In his short eventful life, Tim had a series of narrow escapes which began with the hue and cry which arose from a rumour that the boy might have had a part to play in the shocking murder of his parents.
(Do we need to know more about them?)
Thus thrust into the role of homeless orphan at the age of 12, Tim had to live by his wits, aided by his excellent education and the kindness of various trades people who had good reason to remember Tim's parents well for their patronage and generosity.
They aided the boy where possible with gifts of food and clothing and warnings of who and what to avoid. It was no secret that the murders were the work of someone in the Citadels hierarchy anxious to rise up in the ranks. No name was ever mentioned but there was no need.
Pontius Plant made no secret of his ambitious ruthlessness. The oleaginous corpulent head of the Traders Guild was said to collect vices like a dog collects fleas and not the least of these was his pederasty.
It was this as much as simple suspicion based on experience of Plant's contemptuous treatment of his creditors that worked in Tims favour as regards the protection given by those who remembered his parents kindly.
Tims father, a dynamic young entrepreneur had thrown off the shackles of the Citadels port tariffs and fees by starting his own Free Traders association and since non Guild members couldn't obtain ships, port and warehouse facilities except through the 'good offices' of Pontius Plant, Captain Ramsey - Tims father - had financed an independent shipyard and harbour town and prospered mightily.
To add insult to injury, his ships were much faster and more seaworthy despite their superior load capacity, thanks to a revolutionary design of hull and rig which allowed them to sail much closer into the wind and required fewer hands to set up. These revolutionary vessels were also sub divided transversely into separate water tight compartments making them much less vulnerable to accidental hull damage.
Even at an early age young Tim was fascinated with the designs, models and drawings his father needed to build his ships and their associated port facilities, shipyard machinery and so forth. Before long he became a competent draughtsman in his own right and particularly skilled at the model making and coloured paintings used to demonstrate his fathers ideas to their best.
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