_The Unsinkable Cassiopeia, Pt. I, Section A, Chapter 1, Subsection (c)_

Last time, we left our heroes facing the biggest challenge of their lives.
Mr. Bubble, the Dreadest Pirate Of Them All, and Thoth, the Occasionally
Dread But Otherwise An All Around Amicable Pirate, stood upon Thoth's ship,
the Ayukawa Madoka, looking gloomily at the approaching doom in the form
of the Royal Fleet led by none other than that dastardly handsome, but
quite deadly if you should disagree with him, man, nay, Icon, Alex Martelli.
Our heroes must now make a decision, or all will be lost.

"Don't mind if I do," Big Al smiled.

"Oh, take as many as you want.  I made them myself, you know."  Orbis handed
the tray with the crumpets over to Big Al, who helped himself to a couple
of the steaming muffins.  "Care for tea with that?"  Orbis lifted the tea
pot.

"Thanks," Big Al held up his cup to Orbis.

"Here you go," Orbis poured Al a cup.  "Cream and sugar?"

"Just sugar, thanks."

"What the FUCK are you two DOING?!?"  Thoth inquired in that All Around
Amicable way.

"We're having tea and crumpets,"  Orbis replied pleasantly, "care for some?"

"I can see that you're having tea and crumpets, but can't you two see that
we are about to die?!?"

*Mmmpphh**gulp* "Well, no need to die on an empty stomach," Big Al turns to
Orbis, "that was fabulous.  How about another one?"

"Can you believe these two?"  Thoth implored his friend, Mr. Bubble.

"You're right, this is inexcusable.  Look, they're not even leaving me any!"
Bubble rushed over and grabbed the last crumpet off the tray before Big Al
can claim that prize.

"Jeez...I hope you're that calm when Martelli starts lobbing flames at us."

"No no.  At YOU.  I intend to be out of here by the time he gets within
range," Mr. Bubble smirked, "after all, _you_ have the princess, not me."

"What?  You're not going to stay and help me fight him?"  Thoth was stunned.

"I love a good massacre as much as the next person, but not if it's me
getting massacred," Bubble grinned and turned to his men, "alright, gather
up our stuff, we're leaving."  He turned back to Thoth, "besides, I've got
a shipload of kumquats I must think about."  With that Mr. Bubble headed
toward the side of the ship.  "Au revoir, mon Capitan," Bubble said, along
with a couple of other Manly Man's French phrases, as he disappeared over
the rail, "see you on the summer side."

Thoth could do nothing but watch the Porcelain Piscina raise her anchor and
sails in preparation of a fast escape.

"Alright, let's prepare for battle!"  Thoth hollered.  "Raise the sails!
Let's see if we can outrun them!"  He looked at Orbis, "put those things
away.  You're not going to get a reputation as a Dread Pirate if you keep
insisting on serving tea to everyone."

"Well, if you say so," Orbis answered dubiously, "though I don't see why
a Dread Pirate can't be polite and sociable, too."

                           *       *        *

Thoth walked around the ship as the sun dipped below the horizon.  The
distant ships now shrouded by the darkness.  Thoth could hear the sails
beating in the wind, keeping pace with the pounding of his heart.  "Maybe
we can escape in the darkness," Thoth mumbled to himself, not truly believing
his own thoughts.  He stopped by OT, who was now hard at work taking up some
slack in a line.

"Orbis, pass the word to the crew.  I want them to break out the oars.
If we lower the sails, we'll be harder to spot when the moon rises.  I
don't want to be within sight of the Fleet comes first light."  Thoth
glanced over at the figure still bound to the center mast, stirring, or
so it seemed, in the darkness.  "I'm going to take the princess below and
get some rest before morning.  Let me know if any unusual happens."

"Aye, Captain."

Thoth strode purposefully toward the nude figure bound to the mast.  He
noticed that she was shivering noticeably in the cold evening breeze, her
fair skin puckering up in that oh-so-cute fashion with thousands of
goose bumps.  His glance moved from her delicate feet upward, pausing at
the marvel at her chest.  There, two deep pink nipples stood at attention,
more from the chill than any erotic feelings.  A grin slowly formed on
Thoth's face as he leered at the princess.

Princess Cassiopeia looked up with fear at the man who has held her
captive for the past 12 hours.  Her fear, however, cannot suppress the
anger mounting in her as she stared at the face of lechery grinning down
at her.

"You sonuvabitch!  Just wait until Alex gets a hold of you!  He'll tear
your testicles out for what you have done to me!  I'll make surrmmmm
mnnpphhhfff!"

Her pleasantries were cut short by a rag in her mouth, which was quickly
secured with a piece of twine, for Thoth wasn't in the mood for friendly
chit chat.  He untied her ankles from the mast and wrestled them together,
tying them securely so she cannot kick effectively.  He then untied her
wrists and, moving quickly, pushed her onto the deck and pulled her wrists
behind her.  He pulled the free end of the rope binding her ankles up
so her feet pointed toward her head behind her.  He then tied her wrists
to this free end, effectively immobilizing her.

Cassiopeia laid on the cold deck, feeling the damp wood pressing into
her chest and stomach.  She gave a sudden surge of effort, struggling
against her bonds, but to no avail.  Exhausted and frustrated, she let
her head droop onto the deck, tears welling up inside her.  /Oh please
hurry, Alex,/ She thought to herself, /save me from this madman and
his insidious tortures./  (Author's Note:  I'm using the "/" to indicate
italic print, specifically thoughts, so they won't be confused with
actual spoken words.  Now back to the regular wanking material.)

Thoth reached down and picked her up like a sack of potatoes (sweet
potatoes, of course).  Cassiopeia attempted to struggle, but tied as
she was, she could only squirm feebly against Thoth's chest.  Thoth
carried her to his cabin and unceremoniously dumped her on his bunk.
He untied her wrists and secured them to the fixed ring attached to the
head of the bunk.  He moved her ankles to the foot of the bunk, threaded
the rope through the ring there, and pulled it with all his strength
before tying it to the ring.

Cassiopeia, of course, was not too keen on this "pulled it with all his
strength" stuff.  After all, she's a delicate flower, not some saltwater
taffy, to be stretched and pulled by some barbaric heathen.  She screamed
her displeasure:

"Mmmmmpppphhhhh."

"Now, now, my princess, don't get excited," Thoth ran his fingers across
her taut stomach, "I'm not going to exercise you anymore tonight."

Cassiopeia watched Thoth as he stepped away from the bunk and started to
undress.  Her eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Thoth remove his
shirt, displaying a magnificently muscular body that any woman would die
for.  She gasped in awe as Thoth removed his breeches.  There, in all its
glory, hung the most majestic manhood she had ever seen.  The princess
nearly fainted at the sight of such grandeur.
(Hey, this is _my_ story, and I'll tell it my way.  If you don't like it,
go write your own.)

Thoth stretched, flexing and loosening his muscles after a long day's work.
He turned down the lamp and climbed into the bunk next to Cassiopeia.  He
felt a slight tremble from the princess when their naked bodies met.  He
rolled over, facing the princess in the dark.  He can just make out her
eyes in the starlight coming through the portholes.  He noticed that she's
watching him, as best she could, out of the corner of her eyes.  He smiled,
stroking her body with his hand, and allowing the exhaustion to wash over
him.

Thoth was suddenly jolted awake by the noise of yelling men and running
feet.  He immediately knew something was afoot, for he's an astute pirate
also.  He leapt out of bed and scrambled for his clothes.  As he was pulling
on his pants, someone pounded frantically at the door.

"Captain," yelled Orbis from the other side, "the fleet's upon us!  I don't
know how, but they managed to find us and catch up with us!"

"Damned!" Thoth cursed, "OT, get the men..."

Thoth's order was drowned out by an ear shattering explosion above deck,
followed by the sound which freezes even the most hardy of sailors -- the
sound of the main mast tearing away from its root.