"Oh, give me that," Tess reached out and snatched the letter from his hands. She popped open the wax seal and unfolded the sheet then frowned.
You'd almost think she was a Luthor, oh, wait. Never mind.
"Clark is on a secret mission for my Uncle. That's all I know," Chloe spoke.
CLARK: Geez, Cloe, what part of "secret" do you *not* understand!
"As a privateer," Tess stated, revelation dawning. "I was mistaken, wasn't I. Your father has passed on the mantle to you. You are Captain Arrow, are you not?"
So much for HIS secret identity. Let's hope that wayward guard isn't listening.
"These are the plates used in the guard room. Why would it be in the main kitchen?" Chloe explained.
"Well, possibly the guards are all too lazy to do their own cleaning," Ollie grinned.
GUARD: /blushing sheepishly/ well, scullery is woman's work.
"But they have all been dismissed along with the rest of the staff, while the governor is away."
"Not all." Ollie's voice was suddenly deep and grave.
"Pardon?" Tess turned to him.
"I saw a guard wandering the halls yesterday."
"But, that's not possible." Tess was in a fury now.
OLLIE: My mistake. It must have a been a ghost. A lot of these old houses have ghosts, you know.
GABE: Perhaps one of the guards felt it his duty to stay on and protect the governor's sister even without her approval.
OLLIE: Oh, yes, that makes more sense. We shant worry about him any long. Should we meet him again, we shall give him our hearty 'thanks!'
TESS: Protect?
CLOE: Yeah. What do we look like, two helpless women?
OLLIE: Yes.
GABE: Totally. No offense, Cloe, but you are. This is the 1800s and there are horrible, horrible men out there who will do things... I don't even want to think about.
OLLIE: Yes, what were you thinking dismissing your guards, Tess?
"The Governor's personal dungeon. Lionel only ever used it twice in the whole time I was his aide. I wasn't aware that Lex even knew it existed."
Personal dungeon? That sounds a tad... illegal. Oh, right. Lionel. Never mind.
"I need to be here." He paused. "And that's all you need to know."
But wouldn't Lex be happier if dear old dad starved to death?
"You remember when I asked you to inventory the hold for me?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"Well, I believe it is time for another stock take."
A pirate's work is never done.
"It's this dress," he said, as if it explained everything. His eyes roamed over the bodice then back up.
Yes, Lois, it's the dress he wants, not you. Take it off and he'll... oh, never mind. It is you.
CLARK:
![[Linked Image]](http://cosgan.de/images/midi/frech/g042.gif)
‘Two months. That's all I have left with her. It's not nearly enough. Not when I want … forever.’ Soul-wrenching pain ripped through him at that thought.
He's having soul-wrenching pain at the thought of spending forever with Lois?
LOIS: With*out* me, foolish reader. WithOUT me. And that's a normal reaction to my beauty.
Other times, like now, he accepted the inevitability of his commission.
Wait. The Commodore knew this was a suicide mission?
He should probably tell her the truth before it was too late. Before she was put off the ship and he sailed to his destiny. But would she accept that if he told her now. Would she fight it? Would she reject him? She seemed so taken with the pirate life. If she knew he was really …
LOIS: Forget it, Kal! I didn't want a goodie-two-shoes. I want a pirate. Hey, Corbin, the position is open now!
Come on. He doesn't really believe that, does he?
Kal. He had everything that should belong to John. First Mate position. Ear of the Captain. Respect of the crew. And now the delectable body of the desirable Miss Lois. He had it all. And he'd taken it from John.
Umm... no. It had all been given to him by Zor-El.
Yet Lionel had always welcomed him and his father, and Tess in particular had sometimes attempted to join in their games.
I don't know. After what he did to Lana in S6, Promises (which I just watched yesterday), I don't think I could ever be on the pro-Lionel camp. Sorry. He's untrustworthy.
On the journey to Port Metropolis Governor Jor-El's ship was set upon by pirates. The man who set himself up as Governor in his place had no interest in the treaty after that."
Tess nodded. "So that is Veritas. I'm presuming that this symbol, this seal, was to be made ... but only you, Gabe and the Governor of Port Krypton …"
"Jor-El."
A-ha! So, Clark is Zor-El's nephew. The Governor of Port Krypton had a pirate for a brother? Interesting.
The island became known as Isla de Muerta.
Hey, I'm guessing that's where the Pirate Meet will be held.
"But how is all this connected and what is Clark's mission?" Chloe asked, pleading for further understanding, hoping for more revelations to help with the search for her uncle and cousin.
"Clark!" Lionel turned his head. "Clark Kent?"
"Yes," Chloe replied, confused at Lionel's tone. Lionel had sponsored Clark's entrance into the Navy and been exceptionally proud to see him move up the ranks to Officer in quick time.
CLARK: *Secret* Identity, people! This is *Lionel* Luthor. You CAN'T trust him!
Grant Gabriel saw the Captain's eyes settle on him. The look of anger on his face shot straight to Grant's heart and he panicked. He turned and ran, pushing through the sailors crowding the deck. His attempt to flee was utterly futile. A quick shout from the captain and a dozen sailors were after him, chasing round the mast. Grant Gabriel was an agile sailor, though, and he evaded them all heading for the bridge. "Give it up Gabriel. There's nowhere to go. We are out at sea man." He turned round and round, heart pounding. He was now surrounded and there was nothing to do but surrender.
Yes, kind of hard to run on a ship, eventually you end up where you started.
"Yes, that's it. My Kal. My super man." She looked into his eyes and her smile had dropped at the same moment as his. Lois had referred to him as 'hers' and it had set a fire in his belly that needed immediate relief.
That would become inconvenient if that was his reaction whenever anyone called him 'Superman'. LOL.
CLARK:
"How did you come to be First Mate?" The question suddenly pulled him out of his memories in shock.
CLARK: Well, you said 'yes' and here I am.
"What I don't completely understand is why. I mean, I have some ideas but … and what did you mean by all this. It sound like it's all a deception for some reason."
"Lois …" he began and lowered his eyes for a moment before looking back. "I'm not who …"
Suddenly the door to the cabin flew open.
LOIS: No, Jimmy! Not when the scarf is on the knob. Reading lessons have been postponed until Kal is on duty.
He began to slide out from the blankets when Corbin's next words shot a chill through his bones. "And get your whore dressed too. In her duchess dress." Clark's head shot back up to look at Corbin's face. ‘No. He wants Lois too.’
Well, that chill came from Lois whose blood turned to ice at Corbin's words. Don't worry, she'll kill him for you.
"He has been keeping our share of the treasure from us. His reasons are sound, on the surface … but it is all a ruse. He has betrayed us. Quite simply …" he paused dramatically. "Kal has been stealing from ALL of us."
Um... How is Corbin doing this without the captain Zor-El in attendance?
"No, it's not true," came a new voice. Clark turned. Lois had removed her hands from his arm and stepped forwards. "Kal would do no such thing. I know. I'm the one who did the inventory."
Well, being that you're sleeping with him, that's not going to make you a trustworthy witness, Lois. Sorry.
"So, Kal. By order of the captain …" Clark's mouth dropped open again. ‘Zor-El knows? No, that's not possible. I know he trusts me.’ "You are to be marooned with one bottle of powder, one bottle of water, one small arm and shot."
I'm thinking Zor-El doesn't know. Or knows and is confined to his own cabin.
"What will you do to Miss Lois?" he asked, turning to look at John Corbin.
CORBIN: Duh! Whatever I like.
Clark turning to leap out at him in rage, protecting Lois's virtue,
Yeah, a little late on the protection of her virtue, there, loverboy.
Now,’ she thought, then turned and leapt off the ship.
Yeah! They're marooned! Boo! Clark got stabbed first.
Wait! What happened to Jimmy? They can't be marooned without a helpful interruptor!
LOIS: No, it's okay. He can stay on the ship. We'll be fine. Really.
This is fun, but how will they get rid of Zod? And once they do, will Clark join the navy again and leave Lois on the shore to pine for him?
LOIS: Not happening.
I wonder what Clark will do when he learns she also dated Ollie? Oh, wait, not in this story. Sorry.
What? There are only two parts left? I'm totally amazed at people who can tell stories in less than 50 parts. How do they do it?
Lois and I are doing as much as we can to keep him afloat but she keeps slapping my hands away from his bare chest.