What did his friends say to do or say if you were arrested? You were supposed to talk as little as possible, because the police would get you on anything they could.

"I have nothing more to say," Bill said, still staring at his plate.

Elijah looked more curious and suspicious. He leaned forward on an elbow to look at the man. He looked him up and down, but made sure to avoid looking too far down. "I thought you were concerned for your crew? What about this dangerous captain of yours? If you don't want to discuss it I can't help if he goes too far. If he hurts someone or worse again, it'll be too late. And I can't do much for those that have passed if you don't want to report to me about them ."

Bill gulped and looked up at the constable. There was no getting off the hook, it seemed.

"Will I be able to leave and see if Robert and John made it back all right?" he asked. "That's all I want. I don't know nothing about no one else Captain Smith might have tossed overboard. You can..." he gulped again. "You can investigate or whatever, just leave me out of it."

This was certainly strange and the constable was more intrigued by the unusual guest. "So your mention of him having drowned others before was an exaggeration or just rumor?" He moved closer so that if the man tried to run he wouldn't be able to get past him. "You are not under arrest so you wouldn't be held. You have no reason to be arrested, do you?"

She could barely read! For God’s sake, next he would be telling him the harlot was a redhead!

“That is what finding a proper wife is for, Uriel!” proclaimed apparent expert Zechariah, who had never once looked at a woman in lust.

Bill watched the constable move to block him from leaving, and his mood shot from nervousness to pure panic.

"Of course not," he said automatically when the constable asked him if there was any reason he might be arrested. 

He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself down, but he couldn't hold it, and he let it out and took a fast gulp of air. His breathing became fast and shallow, and he started rocking back and forth in his chair.

"There was a tally board, that I saw," he said quickly, "and he did try to drown me, and everybody was watching the spectacle like... like it was a circus or something, and..."

The room started to spin, and his chair toppled back. His robe fell open again as he crashed onto the floor.

Elijah noticed him panic. He tried to hurry to catch him but noticed his robe fall open. It made him pause just long enough for the man to land, and he felt horribly guilty for his own issues to allow someone to be injured. He knelt down and lifted up his head. "Hey.. a-are you alright?" He patted his cheek to try to get him to respond.

Bill was still breathing, but he did not respond.

Elijah panicked, and started to feel his head for lumps. He wasn't bleeding outwardly so that was a possibly good sign. "Oh wake up. Please! I-I'm so very sorry to have scared you!" he said quickly as he checked the man over truly hoping he hadn't killed someone who was probably quite innocent.

Bill opened his eyes. His robe was still open, and the constable was examining his body, panicking as if he'd hurt him.

"I'm quite all right," he said, and attempted to sit up, but failed. His legs were still hooked over the seat of the chair, and his muscles had been pushed far past their limit. He lay back in resignation.