~ 675 ~
“Bring me a pot of beer,” you reply, and seat yourself beside a couple of grumpy fishermen, who have clearly drunk themselves into uncaring insensibility.
When it comes, the beer is thin, sour and clearly watered-down. “What is this?” you ask angrily.
“It’s our Silver Cat Pale,” replies the innkeeper.
“More like silver cat’s p-”
“It’s the best we can do, cully,” he interrupts. “I ain’t ‘ad fresh malt in weeks. An’ if the maltster ‘ad come through, which ‘e ain’t, on account of Scobley, I wouldn’t’ve ‘ad no coin fer it anyhow.”
Just them, the door slams open and a group of ruffians file in. One marches up to the innkeeper and grasps him firmly, knocking your beer onto the floor in the process.
“Nice ter see you,” says the ruffian – a heavily-set man sporting several gold ear-rings. “Ready fer the next ‘instalment’?”
Watch and see what happens… 1087
“Leave this man alone.” 1106
“Hey! You spilt my beer!” 1116
I watched The Mark of Zorro – the 1998 one – for the first time (!) last night. I always loved the Tyrone Power version, but the Banderas/Hopkins one strikes me as just as good. Music by James Horner, too. Swashbuckling, flamboyant and fun – just how Steam Highwayman is meant to feel – some of the time, at least.
Let’s see how much more fun I can have when I remember that I want your adventure through the wild west of Cornwall to feel like a Zorro movie.