Hey! Sorry, for the long time, no update. I had trouble writing this chapter... But anyway, there's two conversations in this chapter. Interesting conversations between Nicolette and Will (a little short) and between Jack and Christopher (a tad long). And I touched upon what may happen to them in their visit to Tia Dalma, there is a sort of touch of destiny in one other person than William. Who that is, well, that's for you to find out. So I hope you all enjoy the new chapter :) Happy Reading!
Chapter Eight: Suspicions
"You and Elizabeth, eh?" Nicolette smiled sitting across from Will in the galley. "Getting married, too? Now, how come I wasn't invited to this wedding. I love weddings!" She exclaimed taking a swig of rum that was by her. Will made a face at his friend who seemed to be drinking the whole time they were down in the galley. She changed so... much. Some were in good ways and others were in bad ways. Since when had she drank rum? She always held a deep hate for the drink since her father consumed it.
Will faked a smile, trying not to show his disgust, "Well, we did." He admitted. Nicolette raised her eyebrow. They did? "We sent your invitation over to Tortuga, actually, to the Faithful Bride." Nicolette looked at him confused, she hadn't been to Tortuga for a while, that was why she hadn't gotten it probably. She mouthed an 'oh.'
"Well, that would explain things. Hadn't been in Tortuga for a while." She stated with a chuckle. But then sadly she added, "But can't say that it isn't a shame that she and you were arrested for helping Jack. I wouldn't blame you for regretting that decision."
"Why would I regret it?" He asked her curiously, he did only a little, but other than Elizabeth being in jail for it, there was anything to regret about it. It brought him and Elizabeth together, it brought Jack and Nicolette together, there really was no other con than the jail time he was serving because of it.
"Why wouldn't you regret it?" She retorted.
"Well, although the results of it were bad, some turned out rather good." Nicolette chuckled, and nodded in agreement catching what he was saying by that.
They fell into an awkward silence. One of many the two friends found themselves in while they were catching up. It was an extreme rarity. Nicolette gulped, suddenly feeling tense. Why had it become like this? She would like to know. But she felt odd and strange being in the presence of Will again. She thought, the night before that of the day of the hanging was really their last day before they parted into their own separate stories. The end. But here he was. She didn't even prepare a speech with him to catch up upon. Guidelines. What to touch upon, and what not to touch upon in her pirate life. Some of the things she had told him weren't for the ears of really the type of man that is of him.
She saw the look of disgust form with half of the things, he would probably not admit it, but she definitely had seen it. Maybe if it was Elizabeth, who actually took an interest in piracy rather than Will who wasn't really, the reaction that she could've gotten would be more... better.
She could only touch upon the subject that was the least of her problems, but she had always wondered about, "How's my drunk of a father doing? The business still intact and not burnt down yet?"
Will laughed sadly, "Without my help, yes, the business is still very much intact." He then frowned, looking down at his hands that he had been fiddling with the whole time that she had been talking to him. Nicolette arched her brow and suddenly saw Will's body tense.
"Will? Is something wrong?" Will focused back on Nic and faked an innocent smile. She just looked at him, questioning his sanity. That was... strange. His body was still tense though. "Will, why do you seem so—?"
"Happy?" Will asked her in hope.
Her face fell and corrected, "No, tense."
"Me? Tense? Come on, Nicolette you know me. I'm never tense." He stated to her quickly. Why her mentioning her father suddenly leave Will tense? Nicolette only looked at him for a second, something wasn't right with him at all.
She muttered under her breath before taking a swig of rum, "I beg to differ with that."
Will questioned, "What was that?"
She smiled at him innocently and stated sweetly, "Nothing, nothing at all."
"I got it!" Christopher took a bite out of his apple, hearing the shout of the lonely pirate with the wooden. Before he could get any of his hopes up, he heard him wince, "Ow! Give it back!" He rolled his eyes and leaned his back on the rigging taking yet another bite of his apple. Pirates. Offer the two that were exceptionally dimwitted and have them do your job for you. He didn't think that it would actually work, but when they had agreed, he hadn't at all asked any questions. Idiots. Christopher actually did do his job for only an hour before quitting.
The monkey pranced away from them and climbed up the rigging that Christopher was by. Christopher glanced up at it and felt the blank stares of Pintel, the man who was the leader of the two, and Ragetti, who was the man who had lost his eye. He slowly turned his head to match them, "Well, go on." He stated, "Get him."
Pintel spoke in a raspy tone, "We got to be paid more to catch the likes of that mongrel."
Ragetti added, "We ain't sure if it is worth me eye again." He placed his eye back in its socket and Christopher tried not to cringe as he did so.
He sighed, he might have to negotiate this, "What about for double the profit?"
Pintel questioned, "Double?"
"Aye."
Ragetti shook his head unsure, "I don't know 'bout that."
Pintel slapped his arm, "Double is better than nothing, ain't it? "
"True 'nough, but it ain't right. What has that monkey done to us anyway?" He argued.
Pintel rolled his eyes, "What has he done to us?" When he repeated that question it sounded like he had thought it was snake venom that was poured into his mouth. "What hadn't he done to us? I swear, ever since you became the mortality one of the two, you been thinkin' all doings that you usually do to be wrong with the bible!"
"It's sinful!"
"How might it be sinful? You can't even know that it is since you never even gotten to learnin' to read. So you cannot read what you don't know."
"I don' want me eye to be taken again!"
"I'll get you a new one!" Christopher exclaimed with a smile spreading on his face. Ragetti looked at him with hope, a new eye? What kind? Wood? Glass? Glass, would be nice. He got off the rigging and placed a hand on Ragetti's shoulder, "Just hear me out, mate," he started, trying to make his voice sound the least bit convincing, "You seem like a smart, illiterate man. Never thought it to be possible. But if you can't read, might as well make it look like you can. A glass eye to match that one, I say would be nice. It would fit in there perfectly. Doesn't that sound nice there?"
"Very much so." He replied, him with a glass eye. He could just picture it, him, with an eye of glass, people would think that he is of high class.
Christopher patted both their shoulders, "Okay, then! It's settled!" Jack stood at the helm watching Christopher with an interested gleam in his eye, what was he doing? The conversation between him and Gibbs drained the voices of Ragetti, Pintel, and Christopher. All he knew was that, well, he didn't know what he knew anything other than Christopher was disregarding what he was supposedly doing. Christopher held a triumphant smile, "You do this for me, I'll give you a glass eye." He poked Ragetti in the chest gesturing to him and then did the same to Pintel, "And I give you double the amount I was paying ya anyway. Pleasure doing business with you two. If you need me, I shall be in the galley."
Before either of them could say something of protest, he walked away already starting to go below deck. Jack cocked a brow and excused himself from Gibbs. He made his way down the helm quickly to catch up to Christopher who was already picking up the latch to go below. "I wouldn't be doing that, mate." Jack stated in warning, Christopher nervously backed away to look at him. "You don't want your sister to see that you aren't doing what you are supposed to be doing now, do you? I don't think that she'd be happy."
"I don't doubt that you are wrong." He replied in a smug tone.
Jack shrugged, "Something you are going to have to learn, son. Captain Jack Sparrow, is never wrong about anything." Captain Jack Sparrow also seemed to never forget the word Captain in his name. Was he always conceited and smug sometimes? When he was about to leave Jack with a sarcastic comment, he asked him skeptically, "Speaking of you aren't doing what you are supposed to be doing, why aren't you doing what you are supposed to be doing?"
Christopher shrugged, "But I am."
"You are?"
"I believe so."
Jack cocked a brow, "Now, am I imagining you being in front of me and talking to me or are you just plain delusional? It's okay, really if you are delusional. Happens to the best of us. But might I suggest that you see a specialist when we port immediately, that could cause problems in the near future, mate."
Christopher rolled his eyes, "Unfortunately, you are wrong for once, Jack Sparrow. I am not delusional nor are you imagining me being in front of you and talking to you. I am in fact influencing in the affair of catching the monkey."
"Ah, so how are you trying to capture said monkey when you're standing here talking to me right at the moment?" Jack inquired sounding like he was amused.
"Well," Christopher started to explain in once again a smug tone, "you never said how I was supposed to get the job done. You only said that I had to do it someway as long the cage ends up in my hands when the deed was done. Did you not say that?"
"Actually, I didn't say that."
"But you meant it." Jack's eyes narrowed at the man and with his hand he gestured for him to continue. "So I took it upon my honor to ask—."
He corrected that, "Or bribe."
Christopher rolled his eyes and fixed his mistake, "To bribe two men to help me."
"Although, I recall giving you another job after said job? Correct me if I'm wrong, highly doubted though."
"You're not wrong." Christopher developed a small smirk. "I do recall you telling me to do that when I was done with the catching monkey ordeal and I don't think that I am."
Jack's lips pursed into a small smirk when he stated to him, "Smart man." Jack turned on his heel and gestured for Christopher to follow him. He only stood there, not sure whether or not it would be a good idea. Jack sighed, looking behind his shoulder, "Well, don't just be standing there. Follow me, or would you rather get caught by Nicky who wouldn't take what you said to me for a moment?" Christopher contemplated it, and then didn't at all hesitate in following Jack into the Captain's cabin.
He cautiously entered the pirate's cabin, taking in the new surroundings, it was actually neat. Bed was made, the desk was a mess of charts and tools, there was half emptied rum bottle on it as well. He crinkled his nose, he could smell it already. Jack went to the bed and bent down as if he was looking for something. Christopher only just realized how he walked, he always seemed drunk, staggering along the deck, slurring his words. What was so attractive that Nicolette had found about him? He didn't think he could dive in any woman's mind about men.
"Ah," Jack found several bottles of rum under Nicolette's side of the bed. He took two out, one for him and the other for the man who was still standing at the door. He got up carrying them in his hands. He looked Christopher up and down, "Tell me, Christopher, are you a fan of standing around or would you rather a seat to sit in?" Christopher snapped out of it and sat down at the edge of the desk with his hands clasped on his lap.
"I tell you, your sister thinks that she could hide a stash for herself in this room without me knowing about it. Sometimes she, questions me own sanity." Jack walked over to his desk and offered Christopher a bottle.
He shook his head immediately, "I don't drink." He remembered back to earlier, you would never know where you would wake up the next day or what condition you would actually wake up in.
Jack cocked his brow, "Is there a reason why?"
Christopher nodded with a nervous chuckle, "Never know where you'd wake up in the morning if you drink too much."
"How right you are." Jack said with a mischievous smile. He stated, "That's fine, more rum for me." He put both of the bottles onto the desk and plopped himself into his own chair. He propped his feet on the desk and Christopher eyed the rum carefully, one bottle wouldn't hurt really. As Jack took the half of rum in his hand to have himself a swig, Christopher took one of his own.
Jack furrowed his eyebrows at him confused and Christopher shrugged before uncorking it, "One won't hurt, would it?" Jack considered and nodded to him. Christopher brought the hard liquid to his lips and felt it go down his throat, burning the edges of it. When he removed it and placed it back on the desk, he inquired, "Now, does Nicolette know that you steal her stash of rum once in a while?"
"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her." Jack took a swig of his rum before he continued, "Like you won't tell her that I frequently take from it and I won't tell her that you founded a loophole in our little agreement job for you. Agreed?"
Christopher nodded, "Agreed."
"So, tell me about yourself."
Christopher gawked at him for a moment, "Excuse me?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Uh," what should he say about himself? Why should he even tell Jack about himself? There was nothing for him to know about him. Just that he was Nicolette's brother, that was all. "And why should I tell you? All you need to know is that I am Nicolette's brother."
Jack inquired, "But I am Captain of a ship, and being Captain of a ship I should in fact know who I am allowing aboard my vessel. Don't you agree?"
He did in fact agree with that. If it was his ship he would actually get to know who was he inviting aboard it. It was the logical thing to do. But in this case, Christopher would disagree. "I don't."
"You don't, eh?" Jack questioned. Christopher shook his head no. "Interesting." He muttered under his breath. "Now, I bet, if you were a Captain and a crew member of some sort just appeared out of nowhere with another man and that said crew member wouldn't bother to tell you his or her true intentions aboard here you find that a bit suspicious, now, would you?"
Christopher gulped and covered, "I would be sure to tell William that you are suspicious of his intentions on this vessel."
"I think you know that I know that I'm not talking about noble William Turner, mate."
Christopher gulped again and took another swig of his rum. "Fine, then." He started lying and avoiding the subject of the East India Trading Company, "My name is Christopher Brown, Captain of a ship. A merchant ship. We trade..." Christopher trialed off, what did he trade? Spices, silk, silk! That would do, he traded silk. "We trade silk from..." From where? China! China still did those silk road things, right? "China... aye, China."
That sounded like a lie. Jack tried not to touch upon it, it wasn't something to be touched upon, really. So, instead, he inquired, "Why aren't you on said ship at the moment?" Jack already knew this, he just wanted to confirm it from the lackey of the eunuch. And it would be wrong to just come out to it that he already knew from Nicky.
"My first mate stole it."
Jack nodded knowingly, "What's the name of her?"
"Is this an interrogation that I'm unaware of?" Christopher asked back annoyed, not wanting to say his ship's name, not only would it blow his cover, but he didn't need to know that. "I don't think that you need to know the name of her."
"You're a interesting fellow, you know that?" Jack commented looking Christopher up and down, "First you unexpectedly show up on my ship, then go and get Nicolette bothered and yourself slapped from it, then you outsmarted both me and her in finding that little loophole thing, and then you don't like rum, but you're drinking it with me anyway, you wouldn't tell me a thing about yourself, and now you are getting offensive when I ask you a simple question that even a wobbly-legged, rum pot pirate would answer."
"You seem to over analyze a lot of things."
"Depends on the matter of perspective."
Christopher rolled his eyes, he wouldn't see the ship anyway, or probably know of it. He gave up, "The Greene Marauder. That's her name." Jack raised his eyebrow, now, where did he hear that name before? He didn't hear of it, he saw it somewhere.
He stated, "The Greene Marauder. That's a interesting name for a ship."
Christopher nodded, "That's what everyone says, it's named after her original Captain, was a father figure to me until the day that he died. Taught me a lot in my lifetime."
"What was his name?"
"Robert." He answered rather shortly. Robert Greene. That name surely rang a bell. Robert Greene, Wicked Wench. That was his first mate... where did he see that ship before? It was so familiar. Like the time that he had saw Nicolette hugging that man that was him. He was in a uniform... a very familiar uniform at that. Jack looked at Christopher interested and then opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Yes?" Jack called, never taking his eyes off Christopher. His suspicions heightened about this man. Not in a good way either.
Gibbs' voice echoed to him through the door, "You're needed at the helm! We are coming by the river!"
Jack sighed and nodded, getting up, "Be right there!" He turned to Christopher as he was cautiously getting up from his chair, "If I were you, I would be sure that the two belligerent pirate did what they were supposed to do." He nodded and went to leave, but then Jack stopped him with a hand and a warning look, "Best not to tell Nicolette about our conversation here." Christopher raised his eyebrow and slowly left the cabin in front of Jack. He let the door closed as Jack contemplated what he had just realized.
What should he do? Get rid of him? Throw him overboard? Or the brig? Brig, would be nice, but... no. He was going to leave him be. "He's not to be trusted. Not at all." How right Nicky was. Jack sighed, he would leave this as his little secret. He would just keep a weather eye out on the boy, you would never know when he would turn about with a sudden changed mind.
Nicolette crinkled her nose smelling the rotten air that echoed around the swamp. She was next to Will who was only cross-examining Jack and her. They seemed to be afraid and jumpy on board, while him and her were catching up he noticed it. Christopher sat in the long boat with Jack for his separation agreement with Nicolette she made him made the moment they got off of the Pearl. Will looked curiously at Gibbs, if anyone knew why Nic and Jack were suspiciously jumpy so far during the voyage, he would. "Why are Jack and Nic afraid of the open ocean?"
Nicolette looked over at him, "I'm not afraid of the open ocean." She stated.
Will nodded in disbelief, "Sure you aren't."
Gibbs ignored the argument between them that was starting to form and explained, "Well if you believe such things, there's a beast that does the bidding of Davy Jones." The mention of his name and the word 'beast' made Nicolette's body suddenly tense. "A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off. And drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness!" Gibbs paused for dramatic effect and to make sure that the people aboard the longboat with him were hanging off of his every word. He was always a good storyteller. "The Kraken."
Nicolette gulped at the sound of the name, she did hear rumors about the beast. When Jack got the black spot, before then she believed them to all be fake, but now... she had no choice but to believe. Marty slowly turned his head around hearing the name in Gibbs' hushed tone. Ragetti and Pintel gaped at the name and looked at each other nervously like it was coming for them right at this instant. Will was the only that didn't either get tense at the sound of the name or didn't get a sense of fear.
Gibbs described to everyone what he had heard, it almost sounded like he had experienced it himself. "They say the smell of his breath is like—." He shivered from just thinking about it, "Imagine: the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses." That thought settled in everyone's minds, it was a scary thought indeed. They didn't want that fate to be put on anybody. After he had thought that his point was set across, Gibbs finished with, "If you believe such things.
Will recovered from his disgusted thoughts about the beast. He asked Gibbs curiously, "And the key will spare him of this?"
He shrugged, "Now, that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough to even go visit... her." Her? Gibbs' eyes darkened nervously. Obviously he wasn't a fan of the woman at all.
"Her?" She asked curiously looking at him.
"Aye, her." Gibbs confirmed.
Christopher looked over at Jack who was scanning the beginning of the bayou nervously. His body was tense, his face was set in a deep frown than it was in before. "You seem nervous." He commented to him.
Jack looked over his shoulder at Christopher who was sitting next to the caged monkey that he had proudly caught right before they had anchored by the mouth of the river. Little wretch. Christopher had been chasing after the damned thing for only an hour before the two dimwitted pirates were doing it for him, and yet he was elated when he was ready to be rid of it. It was an annoying thing. Jack replied with a short question, "Point being?"
Christopher was rather shocked by his short reply. "No point." He stated and cocked a brow on why he was suddenly liked this. But then it hit him. He smirked, "This woman is an old flame, is she?"
Jack scoffed, "And if she is what would bring me to satisfy you with such information?"
He chuckled, "I'll say that's a yes, then." Jack scowled, no wonder Nicky slapped him on board the ship. He was rather annoying and was a man who was full of questions. Not usually a bad quality, but at this time it was annoying. Christopher muttered under his breath, "This is going to be interesting ." Jack glared at him from behind his shoulder and then looked forward to where they were entering. He realized then, that the man was definitely right. This was going to be thoroughly interesting.
Tia Dalma sat in her shack that was deep in the bayou, studying the crab claws that were laid out in front of her. "Interesting," she commented. She knew that there were guests coming to visit her soon, Jack Sparrow and his crew. Three members of that crew had a... touch of destiny of some sort about them. The woman, her destiny had so many twists and turns held in them. She would experience many deceit and lies that would be caused by something of her blood. Her family. But she did hold an honor streak, an honor streak that could not be trifled with no matter how the person may try to.
But why would someone of her family do something of that kind? Triumph? Ambition? Reassurance, most likely.
Her blood was on his way, too, he had many twists and turns like her, but they could change if he let them, so far, the claws lied true. Siding with hatred, killing hatred, and then becoming a big part of that hatred. Intriguing, really, how one like himself would give up anything to gain what he wanted. Very career oriented as well. And finally, another man who was in fact a big part in both, almost an influence of some sort. His destiny was set on its path the moment Jack Sparrow had crossed. Tia had to make sure if these three were surely coming, she gathered her claws in her hands and mumbled into them a chant.
The claws rattled in them and she threw them back onto the table, they fell in the same pattern. Only proved that what was going to happen was most likely set in stone. They were on their way, getting closer and closer as the sun sets down behind the horizon outside of the swamp. Tia, would have nothing better to do, but to wait, for these destinies to arrive to her and start off on their right foot.
Hmm, I wonder why Will suddenly gotten tense when talking about Nicolette's dad... is he hiding something, too, now? Jack knows about Christopher now. And one of them does seem to have a bit of destiny within them that seems important. (Even though I touched upon all of theirs, but one is only influenced from the other two that it is that way, confused? I am just from writing that little sentence) So I hope you all enjoyed the chapter :) I'll try to write the Tia Dalma scene fast as a treat. Since you all are just the greatest fans ever :)
Review?
