Chapter 13, Part Twenty-Five: Outside the Captain’s Cabin, the FLAMES
on January 29, 2015 at 12:01 amONE:
Outside the Captain’s Cabin, the FLAMES have certainly spread, but not yet the inferno it was within.
PAYNE is whipping off his coat.
1. TAILLESS/cabin: *koff* Pull!
2. TAILLESS/cabin: Ah it burns—
TWO:
PAYNE is throwing his coat over the BURNING MAP CASE on the deck.
3. TAILLESS: —burns *kof kaff kof*
THREE:
PAYNE, sweating, lit by the fire, the zealous madness on his face, the expression of glee as he lifts the CHARRED and SMOLDERING MAP CASE in one hand.
4. TAILLESS/wobble: *kof kof*
5. TAILLESS/wobble: *kaf*
6. PAYNE: M’lady…
FOUR:
PAYNE, looking over his shoulder at the inferno that’s now consumed the captain’s cabin, beginning to spill out, as he heads for the deck. Triumphant, the CASE in hand.
7. TAILLESS/wobble/fade: *kaf kaf*
8. PAYNE: …it’s been a pleasure.
Does the smoke (SMOKE?) seem to have a sinuous-serpentine quality in the last panel.
Have you ever tried to set fire to a 4×4? Don’t understand why the cabin burned so fast. Makes for a good story, though.
Wooden sailing ships were made from well-seasoned, very dry wood, which was coated with highly-flammable tar for waterproofing anywhere it might come into contact with water. Fire was a constant danger, and could consume a ship much faster than you might think.
No doubt in prep for her vistors she doused the cabin with some spare lamp oil she had and maybe a little high proof rum to boot.
Boy, oh B-O-Y, will it be embarassing when he discovers the map isn’t in there.
(This is the most logical conclusion I have about this whole deal – it is a set-up and the map is … elsewhere.)
I think the map is elsewhere too. If her Ladyship wanted to destroy the map, she’d have taken it out of the case and then tossed it into the fire.