
A May storm kept Westport's fishermen indoors discussing Francis Drake's ships at Plymouth and the men refused places aboard. Half Devon would sail west if Drake had room, but he swore to take no one beyond the company already entered. You step into this one-chapter preview with Francis Drake at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. Plymouth and Drake's dangerous western expedition waited beyond the next chapter. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
Read Under Drake's Flag