“He hasn’t spoken. I think he’s terrified, mate.”

“They always are. Look at ‘im there, trembling. We got deeper dungeons than this. Should we show him?”

“No, Captain. Leave him here. We’ve written to his family, askin’ for the ransom.”

“No, I have a better idea. Bring ‘im back up to deck.”

“Back up? After all this walking? Oh, look, mate: he’s soiled himself.”

“Makes my idea all the better. Turn ‘im around and walk him back up to the deck.”

“It’s storming up there. What’s there to do there?”

“The gangplank. We’ll leave ‘im there until it stops storming, and let his parents see him as they sail in to give us the ransom.”

“What if they don’t come?”

“If they don’t come, it’s one step off the plank to get rid of him!”