12.Sailboats and New Houses

Klaw limped out of Lord Bard's courtyard, feeling as if his head was being hung by a giant crab. He silently swore that one day he would redeem today's defeat.

People always love to be concerned about what they can't get, but ignore what they already have. How many people have spent a miserable life missing their dreams, wasting time in a daze, and only at the end of life do they realize the value of time.

Klaw has realized this point, he is too eager to succeed, but ignored - or deliberately ignored many obvious flaws, this failure has taught him a lesson. He regrets his naivety, and after seeing the daylight again, he found himself missing the leisurely time of walking through the streets. If time could go back, he would loudly say to Rat-Eye:

"Get out!"

And then in a lower voice to Eric:

"I won't do it!"

Then eat half full and go to the dilapidated inn of Mrs. Dorothy in the dock area to have a good sleep.

But Klaw couldn't do that, he was destined to be a person who couldn't live clearly, so he knew the road ahead was rugged, but he could only bury his head and go up.

For example, the rules of the guild are an absolute scripture. Failure is shameful, but being driven away like a dog is even more unbearable for him. Therefore, before enjoying freedom, he must work hard, and before letting go completely, he must take revenge.

Take revenge on Rat-Eye, and more on Lord Bard. He has a trump card, which is restlessly beating in his mouth, releasing a smell of copper. He is not clear about the value of this gold coin, but he is sure it is very important to Lord Bard.

"Yes, this is not over!" He repeated Joe's threat, looked resentfully at Lord Bard's big house, and walked out of the big door.

He didn't realize that when he stepped into Lord Bard's house, he had already fallen into a situation with no way out. The butler of the Bard family stood at the door, next to him was a carriage, a carriage far beyond Klow's imagination, and far beyond the exaggerated description of Rat-Eye.

"Hello?" Klaw said uncertainly, trying to bypass the guards, but they stopped him.

"Let's go to your new home, for your safety," the housekeeper Duncan replied simply.

The guards escorted Klaw into the car, the coachman cracked the whip, the tall horse neighed, and the carriage started running.

Klaw angrily adjusted his posture and broke free from the grip of the guards on both sides.

Housekeeper Duncan sat opposite Klaw, he looked old: his hair was gray, there were some wrinkles on his face, he had a poker face, which gave people an impression of being hard to approach. He no longer explained the current situation, even if Klaw was rude or made various disdainful gestures, he was indifferent.

The carriage was speeding on the road, and Klaw saw that they were heading towards the dock.

"Do you like to act as dumb?" Klaw provocatively asked Duncan.

Duncan looked at the scoundrel in front of him and showed interest for the first time.

"Mr. Klaw," he finally spoke, "if you can be a little more obedient, everyone will be more convenient. You know, you have stolen tens of thousands of pounds of property from Lord Bard. If we hand you over to the navy, you will definitely be hanged."

"Tens of thousands of pounds? Your lord just admitted that those things are worthless!"

"Yes, but he didn't mention it to the judge. And there must be someone who is willing to know that you were pretending to be the son of the deputy governor and swindling."

Klaw stared at Duncan, and it was at this moment that he realized he had lost the most important thing - freedom.

Duncan continued: "I'm sorry, Mr. Klaw, I'm not mute, I just don't want to waste energy on trivial matters, I won't make it difficult for you, nor do I want to threaten you. After all, you are the lord's distinguished guest. If you want to leave and can bear the consequences of doing so, I can stop the car and let you go now."

Klaw pondered this and asked how he became Lord Bard's distinguished guest, and what would happen if he left.

"Dangerous consequences," Duncan said simply. "Because someone has stolen the pirate's gold coin, and they... have come to the door."

"Pirates..."

Those fierce beasts of the sea, those heroes who pride themselves on fighting against oppression, those warriors fighting for freedom, have come knocking at the door?

A sense of instinctive fear enveloped Klaw, making him restless and uneasy as he watched the scenery outside the window change continuously. He became as silent as Duncan before they reached the dock.

Under the scorching sun, the Silver Port dock was bustling with activity before noon. The flow of goods and trade of goods reached a peak not seen for months. With the war gone, merchants were regaining confidence. Merchant ships from England brought textiles and manufactured goods, and took sugar and coarse salt back to the mainland of England. Sometimes they would pass through Africa, adding a large number of slaves to the commodity list, thus completing the lucrative triangular trade.

The carriage drove to the far end of the dock, where a medium-sized sailboat was steadily parked by the sea. Its hull reflected the sunlight, making it hard to open one's eyes. The unusually high stern seemed to be a style from several centuries ago. It had three masts, each covered with thick gray canvas, like three girls wrapped up tightly, giving a mysterious beauty.

The waves and sunlight were inspiring, teasing Klaw's adventurous heart. Set sail, explore the great legends, chase endless treasures... The sea has such magic, giving endless reverie to the poor on land.

"We're here," Duncan said, interrupting Klaw's thoughts. He got out of the carriage and showed Klaw a house opposite the sailboat.

"... Is this for me?" Klaw asked incredulously.

This is a two-story wooden house, although the area is not large, but the style is very exquisite.

The house is made of wood, the polished wooden walls are painted with dark red paint, the roof is flat, standing on it just to see the deck of the sailboat. The sea breeze poured into the open windows, making a pleasant sound. Next to the house, there is a small garden, flowers dancing under the fence, a butterfly is struggling with the sea breeze, trying to stand on the swaying stamen, enjoying the delicious nectar. Klaw stood in the same place, simply couldn't believe his eyes.

"It's just temporarily lent to you," Duncan said. "Lord Bard's niece is buying supplies for going to sea, and this was originally a warehouse, which should be safe enough as a hiding place."

"Hiding?" Klaw came to his senses. "Are you saying... there will be pirates chasing after that gold coin, and yet you've settled me by the sea?"

"Let's hope the pirates fall into the same trap of darkness under the lamp as well," Duncan said lightly, "Of course, you could also confess and return the gold coin to Lord Bard."

"I didn't take the gold coin," Klaw insisted, his face pale, clearly understanding the consequences of saying so, but his manly dignity took the lead. He couldn't help but ask himself, he was just a smelly liar, thief, beggar, how could he have this kind of dignity?

"Well, please stay here and wait. Don't forget, Lord Bard doesn't care about the loss of money, but human life is of utmost importance. Even though you are a despicable little thief, he can't let you be slaughtered by the pirates. You should be grateful and no longer cause trouble."

Duncan bent over to get on the carriage, and just before leaving, it seemed to remember something, stretched out his head from the window and said: "Mr. Klaw, please pay attention to your image, there are some clean clothes in the wardrobe, please feel free to use them."

The coachman waved the long whip, and the carriage galloped away in a neigh.

"I don't care about your gold coins and image!" Klaw shouted, then went into the house, lay on the soft bed, and waited quietly in unease and fear.