Arrival of the Black Death in England
A ship from Gascony arrives at Weymouth Harbour, its crew visibly ill and dying. The harbormaster and dockworkers hesitate to unload the cargo, sensing something is terribly wrong.
Setting
Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, England. A bustling medieval port with wooden docks extending into the harbor, surrounded by small stone and timber-framed buildings. The ship from Gascony is moored at the main dock, its sails still partially unfurled.
Characters
Harbormaster
primary
A middle-aged man with a stocky build, weathered skin from years spent by the sea, and a thick salt-and-pepper beard. His keen grey eyes are sharp with suspicion, and his hands bear callouses from handling ropes and cargo.
Ship Captain
primary
A middle-aged Gascon man with a gaunt, feverish face, sunken eyes, and a pallid complexion. His once-strong frame is visibly weakened by illness, with trembling hands and a sheen of sweat on his brow. His dark hair is matted with salt and grime, and his beard is unkempt.
Dockworker
secondary
A burly man in his late 30s with sun-weathered skin, calloused hands, and a thick beard streaked with gray. His muscular frame shows years of heavy lifting, with a slight limp from an old dock injury.
Merchant
secondary
A middle-aged man of sturdy build, with a weathered face marked by years of outdoor commerce. His thick, dark beard is streaked with gray, and his keen eyes dart nervously between the ship and the harbormaster. His hands, calloused from handling wool bales, clutch at the hem of his tunic as he retreats.
Ship's Boy
background
A gaunt boy of about 12 years with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, his thin frame wracked by violent coughing fits. His skin has an unhealthy pallor with dark circles under his eyes. Straw-colored hair matted with sweat clings to his forehead.
Dialog
Harbormaster
Hold your cargo! By order of the port, she's to be inspected before any goods come ashore.
Ship Captain
Per Diu! She's clean as a maiden's conscience! Just a rough crossing from Bordeaux—
Dockworker
Aye, and rats floatin' belly-up in 'er bilge! Grain sacks crawlin' with 'em!
Harbormaster
Quarantine flags up! No man sets foot ashore from that ship 'til the bailiff sees her manifest.
Ship Captain
Merde... she's... she's sound...
Dockworker
Christ's bones—look at 'is neck! Black as pitch!
Harbormaster
Clear the dock! Fetch the bailiff and torches—we'll burn what won't keep.