I disclaim everything. Disney owns all.
----------------------------------------------
Honoring the Accord - by BlackJackSilver
At the Lady's Excuse, Jack carefully extricates himself from bed between Moonie Maude and a strumpet new to Tortuga called Red Marie, so as not to be confused with Blonde Marie or Thick Marie or Oui Marie, or is it Wee Marie, though she be neither French nor small? Oh, or Tall Marie. Jack smiles. How could he forget Tall Marie? He will remember this Marie not as Red Marie, but as Marie of the Scarves, of course, due to all her creative uses for them.
He dresses, places a small pearl and some coins on the table by the door, souvenirs for the early riser. Downstairs in the main room, many of the customers are sleeping off Saturday night on the floor or face down at tables, some still clutching bottles. Since there is no one around to pay, Jack takes the opportunity to help himself to a bottle from behind the bar, and sways out into a comparatively unspectacular Tortugan sunrise.
"Oy, Captain Sparrow."
Jack whirls theatrically to find himself facing a lad of about ten with a large bundle slung over a shoulder. At some point, Jack's clothes and hair manage to catch up to the rest of him.
"Can't place your name, son, but the face is familiar."
"Lightfinger Finn, Captain. Moonie Maude's me mum."
"Oh aye, I'd shake your hand there lad, but I've got my purse on me."
"I wanna talk business, Captain. Sides, me Ma says it ain't right fer me ta work Sundays."
"Best day for it, I'd imagine. What's your business, lad?"
"Are you a betting man, Captain?"
"I might wager that I am."
"Seein' as me Ma knows you to be no pervert, a cabin boy on the Black Pearl and a third of me swag says, that you won't give me passage off this rock."
"Sounds like a sure thing. How would you like to row me over to the Pearl, lad, and refine that wager over some breakfast?"
After the beans and bread, Jack sorts through an impressive pile of small items: all manner of coins, jewelry, tools, shot, powder, tobacco, pipes, snuffboxes, a metal contraption,
( "What's this?"
"Don't rightly know. Found it climbin through a hole, Captain." )
dice, a whistle, a complete set of playing cards, a pouch of tea, soap, a metal contraption,
( "What's this?"
"Dunno. Got it off a whore I didn't much like."
Jack smiles, "Which one?" )
scarves, (which Jack handles rather gingerly),
ribbon, lace, needles, thread, mirrors, clips, hooks, stockings, gloves, a small inlaid box with hinged lid and hook clasp that is filled to the brim with dead iridescent blue beetles,
( "Pretty, ain't they, Captain."
"You'd be surprised what you can do with something like this, under the right circumstances." )
nails, knives, a lock picking kit,
(Jack wonders how he might braid it in his hair, and tries to look disinterested)
an ornate door knocker, a tiny chess set, a miniature portrait in a silver frame,
( "She's a pretty one. In'she?"
"I thought she looked a right priss, Captain." )
twine, a puzzle box, a silver salt cellar, flasks,
( "All empty, Captain. You needn't keep lookin'."
"Can never be too careful, son." )
carved ivory comb with dragon motif, ink, quills, silver inkwell, coral rosary beads, assorted crosses,
( "Wouldn't think there'd be much call for these on Tortuga."
"They do say God's everywhere, Captain, though you couldn't prove it by me." )
a pouch of seeds, red sealing wax, spices, perfumed salve, three books- a leather bound Latin bible, Don Quixote in Spanish, and one in English called Lucasta,
(which Jack has never read),
three compasses all pointing North, a small scale and weights, a magnifying glass, an abacus, a corkscrew, and a set of false teeth.
"Well I can see that you are a lad who knows that not all treasure is silver and gold. Remind me to have you searched before I let you off my ship. Lad, I have to ask- are you, by any chance, under the mistaken impression, that I am your father?"
"How would I know who my father was, Captain?"
"Can you read?"
"Not a word, Captain."
"Speak any other languages?"
"Does swearing count?"
"Here's our terms. You divvy two piles. I pick."
"Two piles?"
"Two piles. I'll read you my articles. You sign your x. Ana sets your duties. You be sure to let your mum know before you go. You are free to leave the crew at any port, at any time, but so long as you are part of my crew, you keep your fingers to yourself, both on the Pearl and in port. Do we have an accord?"
Jack can tell that idea of giving up thieving to be a pirate comes as something of a blow. Still, there is no hesitation.
"Yes, Captain."
--------------------
Excerpts From the Log of the Black Pearl-
(from March 7, 1674)
The lad's first week has made the entire crew pity him. Life on Tortuga did little to prepare him for sea. I fed him rum soaked porridge. Cotton tried something, gods and the damned parrot know what. Ana prepared an herbal cure, poisonous in large amounts, but mostly effective at combating seasickness at proper dose. Ana has yet to kill anyone with it, as far as I know. Whatever any of the crew has tried, the boy keeps precious little down. Have decided to drop him at Nassau for his benefit.
(from March 9, 1674)
Finn sorted, found his sea-legs, and has thrown himself into duty.
(from March 20, 1674)
Spotted Portuguese merchant nau the Sao Calderon, laden mainly with cocoa. Vessel surrendered without fight when most of her crew jumped overboard. A few words of Portuguese was just good enough to disuade them all from drowning. The cook on that vessel, Don Bento, was thrilled with a chance to improve his scant English, begged to join Pearl. Being that the cook was one of the few brave or smart enough not to have fled that ship, and after having tasted some kind of stew, I agreed. Before sending the merchant on its way, lighter, but no worse for wear, I turned Finn's instincts loose on the vessel for things Finn might think useful. The boy returned with amongst other things, a hidden cache of excellent emerald jewelry the merchant had intended for mistress and several pouches of gold the rest of us had managed to overlook.
(from April 1,1674)
Second day at Tortuga. Finn discovered missing along with personal property from the crew and other items. A letter turned up in some of Finn's discarded belongings confessing his theft to me. Likely he stowed away or found passage soon after the Pearl made port yesterday.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From the the Collected Letters, Captain Jack Sparrow, (1674)-
30th March,Dear Captain Sparrow,
Happy April Fool's Day early. Who knew a month on the Pearl could teach me to read and write so well? I might wager that I also know how to parlez (sic), parley, and sometimes parlay a bet by the way, savvy? Does lying count for another language also? I quit your crew as soon as we reached port. As per our agreement, I kept my fingers to myself both on ship and shore, until I quit, as you said yourself I was free to do, at any time, in any port.
Then I freed up my fingers all over your ship. So strictly speaking, I kept true to our accord. Can't blame me for that one. I deserve the emeralds anyway, as I was the only one clever enough to find them, in the first place. Let bygones be; and I won't try to mess things up for you with the women of Tortuga. Yes, I do know all your treasure isn't silver and gold.
PS. I really don't know who my father was, but I'm certain that he wasn't half so soft and thick as you. Kiss my mum for that one, when you see her, from me. Thanks for everything.
Yours very truly, LF
----------------