In spite of the way he creeps me out, I thought it would be interesting to get his point of view on the whole Deliverers rebellion. What did he think of Sharky, the villagers, the pirates? Let's see if we can get him to spill his guts. Umm, might not have been the best choice of words there...
Greg: Hello there, Mr. Marrow. It's a er, umm, pleasure to have you here tonight.
Marrow: Oh and it's extremely nice to be here, I can assure you.
Greg: Well, heh, that's awfully nice of you to say. Have you been sailing with Sharky for long?
Marrow: Aye squire, that I did. Now Sharky lived infernally long. I rose through the ranks to become his first mate. All told, I sailed with him for over 30 years. Before I came along, he went through mates like he changed clothes--every year or so.
Greg: How did you manage to stick around so long?
Marrow: The Captain and I complement each other. He is more direct, more forceful--like a Force 5 hurricane. On the other hand, I am much more subtle. I keep him calm enough so that he doesn't rip someone limb from limb before we squeeze every ounce of usefulness from them. Waste not want not, it's the most prudent course. Torture is more effective than force in most cases, I've learned. Sharky sometimes forgets that.
Greg: Well sure, yeah, of course. I could see that. So what is it like, sailing the high seas with Sharky and his crew?
Marrow: It is thrilling. Searching the seas for victims. There's nothing like it. When you close on a ship, pound her into submission, and then board her. That is a feeling of freedom like no other. Looting, killing, plundering--that's when I feel the most alive.
Of course, daily life with the crew is tedious. Most of them are not fit to lick my boots, much less the captain's. However, despite their crudeness and slovenly appearance, they are surprisingly effective tools. And, they're deathly afraid of Sharky, and myself I might add.
Sharky is another matter. Although he has a foul temper, he respects a man who can strike fear in the crew and keep them in line. That's where I come in. Sharky strikes fear into their hearts, so I am the one to convey his wishes to them.
Greg: And what about the villagers? What's your opinion of them?
Marrow: Sharky would be upset to hear this, but there is a hint of steel there. They are not sheep, no matter what the Captain says. At least not all of them are sheep. The Lord Mayor, for one. He may be a trifle over cautious, but he would be a challenge if it came to a fight. The same can be said of the blacksmith, Cordon. Definitely dangerous.
Of course, they would be no match for our lads. And then of course there's Sharky and his ring. Nothing can stand against him. The the boy and the bird arrived, and that changed everything.
Greg: In what way?
Marrow: For one thing, they managed to stir the villagers up. That made Sharky mad. I began to think that perhaps if Sharky became too angry he might lose his grip and make a mistake. Then I would calmly step in and rescue things. After all, Sharky had ruled for over 300 years. It was about time for new blood to my way of thinking.
Greg: Well, thanks for spending some time with us. When you start talking about blood, it makes mine run cold. I'll just let our readers read the book to find out what wound up happening.
Marrow: Fair enough. Well, I think we should let them get on with it then. Farewell. I've got a village to plunder and Sharky's waiting.
No comments:
Post a Comment