Chapter 8

You know I said dad got two slaps? Scratch that, he got three. After hearing that dad went out with two more girls, I slapped him so hard, my own hand hurt. "Did I really deserve that?" dad asked, looking at me. "Yes! How many ex-lovers do you have?"

"Well there was Angelica, Giselle, Scarlett, your mother, Jesebelle, Diana, Maria, Gillian, Violeta..."

"OK! No more! When I ask that question, just answer with this: Many, ok?" I wanted to throw up. "Oh, hang on a second" I ran to a bush, and threw up. Great. It was hardly like I'd eaten anything any way. Now what ever fat I had, had been emptied into a bush.

When dad through a bucket of water over Gibbs and his two pig friends, I was worried for the pigs. How could you make nice bacon, when the pig your using had an awful night's sleep, then was awakened by freezing cold water?

"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" Gibbs shouted pulling out a pistol. "Mothers love! Jack! Veronica! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'Tis bad luck.

"Gibbs, that's a man sleeping, not a man sleeping with pigs." I said.

"True, true"

"Ah, fortunately, I know how to counter both of those items. 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."

"Or, you could just man up and take the bad luck?" I asked

"Aye, that'll about do it. The drink I mean." Will threw a newly filled bucket, just as he finished the word mean. "Blast! I'm already awake!"

"That was for the smell." I decided that Will needed to stop acting like some petty school girl.

When we got to the tavern, I went around stealing coins off fellow pirates, which is harder than you'd think. When I'd got anoth shilling's, I brought some dinner. I mean, I hadn't eaten since... a few day's ago. When I asked for rum, the bar maid didn't ask how old I was or anything. Another thing I loved about being a pirate. After I'd eaten my grub and drunk my drink (I brought two other flask's just in case) I headed back to dad's and Gibbs table.

"...a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one" Gibbs was saying.

"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?" dad looked at me then rubbed his face. "Veronica, what's with all the..." he mimed a slap. "Then eh?"

"Trust me, dad, if you knew howmany lovers you've had, then you'd ask me too slap you at least five more times."

"Probably true, carry on Gibb's" dad leaned back Gibbs eyebrow's raised.

"Prove me wrong. What makes you think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?" Gibbs looked real concerned for dad, almost as if he where picking the flowers dad would like best at his funeral.

"The boy. Dad, is it something to do with... Smithy?" dad HAD only agreed to Will's terms, after he'd learned his name.

"As the girl said, you have learnt haven't you Ronny?, it's a matter of leverage, eh?" he nodded towards will. Gibbs didn't understand. He started making gestures to Will in any way he could. Finally Gibb's got it. "The kid?" he didn't seem impressed. I knew his feeling. Will wasn't very impressive. I sipped a bit of rum from my flask. Ah, good ole rum...

"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?"

I almost choked. No way. Will was too, too perfect, to be son of Bootstrap Bill. Gibbs wacked me on the back, and I got some air into my lungs. "Cheers" I gasped.

"He is, now? Leverage, says you? I think I feel a change in the wind, says i. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock as crazy as you." Then he mumbled under his breathe. "I can seriously doubt 'dat ".

"One can only hope. Take what you can" me dad and Gibbs bashed our flasks/ cups together. Me and Gibbs took up the saying. "Give nothing back!" we drained our drinks.

Dad went off to get more drinks and I was alone with Gibbs. "How long have you know dad?" I asked. Whenever I saw him, I'd ask this, but he'd usually wave away the question. "Longer than you've been born, I'll tell you that. He just turned up here in Tortuga one day, unknown. But now every one knows 'im. Especially the ladies..."

"What about mum?"

Gibbs pursed his lips. "That 'tis a tragic story we need not sail into. Otherwise, I'd better get ole Jack a crew." he disappeared just as dad came back with the drinks.

"What's up with that one, love?" he said, looking at his compass, which is broken as it doesn't point north. Dad say's it points to the thing you want most. But I'm not sure about that. If that was the case, it would point at all the women he walked past...

"I asked about my mother" again, his face darkened. He then said the same as Gibbs.

"A story that ends in tears, love. You don't need to now, savvy?" I needed to know about my mum. I would find out. Now time to talk to Will.

"You really love her don't you?" I said, dodging a bottle someone had thrown. This tavern was definitely a hazard if there was one. Will studied my face. "Yes, I do"

"Aye" I replied.

"Aye?"

"Aye is yes in pirate speak, savvy?" I told him

"Oh, I see. Aye, I love Elizabeth. Why do you hate her?"

I'd never given Elizabeth a spare thought, but now I pondered. What did I have against her? "Well, the fact... she's the Governors daughter. The fact she's posh. The fact she expects everybody to like her because she's daughter of someone important. Happy now?" I reached for my pistol, but it wasn't there. Mullroy had taken it from me back at Port Royal. "Here" said Will. He chucked me something and I caught it.

It was my pistol, but polished. And now it had a sparrow painted on the side, followed by a slightly smaller one. It was beautiful. Don't laugh, 'cos you've never seen it. "Where did yo-"

"Mullroy gave it too me. I don't know why." Replied Will, looking deep into my eye's. "I guess it's not why do you hate Elizabeth... But why do you hate me?" walking off I called back to him.

"You have a pony tail, no other reason.