Novella 1 begins in 1689 Port Royal, Jamaica with Atia Crisp and her sister Livia shipwrecked and sold into slavery. They are soon separated and Atia is used a pawn in a deadly card game. Atia is swiftly liberated by Capitaine Jean-Paul la Roche (whose secret identity is the pirate Gator Gar). They take refuge at Cherry Red's Boutique, a high class brothel, where the strumpets are not only beautiful but deadly. The refugees soon meet up with allies including the medication loving Dr. Strangewayes, his assistant Gladstone and Theodore Binge, the card shark.