. “Drills every day, with the same crew working the same gun? And firing live rounds, not just hauling the trucks back and forth and swabbing out empty barrels?”

“Firing live rounds every day can get expensive.” Brenan hedged, sensing that if he wanted Mr. Michaels he'd have to compromise a little. “I like the idea of daily gun drills though, how about firing live rounds once a week?”

“Not often enough Captain Kilgore.” Mr. Michaels answered with absolute conviction. “If we sail with only two guns, we'll need to make every shot count.” Brenan tried to calculate the cost of each practice shot, two kilos of powder, plus the ball and wadding came to close to a crown each time the gun was fired.

“I'm hoping to avoid needing them at all, Mr. Michaels.” Brenan told the gunner. “But I see your point, could we get by doing live firing twice a week?”

“Twice a week.” Sighed Mr. Michaels in agreement. “That's much better than that idiot Bart Simonds would agree to.” After a long pause the gunner cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Speaking of Captain Simonds brings up the next matter of concern.” Brenan nodded encouragingly for the gunner to go on. “You told me that you intend to use this schooner for trading, yes?”

“What manner of trade goods are you thinking about?” Brenan shrugged his shoulders.

“I'll be honest with you Mr. Michaels, I imagine that some of these trade goods might be less than 100% legal, this ship is fast enough to evade regular patrols and has a shallow enough draft to get in and out of non-traditional harbors.” He looked at Mr. Michaels watching his reaction carefully. “Is that a problem?”

“With smuggling, not at all Captain Kilgore.” Brenan sighed in relief, and then held his breath as the gunner continued. “But, I won't put up with the taking or transporting of slaves. I'm sorry but I must be most firm on this issue.” Brenan relaxed, not only was this man a superb gunnery officer, but he seemed to have a strong moral fiber as well.

“Mr. Michaels, I assure you that my ship will never be involved with slavery in any matter. On that you and I see eye to eye.” He looked over the man and wondered how he ever served with Black Bart on the Siren's ****; the Siren had one of the worst reputations of any of the pirates that sailed the busy sea lanes between Veertor and Cryn.

“Furthermore,” Brenan resolved putting into words the sense of basic morality that had been incubating slowly in him since his desertion from the Veer army. “I have no intention of capturing prizes, but if we do, no crew member of mine will mistreat any of our captives or I'll hang their corpses from the sprit mast for the sharks to feed on.”

“In that case, I think we will work very well together Captain Kilgore.” Mr. Michaels lifted his beer in a salute. “If we do decide to get more guns I have an idea I think you might like.” Mr. Michaels was flipping through his notebook again looking for a particular page and Brenan watched him with a grim smile on his face. If he hired Mr. Michaels he'd have to commit more of the ship's profits to the maintenance and improvement of the schooner's ordinance than he had originally planned, of course with a gunner like Michaels he might be getting his money's worth.