-Matters of Duty-
Disclaimer: I own nothing that could possibly result in me making millions of dollars in one shot.
We are all born mad. Some remain so. – Samuel Beckett
Chapter 3
"Make way!" Sergeant Glasdon yelled from somewhere behind.
In front of him, several men, civilians and soldiers alike moved aside as the large group rushed through. What the devil had he been thinking, proposing marriage to her so close to the edge like that? He had been fully prepared to jump after her with no thought for his own life. After all, how long would she remain alive after a fall like that? That was, of course, assuming she survived the fall itself.
James continued his race toward the docks, holding his new sword steady. Why hadn't he noticed when she had fallen? How had he let his nervousness get so bad as to take control like that? He wasn't so remiss during attack, why had he been so just moments ago? Now that negligence could cost Elizabeth her life. If he hadn't been so inattentive, he might have prevented it from happening. What would he do if they arrived too late?
How would he be able to live with himself if they were?
This certainly wasn't the way he had hoped to begin his new posting.
Perhaps this was an omen of things to come.
His feet hit the wooden planks of the docks, and though his thoughts refused to stop swirling with worry, the fact that he was closer to her brought focus. Looking ahead, in the direction of the Interceptor, he could see two heads slowly approaching the docks. So someone had jumped in after her. He was greatly relieved, but he couldn't help but worry that they had still gotten to her too late.
He looked a few paces later to see Murtogg and Mullroy helping to pull her up onto the docks. James continued glancing over toward her, straining his ears to hear above the clatter of footsteps behind him. A suspicious, rather unkempt man was still hauling himself out, Mullroy bent over her. "She's not breathing!" Mullroy said, crouched beside her. James's breath caught.
"Move!" the scruffy man barked.
Concentrating on where he was going, as he turned to go around the repair gantry, he didn't see what the man did as he, too, leaned over her. All he heard was Elizabeth suddenly coughing. James sprinted the rest of the way, his eyes not leaving the man as he examined something she wore.
Up close, he looked even more questionable in his origin, which set off a number of warnings in the pit of his stomach. He also noticed she was no longer decently dressed. The cad! He drew his sword and stopped before them, making sure the man would try nothing.
"On your feet," he ordered, watching the man slowly stand. Though he couldn't help but be furious that the man had indecently pulled her free of her dress, the practical part of his mind screamed that it was to the benefit of both—that the weight of so much saturated fabric would surely have pulled even the strongest of swimmers back down.
Governor Swann pushed passed him, removing his own jacket. "Elizabeth! Are you all right?" he asked, pulling her up from the dock.
"Yes." Her father looped his arms around her in order to pull the jacket around her shoulders. "Yes, I'm fine."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the governor look across at something, then movement as Murtogg dropped something, pointing at the pirate. James kept his eyes trained on the man before them. Swann straightened, indignant, as any father would be at his un-wed daughter's state of dress at the hands of another. "Shoot him!" He finally settled his jacket snuggly around her shoulders, then pulled her close to try and protect what was left of her modesty.
"Father!" Elizabeth interrupted.
"What?"
"Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"
James glanced over at her briefly. As much as he distrusted the man, she did have a point. This man could simply be a merchant or…something. Right, and I'm King George himself. He thought he recalled a description of this man—it was from several years ago, though, just before he had received his commission as a captain.
An old friend of his, by the name of Stuart Duncan, had been posted to a ship assigned as escort to some East India Trading Company ships at one time. His ship had stopped for supplies and news while heading south. Duncan had told a tale of a pirate that had been so…colorful, that it had stuck in James's memory after so many years.
If that recollection were true, there was one way he could make certain. If not, the worst that could happen was that he would have to apologize to the man. With his eyes and a nearly imperceptible nod, he motioned for his men to lower their weapons. Forcefully, he sheathed his sword, noting how the man before him seemed pleased, while the governor did not. "I believe thanks are in order," he said, extending his hand.
The colorful man was very hesitant about returning the gesture, as if he suspected what James had planned. It only served to deepen his suspicion. As the grime-blackened hand inched forward, James's own shot forward, grasping the stranger's before he could try anything, then yanked the man's cuff back.
Just as he suspected—a pirate's brand.
"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we, Pirate?" he asked, failing to keep the smug tone out of his voice. The pirate flinched.
Governor Swann straightened, vindicated. "Hang him."
Keeping a tight hold on the pirate, James glanced back over his shoulder. "Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." He quickly returned his focus to the man before him and pushed the sleeve further up to confirm that this was who he thought it to be. It was, amusingly enough. There, just above the brand, as had been described, was a tattoo of a bird in flight above the water at either sunrise or sunset. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" Forcefully, he relinquished his grasp.
"Captain Jack Sparrow if you please, sir." It appeared he was just as incorrigible Duncan had described him, though there had been no mention of rank then.
James straightened. He hadn't been informed of any new ships to enter the port under the command of a 'Captain Sparrow'. "Well, I don't see your ship…Captain," he said, looking around for a ship everyone knew wasn't there.
"I'm in the market, as it were." James was finding Duncan to be more and more correct all the time.
"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg said, catching his attention.
"Told you he was telling the truth," Mullroy responded, telling of yet another argument today. "These are his, sir," he continued proudly, producing a number of items from the docks by his feet.
Norrington glanced over the items quickly, then examined each more closely. There wasn't much. He picked up the first item, a pistol, and tossed it between his hands. It was of good quality and had excellent balance; no doubt it had likely been stolen. He looked back in the hat, searching the other items, then carefully tossed the weapon back into Mister Mullroy's care. "No additional shot, nor powder," he noted.
He selected the next item, a small box, which he opened. A hand-held compass. He moved it around finding the instrument didn't turn as it was supposed to. He couldn't help the smirk tugging at his mouth. "A compass that doesn't point North." A small chuckle escaped.
James finally turned his attention to the last item. What next? A toy sword? he thought, thoroughly amused. He pulled the blade a good hand's width, astonished to find a proper sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." He shoved the blade back into his sheath. Duncan had certainly been right. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."
Sparrow gestured with clasped hands, a smug smirk on his face. "But you have heard of me."
James's amusement deserted him. Annoyed, he seized Sparrow's arm and hauled him to the other side of the dock near the gantry. Surely Nathan had located some manacles by now. Behind him, he heard Elizabeth's smaller weight surge forward. "Commodore, I really must protest," she said, rushing forward to join them.
He ignored her, focusing instead on the pirate as Gillette moved to bind his hands. "Carefully, Lieutenant." There was no telling what a desperate pirate might try.
"Pirate or not, this man saved my life," she continued, coming to stop before him. She had thrown aside her father's jacket.
"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," he said. Was she honestly defending this criminal? Who knew what all this man had done! What made it worse, was the fact that she stood between them, making it more difficult to keep an eye on the pirate, as he was forced to divide his attention.
"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Sparrow put in.
"Indeed," he said, forcing his increasing frustration back down as Gillette backed away.
"Finally." Before anyone could react, the pirate had thrown his chain around Elizabeth's neck and pulled her closer.
James leapt forward, but immediately stopped, fearful of what Sparrow might do if they came too close. "No!" the governor exclaimed, obviously terrified for his daughter as the soldiers surged forward, bringing bayonets to bear. "No! Don't shoot!"
Sparrow peeked his head out a little. "I knew you'd warm up to me." He ducked back down a hair, turning his gaze. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please." He straightened, pointing his finger as if he'd just remembered something. "And my hat."
James swiftly went through his options. They couldn't risk shooting him without hitting Elizabeth, the same with charging him with bayonets. She was simply in the way, just as Sparrow intended. On the other hand, if he were to give in and hand the items over, Sparrow would have a weapon to threaten her with. Something that would enable him to kidnap her if he so wished. He also might very well strangle her here and now with the chains if his wishes were ignored.
"Commodore," the pirate prompted, tightening the chain around her neck. Grudgingly, James turned back toward Mullroy and collected the items into his own hands. Perhaps if Sparrow had what he wanted, he'd release her, unharmed, and they could recapture him once she was safely out of the way. "Elizabeth— It is 'Elizabeth', isn't it?"
"It's 'Miss Swann.' "
"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind." James pushed his current helplessness away as she looked to him for answers he couldn't give her. "Come, come, Dear. We don't have all day," the pirate prompted again as James reluctantly passed the belongings to her. As expected, Sparrow immediately grabbed the pistol, cocked it, spun her around and placed the barrel against her head. "Now if you'll be very kind." No longer able to see her face, James was forced into further helplessness as she could only comply with the pirate's wishes. He could see what vulgar sort of relationships Sparrow was accustomed to with women by the smug look on his face as she was forced to step closer and practically embrace the pirate to finish her task. James glanced away, though he knew it would cost him. He glanced back again to find Elizabeth had only the belt around his waist remaining. "Easy on the goods, darling."
He heard her cinch that last belt rather harshly as she stepped back. "You're despicable."
"Sticks and stones, Love," he said quietly. James imagined he had been called far worse before. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square." He spun her around once more, then began backing away. Fearful of what he would do to her, James inched forward to keep the same distance between them. "Gentlemen, milady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow."
James had no time to react as the pirate released Elizabeth, shoving her directly into his and the governor's arms and used the distraction to escape. The sharp clank of metal was heard dimly as the marines around him began yelling. The next thing James knew, the cracked cannon that had recently been replaced aboard the Interceptor was crashing into the docks. Looking up, he saw Sparrow and the top of the repair gantry, spinning around.
"Now will you shoot him?" came Weatherby Swann's annoyed voice.
"Open fire!" Instantly, his men cocked their muskets, taking aim. The reports, being so close to his ears, drowned out all else. Sparrow continued to swing, though he managed to change gantries. "On his heels!" James yelled, dismayed to see Sparrow sliding his way to freedom.
Duncan had apparently been correct about Sparrow's uncanny success as he bungled his way through everything, as well.
"Take cover, man!" someone yelled. As James caught up with the first soldiers down the dock, he was further dismayed to see his men shooting at Sparrow with civilians right beside him. It was the fact that all of those shots missed their intended target and came perilously close to striking those civilians that raised that ire. He was severely disappointed that his men had apparently neglected shooting skills and couldn't help but wonder what other skills might have been neglected.
That would change.
He stopped, watching soldiers take off into the town proper in pursuit. He knew, without looking, that it was Nathan who stopped beside him. "Gillette, Mister Sparrow has a dawn appointment with the gallows." He turned to look his lieutenant in the eye. "I would hate for him to miss it."
Gillette motioned to Murtogg and Mullroy, then took off to follow in the hunt. James, on the other hand, noticed Sergeant Gregory Martin and a small portion of his group arriving off to the side from the fort. He walked toward them instead, intending to lead them himself. He also decided he would wait a few moments, giving Sparrow a bit of time before starting after him. Sparrow was still in irons, after all.
And there was only one place he could try to remove them on his own.
Like it? Hate it? Just barely able to tolerate it? Please, please, please let me know.
I really wasn't sure about this chapter at all. It's worried me relentlessly for several months now—yes, months; the first three chapters have been written since basically February or so—and so I would really, really appreciate it if you were to tell me what you thought of it. All I ask is that you be polite about it—and all of you have been very kind and polite, which I really, truly do appreciate. I don't think I could handle it very well at all if someone were rude.
Erusiel: :p
wellduh… Well, technically, the word 'she' was in italics with closed captioning on (I got the lines directly from the movie in a moment of boredom earlier this summer). But it does also appear that she would have thrown herself from the battlements, doesn't it. Poor Norrington; to be thought of in such ways… Thank you very much for the review:D
BlackJackSilver: I'm glad you liked their diversionary tactics! That actually came to me in a spur-of-the-moment type of idea. As for writing so soon, I never stopped, to tell the truth. If I'm not watching a movie, reading or doing homework or work around the house, I'm writing. It's just something I have to be doing. It keeps me sane in this mad world. I shall endeavor to do my best to continue, though. The only thing that might stop me this fall would be my college classes. Thank you for the review! As you may enjoy a good read, I enjoy a good review… :p
Rennie1265: Yep! This is a long one, though not as long as the next one I have planned. I'm very glad to hear my characterizations are good, though. A big relief, as I worry about each and every chapter. I just hope this last one held up to my past chapters. I'll try to keep what's been set unaltered. Thank you very much for your comments! It lifts my spirits to no end. :D
Lady Tanarion: Thank you very much! I'm not sure if you've said how much you like my Gillette before—my memory can be sporadic at times, which doesn't help when trying to learn new languages—but I'm very pleased you like how I've been writing him. :D
Jaina Kenobi: Thank you! They wouldn't scare me off by talking about battle either. It doesn't usually bother me so much. As for why James proposed to her, you can actually thank my mom for that suggestion. I might have partially thought about it, since I can't stand Elizabeth, but Mom was the one that suggested the governor influence him. I couldn't be happier with it—though it might make his expressions at the end a bit more difficult to give reason for. :p
moonbeam: No you didn't review before that, but it's ok if you had. I'm glad you like it, and don't worry… I'll continue to email you.
Additional note/edit: Thank you Rennie1265 for pointing out some mistakes for me. They slipped right by me. I wasn't thinking straight, I think.
I'll be back next weekend, technology, weather and time permitting!
- Gaeruil