Charging through the door of his cabin, Kent scanned the darkness, then grabbed the bottle of rum from his desk and headed up on deck, ignoring the clusters of pirates littering the ship, well into their drink.
Darkness cast a shroud over the vessel, hovering like a demon over the waterlogged wood. Though the storm had ceased its assault upon the sea, it seemed to intensify within Kent. A sudden chill seeped through his leather vest. Planting his boots on the sodden deck by the main head rail, Kent raised the bottle to his lips and poured a full draught down his parched throat in an effort to ward off the icy mist.
A sail snapped in the wind, drawing his gaze upward. Neither the faintest glimmer of the moon nor the twinkle of a star penetrated the thick black that hung low in the sky.
Boot steps approached, and Kent turned to see the doctor, pipe betwixt his lips, hurrying toward him. Blast! All Kent wanted at the moment was to be left alone.