“I am looking for a Captain Michael Browning. I believe you have, or had, him in your custody.”
“Browning? The pirate? Are you referring to the man that stole the airships? Yes, we had him in... Wait a minute... Are you claiming to be Miss Porter. *The* Miss Porter, the pirate?”
“I am. I wish to collect him."
“You’re... No, wait a minute...” He looked more carefully at my uniform, my sabre, and Maxwell. “This isn’t a game missy. If you’re one of those people pretending to... you don’t look like the pictures in the papers.” He stared a moment longer at my face, then “You’re not, are you?”
“Not what?”
“Pretending.”
“No. I do declare that I am the buccaneer commander, Lucinda Francis Malleus Porter and I wish to collect Captain Browning.”
It took him three seconds before, “Holy Shit!”