Chapter XXXVIII: Inquisition
Lord Beckett barely batted an eyelid as his three prisoners were escorted, manacled, into his office. He poured out a glass of brandy for himself, two empty glasses purposely placed beside the jug. He allowed himself to blink curiously at the one character he had not encountered, a strange bearded aristocrat, before turning his attention to the others.
"Master Turner, I understand you to have been involved with a particular pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow. Involved, shall we say, to mean that you have engaged in piracy yourself with him and aided the performance of a successful rescue attempt during his appointment at the gallows?" Without a change of expression, he glanced to his female prisoner. "You have also been found in the company of this ... girl ... recently to have been branded as a pirate herself. Ironically, it is my belief that she also holds information on the man I seek."
Beckett ran a finger around the rim of his glass, making an eerie sound. When at last he spoke, he stared at his captives coldly.
"Where is he?
Jade wasn't a happy girl.
Well duh, she hadn't been happy for a single second ever since she'd woken up and become embroiled in this whole sorry mess- and that was painfully apparent just by the look on her face, no scars necessary. The shadows under her eyes looked positively thunderous as she just stood there, every sharp angle of her body somewhat accentuated by the stiff posture she assumed, hands in front of her, somewhat weighed down by the shackles (which had been no easy feat to secure, the Navy can attest). Eyes riveted to the flooring, Jade simmered in bruised silence, looking for all the world like a human storm-cloud. She refused to even look up when someone spoke.
Blah blah blah, this smug conversation was none of her business really....her mind was too tired and confused to catch up and plot ahead with others plans, so instead the young lady resolved to wordless examination - primarily of her surroundings in subtle silence. Without tilting her head, Jade could just about see the window behind Beckett's desk - look down again in case you catch his attention- and sideways she could see the walls, adorned with whatever fancy items that one usually expects in such accommodation. Hmmm....
Glazing over, her eyesight drifted upwards again, and found itself drawn inexplicably, through some awful curiosity, to the fireplace. A slow blink, and she let it sweep fluidly across to the poker rack and there, upon it, the unmistakable branding iron. Her blood would have run cold with fear just at the mere sight had she not been burning with anger at the time, the result of which left her smoking with a dogged kind of hatred, but still she glowered and glared at it, posture as angular and stiff as before.
"You have also been found in the company of this ... girl ... recently to have been branded as a pirate herself. Ironically, it is my belief that she also holds information on the man I seek."
If she had been listening, Jade would have offered Will a sheepish grin or tried to hide her awkwardness somehow, but as it stood, she was just too busy staring with that mixture of anger and fear - a pair of emotions that comes across so powerfully and lends animalistic qualities to the person, at the branding iron. It just...surfaced memories of the past week, and had refocused everything into such sharp relief that it was quite tiring to try and bear all that had happened in her mind-bargaining with Davy Jones and getting attacked in the jungle seemed like months away, but even this morning's incidents with the unusual Aztec did. All that existed was the now...
The hollow sound of the glass snapped Jade back so sharply that she jerked violently from her stance, the chains securing her hands clanking awkwardly as her head snapped up to watch Beckett, painfully alert now that the irritating noise had dragged her back to the present she was supposed to be keeping track of. Now Jade stared at the cold man in front of her, she was in two minds about what to do: she loathed him, and she had seen his actions for what, fifteen minutes at most? He was a conniving, twisted demon living on this planet solely for the purposes of making everyone else's lives miserable hells, and he enjoyed it, too.
But above all, he also made her anxious- she wasn't afraid of the death at the end, so much as the pain to finally get there if he had his own way. He had enough men across the globe at his disposal to remove practically any other force from the seas or land, and the power to do practically whatever he pleased to whomever he wanted. He was not only dangerous, but he was fully aware of it, and was effective at using it.
His growl cut into her thoughts like a knife.
"Where is he?"
Jade glared sparks at the man for several moments as she seemed to contemplate his question: she could do something drastic right now- try and attack him, try to run, try to set him alight with his own brandy...She could try to explain that she had no idea where Jack was (well, except for one farfetched idea - he was dead because of the Aztec, but that would be foolish...) though this man hadn't been accepting of any truths last time. She could lie, but he would find out in the end, she knew it.
Well, Will might say something, and doubtless Whimsey would babble, but for her...
So Jade adopted a mute silence, and once again her gaze went directly between her purple boots and stared at the floor with a hooded gaze, nothing to say, but her very posture bespoke defiance and irritance in itself. Perhaps the others would follow her example and keep hushed about what they didn't know; miracles do happen.
Turner was at a loss. It seemed that the day he had hoped to fill with adventures had gone from bad to worse. He was angry and confused. Maybe helping Jack all that time ago hadn't been a good idea, and now this young lady was a pirate too. Was Jack to blame for that? It was also very difficult trying to work out what he was going to say in such a precarious position. Unfortunately for Will, his bold nature rendered him incapable of accepting the amount of Beckett's power.
"Does the Governor know you are interrogating his people?" he asked, scowling. "As a man with close contacts to the king, I doubt you would be seen in a good light were you to harm myself or Lord Whimsey. As for the girl..." He hesitated only briefly. "She has been placed in our care."
"I will allow your ignorance to be your saviour, Master Turner. I'm afraid I am also one of the king's men as it were, with a considerable amount of resources available to me. In short, I may do as I please. This includes the distribution of punishments to those not in keeping with the law and it is unfortunate that you face the most extreme charge for associating so closely with Sparrow. Your ... shall we say... ward cannot remain under guard by a convicted man, innocent or not, and since she is not the former, must also suffer your fate."
Before either could answer, Beckett looked to his third prisoner.
"Master Turner says that you are a Lord. I can only hope for your reputation's sake that he is misinformed, else you have substantial reason for being caught up in this circumstance. It would be a pity to see a fellow gentleman walk to the gallows alongside a blacksmith and a fledgling pirate..."
She didn't particularly care what Will said about her being under his care- Jade's eyes were fixed to the floor quietly, and not a word passed her lips for fear of making things worse. All she showed, though, was a frown. It wasn't a disbelieving or incredulous frown she wore, but one that screamed trepidation and misgivings about the future- chiefly, she knew Beckett wasn't going to fall for it. And so her prediction proved true, and her heart sunk even lower in her chest. Was there no way of getting around him? Apparently not, and that only made things worse, especially seeing as he was appearing justified in his actions. She hadn't even engaged in piracy, let alone having merit to be branded as such-he'd had those documents forged to obtain information, and now it had failed, she was an outlaw. Her hands twitched severely as she imagined, just for a brief second, pulling the trigger on a gun aimed at him. How satisfying...
Growling slightly now, Jade raised her eyes and stared hard at Beckett again, then gave a mirthless smirk, raising both thin eyebrows archly. "You're a bloody, twisted little demon, aren't you. Out of the lot of us, both you an' I know which side's telling the right tales." She heard the shuffling of the guards by the door, alerting themselves in case they were needed or asked for, but Jade preferred not to hear them- instead she still gave Beckett the humourless smile and tilted her head slightly.
Whimsey was dash annoyed at his wrongful capture, and by proxy his captor. He was sure that if he were innocent, which he clearly was, he would be able to stand up to the interrogator, and as a man of honour he would be set free.
"Well, just excuse me, sir. I assure you that I am a man of honour, and I swear to you on my fair mother's heart, that I am guilty of no crime or withhold of information, which I do not possess. I can vouch for my servants here, they are ignorant by their lowly birth, and as such are loyal to me absolutely and would tell me of any crime they were party to or hence. If they need be punished, you need not waste inquisition on them, I will deal with them and see that any offending information is passed strictly in your direction. Alternatively I could offer you a large sum of money?"
Pretending he had not heard the girl's comment for the time being, Beckett poured out another glass of brandy, this time into one of the empty ones. "I find it difficult to believe that a man who considers himself of honour would also resort to attempt to bargain his way out of trouble. I assume you are aware that bribery is not a wise choice; firstly in that it is not within his Majesty's laws; and secondly, I am perfectly satisfied as to my means. My ends, however, strongly relate to any information you and your so-called servants may give me. The girl, perhaps, I might entrust to you, but I doubt Master Turner to be your responsibility." He put the stopper on the bottle. "Even so, if you would be so kind as to give me your name, I shall take you at your word. You may leave, unobserved, with your female servant. Turner stays here."
Beckett pushed the newly-filled glass towards Whimsey.
Jade raised her eyebrows at Beckett as he and Whimsey chatted almost amicably, and with a clinking of her chains, folded her arms across her chest grumpily. One of her purple boots made a soft thudding noise as it tapped upon the tiled floor, interspersing the silence with the noise until eventually she spoke again. Out of the two of them, Jade would definitely have preferred to leave with Will-at least he had some sort of politeness about him, rather than the brusque and standoffish nature she took Whimsey to have. If she had to go and find Jack with him...things could get difficult, to say the least - especially once they actually found the pirate. She played her part as Whimsey would have been expecting, knowing full well that Beckett knew the truth of her working alone anyway.
"I'm afraid I'm not entirely satisfied we...I...my master; could have your absolute assurance that Mister Turner would be allowed free, or at least safe, unharmed..." Here she paused and gave a tilt of her head. "What importance is this Jack Sparrow to you anyway?"
Beckett leaned back into his chair and gave the girl a lazy stare. "Jack Sparrow is merely a patch of soot on the white garb of society, which I intend to have swept. However, he carries about his person something of considerable value to me." He paused a moment, wondering how far he could push his luck. "Master Turner is in danger of the hangman's noose and so it is my intention to postpone his sentence if he would do me the courtesy of finding Jack and getting him to return to me what is rightfully mine in exchange for a reasonable offer. "The speed and efficiency with which this is dealt with, may determine the resources for Master Turner's defence during his trial. I had also hoped to find Miss Swann...but though I have searched her residence, no trace could be found..."
Will scowled viciously at Beckett. "I would have thought the Governor could have spoken on our behalf. He knows that what happened between Jack and I was necessary for the safety of this town and to rescue Miss Swann from a greater threat. You have no right to threaten Elizabeth. She is a victim of circumstance!" His cheeks flushed with a desperate rage.
"We are all victims of circumstance, Master Turner," Beckett sighed. He picked up and tinkled a bell that was situated on his desk. "It is our choices during them that may save us from folly. As for your necessary defence of the town - leave that to the royal guards. Vigilante rescue missions are inexcusable. It is the responsibility of the Port's authorities to combat the stain of piracy, and not for the public to meddle, for they will only gain themselves a rope fitted for the neck."
Jade still hated him, of course; she still would have laughed to see him panic as realization set in that he was going to die when a flintlock was at his skull; she would still have basked in the pleasure of seeing him, seconds from death, realise that his words and reliance on tactics would end in his inevitable defeat...and she would be the one to administer his final punishment with a smile comparable to a child at Christmas.
But she was starting to understand him after listening to his responses, even just a little bit – concerning, chiefly, his motivation. He was an upstanding man of honour, prepared to do whatever was necessary to serve king and country - that meant the eradication of pirates. He was in the beliefs of every simple-minded citizen to be the good man; the man who protected them, who saved them, who defended them and their economy from almost certain destruction at the hands of vagabond corsairs and dim-witted, cruel pirates. He believed in what he was doing, and, to an extent, that it was the right thing.
What she didn't understand was his desperation and methods of achieving such goals: it was what confused her already tired mind to pause and ask why-why should he be doing this? Wasn't he the man who was supposed to represent the good in this world against evil pirates? He had most likely done the same with innocent children or non-pirates with forged letters of capture, but why was such a dishonest man spearheading an apparently 'good' company against pirates who, now she was one of them, weren't all that different? Reality felt warped for Jade and, just for a second, she wondered if maybe the world would be far better off without the need for a good an evil-then again, the antiheroes she had read in books had always fascinated her far more then the conventional heroes and villains.
Her head began to pound, and the weight of chafing shackles on her slim wrists was both irritating and painful. She could think of little to say as Beckett and Will conversed about situations she was not present in and piracy itself, so she said nothing, merely stared resentfully at some place far-off in the middle distance distractedly. Something inside her pondered, for a fleeting second, whether Jack had gone crazy by now in the company of that surreal Aztec shaman, but the thought was whipped away in a moment by a calm numbness accommodated with a disconnection from the brain. She daydreamed of little but open space and calm seas, away from the claustrophobic office and its despicable inhabitant.
"With as much respect as I can muster at this time, Lord Beckett, I must beg some pardon for the course of action I chose. Wrong though it was to tangle in orderly affairs, I believed the measures taken less than what was needed," Turner remarked. "I appealed for swifter answers. After the attack on the town, the officials did little to consider locating the pirates who had stolen her. I suggested that Sparrow might know where they were bound, but no one would speak to him. I presume then, that it is a crime to negotiate at all with a pirate, even if the information or aid he can give would save lives?"
Cutler nodded. "That is correct. A pirate is a pirate and any dealings with them of any sort will result in the maximum of penalties. I am afraid this is His Majesty's law. However, I may choose to pursue an avenue of defence provided by the previous Commodore, James Norrington. Unhappily he is nowhere to be found at present, but he may be of use if we were to find his actions hindered the desired protection of Port Royal. Should the item I have lost to Sparrow be laid in my hands, I may suddenly find myself with the time to search for this ex-Commodore."
A smartly-dressed butler entered. Beckett indicated the tray of liquor, which was quickly removed from the room. He slid open a mahogany drawer and took out two apiece of parchment.
"There is also another method. I have here two letters of marque. One has my seal; the other does not. The sealed letter is to be delivered to Sparrow on the condition he hands over my item. Whoever manages to get it from Sparrow and bring it to me will have their name upon the other and I shall seal it. The unsealed document is a pardon for any offence committed before it is signed."
There came, from Jade, a long pause after Beckett made his offer with a sudden interest. So it was a race then- whoever could steal whatever it was off of Jack and get it back to this desk first was going to live. Simple, definite and sensible. Then why on earth did she feel like there was something wrong? It might have had something to do with the fact that whenever this 'item' was handed over to Beckett, it could be the start of an incredible mistake. It might have been that she was going to have to steal from someone who had an uncanny knack for avoiding traps and keeping items securely close to the person that made it feel like an impossible task was about to begin. It might have been that she would now be pitted against two men, neither of which would be wanting to lose, and both of which were probably no stranger in fighting or disposing of an opponent. It might have been the knowledge that whomever did receive the letters was going to have to suffer watching the other two at the gallows, and the possible guilt after that.
It could just be that she felt sick. It was incredibly hot in here.
She swallowed, then, feeling the acidic tang of bile rising in her throat, and raised one hand ineffectively with the other trailing, though rising because of the manacles, to a heavy clinking of chains.
"Who gets the letter to give t' Jack first off, what is the item, an' do you have any idea where he is so we c'n start searching?" Despite all her misgivings, trepidation and anxiety, one thing was for certain-she was not quite prepared for a noose fitting just yet, and she would fight to keep it so if necessary. Besides, she had one weapon that the others didn't in their quest to steal from the Captain: her gender.
Beckett smiled, which was in itself an uneasy sight. "I will entrust the letter to Master Turner, since he is the more familiar with Sparrow and therefore might gain his trust and impress the seriousness of my offer. But of course it takes more than one to sail a ship...
"I will give you written permission to borrow any ship, bar the Endeavour, to aid your cause and you may both set out together if it should suit. To find Jack, I assumed you would know somewhat more than I do. I received a curious report concerning his involvement in the recent attack on the town, that he was seen in the company of a tribal creature and, as I have been asked to understand, vanished. Therefore I might suggest looking for the creature itself." He tapped the fingers of his right hand upon the desk with impatience. "The object I desire is a simple compass, one that appears broken to most who come across it, but that has particular sentimental value to me."
Will rolled his eyes. "And by sentimental you mean that it will lead you to an island that does not seem to exist and a chest of cursed treasure that also would be deemed a myth -"
"- and which by coincidence did happen to exist," Beckett cut in. "Yes, Turner, I am aware of the occurrences and rumours concerning the crew of the Black Pearl and the gold that drags its owner beyond the mortal normality. I am also very much informed about the disappearance of the Isla de Muerta beneath the ocean. Therefore, the compass can now be of little use, despite what Mr Sparrow thinks, and I merely wish it returned to me to undo the wrong he did by stealing it from me." His stare only wavered by a few too many blinks.
Well, it was better than nothing as a response. Jade lowered her hand a little uncertainly as she faltered when listening to the sudden exchange about some compass and a magical island- perhaps there was something else she did not know about already? Peculiar. And a little unnerving. She didn't voice her opinions, nor make any great fuss about the arrangements either-as long as it all ended in being freed of whatever punishment he had in store for her, a little sailing and stealing was no skin off her nose. Smiling in false brightness now the negotiations were at somewhat of a lull, the new pirate took her chance to get started, rocking back and forth on her boots as she hummed lightly.
"Well then, seein' as it all looks set, can we get goin'? Well, without these leastways." She indicated the manacles on her wrists before offering the man opposite her a decidedly venomous, scornful smile. "That is unless bein' chained is another of the conditions, aye...?"
Lord Beckett gestured to the guards at the entrance to his office and bade them remove his visitors' bonds. "Sir, I mean Lord Whimsey, you may do as you please, though I warn you it may be damaging to your reputation to consort with these...colourful...people. Here is the letter of marque for Sparrow, Master Turner." He offered the parchment, encased in a waterproof binding. "Oh, and please don't entertain thoughts of skipping the matter. Should neither of you return with the compass in six months, you may consider no watery territories safe."
Her icy smile still frozen on her face, Jade allowed the shackles to be removed (somewhat roughly if she would say so herself) then shrunk back a few paces to rub at her sore wrists, the skin already reddened and irritated by the heavy, abrasive steel. Bright emerald eyes blinked as the letters were produced and duly handed over, then they flicked back up to Beckett as he gave the deadline in that same monotonous yet calculating tone of voice. Well, if the six months 're up before I get Sparrow's compass, I'll jes' stay on whatever land 'm at for a while. You'll be dead long 'fore me, mate. Silence once again pervading the room in deafening volumes, Jade turned to Will and shrugged before indicating he take the letters.
Will took the letter and eyed it suspiciously. If only he could break the seal and read the contents to check it was valid...and even if he did once out of the sight of Beckett...what if Beckett had him followed to make sure he did not tamper with the document? Nevertheless, he slipped it into the inside pocket of his long coat and nodded sullenly to Jade.
"Let's not waste any more time, then," he said, with a venomous glance towards the business-driven lord. Will nodded to Whimsey, giving him leave to do what he desired, and headed out of the door.