Chapter 7: 1742 How to free a Friend
The "Stella Maris" reached London port much earlier than expected. Favorable winds and no more unforeseeable incidents made finally a calm and quick crossing possible.
As soon as the harbor came into sight, van Dyck let the Dutch colors be hoisted. He was a merchant sailor and no one ever could prove him to be a pirate or his spruce two-master of having been sailed for pirating.
Nevertheless they needed some luck at all, because, if the harbor-master should remember him or his ship there was no possibility to get back aboard rapidly enough to veer the "Stella" to get back to the open ocean. The distance between the harbor and the sea was much too far and without any doubt the English would send the small trading ship to the depths without much effort.
Even so van Dyck was confident, because Jack Sparrow took the success of this adventure for granted in a way which made also the Dutch not to believe in a possible miscarriage.
Below Elizabeth was totally engaged in turning herself, Caithleen and Anamaria from self confident pirate lassies into decent ladies, which turned out not to be an easy undertaking.
To squeeze oneself into a corset felt not only for her as a kind of necessary evil and for sure she wasn't really unhappy about the fact that her proceeding pregnancy spared her from wearing such a prison for a woman's body.
Caithleen at all had refused to let herself be constricted into an instrument of torture like that. So Anamaria was the only one this questionable pleasure was left to.
Not less difficult it was to tame their from wind, the sun and seawater disheveled hair. Comb and brush failed more than once to get through thick strands and untamed curls.
"No wonder", Anamaria sighed: "that you preferred to choose a life at sea. This dress is a single punishment! I for my part can't feel any pleasure in walking about without being able to move."
"Keep still and hold your breath otherwise I can't tighten the twines." Elizabeth remembered how much she hated this part of her former life which forced her to bury even the smallest longing for freedom if ever possible: "You have to stand it for only two or three hours."
"Do you know how long this can be?"
"Don't argue about it, ladies! Better hurry up!" Caithleen just placed her sword and a pistol underneath her dress and watched in amusement when Elizabeth placed a hat upon the head of the pretty mulatto fitting the dress she chose for Anamaria.
"And that's really necessary?" Anamaria seemed not to be convinced that this disguise would be helpful with their try to free Joshamee Gibbs from the gallows.
"Believe me, it's the only way if we want to get to the court unchallenged." Elizabeth replied with a sigh: "In either case it's absolutely impossible to get identified while wearing this – not even by chance!"
"Well, Anamaria isn't wrong at all!" Caithleen slipped into her boots and pulled them up over her knees. With them she hid the pants she wore underneath her dress.
"What do you mean?"
Elizabeth watched her with interest when she placed two small daggers within her boots and finally let the skirt of her dress – made of heavy brocade – cover it all. If necessary she would be able to tear the skirt and the corsage apart, so that she would rapidly be able to force her way free.
She finally raised her head and gazed at Elizabeth: "All I mean is that it would have been much easier and much more effective to disguise as a whore, a maid or a tavern wench. Gibbs is not in need of our help as long as he's on the court. Not as long as they hear his case. Mostly the problems start when they take a prisoner back to jail."
"You still can search yourself a better disguise if you think playing a lady would not please you. But you should take care then, that no one will take you for being buyable."
"Don't worry about this! I sailed with pirates my whole life – I suppose I'm able to get such fellas out of my way. In addition", she smiled: "I know Jack Sparrow well enough to be aware that a man who would dare to touch or to molest me would never forget this day."
"Have you anything planned to free Gibbs from the gallows?"
Within the Captain's Cabin van Dyck placed his hat upon his head and stroke his just truncated beard, when Jack went in.
He beheld the Dutch with a broad grin.
The man was barely to recognize and for a moment he not reminded of being a rough sailor but more to be a wealthy merchant.
Jack perched himself on the corner of the table and remarked: "Ah, as I see you really changed into a noble trader, mate. Did you think about using this unique opportunity for convincing Anamaria to let her life as a smuggler behind and follow you as the wife of an honest merchant sailor? Eh...?" Van Dyck gave him a look as if he just bit into a lemon and he added: "Well, the wrong question, as it were, Aye? Or the wrong moment?"
"Both, lad! So, let us forget about it! You better should tell me if you have a plan!"
"Not a plan at all, well, not a concrete one. But I have an idea. Everything depends on one thing, mate: If I will be able to get into the court and to the judge's chamber. All I have to achieve then is, that Gibbs will be brought back to prison. The rest I will leave to Caithleen - with good conscious - while you and your arm candies will mingle amongst the crowd, and our crew will take care that your "Stella" is ready to cast off the minute we'll return. For sure, I can promise you one thing, mate – as soon as they will realize what happened they will hunt for us and if they catch us not even a prayer will save us, not the ladies either."
"You really have a talent to bouy one up, lad!" van Dyck said with some sarcastic undertone.
"Have I? Well, that's exactly what I have in mind!"
"Jack, tell me, do you ever waste a single thought upon the fact that one of your adventures could go wrong some day?"
"No, mate, I don't do something stupid like that. Maybe it will become my fate some day, but then it shall be that way." He gave the Dutch a short smile then he added: "There is only one thing I care for, van Dyck. That's Caithleen. I think, you'll understand what's meant, Aye?"
"Very well, lad!"
"Then it's time to go."
The sight which waited for them when they went to the deck was that unique that even Jack remained speechless for a moment. He was barely willing to trust his eyes when he saw the three women standing in front of him.
The venturous pirate lassies changed into enchanting ladies and although one could guess them not feel comfortable within their dresses their female attractions were not to overlook. They owned enough of them to turn not only a pirate's head.
But as beautiful as the three girls were Jack had only eyes for Caithleen. She looked like she did that night aboard the "Eagle's Wing" when Professor Prudencia turned her into a princess for him the first time.
There was only one difference: her boots, which peered from underneath her long skirt of black brocade when she made a too long step.
He smiled, let his gaze sink into her seductive neckline for a moment full of relish and breathed a kiss upon her uncovered shoulder before they followed van Dyck and the two ladies at both of his sides.
While they aspired to the court Caithleen asked: "Did you tell van Dyck anything about your plans?"
"I'm not a fool, love. He would never have let me go ashore then but would have locked me within the chart room. He's no pirate therefor he would not have understood it."
"So it means the two of us are alone?"
"Aye!"
"Why do I actually ask for it?" She looked at him and sighed a little bit overdone to be true: "Well then, I think it's better you'll let me in on your plan now."
"For sure! You know the entrance where the prisoners are brought to?"
"I know it!" She nodded: "At the back side of the court, am I right?"
"Exactly, love! I'll try to steal into the court right there. As soon as I'm in I'll take care that our good old Joshamee Gibbs will not end at the gallows today. If I will succeed they will take him back to prison. I will follow immediately and will let them lock me up together with him within the carriage. Do you believe you will succeed to get along with the coachman meanwhile?"
"Since when do you doubt me?"
"I don't doubt you, love. All I do is following my own interests. Oh, by the way! Take this!" He handed a small pistol over to her, just as big to fit into her hand: "I relieved a Spanish lady from it. Maybe you'll get in need of it."
"In some way this dress starts to feel like a whole cache. Is there anything else I should know?"
"Yes! Hope it won't become necessary, but if there should anything go wrong against our expectations I want you to wait for me within the tavern. The "Captain's Daughter" is not to miss. It lies directly at the harbor. It's a meeting point for sailors, smugglers and a lot of other sinister figures. But be careful, Caithleen, as long as you'll stay alone there. You're a woman, beautiful withal. Don't want you to be bothered."
"I promise to stay virtuous." She gave him a disarming smile and continued: "I don't want to ask how you will try to free your friend for I fear I will come to know it much earlier than I expect, but I'm interested in something different: Which way you will reveal your double as the impostor he is?"
"I hope, he will find me, but I would like to ask you to keep a sharp eye on him if you might come across him."
"So you think if someone should be able to disguise him or to know the differences between you and him I'm the one?"
"Aye! That's exactly what I have in mind, but please, love, it would really be calming if you will leave it with knowing the differences. I don't need a proof! Savvy!"
"Oh, I don't have in mind to spend a night with your double to find out if he is you or vice versa."
"He would barely survive such a try, love..."
"You won't tell me you're jealous, won't you?"
Caithleen gave him a knowing smile and he dragged her in his arms: "How could I be not?" Then he added with a stern face: "Want you to take care for yourself. Aye?"
About an hour later Jack tiptoed through the corridor which led from the courtroom to the little chamber where he had locked the judge in. He was very confident, because he succeeded – disguised as a judge – to save his first mate Joshamee Gibbs from the gallows and to take care that the man would be brought back to prison.
Much to the displeasure of the people who obviously expected nothing else from that court case but the execution of a pirate.
So he stumbled out of the hall, got rid of the wig, the coat and the glasses and sashayed over to the chamber wherein the judge – captivated and gagged – waited to be freed again.
Jack hurried to leave the man in a most bearable condition but before he went out he turned round again and said: "No offense meant, mate, but this was not to avoid. I'm sorry!"
With it he vanished unseen within the corridors of the court and hastened to get to the back side entrance. He was relieved when he got aware that he slipped out of the door just when the guards pushed Gibbs into the carriage which should bring him back to prison. No one asked about the why and the wherefor when he as well went into the carriage.
It was of no importance of one or two pirates would sit within a cell at the end of this day. As soon as they were locked up they weren't able to plunder and steal any more. For sure it was much more secure to hang them but in this case the decision was made. They would stay in prison until they would take their last breath...
"Jack! Have you already taken leave of your senses?" As soon as the door closed behind them Gibbs gave vent to his feelings and to his surprise: "Are you in the know how this could have ended?"
"Of course I am, mate! Therefor I'm not alone at all! But I suggest we should forget about that from now on. Aye? So are you primed for another adventure at sea, Mister Gibbs?"
"Another adventure at sea? Jack, this passage will lead us straight to prison!"
"That's – plain wrong, mate! What do you think I'm here for? Eh...?"
"Well, in general case I would assume to spare a good friend from the gallows, but only a fool would dare to come to London, slip into the court and let himself be locked up within a carriage which takes him straight to the next prison."
"So in this case it's really of use that I'm no fool at all, Aye? I'm not alone, mate! Van Dyck's "Stella" is moored to the pier and she's waiting for us to take us aboard again as soon as we'll get to the harbor. Prior to that I admittedly have to search for my mysterious double van Dyck told me about."
"That's in fact a strange case! It's told in every tavern and in every dark lane that Jack Sparrow searches for a crew."
"I can assure you I'm not searching for a crew at the moment. I do not even own a ship! So I'm hell-bent to find out who dares hiring men within my name."
"Don't you think it might be better to leave it this way and to ignore that fellow?"
"I can't ignore him, Mister Gibbs, or do you believe I'm in need to get hanged some day for a deed I never ever committed? No, mate, I have to find this figure at any rate!"
"Maybe it's a trap they finally want to try to arrest you with. After all you always escaped. A fact no commander is amused about, believe me..."
"That very well may be! For sure I will come to know it soon..."
Before he was able to finish the carriage stopped with a jar. Outside someone tampered with the lock. Obviously without any success because shortly after a shot was to hear and the lock burst open with a crack and fell to the ground.
Then the door was opened and Gibbs – being totally confused – stared into the pretty face of a young woman.
"Hurry! Get a move on! Quickly! I did what I was able to and tried to use only the narrow lanes but the whole town seems to be in furor. We have to make our exit immediately!"
"Jack! Would you tell me what's going on here and who this girl is?"
"Later, mate!" Jack turned to Caithleen: "Well done, love! Gibbs will be able to walk down to the harbor and to hide aboard the "Stella" now."
"What's with you? What are you going to do?"
"Want to search for my double now!"
"Not without me, Captain!" Caithleen looked at him and gave him a twinkle.
"Very well then! But we should separate here! We'll meet at the "Captain's Daughter". Hurry, love!"
"Aye, Captain!" She gave him a smile, breathed a kiss upon his lips and vanished like a beautiful dream within the lane straight ahead.
Gibbs looked after her still being bewildered.
He wanted to say something but Jack anticipated him: "No time for questions, mate! You have to reach the harbor unseen. For sure this place will be alive with overeager soldiers soon. Later on I will explain everything to you you're in the need to know anything about."
With it he also made his exit.
