Troy looked down at his captive apologetically. "I didn't ask to become a pirate, you understand."

Helmut continued to stare down at the deck as he was secured to the base of the mast, his hands tightly bound behind him. "No, but you had every opportunity to throw yourself overboard."

"I don't consider suicide much of an option."

The younger ex-Kooluk officer glared. "It didn't stop you in El-Eal, did it?"