history

THE HISTORY

OF SHOPPOLIS ISLANDS

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The Period 1782 - 1783

     The Prize Mary continued to sail without incident. The men prospered in part because of the Captain's innovative approach to negotiations, exchange and transaction. He always ended up with funds before a voyage not just afterwards. A periodic tally was performed by the ship's clerk, Shallister Bolsterome, a man of impeccable integrity and an assortment of heritages. It was counted whenever requested by a member of the ship's company. According to the various tallies, Captain Shopp did not remove his fair share. It wasn't until some time on Shoppolis Islands, that the captain chose to partake. It was for his wedding and his new estate in South Beach, East Island.

     No one knew exactly how Shopp managed to have ample funds provided before a voyage, but his "connections" in each major port of the world seemed to make the difference. One spirited client of Shopp's once said of the man, "Captain Shopp is a man of many men. When negotiating with him, one gets the impression there are others watching and participating in a manner that disconcerts the most hardened of us. It is difficult to say no to a man of such subtle influence." Another said of him, "Captain Everett is as conniving as an honest man can be without relinquishing his calling as a gentleman." His mother used to say that he was a child of many smiles, all of them genuine. When asked what type of captain he was, he replied, "I am a reasonable leader until reason no longer maintains order and compliance. Then I must apply whatever measures are required to address the situation at hand. Then, for the sake of survival, return to reason as expeditiously as possible to assure the evenness of the crew's temperament and enthusiasm to sail a ship in a hearty manner and, as a result, realize a resounding profit. After all, we are all, first sailors, and second, but not least, businessmen of a sort."

     It wasn't until some time on Shoppolis Islands that those who associated with Captain Shopp understood the negotiating prowess of the man and what made him what he was, a gentlemen of many means. In his very young years, he was introduced to the game of chess, which he played as an expert. As he stated once at a gathering to play, "Gentlemen, I have never lost a game of chess, but neither have I always won." His subtle way of saying that his opponent often "gave" him the win by playing badly or naively, was quite interesting.

     He eluded to his ability to stand away from the crowd and still not be "targeted" as his way of saying that his opponents were always informed that there were "others" in the crowd that would "deliver unacceptable consequences upon a man who pointed a gun at me." At another time, he was quoted to have said, "One must be assumed to be suicidal to willingly stand against me." When asked at a party once why he was accepted by so many thought to be "undesirable," he responded, "I am kind, considerate, respecting and giving to those who are not."

     Asked about those who had purposefully challenged him, he answered, "If given the opportunity, I will always mention what will happen if I am injured or killed. This allows my opponent a moment or two to consider the options before acting." He called his methodology for survival, "arranging for consequential action in a most convincing manner." To this, he added, "I have a way of making death wishes come true." When quizzed about his assessment of a potential threatening entity, he answered, "I always provide sufficient material for a person with a vivid imagination to build upon. A simple suggestion of consequence can go along way when introduced to a fertile mind. The more cruel and beguiling the man, the more he is able to imagine." He liked his own quote on being challenged as to what he would do, as, "What you would do, times two," when defining a consequence when he had not had sufficient time to formulate a proper consequence.

     These survival tactics led to a great deal of respect from the crew of the Prize Mary, those on board as passengers, and those met on the way. They also led to the eventual creation of Shoppolis Islands' Fully Distributed Deterrence Force (FDDF) in 1790 which provided for "individuals and/or devices to be distributed throughout the field of play and within the opponent's gathering in such as manner as to ensure the safety and continued existence of one's own team. This does not guarantee one's actual survival, but it does guarantee the other's complete and utter failure and annihilation. There may be other games, but the same two teams will never play against each other again."

     In April of 1783, Everett's father passed away in his sleep at 83, leaving a fortune to Everett's sister and to him. He quickly made arrangements to secure the fortune for his sister, Madge, and himself. Once he had taken care of these funds and investments, as well as how to benefit from them via international means, he returned to his ship.

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