William began telling his story without interruption from his skeptical audience,Drake still standing, Sierra, Kyle, and Rosaline sitting on the davenport as he spoke.

"Nicolas Maudet and I met in the slums of New Orleans and became fast friends. We had similar stories; both of us had lost most of our kin to yellow fever, and our few surviving relatives didn't want us,or rather couldn't afford extra mouths to feed. So, we took to the streets to avoid being sold to a master for ...