Chapter One: Tortuga
"More importantly," continued Jack as he led Will through the boisterously crowded streets of Tortuga "it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"
Will Turner looked around, at the drunks, the prostitutes and various other unsavoury characters in the dimly lit town.
"It'll linger" he replied unenthusiastically
"I'll tell you mate," Jack went on to say, "If every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."
A red haired woman, wearing a low cut dress, strode towards the pair.
"Scarlet "exclaimed Jack, stepping towards her cheerfully, the woman slapped him and walked away.
"Not sure I deserved that" he grumbled, as they continued along, another woman, blonde this time, approached Jack.
"Giselle" exclaimed Jack
"Who was she?" demanded Giselle
"What?" said Jack, looking more confused than normal, Giselle slapped him and walked away.
"I may have deserved that." He admitted to Will, as they continued through the streets.
"Ahh, here we go," said Jack, leading Will to the back of an Inn, he picked up a bucket of water and gestured for Will to do the same.
"Jack, why are we walking to a pigpen?"
"We need some who knows the town, mate, and that's 'im there" replied Jack, pointing to a man sleeping in the pen.
"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot" exclaimed the man, as Jack threw the contents of the bucket on him.
"Mother's love! Jack !" he said when he realised who it was "You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck."
"Ah," replied Jack casually "fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys, the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it, while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking.
The man, one Mister Gibbs, stood up and considered this for a moment.
"Aye, that'll about do it" he agreed, he was about to take a step forward when Will who had been quiet up until then tossed the second bucket of water over him.
"Blast! I'm already awake!" he cursed loudly, shaking off the water.
"That was for the smell." Explained will, Gibbs looked at him for a moment then shrugged, the three men made their way to the nearby Tavern.
As they made their way through the crowded room, after collecting drinks, Jack motioned for Will to stand watch.
"Keep a sharp eye." He cautioned the young man as he sat down at a table with Gibbs.
"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" asked Gibbs, taking a sip of his drink, Jack leaned closer and murmured his reply
"I'm going after the Black Pearl"
Gibbs spluttered and nearly choked, Will glanced back at them, briefly.
"I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it." finished Jack
"Jack, it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl"
"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew"
"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."
"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?"
"Prove me wrong," Challenged Gibbs "What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"
"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?"
Jack tipped his head towards Will, several times, before Gibbs caught on.
"The kid?" he said sceptically.
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?"
"Is he, now?" replied Gibbs, looking speculatively in Will's direction " 'Leverage', says you. 'I think I feel a change in the wind,' says I. I'll find us a crew. "Gibbs concluded, "There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."
"One can only hope" he replied, with a roguish grin, he lifted his tankard for a toast.
"Take what you can..."
"Give nothing back," concluded Gibbs, they drained their drinks and slammed the tankards down on the table.
Will walked over to the table, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Will, mate, pull up a seat, 'ave a drink" slurred Jack "Gibbs, this is Will, its 'is bonny lass we're about rescuing"
"Have you arranged a crew, Jack?"
"Been an' done, mate, no rush" Jack hailed a barmaid "another round, bring three"
"I really don't think..." protested Will
"Nonsense, we can't go to morning, you need to 'ave some fun, mate."
"Maybe we can find you a girl," added Gibbs
"The only girl I want to find is Miss Swann" he enunciated slowly, looking disgusted with Gibbs.
"Alright, I can take a hint, I'll see you tomorrow at the docks, gents" said Gibbs, finishing his drink and standing up.
"Aye, tomorrow" agreed Jack, returning to his drink.
Will rolled his eyes in surrender, realised that Jack wasn't likely to leave for a while, and took a cautious sip.
"This isn't bad" he remarked, in Jack's general direction.
"Sweet nectar of Life" agreed Jack, waving his arms expansively, as he did so Will caught a flash of silver on his finger. He had noticed it before but not paid much attention.
"Nice ring" he remarked, casually taking another sip of his drink.
"Ring?" said Jack, Will pointed to the ring in question, a silver band with a black gem in it.
"Oh, this ring..."
Jack was silent for a moment, then a look of mingled anticipation and slight panic spread across his face.
"Let's go," he said suddenly, standing up and dragging Will along with him.
"Umm, Jack, where are we going?"
"Got to see a lass I know in town"
"Is she going to slap you?" he asked facetiously, Jack considered the question as seriously as he could.
"She might at that" he concluded, "but I'd probably deserve it"
"More importantly," continued Jack as he led Will through the boisterously crowded streets of Tortuga "it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"
Will Turner looked around, at the drunks, the prostitutes and various other unsavoury characters in the dimly lit town.
"It'll linger" he replied unenthusiastically
"I'll tell you mate," Jack went on to say, "If every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."
A red haired woman, wearing a low cut dress, strode towards the pair.
"Scarlet "exclaimed Jack, stepping towards her cheerfully, the woman slapped him and walked away.
"Not sure I deserved that" he grumbled, as they continued along, another woman, blonde this time, approached Jack.
"Giselle" exclaimed Jack
"Who was she?" demanded Giselle
"What?" said Jack, looking more confused than normal, Giselle slapped him and walked away.
"I may have deserved that." He admitted to Will, as they continued through the streets.
"Ahh, here we go," said Jack, leading Will to the back of an Inn, he picked up a bucket of water and gestured for Will to do the same.
"Jack, why are we walking to a pigpen?"
"We need some who knows the town, mate, and that's 'im there" replied Jack, pointing to a man sleeping in the pen.
"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot" exclaimed the man, as Jack threw the contents of the bucket on him.
"Mother's love! Jack !" he said when he realised who it was "You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck."
"Ah," replied Jack casually "fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys, the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it, while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking.
The man, one Mister Gibbs, stood up and considered this for a moment.
"Aye, that'll about do it" he agreed, he was about to take a step forward when Will who had been quiet up until then tossed the second bucket of water over him.
"Blast! I'm already awake!" he cursed loudly, shaking off the water.
"That was for the smell." Explained will, Gibbs looked at him for a moment then shrugged, the three men made their way to the nearby Tavern.
As they made their way through the crowded room, after collecting drinks, Jack motioned for Will to stand watch.
"Keep a sharp eye." He cautioned the young man as he sat down at a table with Gibbs.
"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" asked Gibbs, taking a sip of his drink, Jack leaned closer and murmured his reply
"I'm going after the Black Pearl"
Gibbs spluttered and nearly choked, Will glanced back at them, briefly.
"I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it." finished Jack
"Jack, it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl"
"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew"
"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."
"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?"
"Prove me wrong," Challenged Gibbs "What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"
"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?"
Jack tipped his head towards Will, several times, before Gibbs caught on.
"The kid?" he said sceptically.
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?"
"Is he, now?" replied Gibbs, looking speculatively in Will's direction " 'Leverage', says you. 'I think I feel a change in the wind,' says I. I'll find us a crew. "Gibbs concluded, "There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."
"One can only hope" he replied, with a roguish grin, he lifted his tankard for a toast.
"Take what you can..."
"Give nothing back," concluded Gibbs, they drained their drinks and slammed the tankards down on the table.
Will walked over to the table, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Will, mate, pull up a seat, 'ave a drink" slurred Jack "Gibbs, this is Will, its 'is bonny lass we're about rescuing"
"Have you arranged a crew, Jack?"
"Been an' done, mate, no rush" Jack hailed a barmaid "another round, bring three"
"I really don't think..." protested Will
"Nonsense, we can't go to morning, you need to 'ave some fun, mate."
"Maybe we can find you a girl," added Gibbs
"The only girl I want to find is Miss Swann" he enunciated slowly, looking disgusted with Gibbs.
"Alright, I can take a hint, I'll see you tomorrow at the docks, gents" said Gibbs, finishing his drink and standing up.
"Aye, tomorrow" agreed Jack, returning to his drink.
Will rolled his eyes in surrender, realised that Jack wasn't likely to leave for a while, and took a cautious sip.
"This isn't bad" he remarked, in Jack's general direction.
"Sweet nectar of Life" agreed Jack, waving his arms expansively, as he did so Will caught a flash of silver on his finger. He had noticed it before but not paid much attention.
"Nice ring" he remarked, casually taking another sip of his drink.
"Ring?" said Jack, Will pointed to the ring in question, a silver band with a black gem in it.
"Oh, this ring..."
Jack was silent for a moment, then a look of mingled anticipation and slight panic spread across his face.
"Let's go," he said suddenly, standing up and dragging Will along with him.
"Umm, Jack, where are we going?"
"Got to see a lass I know in town"
"Is she going to slap you?" he asked facetiously, Jack considered the question as seriously as he could.
"She might at that" he concluded, "but I'd probably deserve it"