Mr. Scott
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Vital statistics | |
Title | Maroon King |
Gender | Male |
Status | Deceased (succumbed to wounds caused by English soldier) |
Ships | Royal Lion Spanish Man O' War |
Relationships | Benjamin Hornigold (Former captain, deceased) Eleanor Guthrie (Former master/Friend; deceased) Richard Guthrie (Former master, deceased) Maroon Queen (Wife) Madi (Daughter) |
Appearances | First: I. Last: XXVII. |
Portrayed by | Hakeem Kae-Kazim |
Gallery | Mr. Scott Gallery |
- "You have your doubts?"
"Of turning pirates into farmers and soldiers? Of fighting a war against Whitehall from a sliver in the Atlantic? Doubt, Captain Flint, does not begin to describe how I am feeling." - ―James Flint and Scott[src]
Mr. Scott was Eleanor Guthrie’s right-hand man. Formerly Richard Guthrie’s house slave, his loyalties are put to the test as Eleanor allies herself more closely with Captain Flint. After he was sent to the slave markets aboard the Andromache and liberated by Flint's pirates, he joined the pirate crew of Captain Benjamin Hornigold, becoming his quartermaster.
Biography
Background
Mr. Scott was kidnapped in his early teens from Africa and he was sold into slavery - he has African tribal scars on his face and speaks the native tongue. He eventually became the houseboy for Richard Guthrie. As Scott grew older, Guthrie entrusted him with more responsibility and eventually, Scott earned an education[1].
Mr. Scott was married to a fellow slave in Nassau, who would become the Maroon Queen, and had a daughter Madi. During the War of the Spanish Succession the port became a haven for English privateers, and the Spain threatened to invade. Mr. Scott secretly secured his wife and her daughter passage to a remote escaped slave community on the Maroon Island. Scott then told Richard and his daughter Eleanor that his wife and daughter were killed. Richard, whose wife had been killed in the raid, left Nassau for his estate on Harbour Island, leaving Eleanor and Scott behind. Scott stayed in Nassau to covertly provide the community with supplies, while his wife eventually became the leader of the community. Scott also raised Eleanor, who came to view him as more of a father than her own.
As Eleanor grew older, Scott encouraged her to take over her father's business, that way he could step down. Being in charge of the Guthrie Trading Company's fence operation in Nassau made it difficult to send the Maroon Camp supplies and made travel impossible. However, when Eleanor stepped into her father's shoes, Scott was able to manage the survival of both Nassau and the Maroon Camp from behind the scenes[2].
Scott is Eleanor's closest adviser. He often attempted to bring pragmatism and caution to Eleanor's plans. Scott spent a good bit of his time taking inventory from the ships that brought their goods to Eleanor.
Season One
Gates approaches Scott at the bar in the Tavern asking to meet with Eleanor Guthrie. Scott tells him it isn't a good time just as Eleanor exits her office yelling at a pirate captain. She tells the patrons that if they want to hunt, her door is open, but if they want to run just at the news that the Royal Navy is nearby, they can get out. A patron then tells her to fuck herself. She asks Scott who it is that said that and Scott says it is Mr. Sanderson of the Trinity. When asked, he tells Eleanor that their latest haul was over a thousand in profit, their largest prize in recent months. Eleanor pours Sanderson a drink and says that he is an earner, and when she is in the presence of earners, she gets aroused. She then says that in that case, she will do as he says, dipping two fingers into his drink, much to the mirth of the other patrons.
Gates then meets with Eleanor and Scott in her office. Gates tells them that Flint has a challenger and he needs a loan from them to buy Flint votes. Gates says that without their help, the best earner on the island will be out of a job and to think of the loan as an investment. Scott points out that Flint hasn't been the top earner in months. Furthermore, the pirates are a necessary evil who steal cargo which is sold by the Guthries. When they are strong, they are a necessary evil. When they are not, they are likely soon to be dead, but they are never a sound investment. Eleanor decides to give Gates his loan of 1000 pieces of eight, and tells him to see Virgil. After Gates leaves, Scott asks her what she thinks she just purchased. Eleanor rhetorically asks if she has to answer for how she spends her money. Scott says to him, she does not, but reminds her that this business belongs to her father. Eleanor counters that it is a good thing her father isn't in Nassau.
Later that night, Gates drinks at the bar, pleased at having saved Flint's captaincy. However, Joshua approaches him with a worried look. Joshua leads Gates, Eleanor and Scott to the location where he found Mosiah, who is dead and half buried in the sand. Joshua tells them that when he didn't return, he went looking for him and found him there. Mosiah said one word before he died: Vane. Scott calls Vane a butcher and Eleanor leaves to confront him[3].
The next morning, Scott asks Max to tell Eleanor that he is waiting for her. Downstairs, Scott tells her that a crew of 10 just returned from Carolina with 50 barrels of tobacco and a fluyt's worth of rare silks. Before they go to the warehouse, Scott attempts to talk to her about her confrontation with Vane the previous night. Eleanor defends her actions by saying he moved against Flint and she responded. Scott reminds her that the pirates are not her friends or subjects, they want her father's business.
Once outside, the new Captain in town, James Bridge of the Demeter is rude and condescending to Eleanor, dismissing her as "a girl," and Scott as "a sugar monkey" as she informs him how business works in the port. When she states that her take is half of his profit, he scoffs and threatens to take his goods elsewhere. As he begins to leave, he encounters Vane who tells him that the last man who denied "Miss Guthrie" was never seen or heard from again but his goods were seen back in Nassau the very next day. Bridge remains haughty until Vane tells him who he is, whereupon Bridge graciously accepts Eleanor's terms. After he Bridge leaves, Vane tells Eleanor that they need to talk in private.
At Eleanor's tavern, Eleanor and Billy Bones stand watch over John Silver as he transcribes to paper what he had memorized in his head from the schedule before he burned it. Mr. Scott interrupts and tells Eleanor that Max has left and has likely sailed away. Eleanor is incredulous that Max wouldn't accept her offer[4].
Silver hands over the transcription of the schedule. Flint remarks that the transcription is incomplete because the Urca has to stop in Florida to take on water but there is no mention of this on the schedule. Silver explains that in the interest of self-preservation, he intentionally left off some of the latter details of the Urca's course. When they threaten to bring Joji in to torture the remaining bits out of him, Silver states that he has an exceptionally low tolerance for pain and he would tell them anything to make it stop, so that wouldn't work. Silver proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement to Flint. He offers to remain with the crew and to forego payment for the schedule in exchange for a share of the prize[5].
Flint appears to reluctantly accept Silver's proposition and asks Eleanor if she agrees to it, which she does. Flint states that this type of operation is going to require a consort i.e. another ship. Flint goes on to list to Eleanor a number of items that they will need for the expedition, including a dozen new 12 pounder cannons. He tells Eleanor that when they attack the Urca they are going to never heavier artillery pieces if they are going to do anything more than make a scratch against her hull. Eleanor tells Flint that she will get them for him. Later, Mr. Scott asks Eleanor where she thinks she is going to find the guns for Flint. She tells him that a merchant captain named Bryson is due back in port in a few days and that she will take the guns from him. Mr. Scott goes on further to explain that they probably shouldn't expect any more supply ships to show up in port now that word has surely got around that Richard Guthrie is being accused of black marketing. Eleanor retorts that that just means that her father will have to help her in Flint's expedition.
At Eleanor Guthrie's tavern, Hornigold confronts Mr. Scott, claiming that Eleanor is out of control after her humiliation of Vane. Hornigold states that several captains are fearful that they too will lose their livelihoods if they catch Eleanor on the wrong day. News arrives that the Andromache is about to arrive in port. The Andromache is the ship captained by Dyfed Bryson that Eleanor wishes to take the large cannons from and give to Flint. Mr. Scott explains to Eleanor that what they are about to attempt with Bryson is very risky and that they cannot under any circumstances try to detain him. He tells her that if they were to make a violent move against Bryson that it would be a direct affront to the Guthrie Trading Company and therefore to her grandfather. Scott insists that Eleanor promise that she understands and that she won't do anything to detain him should he balk. Eleanor promises that she won't try anything like that. As Bryson arrives on the beach, Eleanor is there waiting for him. She tells him that one of their crews plans to hunt the Urca. Bryson seems shocked and states that surely her father wouldn't agree to such a thing. Eleanor tells him that in fact her father does agree and that he wishes to speak to Bryson.
However, despite her promise to him that she would not use force, Eleanor had several men with guns at the ready in case Bryson did not agree to hand over the guns. Her disobedience completely stunned Scott, who told Eleanor: "Shame on you."
As Richard Guthrie and Mr. Scott walked back to Barlow's cottage after the meeting with Bryson, Richard told Scott that he feared that Eleanor would get herself killed. He stated that if she continued on the path she was on, that either the British or the Spanish would kill her. When Scott asked Richard what he told Bryson in private, Richard confided that he had a plan in place that would save Eleanor from herself. He asked Scott to help him. Scott agreed and knocked out O'Malley as O'Malley stood watch on the beach waiting for Bryson to deliver the guns[1].
He was then taken by Bryson and put with the slaves below deck, per Richard Guthrie's orders. Bryson told him that this should have been expected, as he had betrayed Eleanor, the women he was supposed to protect. While in the hold with the other slaves, the Andromache was assaulted and boarded by the crew of the Walrus[6]. Initially, Scott refused to aid the slaves in their attempts to free themselves. Eme and Babatunde try to convince him to stick a piece of cloth outside a small hole in the wall, but he refuses. Eventually, the pirates notice the signal and drop a tool down into the hold to help free the slaves. After being convinced by Eme, he creates a diversion to distract and kill a guard. This gave him the opportunity to free the rest of the slaves in captivity who then aided the crew of the Walrus in overthrowing the Andromache. When Bryson sends Hayes below with a few men, the slaves charge him and the rest of Bryson's crew. Scott throws the tool at Bryson's head, but misses and they wrestle until Bryson has Scott pinned against the door to the bunker. At this moment, a pirate shoots Bryson in the face, giving Scott the opportunity to unlock the door, letting the pirates in.
After the fighting, Flint approaches Mr. Scott and states his astonishment at finding Scott in the hold, especially after he sold Eleanor out. Scott tells Flint that his agreement with Mr. Guthrie was that he was stay behind with Eleanor to protect her from Flint. Flint tells him that since he just lost six of his crew chasing down the Andromache that he should just throw Scott to them, but he states that he isn't going to do that. Instead, he wants to keep Mr. Scott alive just to show Scott that he and Eleanor will be successful in their plan to capture the Urca and to make Nassau a pirate nation[7].
Upon his return to Nassau, he attempted to regain favor with Eleanor, explaining to her that everything he did against her was out of love for her. When Eleanor asked him if he was planning on just waltzing back and apologizing to her and thinking that everything would be OK, Mr. Scott said "Where else would I go?" It was then that it was revealed that Mr. Scott is still a slave of the Guthries. Mr. Scott brings food to the slaves who have been now moved on shore. He talks to Eme and tells her that he is attempting to gain their freedom somehow because if the slaves hadn’t helped overthrow the Andromache that Eleanor wouldn't have the guns that she needs for the expedition. As he is leaving, Scott is confronted by Captain Hornigold. Hornigold tells Scott that he needs Scott's help in trying to figure out how to control Eleanor, although Hornigold eventually concedes that there probably is no way to control her.
Eleanor eventually completed a transaction where she freed the male slaves to join the crew of the Black Hind and allowed for the females to work for a wage in her tavern. Scott is obviously very pleased with this. When Eleanor asks that Scott come back as her adviser, he tells her that he has joined Captain Hornigold's crew. He states that as long as she is working with Flint, he will always be tempted to interfere[8].
At Eleanor's tavern, Mr. Scott arrives in Eleanor's office. Eleanor expresses her concern with the storm, which she calls a "ship killer." Eleanor tells Scott how sad she is about all the strife that the schedule has caused between her and Scott and her and Max. Scott tells her that trouble might have found them anyways, regardless of the schedule.
The next day on the beach, the members of Eleanor's shipping consortium are on the docks bidding Captain Lawrence good luck on the first voyage of a ship in the consortium. Suddenly, guns begin to fire at the ships in the harbor from Hornigold's fortress overlooking the town. When Eleanor asks Hornigold why his men are firing on the ship, he states that it is not his men. Mr. Scott takes Eleanor off the shore and out of danger.
The members of the consortium convene in Eleanor's tavern trying to figure out what to do about the men in the fort. Hornigold tells her that he has 250 men assembled and ready to storm the fort in the morning. Outside on the street stands Vane and his crew. Vane shouts up at Eleanor that it is time to talk. Inside Eleanor's office, Eleanor meets with Vane. He tells her that all he wants is to be a partner in her new enterprise. He tells her that she cannot attempt to overthrow the fort because before she'll be able to overtake the fort, he can sink half the ships in the harbor. Eleanor concedes to his demand to be a partner[9].
Season Two
Captain Flint returns to Nassau, after capturing the Spanish Man O’ War, to find much has changed. Benjamin Hornigold’s flag no longer flies over the fort, and Mr Scott and Hornigold explain that Charles Vane has taken over the fortress.
Later that night, Scott is summoned to a clandestine meeting with Eleanor Guthrie. Eleanor apologizes for the secrecy, but says she imagined that his new crew would not take kindly to his meeting with her, to which Scott agrees. Eleanor asks if he is making any progress with them, and he says he is making small moves. Eleanor says she knows that Flint met with Hornigold earlier that day. Scott begs Eleanor not to put him in his position, for he swore an oath and has an obligation to Hornigold's crew. Eleanor goes on to say that she knows Flint and Hornigold are planning on retaking the fort, but she is afraid of what Flint is capable of. Scott reminds Eleanor that she has put money and her credibility behind Flint, and how important to the future of Nassau she believes him. Eleanor begins to explain that it isn't about choosing sides, but the bay being rendered defenseless. At that point, they hear a scream and rush to its source. They find Ned Low's head impaled on a stake, attached is a note that reads "I angered Charles Vane." Later, on the deck of the Man O' War, Flint makes a speech to the combined crew, stating that before they can achieve success with the Urca's gold, they must first neutralize the threat posed by Vane and his fortress. Flint demands that Vane vacate that fort, or at sunrise the next day, he will attack[10].
The next day, hen Eleanor arrives on the ship, Mr. Scott asks her what she is doing, she then meets with Flint in private. Flint and Hornigold begin their plans to remove Vane from the fort. Scott informs him that Vane's pronouncement against Flint is working, and recruits are flooding in, pledging their services to Vane to defend or discourage any attack made on the fort. Flint then orders Scott and the others to go ashore to Nassau and sit with the captains and convince them that Vane poses a greater danger to them in the fort, able to extort whatever he wants from them. Flint says he will appeal directly to the crews on the beach in an effort to discourage more people flocking to Vane’s side.
Mr. Scott is present at the final meeting between Hornigold and Flint, where Hornigold informs them that they’ve stemmed the tide of recruits going to Vane, but division amongst the crews on the beach is still rampant. Hornigold says that they have 90 men with another 50 men pledged by additional crews. He believes that they’ll lose at least 60 men in the assault.
As Flint prepares to open fire on the fortress, Mr. Scott and Flint are talking aboard Flint’s ship. Scott says that when he first saw the fort, he had never seen anything like it and thought it was indestructible, and would not think it possible to assault it. Flint replies that when Richard Guthrie sat on the throne of commerce when Flint arrived, and he made men rich. When Eleanor took her father's place, she made Nassau strong. Flint says these two facts are known by everyone, but he wonders how many know that there was one man standing behind both thrones- Scott. Flint acknowledges that Scott is as invested in Nassau's future as anyone and asks his advice. Scott acknowledges that Eleanor's arguement about Vane is weak and that her judgement about him has always been compromised, but that doesn't mean she is necessarily wrong. Scott worries that to take the fort will divide the island in a very dangerous way by forcing the pirates to choose sides when their survival requires unity. Scott worries that by the time the English or Spanish arrive, they will find that the pirates have destroyed themselves. Despite Mr Scott’s advice, Flint orders the crew to open fire[11].
After creating a sizable breach in the fort's walls, Flint, Hornigold and Scott move their men ashore onto the beach. The men are forbidden from going to the Inn, lest the prostitutes extract the location of the Urca gold from the men. The attack is paused when Flint goes with Miranda Barlow to the Tavern.[12]
When Flint returns to the beach, Hornigold and Scott approach him, and Hornigold tells him that 107 men have been waiting on the beach to complete the assault and that it is time to reclaim his fort. Flint proposes calling off the attack on the fortress, in exchange for the hostage Abigail Ashe, so they can use her as a bargaining chip to achieve a reconciliation with England. Flint declares it an awful compromise, but says it is necessary. Hornigold is furious at this betrayal and turns against Flint, promising to challenge him for the captaincy[13].
That night, the election is held in the Guthrie Warehouse. Hornigold speaks first, warning the crew that Flint cannot be trusted, and he will constantly distract them with promises of a brighter future so they will not see his crimes. However, when news arrives that the Spanish have reclaimed the Urca gold, the support for Hornigold as captain collapses. Silver then gives a speech in favor of Flint's plan, in which they will be pardoned for their crimes and reconcile with England. Flint wins by a landslide, and Hornigold decides to leave Nassau, but Mr Scott opts to remain with Flint’s crew. Billy Bones, who had returned to Nassau after being thought dead, suggests to Flint that they push the men to name Scott the quartermaster of their crew, as an olive branch to the men who were originally Hornigold's[14].
On the trip to Charles Town to return Abigail, Mr Scott remains as acting quartermaster for the combined crew. When Nicholas dies after falling to the deck from the mainmast, Scott oversees his funeral. Nicholas' body is wrapped in canvas, and the traditional Anglican prayer for burial at sea is recited. Scott says Nicholas' name before the body is dropped into the sea. While John Silver tells a story to the crew about how he saw a pirate being hanged at Charles Town in order to motivate the crew to be focused. While listening, Scott tells Billy that when Flint first arrived in Nassau, he gained power faster than any man Scott had seen before. While some said it was his charm or his violence, Scott believes that it was his power over a story and how to use it for his own ends. Billy says that the story Silver is telling isn't even his, elements of it belonged to two other crew mates. Scott says that who the story belongs to isn't important, but the power of the telling it that Silver so clearly possesses. Scott says God should help them if Silver realizes what he can do with this ability. As they make their final approach to Charles Town, Scott asks if the Charles Town Fleet has permission to fire on them. Flint replies that they won't as long as the pirates are out of range of the Battery. Flint orders that the pirates keep their gunports closed and weapons out of sight. Flint and Miranda Barlow then take Abigail ashore[15].
While the Spanish Man O' War is in the bay, Dooley says he thought he saw something in the marshes on the other side of the Cooper River. Dooley says it was probably nothing, but Scott tells him to tell the watch on the mainmast so they can keep an eye on it. Later that night, Charles Vane and his men attack, killing roughly twenty members of the crew and capturing the remaining fifty. Scott survives the fight and is taken prisoner. However, the pirates are then informed that Flint has been arrested and they have until the conclusion of his trial to leave, or the ship will be seized or sunk. Vane then elects to lead his men in rescuing Flint, saying his body hanging is a statement that Nassau cannot afford[16].
Vane leads half his men in the rescue operation, leaving the half who doubt the plan under the command of Jenks, knowing they can't escape because they don't have the men to sail the ship. Billy informs Silver that he has eight votes for quartermaster, saying the men seem content with Scott. Billy tells him that the men think that if Silver hadn't cut the forestay, delaying Vane's departure with the ship, Vane probably would have had them all killed. When Vane's plan goes into effect, his men with him on the shore seize control of the Battery's guns and fire them on the town and at the patrol ships in the water, who begin scrambling. Jenks tries to torture Silver into givng him the names of the members of the crew most likely to defect, but Silver refuses, knowing the rest of the men will be killed. During this time, Scott retakes the ship along with the rest of Flint's crew. Scott takes the helm and warns Billy that if the Charles Town Fleet flanks them, they'll finish the pirates. Billy then orders the gun crews to sink the patrol ships. When Flint and Vane return to the ship, Flint orders them to lay waste to the rest of the city, completely leveling it. Mr Scott eventually loses out to John Silver in an election for quartermaster. When Silver wakes up after his injured leg is amputated, Flint informs him of this[17].
Season Three
In the months since the events in Charles Town, Mr Scott has left Flint’s crew, to remains in Nassau and help restore the fort. Mr. Scott goes to the Tavern to inform Max about the stagnated progress on the fort. While there, he views a rather distasteful play parodying Eleanor's trial. Max apologizes for the spectacle, but says that she is providing Nassau with what it wants. They then discuss the trial, and Scott asks if Max thinks Eleanor will be offered any sort of clemency. Max says that there is always mercy for those willing to beg for it. Scott then tells Max and Anne that there have been no men coming to work on rebuilding the fort's walls. Anne tells Scott to lay off Jack, and that it's only been a few days. Scott corrects her and says it's been two weeks since Captain Vernon and his crew walked off the site. Scott reminds Max that she was the one who wanted to replace Eleanor, who was the person Nassau relied upon to solve problems that no one else could or would[18].
When Jack Rackham and Vane capture a slave ship, and use the slaves to rebuild the fort, Mr Scott helps ensure the slaves are treated fairly and directs them as they work. Charles Vane works with the slaves, irritated by the use of slave labor due to his past as a slave. Scott approaches Vane and tells him that he understands why Vane is working with them, but the slaves don't, and to avoid unnecessary confusion that might delay the work, he asks Vane to stop[19].
Soon, news reaches Nassau of the imminent arrival of Woodes Rogers and a fleet, intent of re-establishing English governance. Scott continues overseeing the slaves, and is present at the meeting of all the pirate captains at the Governor's Mansion, where Rackham asks for their support in defending Nassau. Despite some reluctance on the part of Captain Throckmorton, especially when they hear that Flint is dead, the pirates agree to mount a defense of they bay with Edward Teach commanding the fleet to replace Flint, who is presumed dead. The pirates' fight to save Nassau proves short-lived. Rogers offers the pirates all pardons and most accept[20].
Afterwards, Mr. Scott seeks a pardon and Hornigold finds him. The two reconnect and Hornigold pushes Scott to the front of the line and asks the Pardon Clerk to prepare a document for Scott. Hornigold reveals the fort slaves have fled, but Mr. Scott claims he can convince them to return. Scott offers to continue repairing the fort and to oversee the slaves. Hornigold agrees and Scott gets his pardon. Later, in an isolated bay near Nassau, Mr. Scott is actually helping the fort slaves escape to the Maroon Island. It is revealed that Scott is the Maroon King, who uses his position in Nassau to deliver essential supplies to the Maroon Camp that cannot be produced on the island. Two English patrolmen come upon them, and despite his best efforts at moderating the confrontation, a brief gun battle ensues, wounding Mr Scott in the crossfire[21].
Mr. Scott and the escaped fort slaves arrive on the Maroon Island to find Captain Flint and his crew imprisoned. Flint is granted a private audience with the gravely injured Mr. Scott. Scott explains that Nassau fell quickly after Rogers offered a pardon. Flint asks if anyone offered any resistance, and Scott says that Vane and Teach fled with the ships and men who refused. Scott then explains the history of the Camp. He had sent his wife and daughter to the island ahead of the Rosario Raid, and lied and said that they were among the hundreds of slaves killed. He then encouraged Eleanor to take over her father's operation in Nassau, that way he could manage the survival of both Nassau and the Maroon Camp from behind the scenes. Mr. Scott is in favour of a partnership with Flint, now that they cannot be supplied from Nassau. He believes that Flint will be able to help the Maroons learn how to steal what they need to survive.
The Queen later speaks with her husband, who tells her that she thinks she can ignore this, but she can't. The Queen responds that she promised to hear what Flint had to say, and asks how that is ignoring anything. Scott responds that he needs her to listen. She says she knows that he believes that Flint is the answer to their problems, and she would like to agree if only to give Scott peace of mind so he can rest, but she says she refuses to lie to him. Madi then arrives, and asks if she should come back. Scott tells her to come to him and the Queen leaves them. Before she does, the Queen whispers at Scott to rest.
Madi asks Scott if her mother listened to him, and Scott says no in an amused voice. He asks if she listened to Madi. Madi then reveals that she removed one of the pirates from the cages the previous night and spoke with him. Scott asks her why, and Madi explains that he is her father and she loves him, but she does not know him. The pirates were Scott's life, and she wanted to get a brief glimpse into it. Scott assures her that he will be alright.
Flint reveals his plan to his crew is to make his appeal to the Queen, but if she does not agree, he will take her hostage with a small knife he stole from Scott's room. He will threaten her and demand the release of the crew, or the Maroons will lose both their Queen and their King within days of each other.
That night, Flint is escorted to the meeting hall, where he sits before the Queen, Scott and Madi. Flint begins by saying he has great respect for Scott and knows exactly what he wants him to say, that they have no choice but to partner with Flint and his men to assure the community's survival. But Flint says that if that is all he can offer, he and his men are dead, but Flint offers something better. He says that the Camp has remained hidden for years from the harsh realities in the rest of the world, However, the moment that shot entered Scott's belly, the secrecy that protected the Camp began to fade. Soon, the Maroons will be forced to confront those realities, chief among them that the British Empire takes whatever, whenever it wants. It has taken lives, loves, labor and spirits from the Maroons, as it has him. Sooner or later, they will come for the camp.
The Queen then asks if Flint is suggesting a way to prevent England from taking those things. Flint answers that he is suggesting they start taking things back, beginning with Nassau. He says Nassau is defendable, can supply itself and is a place the Maroons can settle. The Queen counters that Rogers holds the harbor with a small navy, the town with a full company of British Regulars, and the street with his pardons. Flint says that Rogers has an inoperative fort, is responsible for an administrative nightmare, and has temporarily pacified an island of hunters that Flint could turn against him. Once Flint reveals himself as alive, he will convince them to join him in ousting the British.
The Queen says that she does not have the numbers to defend Nassau, even if they were able to miraculously defeat Rogers. Flint says that for every man in her camp there are thousands in the West Indies, chained in fields, pressed on ships and sold into indenture. Once they see a Royal Governor protected by His Majesty's Navy deposed, they will flock to Nassau to join the fight. Flint finishes by rhetorically asking what a colonial power does when the men whose labor fuels it put down their shovels, pick up swords and say no more. Flint says they may just be able to bring down the Empire. The Queen agrees to the deal, and Flint and his men are freed[2].
A healing ceremony is held for Scott in the meeting hall. During the ceremony, several people beat on drums while a Medicine Man rubs a white powder on Scott's forehead and limbs before throwing it into the air above Scott. The Queen and Madi observe the ceremony, but Madi leaves with Udo when she sees that Silver is not present, for he had stayed behind to help continue solidifying the deal. Madi scolds him for seeming unconcerned with what's happening to Scott, but sees that he has developed a fever due to his leg wound.
Later that night, Madi approaches her father in his room. She expresses her fears that they have made a mistake putting their lives in Flint's and Silver's hands, for their relationship is extremely volatile. Scott explains that those two are peerless when it comes to shaping the world to their will, and creating a narrative that captures mens' hearts and minds, the reason they rose to their stations. Scott then says that the most compelling stories have a villain at their center. If either Flint or Silver sees the other as a villain, or worse, the Maroons, all is lost. The pirates are of great value to the Maroons, but they have to be managed. Madi asks how she is to do that. Scott says he wishes he and Madi had not been so separate all those years, and that he could have been a better father to her. However, he was determined to leave her something, something no one could take away, that could allow her to understand, interact with, and wage war against the outside world. Scott reminds her that the villain makes the story, so to manage their partners, they have to agree at all times who their villain is. Madi then goes to her library, where she finds Rogers' book, Voyage Round the World[22].
Flint returns from Ocracoke Island without the Pirate Fleet, but has devised a new plan to rescue Jack Rackham and the cache of gems from Rogers' possession to lure them to the Maroon Island to do battle, where the pirate-Maroon alliance will have the advantage. The Queen agrees, but says he has to go to Nassau to recover a stockpile of weapons that Scott maintained on the island. Due to Scott being to sick to make the journey, Madi will go in his stead, as Scott's contacts on the island won't speak to anyone else. When Madi arrives in Nassau, she meets with Eme, who asks where Scott is. At first Madi lies and says he is fine, but then admits that he is dying. Eme offers her condolences and agrees to help transfer the weapons stockpile to the Walrus[23].
Mr. Scott lingers for many weeks on his deathbed. After Madi returns from Nassau with the weapons stockpile. Madi goes to Scott, and says that Eleanor Guthrie is with Rogers now. She says that she understands how hard this must be for Scott, as the two cities he held together for so long are now at war with each other. Not only that, but he has daughters on both sides of the war. Scott interrupts her, and says "only you." As Scott lingers in his final moments, the entire community waits for the news. When he ultimately passes away peacefully, Kofi announces it with several blows of his horn. The entire community mourns his death. As part of his funeral ceremony, Madi has to find something of hers to use as an offering at his burial, which she tells Silver before breaking down crying while Silver comforts her. At the funeral later that night, the Medicine Man cuts the throat of a goat as a sacrifice, and drains the blood into a bowl. Mr. Scott is then laid to rest[24].
Season Four
While he is imprisoned in Fort Nassau, Eleanor Guthrie, now wife of Woodes Rogers, asks Flint if Scott is dead, and if Flint was with him, having heard about his role among the Maroons. Flint says that he was. Eleanor goes on to say that she heard he left New Providence before everything started, killing two Redcoats in the process. Everyone assumed that somehow, the pirates had turned him, but Eleanor says she thinks otherwise. Flint admits that wasn't the case, and Eleanor asks how long Scott had been aiding the Maroons. Flint says it began after the Rosario Raid. Eleanor then asks if Flint knows why he did it, and Flint answers that Scott feared for the safety of his wife and daughter, so he had them transported to a safe place. Eleanor is shocked when Flint confirms that they are still alive. Eleanor then laments that she always thought she knew who she was, a daughter who had usurped her father, and a woman who had taken control of a wild place. Scott had been proof of that, the person who saw her as that and substantiated it. But all that time he was using her for his own ends, using her ambition to draw everyone's attention away from him. Flint says that she did do all those things, but Eleanor replies that there was always a man behind her, trying to twist everything to their benefit. Before she leaves, Flint asks if Rogers is so different from the likes of him, Vane and Scott[25].
Eleanor, Flint and six soldiers leave Fort Nassau to conclude the deal to exchange the cache of gems in exchange for Rogers' forces vacating the island. They meet Madi and two of her guards. Eleanor speaks with Madi while Flint speaks with Rackham, who arrived on the ship spotted off the southern coast, which they thought was carrying the chest. Eleanor asks if Madi trusts Flint, and when Madi asks why she is asking, and Eleanor says that Scott mistrusted Flint as much as anyone on the island. Eleanor declares herself surprised that Scott's feelings didn't influence Madi. Madi says that Scott spent years counseling, caring and laboring for Eleanor, who must have been affected by the news of Madi and the Queen's reported death. Despite that, Scott never told Eleanor that they were alive, to lessen her suffering. Madi finishes by saying that Scott didn't mistrust Flint, he mistrusted all of them, Eleanor included[26].
Personality
Mr Scott starts the series as Eleanor Guthrie’s loyal right-hand. He wants to do is keep the business stable, make some money, minimize risk, and above all keep Eleanor safe. As Eleanor allows herself to be drawn deeper and deeper into Captain Flint’s reckless plans, he allows Richard Guthrie to convince him to betray Eleanor. Ironically, Scott would eventually become part of Flint and Hornigold’s alliance. He continues to be a voice of caution, advising that open war among the pirates would leave Nassau open to the British. As we find out in season three, part of his reason for desiring stability in Nassau, is to protect the secret nearby community of ex-slaves, including his wife and daughter.
Trivia
- While a prisoner aboard the Andromache, Mr. Scott revealed that he could speak the native tongue of the African slaves that were aboard the ship.[7]
- The scars on Mr. Scott's face are tribal markings used to identify someone as belonging to a specific African tribe or ethnic group.
Memorable Quotes
By Mr. Scott
- "You can never forget who these men are, they are not our friends."
- ―Mr. Scott to Eleanor[src]
- "If you need me, I will be here for you. But as long as you insist upon this course with Captain Flint, I will always be tempted to interfere."
- ―Mr. Scott to Eleanor[src]
- "Now you think you can waltz back in here and pick up where we left off like nothing happened".
"Where else would I go? I belong to you. Chattel property of the Guthrie estate." - ―Eleanor and Mr. Scott[src]
- "I fear that to take that fort will be to divide this island in a most dangerous way. To force men to take sides against each other at a time when our very survival demands the very opposite. I fear that if we go down that road, by the time Spain or England arrive, they will find their job done for them. They will find Nassau has destroyed itself. The world changes. It is inevitable. Perhaps the only thing that is inevitable. If it were me facing this decision, I would make peace with that. I would teach myself to see Captain Vane as an unfortunate but unavoidable change in our landscape. And I would ensure that we all live to see the sunrise again tomorrow. Were it me"
- ―Scott to Flint in XII.
About Mr. Scott
- "Richard Guthrie sat on the throne of commerce when I arrived. Made men rich, they said. Then his daughter took his place, made Nassau strong. Everyone knows this. I wonder how many know that there was one man standing behind them. Standing behind both thrones, keeping the world spinning."
- ―Flint in XII.
Image Gallery
Reference
Appearances
I. | II. | III. | IV. |
V. | VI. | VII. | VIII. |
IX. | X. | XI. | XII. | XIII. |
XIV. | XV. | XVI. | XVII. | XVIII. |
XIX. | XX. | XXI. | XXII. | XXIII. |
XXIV. | XXV. | XXVI. | XXVII. | XXVIII. |