Give the brothers some time

"Here's what I think boys" said Brenan as he stood from the table. "I'll sign you two on as untrained deck hands. Lousy pay, but we'll teach you what you need to know. As for the other matter, talk to me when you are ready." He paused as he got to the door, "You two can bunk up on board tonight if you like. "Got cargo coming in tomorrow, but I got business to attend to. I want you boys to do what the Jones brothers tell you and help them get everything ship shape."

Leaving the room he headed for Davy's office. Sure enough, he found him just where he expected, pouring himself a glass of whisky. Brenan didn't say anything, just pointed to the bottle and Davy burst out laughing.

"Joanna and her lemonade." As he poured Brenan a glass he added. "Those poor men will be in their thirties before she'll offer them a drink. Here," he grunted as he pushed the glass to Brenan and scratched his ear with the stump of his left arm. Once both men had a drink Davy gestured to the other room.

"They'll be OK, if you spend some time showing them what to do." Brenan nodded in agreement. But he didn't have a lot of time to train them, what he needed desperately was a first officer who could help train them.

More than ever now, Brenan needed Red. Two raw crewmen; he had planned to train one novice, but with two untrained hands he needed Red more than ever. And he needed her imediately. He had enough crew to sail his ship around the island and stop by Red's beach house, but finding a beach house from the sea is not easy to do. Also he wasn't sure how this meeting with Red was going to work, and he'd rather not get shot down in frount of his new crew. If he was going to be turned down, he'd rather hear the bad news by himself.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that though, he trusted Red more than anyone else he'd ever known, even Davy. Her faith in him as a seaman drove him long after he had left the Kranderkill and he wanted her to see that her faith in him was not misplaced. Also if Red refused to sign on, he'd be short handed and need to find someone to act as a first officer.

Mr. Michaels had the experience, but lacked the focus to make the constant discisions needed during his watch. Kyle and Tyler had the sailing knowledge, but he had trouble seeing either of them comanding the respect of the sailors he'd be able to recruit on the way to Veertor.

So much of this descision depended on why Red had retired, if he knew the story behind her early retirement, he'd have a much better idea of how likely he was to convince her to sign on with him.

Brenan decided that seeing Red was really his only good option, and if that failed he'd have plenty of time on the ride back to figure out plan two. Thank Xeltan he chose the straightforward delivery, if he had to worry about a pitchblack rendezvous in a unfamiliar harbor with this crew he'd be far less confident.

"I need to borrow your horse, Davy. You think she'll let me ride her?"

"Probably, she's pretty obliging." Davy answered "But, you're a ship captain now, where you need to go on a horse?"