the captain

He was a walleyed man who commanded his raft from atop its cabin, eating herring and drinking beer. He directed the piracy, boarding a granite barge to loot food, wine, and coins while allowing the bargemen to keep their stone cargo. He presented himself as Carolus, a friend, and enjoyed the company of Père Matthieu for his lack of preaching. His cruel humor showed when he laughed at a wounded man and wrung a finch's neck to throw at a captive. After days of travel, his true nature emerged: he drugged the priest with wine to search the passengers' belongings, stealing from Thomas's satchel. Deciding the guild's loyalty was only to itself, he ordered the crew to kill Thomas and the priest, falsely agreeing to spare Delphine. As he crept with a rusty falchion to murder the sleeping priest, his first mate Guillaume betrayed him. In the ensuing fight, he struck Guillaume and then faced Thomas with a long spear, his wild swing clipping Delphine. Declaring he had already seen the sea and did not need to live, he was finally killed when Thomas cut his throat; his body was rolled into the river.