You might've also heard him called Blackbeard. [said mildly, as if he's just talking about an old drinking buddy and not the most famous pirate in history. Which...he is, actually.] He always did like that name, said it made him sound like a fearsome devil. Mary was a friend of mine—one of the best people I ever knew, and sly as a fox to boot, to have hidden her true identity for years. Anne became my quartermaster—sharp as a knife, that woman, and she could keep up with the rest of us easy as breathing.

I'm not surprised Tony would've taught you about Blackbeard, at least. He was the one who knew how to best cultivate a reputation, how to use it to his advantage. I think he knew people would be talking about him for years to come, in a way most of us just...didn't care too much about.

[Although Edward figures even old Blackbeard didn't realize just how long his name would linger after his death.]

It sounds like he loved them, and dearly. He must've wanted to honor them, as best as he could. I won't say it was an easy choice to make, but I think...if Tony's the sort of person I believe he is, from what you're telling me, he might've decided it was worth any cost he might incur to himself.

[A hum.]

Suppose not. I don't know much about your father, but if he's the man you got the mantle from, I imagine he'd be proud.