The pig snuffled in the mud, rolling it's pink carcass around inside its pen, disturbing its brethren. The wooden houses could have been in any town in Europe, the same mortared wood, some of them even sporting the white plaster. If it were not for the bird cawing loudly in the jungle a ship's keel away the pirate port could well have been a thousand miles away. The darkness between the buildings was near absolute, the stars blinded by the wide fronds of the jungle canopy overhead. Only a small lamp, hung from the beam overhead delivered any light.

Beneath the lamp, Lucy's copper hair echoed the flickering glimmer of the lamplight. She had pinned it up, keeping it out of the way as she lifted the bucket of water and poured it over her shoulders. The water sluiced over her naked body and splattered upon the hard packed earth outside of the tavern's rear door and Lucy closed her eyes. There were few small pleasures afforded one of her position and simple bathing was one of them.

"Loose!" the tavern keeper bellowed from inside, rudely breaking Lucy from her reverie, "Loose, yer wanted up front!"

"Shut yer hole," Lucy suddenly hollered back in cockney fashion, "I ain't done washin' the last man off me."

The barkeep simply shrugged in Alexander's direction.

"Just git yer skanky arse out here ya slut."

Outside Lucy sighed and quickly toweled off, grabbing her dress and pulling it over head before unpinning her hair and adding the black pirate styled cap with it's downy orange feather. She took a deep breath, settled herself and altered her bearing to make herself more attractive before stepping out with her most radiant smile.

"Salut monsier," she greeted Alexander, extending her hand as she gracefully circled the end of the bar, "It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance."