The infamous captain Edward Thatch, more commonly known by his illustrative pseudonym ‘Blackbeard’, stood on the rolling deck of the Mary Celeste in the proud stance of one who clearly knew he was being regarded with complete and utter awe, not to mention fear. It was difficult not to stare, for he stood there like a dark phantasm wreathed in mantles of arcane smoke.  Fuses were tied in his abundant black beard, sending up grey clouds and shrouding his face until all that could be seen of his features were two fierce eyes glittering beneath his hat.  Those eyes were terrible to behold.  One might call them devilish, or unholy, or even diabolical, for they glowed with such light I felt shivers run down my back and strange tinglings at the base of my skull, as if I were staring at an apparition which should not have been glimpsed by mortal eyes, for he almost did not appear human.  A raiment of stolen red silks flowed around his imposing form, fluttering ostentatiously at the hand of an obedient wind no doubt beckoned for that very purpose.  Over his shoulders he wore a brace of three pistols, and in his hand glinted the keen edge of a curved cutlass, the notable weapon of a pirate.       

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