1.01
A corsair closed in on a remote island. Landing parties assembled, received orders, and, bristling with steel, swarmed into small boats.
Islanders gathered on the beach. Infants wailed as fear stiffened their mothers’ arms. A group edged forward to greet the mysterious intruders.
Storm waves washed the rowboats ashore. Sailors leaped into the surf and, clashing and cursing, hauled their crafts onto the sand. Ignoring the parley, they cast their eyes seaward.
Through a spyglass, the skipper studied the brigands as they clustered landward of the boats. Lowering the glass, he gave a command and resumed observations.
An emissary shuffled forward. Eyeing his approach, the pirates drew their swords. The man pleaded, “Peace! We welcome you!” At the same instant, explosions rent the air. Spouts of flame burst from cannons and impacts rocked the beach.
Amidst the islanders’ screams, the pirates launched a fearsome assault. The buccaneers ransacked the island. Ultimately, discerning a dearth of booty the raiders quit the island and resumed their quest for new worlds, new peoples, and the hidden paths to legendary riches…
