Opera Comes to the Caribbean

Chapter 14

Mr. Majorano jumped up with such a sudden violent movement he knocked his chair over as he did. Looking around in fury he grabbed the nearest thing he could grab, a goblet full of wine sitting in front of him, and with a curse hurled it down the table.

All eyes were on it the moment it left Majorano's hand, and almost as if in slow motion those eyes watched it hit the table in front of Elizabeth and shatter, splashing wine and shards of glass all over the tablecloth and Elizabeth as well. Weatherby, William, James, and Jack were on their feet, curses flying, and headed for Mr. Majorano before the exclamation of surprise had fully left Elizabeth's lips.

James was the first to reach him, and grabbing him by the front of his shirt slammed him against the wall. William, Weatherby, and Jack arrived not a full breath later, William and Jack swords in hand, fully ready for a fight, Weatherby wishing it was his custom to wear a sword so that he could have drawn one too. The only thing saving Majorano from being run through by the men's swords was the fact that James was in the way.

"Step aside Commodore." William growled through clenched teeth.

"Aye Commodore, tis time he got his due." Jack added, his tone showing no hint what so ever of giving the man any manner of quarter what so ever.

James held a hand up and turned his head a bit to the side to address the men behind him, "Despite his being a vile and detestable piece of garbage gentlemen, and fully deserving of such fate, I can not allow his murder."

Mr. Majorano, his eyes wide with the fear that echoed across his face, began to relax just a bit at the Commodore's words, even a hint of a smile starting to twitch at the corners of his mouth. He had even started to open his mouth to speak when James turned back toward him. Right before his head and body once again slammed rather forcefully into the wall behind him the thought he'd never seen eyes flash with such anger and hate before skittered through his mind. Then those eyes were but a few inches away from his, a voice packed full of every ounce of wrath it was capable of holding yet somehow made even more threatening for being pitched so low as it sounded in his ears, "I think here Mr. Majorano, you have mistaken our silence and lack of censure toward your despicable and totally unconscionable behavior during your time here as consent to continue, and in fact augment such behavior beyond any manner of acceptability. You are sorely mistaken in that belief Sir, and the time for recompense is at hand."

Majorano managed, even in his panic, to bluster a bit, "You can not harm a hair on my head, there would be dire consequences from your superiors when they hear about it if you do."

James pulled his head back a bit, and although his eyes still flashed green fire his tone no longer shook with rage, in fact there was just a touch of humor, along with a great deal of sarcasm as he spoke, "You have misunderstood me, I have no intention of harming a hair on your head Mr. Majorano."

Majorano looked over the Commodore's shoulder at the men still standing there with their swords drawn, "It will be just as dire a circumstance if you allow any of them to harm me either, your superiors won't like that any better when they hear of it."

James gave a snort, then as if some pleasing thought had just crossed his mind he gave Majorano a look very nearly that of a satisfied cat observing the mouse he had cornered, and was about to have for dinner, "As far as my superiors are concerned I have acquired, through much practice writing and rewriting such reports due to a here to be unnamed few events I have weathered, a certain ability in writing reports of any situation I might be involved in, no matter how unbelievable, to be more than perfectly believable to those superiors you so freely speak of," This statement brought a chuckle from Jack. "Ergo any tales you might carry back to England would be hard pressed to be believed when my report of your visit reached said superiors, along with the good Governor's report as well. Not to mention the fact that those superiors sending you so far away begs the idea you are not in as good a standing with them as you care to believe."

Majorano managed to puff up a little as he said, "I am Caffarelli, the greatest opera singer in the known world."

James smiled a snarky smile as he retorted, "Alas Mr. Majorano, even the greatest of opera singers wear thin on so much as the noblest of people when accompanied by a head up their arse as far as yours seems to be up yours."

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"Don't any ships ever leave this god forsaken place?" Mr. Hollander said with anger as they left the Dock Master's office and walked down the wharf toward shore.

"Only if they are going east it appears." Mr. Schofield spat out. "We've been here two bloody days already and no sign we'll be able to leave even within the next week. And that bloody scoundrel will be long gone before we can catch up with him in Port Royal."

"Ain't many ships headed east, bit of a pirate threat in that direction ya see, bein as east id be right smack in the middle o their Carib territory 'n all."

Mr. Schofield and Mr. Hollander looked at the man leaning casually against one of the piles spaced out along the dock.

"Didn't mean ta be eavesdroppin gents, just 'peared ta be the type tha'd might like ta know 'at little fact."

"Well surely some ships have to go in that direction." Mr. Schofield replied.

"Oh aye, one's what's large enough 'n have the armaments ta be on the defense of 'emselves, 'em id be mostly navy of some kind or t'other. Then ya'd also 'ave those small enough ta be quick 'bout the trip, in and out afore they'd be noticed. Most o 'em don't claim naught but allegiance ta 'emselves" The man replied with a crooked smile at the two.

Thomas and David looked at each other, then back at the man who was still smiling at them, "Would you know where we might find one of these smaller ships Mr……?" Thomas stopped, waiting for the man to provide a name.

"Aye, fer the right amount of coin I might be able ta steer ya in the right direction. Course the coin passin 'ands a'tween us wouldn't 'ave naught ta do wif any fare for yer trip ya un'erstan, you'd 'ave ta be barterin the cost of 'at wif what ever Cap'n agrees ta takes ya aboard."

"Would you excuse us for a moment Mr…..?" Thomas said, but again the question of a name went unanswered. He and David stepped a yard or two away from the man to discuss what they had just heard.

"I don't like it, we could wind up paying to have our own throats slit." David said.

"Well any navy ship is not about to take on passengers, so we have a limited amount of choices here David. Sit here till we rot, return to England without our revenge, which is not really a choice at all, or take a chance and allow him to guide us to a ship so we can continue on after that scoundrel." Thomas retorted.

"I guess you are right. But let's not bandy about how much money we are carrying with us, might be less of a chance of waking up robbed, and perhaps dead as well." David replied.

To Be Continued

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