Before You Read: Target Vocabulary
Essential words to understand this chapter easily.
pretext
/ˈpriːtekst/a false reason given to hide the real reason for doing something
dirk
/dɜːk/a long dagger or short stabbing blade formerly used by sailors
tiller
/ˈtɪlər/a horizontal wooden bar used to turn the rudder and steer a boat
dodge
/dɒdʒ/to move quickly to avoid an obstacle or an attacker
Chapter Text Preview
The wind blew from the west, carrying the Hispaniola smoothly toward North Inlet. We could not anchor or run the ship ashore until the tide rose, so we waited. Hands suggested throwing the dead body of O’Brien into the sea, but I refused. Then the coxswain blinked and asked me whether dead men ever come back to life. I answered that while the body dies, the spirit remains alive. Hands shrugged and asked me to go down to the cabin to fetch him some wine, claiming the brandy was too strong for him. His hesitation and strange smile made me...
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