omake #2

 

Omake 2

 

“Protector Cromwell of England is displeased with what he is calling the ‘acts of piracy on the high seas’ of the Duke of Kurland. How shall I reply to that, Jurij?” asked Jeremi.

“Tell him that you are amazed that an Englishman, whose great queen, Elizabeth Tudor, declared slavery to be abhorrent to an Englishman, should permit his captains to sail with cargoes of slaves. Tell him that we are bound in our duty to God to release any such captives from durance vile, and treat those who carry such as the criminals they truly are, even if sailing feloniously under the colours of England. Tell him that the Pit of Gomorrah, otherwise known as Jamaica, is forfeit to the Rzeczpospolita for the unnatural practices which abound there, flaunting the laws of God and consequently being a blight upon the hitherto unsullied name of England.”

“We don’t want to warn him we plan to seize Jamaica.”

“Kurland already took it; I have his dispatches here. He’s invested a number of szlachcice amongst the former slaves. One Józef Cudjoe has been elected by his fellows to represent Jamaica in the Sejm.”

“You just enjoy sounding sanctimonious to as narrow-minded a protestant as Cromwell,” laughed Jeremi.

“I do, indeed,” said Jurko.

Korybut omake

 I have a selection of omake one of which might grow into a story, so i thought I'd post them. 

Eagle and Falcon Omake

 

“It’s nice that Michał is making friends with young Leopold of Austria,” said Jeremi. “When Ferdynand does die, we shall make sure Leopold becomes Holy Roman Emperor. We now own a number of votes.”

“Or the Sejm does,” said Jurko.

Jeremi shrugged.

“And Gryzelda and I between us own most of the Sejm, one way or another. It comes to the same thing. We don’t even have to stoop to blackmail; we prefer to have people owing us favours.”

“Gryzelda is as ruthless an operator as any, and makes you look almost an amateur,” grinned Jurko. “Mind, Papa, had you noticed something?”

“Hmmm?” Jeremi was too proud of his wife to take offence at Jurko’s teasing.

“The preponderance of spurious treasure maps on sale have increased since Michaś and Leopold had a lesson in mapping together,” said Jurko.

Jeremi considered.

“Anyone fool enough to believe a purchased treasure map deserves to be taken for a fool,” he said. “It’s all good practice for their map making.”

Jurko grinned.

“Why don’t I suggest a few maps in places where I want to dig canals to get things started?” he said.

“You can’t do that,” said Jeremi. “Mind, if they overheard you discussing how you will need a difficult field dug....”

“I take it back; you’re no amateur at all, my liege,” said Jurko.