[ It's not... the absolute worst case scenario. Stede doesn't know what worst case would look like, hadn't gotten around to that one yet. He also hadn't let himself get carried away by coming up with a best case scenario, either, a decision which looks more and more like a good call here in the moment.

He sees the familiar in one moment and feels like one of those moths that get pinned to boards for studying in the next. Maybe he should be more put off by it, but he can't pretend he isn't studying Ed right back. Fair's fair.

Ed probably isn't in a condition for the bulk of the multiple conversations that need having. That seems clear enough. Not the one where they might catch up on exactly what happened, all the in-betweens. Not the one about punishing the crew for Stede's personal mistakes, which is the most important thing objectively.

If a few of those things are off the table until later, then this has to be about getting a good enough foot in the door to get to later. ]

Well, I wouldn't want to scare you if I was one. [ Not that ghosts in most stories ever sound like they're trying to scare people. If they sound like anything, it's stuck.

Only one of two of them seems especially stuck. ]

I just need a minute to talk to you. That's the whole reason I'm here, Ed.