You can all blame Jennifer Lynn Weston and the marvelous stories she has been writing lately placing Jack in various situations in real historical events for giving me the bug to write this. If you haven't read any of her stories you should go do so immediately! Her series dealing with Jack after he has found the Fountain of Youth is wonderful and should not, along with her other stories be missed.
Please be as flexible with my timeline as I have been. All of the events I mention concerning Ben Franklin, including his cousin Timothy Folger did happen, just not at the time or in the exact order I might imply they do. Now on with the story!
It Could Have Happened, Maybe, Perhaps, Somewhat.
"What are they doing now Mr. Gillette?" James asked as he came on deck, looking, out of habit, at the position of the sun. Before Andrew could answer he had slid open his telescope and was looking at the ship a quarter mile or so off from of them.
"Same as they were last night Sir, going along just fine and then changing their tack and veering off one way or another for awhile before coming back to their original course. It makes one wonder just what they are doing."
James was wondering too. They were several days sail out of Port Royal when they had come across the ship, and had been following them since last night. At first James hadn't thought much of it; just a merchant ship no doubt headed the same way they were. However shortly after they happened across them the ship began to engage in this strange sailing pattern, and continued to do so at sporadic intervals.
"I would say it is time we found out the answer to that very question Mr. Gillette." James said as he snapped his telescope closed.
"Are you planning on boarding her sir?" Gillette said with just a bit too much enthusiasm in his tone.
"We shall inquire as to her business in these waters before we jump right to the boarding Mr. Gillette." James said dryly.
Andrew saluted and walked off smiling to himself as he shouted orders and put the men busy with the sails and sundry in order to catch up with the ship. Maybe they would refuse to heave to or even put up a fight. He caught himself just as he started to rub his hands together in anticipation.
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"I am Commodore James Norrington of Fort Charles, what is your business in these waters?" James, who had assumed his Commodore-ly stance at the rail, called out over the few yards that separated the two ships.
"Captain Timothy Folger, late of Nantucket, happy to make your acquaintance Commodore. We are on a mapping expedition." The man answered.
"You are a far piece from home Captain. Just what would it be you are mapping?" James asked.
"The gulf stream." Captain Folger replied.
James stared at the man for a moment, turned to Gillette with a questioning look and received a shrug in return, looked back at Captain Folger and said, "What is it you are mapping?"
"The gulf stream Commodore. I am not surprised you seem a bit puzzled." The man said with a smile, "My cousin Ben and I have just recently been dispatched to map this phenomenon and decided we would name it ourselves, we call it the Gulf Stream." The man said with a proud smile as he indicated a man who was evidently this cousin he spoke of standing on the other side of the ship casting some manner of something attached to a line into the water and then a few moments later drawing it back and writing what ever it was he was tracking down on a sheet of parchment.
"You are aware, are you not, that the Gulf of Mexico is over a thousand kilometers to our west." James replied, trying to school the expression that was threatening to engulf his face and let all around him know without a doubt James thought the man was surely daft.
"But it's not the Gulf of Mexico we're talking about here Commodore; it's the Gulf Stream, a name my cousin……"
"Yes, yes I know you and your cousin Ben came up with." James interrupted a bit snappishly. "I am afraid we will have to board your ship Captain, to make sure you are not smuggling goods or engaged in other crimes as your reason for being in these waters is a bit suspect to say the least."
Captain Folger stiffened a bit at this and was about to refuse when a hand on his shoulder and a brief word from the man who was now standing next to him changed his mind.
"If I heard correctly you are Commodore Norrington." The man addressed James.
"I am." James replied.
"I'm Ben."
"His cousin." Gillette whispered snarkily to James.
James gave him a 'look', although his eyes said he found it a bit amusing as well.
"Please feel free to come aboard at your leisure Commodore." Ben said with a smile and a gesture of his hand. He then turned to Captain Folger and said under his breath, "Timothy you really must work on your diplomatic skills." He patted the man's back as he smiled at him, "He evidently is the power in these waters, might be best to keep him on our good side."
"You are the diplomat in this family Benjamin, I am just a whaler." Timothy said showing a glimmer of a smile himself.
"Ah, but what a fine whaling captain you are Timothy." Ben retorted.
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Both men gave James a friendly greeting as he and his men came aboard. James set the men to searching the ship without preamble.
"Commodore, I have some fine Boston rum in my cabin if you are a drinking man, if not I have some fine English tea as well." Ben said motioning to the cabin aft of where they were standing.
"The tea will be fine Mr……" James replied.
"Franklin Commodore, but I would prefer you call me Ben."
"Franklin?" James knew that name sounded familiar but wasn't sure why at the moment.
"By the look on your face Commodore I would say my name has a familiar ring to it."
"I do admit it is familiar although I can not at present figure out what the familiarity is."
"Well come along then Commodore, we'll have some tea and I can regale you with my many accomplishments. Even someone from such a remote place as Fort Charles is sure to have heard of at least a few of them." Ben said with a smile and a pat to James' shoulder as he headed him off towards the cabin.
"Indeed!" James snorted as he walked along beside the cousins.
As they entered the cabin James was amazed at the clutter. Quite a bit of the deck as well as cupboards, shelves and two of the three tables in the cabin were overflowing with things. James was unable, at the moment, come up with a better description of the room's contents.
Captain Folger motioned him to a seat at the one uncluttered table and excused himself to go fetch the tea.
"What is all this?" James asked as he peered around the room.
"Oh just some ideas of mine that have either been completed and put aside, not been completed and put aside, or may never be completed and put aside. I have a hard time discarding something even when it doesn't seem it is going to work as I expected, I keep thinking or hoping, that the next look at it or the next bit of tinkering with it will be the break through." Ben answered. Without so much as a by your leave the man began explaining the idea behind a few of the various items in the room, pausing every once and a while to make sure James was following the concepts of each. James had no problem with most of the explanations, having a sharp mind to begin with and then having the extra advantage of years of military service to hone it, and was able to perceive what the man was explaining to him and picturing it in his mind as a working model. There were a few things he had to shake his head and murmur a "Sorry, you have lost me there."
Captain Folger returned with the tea and they continued to discuss the various items in the room as they sipped.
"My cousin has quite a wide spread reputation for invention, as well as his other accomplishments."
"Well that is fully understandable." James replied.
"Go ahead Ben, tell the Commodore some of the other innovations and inventions you are responsible for." Timothy said knowing how much Ben liked talking about his list of accomplishments.
"Well, I did form the first Fire Department in Philadelphia." Ben said looking proudly at James, "You have surely heard about that."
"Sorry, as Commodore of Fort Charles a great deal of my time is taken up with the running of the fort and dispatches, reports, and sundry items of everyday necessity, ergo I have little time left for socialization or the hearing of such as this fire department of yours Mr. Franklin." After a moment his curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "What exactly would be the purpose of a fire department? Do people call you to set fires for them?" James asked, not sure why those people could not set their own fires.
"On the contrary Commodore we put fires out, for the public good." Ben answered, not sure why even if this man came from the very edge of the earth he had not heard of him and his inventions. "I also formed the first fire insurance company." He finished proudly and received a shake of James' head and a 'sorry' in return.
"Well there are the bifocals I developed." Ben said, pulling a pair out of his pocket and offering them to James. James took them and looked them over. "Go ahead Commodore, put them on." Ben said as he motioned with his hands. James put them on and as he looked through them his stomach did a queasy flip as the bulkhead came leaping towards him. He jerked them off and quickly handed them back wondering why anyone would want to put those things on and deliberately do that to themselves.
Ben sighed, "Haven't heard of them either?"
"Sorry."
Ben was beginning to think the man existed in a void. He cast his eyes around the room for something the Commodore might have heard of. "There is the stove I invented." Ben said hopefully as he pointed to a drawing of said stove on the table near them. James peered over, shook his head and said, "Sorry."
Timothy was enjoying every minute of this. His cousin was used to having a big fuss made over him and his inventions, being told how clever he was to think up and put into action all the things he did. It tickled Timothy that the Commodore was giving him just the opposite reaction, not seeming to be impressed with any of them. Unfortunately there was a knock on the door and one of the Commodore's men informed him they had found nothing in their search of the ship. James got to his feet, offered his apologies for detaining them, and made his leave as he thought to himself, 'This man was creative, no doubt about that, just a little boasty about it perhaps.'
Ben bid the Commodore farewell and then turned to Timothy and said, "He's a bit of a stick isn't he."
Timothy chuckled in reply.
After gaining the deck of his ship James called back to Captain Folger and Mr. Franklin, "I hope you have an uneventful journey, but do be aware there are pirates in these waters. You would be well advised to keep a weather eye out."
"Thank you Commodore, we will." Captain Folger called back.
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"Ship!" the call came ringing down from the mainmast. Captain Folger looked off in the direction the lookout was pointing and saw a vessel approaching at a rapid pace. Timothy knew there was no chance of outrunning them or outgunning them by the looks of it. He gave orders to heave to and hoped for the best. Ben joined him and they stood there watching the ship draw nearer.
"Gentlemen! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack said as he balanced on the railing proudly, waiting for a reaction from the men. When the only reaction he received was the two of them looking a bit bewildered at each other and then back at him he gave them a pouty look and repeated, flopping his hand about as he did and rocking back on his heels as much as he could and still maintain his balance on the rail, "Captain Jack Sparrow, me, I'm him." He finished pointing at himself.
The men continued to stare at him with uncertainty, "I don't believe we have had the pleasure of hearing of you Captain. However we have only been in these waters a short time." Ben said trying to sound diplomatic. "We are from Massachusetts and are here on a mapping expedition."
Jack cocked his head to the side and spoke in a hurt tone with a hurt expression as well to Mr. Gibbs, who was standing on the deck below him, "Is it possible the good people of Massachusetts have not heard of Captain Jack Sparrow Mr. Gibbs?"
"More 'n likely be just an oversight on the part of these two Cap'n." Gibbs answered with a roll of his eyes.
"Oh right." Jack replied, the smile once again gracing his face. He flopped his hands around as he said, "Well then gentlemen, no harm done. Now what say you I scurry on over with a few of my men and we see what manner of interestin cargo a ship from this Massachusetts place might be carrying."
Captain Folger once again started to bristle at the thought of having his ship boarded, by pirates no doubt by the looks of them. And again Ben placed a staying hand on his arm, "They don't appear as if they are threatening us at the moment Timothy. Perhaps if I could talk to them we can get out of this unscathed." Without waiting for a reply he called out, "By all means Captain, come aboard, although I doubt you will find much to interest you here."
Within a few minutes Jack and a dozen of his crew had swung across and landed on the deck in front of the two. Jack's crew immediately set about investigating the ship.
"Captain Sparrow, I have a fine Boston rum in my cabin, or if you are not a drinking man I have fine English tea." Ben said as he motioned towards the cabin.
"Oh aye, rum." Jack said, his smile glittering. Ben led the way into the cabin, poured them each a glass of rum, and gestured for Jack to take a seat at the table.
"What is all this?" Jack said intrigued, as he took his glass and walked around the cabin touching and poking and prodding everything he could as he sipped his rum.
"My cousin is an inventor Captain, perhaps you have heard of him, Benjamin Franklin." Captain Folger replied.
Jack stopped in his tracks and snapped his head around to look at the man, "Benjamin Franklin you say?"
"I am he." Ben said puffing up a little.
"Aye mate, I have heard of you. Invented those spectacle things, and that library place in uppity up Philadelphia, 'n that thing ya call a fire department, an that postaging stampy thing, though I've not much use for that ya understand, although a fine ideal none the less mate. I've even had the happenstance ta read a few of yer publishments." Jack finished with a wave of his arms and then went back to perusing the items in the room with renewed interest.
"Well thank you Captain." Ben said even more puffed up than before. "Perhaps I could explain in a bit more detail some of the items you are presently examining."
"I think I get the whys and wherefores of most of 'em. Except for maybe this one." Jack picked up a long narrow silver tube off the table and held it up for inspection.
"Ah, that is a urinary catheter; I improved the design when my brother James was having trouble with kidney stones." He started to go into greater detail; however before he could Jack got the gist of what the thing was for and dropped it like it was on fire, wiped his hand on his coat and stuck his tongue in and out of his mouth with a grimace. "Don't think I need any more informin on that mate." and promptly took a large swig of rum.
Ben and Timothy both fought back grins that were threatening to erupt on their faces.
"Should turn yer attention to the lightin situation mate." Jack said out of the blue and taking the men a bit aback.
"Lighting situation?" Ben said looking around the cabin at how much light there was and being thoroughly confused by the statement.
"Aye the lighting. Say yer in Tortuga," Jack paused happily picturing himself there for a moment or two, then went on with much flopping and waving of hands and animation of expression, "Say yer in the afore mentioned Tortuga and ya stumble out….er exit one of the many fine taverns there abouts. Now if ya happen ta be carryin a bit of swag with ya, mabe been lucky at cards or such, suddenly yer faced with the prospect of returnin to yer ship all on yer onsies cause yer mates have seen fit to get passed out drunk and bein fully unable ta accompany ya and in the doin of such makin it truly incapacatorially incapable for them ta help watch yer back so to speak, and by the by their doin of such puts ya in all manner of danger as it were. And don't think they won't pay for such scurrilous behavior once they'd be back on board me ship in the morning. And ya can't even count on the bloody street lights ta help as they are all sooted up and not castin near enough light ta delve into the many shadowy alleys and nooks and crannys that lurk about between you and your Pearl and in the very uncastin of their light not uncoverin a scallywag 'r two layin in wait for just such an opportunity as this presenting its self for them ta be crackin ya over the head with a rum bottle and makin off with yer shiny, savvy? Course people in yer fine Philadelphia might benefit from the changin of such as the lightin as well, though what they'd be doin out past dark time is a question in and of it's self now isn't it."
Ben and Timothy stood there staring at Jack, their jaws almost dropping to their chests at the rambling they had just listened to. Ben composed himself first and spoke, although his tone was not as sure sounding as he would have liked. "I think I see what you are getting at here Captain."
"Aye, a right fine problem now isn't it." Jack replied.
The door opened and one of Jack's crew stuck his head in and told Jack disappointedly they had searched the ship and had found nothing worth pillaging or plundering aboard.
"Well," Jack said as he headed for the door, "Ben, been a pleasure." Smiled at his own witticism and then, "Ta." and made his exit.
Timothy and Ben walked out a moment or two later to find the Captain and his men already back on their own ship and making ready to depart. Jack called over to him as he waved his arms about and rocked back and forth on his heels, "Tortugan lighting mate."
Ben raised his hand and waved in return. "Daft as a brush." he said to Timothy as he continued to smile and wave at Jack.
"I don't know about you Ben, but I will be more than happy to leave these waters behind!" Timothy said.
Ben didn't answer; he was already working out in his head the matter of improving the street lighting of Philadelphia.
Timothy glanced over at him at the nonresponse, and seeing a familiar distant look on his cousin's face shrugged his shoulders and went off to get his ship underway.
The End
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