Night Creatures

The charge being...

that you did willfully and

maliciously attack a woman...

namely, the wife of your own Captain

with intent to assault and murder her...

for which the punishment is

the same as that for a traitor.

Namely...

that your ears be slit. No!

And your tongue be cut out.

And you be taken to the

nearest uninhabited shore...

with neither food nor water...

and left to die.

Mercy!

Signed Capt. Clegg...

this year of our Lord, 1776.

"Praise he who made the sun"

"Day by day his course to run"

"For his mercies they endure"

"Ever faithful, ever sure"

"Praise him that he gave the rain"

"To mature the swelling grain"

"For his mercies they endure"

"Ever faithful, ever sure"

"And hath bid the fruitful field"

"Crops of precious, increase yield"

"For his mercies they endue"

"Ever faithful, ever sure"

Gentlemen. This will not do at all.

We are gathered here today

to give thanks to our Lord...

for his bounteous gifts.

Now, is this the best

you can do? Surely not?

I know some of you feel you have

precious little to be thankful for...

with taxation what it is...

and war with France more

than just a possibility...

but you are wrong. For

you have your health.

You have enough to eat.

More than enough, in some cases.

You have roofs over your heads...

fuel for your fires, a new schoolroom...

a choir that sings in tune.

Sometimes.

And what is more...

you haven't any King's

men billeted in your homes.

And so, my friends, let

us have the last verse...

no, the last two verses again.

And this time, we'll really give

thanks and we'll mean it, shall we?

Are you ready, Mr. Mipps?

"Praise him that he sent the rain"

Brandon, get ahead with

your cutlass. Aye, aye, sir.

Well, we've a good hour yet.

He said that parson liked

the sound of his own voice.

"And when the Philistines heard

that the children of Israel...

"were gathered together to Mizpeh...

"the lords of the Philistines

went up against Israel.

"And when the children

of Israel heard it...

"they were afraid of the Philistines.

"And the children of

Israel said to Samuel:

"Cease not to cry unto

the Lord our God for us...

"that he will save us out of

the hand of the Philistines.

"And as Samuel was offering

up the burnt offering...

"the Philistines drew near

to battle against Israel.

"But the Lord thundered with a great

thunder on that day upon the Philistines...

"and discomfited them."

Timed it just right, eh, Bosun?

Can't think why we didn't come by

road instead of this boat caper.

He said they'd be watching

for us on the road.

This way we take them by surprise.

Right, Bosun. Forward!

Now...

let us sing Hymn number 291:

"Oft in danger, oft in woe."

"Oft in danger, oft in woe"

Right, Bosun.

You know what we're looking

for? Pitch to and find it.

Brandon and Smee fallout.

I'm going to the church to make sure

none of the flock leaves the fold.

Forward. Aye, sir.

All right? Yes.

Good morning, gentlemen.

We're closed till after Church.

Who says so? I say so.

Mr. Rash, these gentlemen must have

had a long walk. Give them a drink.

All right. What do you want? Brandy.

This is an alehouse.

All right then, wine.

We don't keep no fancy French

wines here. The duty is too high.

Don't keep any wine? We'll have

to make sure, won't we, lads?

Now, here's an answer

to a sailor's prayer.

What's your name then, my pretty?

My name's lmogene.

Imogene. I knew an lmogene once.

Chased her for two years. Every

time I caught up with her...

she gave me the slip.

Perhaps you were too

rough with your wooing.

Not for that lmogene:

She was a three-master.

A pirate ship, she was, boy...

flying the black flag of Capt. Clegg.

We've got him in our churchyard.

Who? Capt. Clegg. He's buried there.

You're welcome to

him, boy, very welcome.

I see I spoke too soon. The

King's men are already with us.

If you would care to join us in worship,

Captain, you are more than welcome.

But first, would you be kind

enough to remove your hat?

I would, sir, if I were here

in the service of my Maker.

But I'm not.

In the service of my King, I keep it on.

I had prepared a sermon

for today on the text:

"Blessed be the Lord my strength...

"who teacheth my hand to war...

"and my fingers to fight."

However, under the circumstances, I

feel it would be rather inappropriate.

Therefore, I should suggest that

you consider the service finished...

and that you should go

straight to your homes.

Well, nothing there, matey.

"Pitch to and find it," he says.

Where? All I can show for my trouble...

is splinters in my fingers

and corns in my feet.

My heart bleeds for you. Who's

going to pay for all this damage?

Why, you are, Mr. Rash...

a right thinking taxpayer,

you'd want to stop smuggling.

So we're putting a stop to it.

What more compensation

do you want than that?

The follow party arrived, Bosun?

Aye, sir. But we've found nothing.

What's in there?

Mr. Rash?

It's here somewhere.

Unless that informer,

Ketch, was lying, Captain.

He was too frightened to lie.

All right, Bosun, fetch

your ferret. Aye, Captain.

Unchain him.

Look at this.

So they've no fancy

French wines, Captain?

You two. Come in here.

Come on.

What's this? A hole

in the floor, Captain.

I can see that, fool. What's down there?

Why, the cellar, of course.

Why the concealed entrance?

Well, it's an old inn.

Get down there.

No secrets here, Captain. Just tar

for the nets, lamp-oil and the like.

What's in that?

White varnish. It's for the boats.

Are you sure it isn't

White Holland's Gin? Yes.

Open it.

He was speaking the truth, Captain.

Here, Captain.

Varnish?

Varnish, Captain. Did

anyone tell you different?

There's a man here called

Ketch. Do you know him?

Yes, that'll be young

Tom. I want to see him.

That would... Take me

to him, no arguments.

After you.

Come this way, Captain.

They learnt anything?

Only the taste of white varnish so

far. At least that's all the Bosun has.

If we don't get rid

of everything quick...

they'll learn the

taste of brandy and gin.

Listen.

Captain, I should have told you,

I was at sea myself for years.

I've sailed around

the world three times.

Pirating? There you

go, always suspicious.

No. I was a ship's carpenter. Very good

one. That's where I learnt my trade.

Of course, it's a bit quiet here,

after the high jinks at sea...

but it has its points.

What's down there?

That's the coffin shop.

But, Captain, you come here

to see Tom Ketch, didn't you?

Tom?

Came in this morning, I haven't

had time to touch him up yet.

He was alive last night.

How did he die?

He was found floating in one

of the ponds on the marshes.

The Squire found him this

morning, when he was out riding.

Squire Cobtree. How did he die, man?

Dr. Pepper signed the certificate:

"Natural causes."

But, I think from the look of the

poor fellow, that he died of fright.

That's more like unnatural causes,

isn't it? Frightened to death? What by?

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