Incipit

"He probably thinks I’m a fool, that Blackbeard. I’m a terrible pirate.” Stede wasn't sure why he said it, it was just that this whole thing was so very embarrassing. He had actually started to feel like something of a real captain after the adventure on the island. With Pete and Oluwande, he had retrieved a hostage and worked through at least a bit of the guilt around Badminton’s death. He had held a knife on that nasty little hostage-thieving bandit and actually done something that seemed to impress his crew. Buttons hadn’t reported any talk of mutiny for two whole days! But then came the Republic of Pirates and the entire debacle.