San Serif 2013The Third ‘Bayko Baron’ adventure

• The Governor’s Mansion – The Escorial of New Spain

• The San Ityclaus and her escort the San Gabrielle newly arrived from Cadiz

• Governor Don Lardo y Graspo prepares for his new bride – the lucky girl!

• The coaches are sent to fetch Donna Quibab ashore – while the band plays fiesta tunes and the Old Cordoba trot along to keep her safe

• At a street stall next to the palace they have paid for the citizenry arm themselves for a show of ‘loyalty’

• The San Ityclaus unloads a coffle of slaves to the San Serif barracoon – destined for the big up-country haciendas

• At Ms Sadie’s the crew of the San Gabrielle are already making the most of the unexpectedly free grog

• While above them their Captain is getting nowhere with Ms Sadie herself, who stares fixedly into the harbour

• Mistaking herself for the object of attention – she always is – Donna Quibab raises a goblet in salute to a kindred spirit – their both in the same game

• Don Lardo checks with Bishop Gigantos that the wedding arrangements are all in order – while the town-crier calls the bans. The boy’s real keen!

• Meanwhile the Marine Artillery prepare for the 18 gun salute Donna Quibab has demanded

• In the jungle beyond the town a pack of ragged, sweat-soaked desperadoes moves purposefully in the shadow of the trees

• While in Donna Messwivme’s Blue Barnacle a pack of strangely sober men play Mr Bun The Baker to pass the time

• A sudden crash of musketry and two Greencoats go down – Major Ximenes leads the rest in hot pursuit as the attackers

flee towards the forest

• The Redcoats of the Irlanda Regiment are called out – rotten fruit is one thing, bullets another

• A security cordon is formed in front of Santiago Di Compost

• It seems the guests at the Blue Barnacle have lost interest in Mr Bun

• More shots and two of the Irlanda go down

• The redcoats head off in pursuit through the Mercado Depistado

• While a crowd gathers round the injured men

With his infantry occupied Don Lardo calls in the Marine Artillery to protect the coaches

• At that moment the fishing fleet arrive – bringing folks from the villages for the celebrations

• The flotilla sweeps round Pirate Island where the dangling bodies give notice of Don Lardo’s attitude to the profession

• A landing party led by Gaspard LePhew (something to do with the garlic I understand?) seizes the deserted West Quay

• While the East falls to RobRoy McNuggets, the ‘Celtic Corsair’

• While Calico Jack Chinless himself takes the San Gabrielle

• All of which brings on a foot-stamping tantrum from Don Lardo, which brings on his gout. The only good news is that

the wind has faded and the San Gabrielle won’t be going anywhere before his troops get back

• But Major Ximenes has run into Violent Vinny Arbuthnot and has troubles of his own

• While the Irlanda have caught up with Happy Dan Pugh

• Nor is Calico Jack the man to be thwarted by a little weather

• Frothing with impotent rage Don Lardo now finds Donna Quibab in front of him demanding her 18 gun salute and complaining that she’s been kept waiting. In the silence that follows only

Dribble the Doberman can be heard.

• The San Gabrielle is gone – soon to become ‘The Saucy Gladys Trusspot’ scourge of the Spanish Main.

• A lone skiff pauses at Pirate Island to cut down the corpses – her captain turning to wave. To Ms Sadie it is a fond farewell from her sister, Ethel Puttle, to Don Lardo it is a final insolent gesture from ‘The Barracuda’!