They docked in Tortuga just as the sun disappeared beneath horizon, it
didn't take much effort to row the short distance to the jetty, and if
either Jack or Will were taking much notice they would of seen Moll had
become agitated and weary. But as it was they seemed content with the
silence and moonlight.
For being such a pirate hater, Will had a knack for sailing. He picked up quickly what he had been shown, though Moll still felt he wasn't to be trusted, not yet. Jack seemed to except him, maybe because of his father, though Moll doubted he fully believed what Jack had told him.
Will's nose wrinkled slightly, the wooden planks were slippy, covered in a green slime, and the smell was unsettling, Jack loved it. Maybe Moll would of too, if they'd traveled here another time. She paused, squinting into the darkness, Jack was marching off towards the bright lights she couldn't risk being seen with him, she wanted her presence in Tortuga go unnoticed for as long as possible.
"Jack," She called and he turned, Will too, whose eyes were wide with wonder. "I've business to see to, I'll be seeing you the morrow."
Jack gave an unsatisfied nod. "Aye?"
"The morrow, Jack."
Jack's eyebrow rose slightly in the way that really annoyed her, the way that meant he'd find out whatever it is she was up to. "The morrow, Moll."
She watched as Jack and Will walked off, Jack's chatter about the wonders that are Tortuga merging with the drunken calling. Then she moved off and walked up an ally way, pulling her coat round her in the chilly air.
Weaving in and out the network of streets she eventually came to an old rickety door on which she knocked twice. It opened a crack, "Who's that?"
"S'Moll."
It was yanked forcibly open by a short, bolding man. He took a step out and looked up and down the lane before inviting her in to the tiny room. "Not seen you round these parts fir a while Moll, there's been talk y'know." He sat on a stool that was placed next to the fire hearth; lifting up a black poker he stabbed violently at the embers and threw another stick on. "What can I do you for?"
Moll pulled opened her coat and fished out a couple of candlesticks and a gold plated compass. While on the Interceptor she'd taken the liberty of lifting a few valuables from one of the cabins. "What can you give me for theses?" She placed them on the large table in the center of the room.
The old man picked up a candle stick, he rubbed it up and down in his hand, turned it left, right upside down. He placed it back down and took up the compass, giving it the same examination. "Not much, Moll, times are hard." He tapped at the glass encasing the arrow. "Three gold each for the candle sticks and five gold for this."
"Oh come on Clark, you can do better than that."
"I'm sorry, Moll, I'm pushing it at that."
"I could get twice that just for the compass if..."
"But you came here, Moll. Take it or leave it." He lent back and folded his arms across his chest.
Moll chewed on her lip. "Alright."
Clark smiled, stood and walked across the room. Sliding a dresser forward he pulled a loose brick from the wall and pulled out a leather pouch, throwing it to Moll. She caught it and slipped it in her pocket. "Ta, Clark."
"A pleasure doing business." Clark pulled his forelock.
Moll nodded her thanks and heaved the door open, stepping out into the darkness and letting it bang shut behind her. Looking up at the sky the moon was now high, she sighed, time was pressing.
*~*~*~*
Ten minutes later she was pushing the door of a tavern open. It was crowded and smokey, but it didn't take long for her to find who she was looking for. She danced her way through the tables, get pushed and shoved by over enthusiastic patrons. She got to the table in the far corner, placed her hands down on the surface.
"Where is he?" She demanded.
"Where's who?" The man gave a toothless smile.
"Where's Hornby?"
"How should I know?" The man slurred.
Moll grabbed the mans lapels "Tell me where he is."
"What d'ya want him for anyway, thought you hated the bugger."
Moll let him go and glared at him. "He owes me."
"I ain't seen him........ 'Ave you?" He asked the empty chair. "He 'asn't seen him either."
"Well, if you or your friend see him, tell him I'm looking for him."
"Yesh sir." The man saluted, then wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve. Moll backed up, shoving her way across the room and out into the fresh air.
*~*~*~*
She was still keeping to the shadows and the emptier taverns, it was cold now and she really wished she was close to a fire with a mug of ale keeping her warm. Suddenly she walked into something solid. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Moll Locke."
The voice came from behind her, she stiffened, the solid thing in front of her stepped back. Slowly, her hand reached out for her sword.
"I wouldn't do that Moll."
So instead she turned to face the voice. He was standing shadowing the light behind him, menacing. "I wasn't expecting to see you round here."
"What can I say, I missed the place."
He took a couple of steps forward, his face smiled at her, green eyes glinting. "I'm a very patient man, Moll, but I will not be made a fool off."
Moll stepped away, straight into the solid thing. "I'm not fooling you."
"So where is it, Moll?" His arms opened out in question.
"I'm getting it."
"That's not good enough, Moll."
"I've got some of it. I'm just going to see this guy, he owes me..... Then I'll get you the rest, I promise."
He shook his head.
"I just need more time."
"TIME?" He slammed his fist against the wall, making her flinch. "I've given you time, Moll."
"I've got money, I'll pay you some, I just.."
"That wasn't the deal, Moll."
"I'll get you the rest tonight...." The man laughed, his teeth flashed. The solid thing behind her, grabbed her arms and pined them to her side, she tried in vain to struggle.
For being such a pirate hater, Will had a knack for sailing. He picked up quickly what he had been shown, though Moll still felt he wasn't to be trusted, not yet. Jack seemed to except him, maybe because of his father, though Moll doubted he fully believed what Jack had told him.
Will's nose wrinkled slightly, the wooden planks were slippy, covered in a green slime, and the smell was unsettling, Jack loved it. Maybe Moll would of too, if they'd traveled here another time. She paused, squinting into the darkness, Jack was marching off towards the bright lights she couldn't risk being seen with him, she wanted her presence in Tortuga go unnoticed for as long as possible.
"Jack," She called and he turned, Will too, whose eyes were wide with wonder. "I've business to see to, I'll be seeing you the morrow."
Jack gave an unsatisfied nod. "Aye?"
"The morrow, Jack."
Jack's eyebrow rose slightly in the way that really annoyed her, the way that meant he'd find out whatever it is she was up to. "The morrow, Moll."
She watched as Jack and Will walked off, Jack's chatter about the wonders that are Tortuga merging with the drunken calling. Then she moved off and walked up an ally way, pulling her coat round her in the chilly air.
Weaving in and out the network of streets she eventually came to an old rickety door on which she knocked twice. It opened a crack, "Who's that?"
"S'Moll."
It was yanked forcibly open by a short, bolding man. He took a step out and looked up and down the lane before inviting her in to the tiny room. "Not seen you round these parts fir a while Moll, there's been talk y'know." He sat on a stool that was placed next to the fire hearth; lifting up a black poker he stabbed violently at the embers and threw another stick on. "What can I do you for?"
Moll pulled opened her coat and fished out a couple of candlesticks and a gold plated compass. While on the Interceptor she'd taken the liberty of lifting a few valuables from one of the cabins. "What can you give me for theses?" She placed them on the large table in the center of the room.
The old man picked up a candle stick, he rubbed it up and down in his hand, turned it left, right upside down. He placed it back down and took up the compass, giving it the same examination. "Not much, Moll, times are hard." He tapped at the glass encasing the arrow. "Three gold each for the candle sticks and five gold for this."
"Oh come on Clark, you can do better than that."
"I'm sorry, Moll, I'm pushing it at that."
"I could get twice that just for the compass if..."
"But you came here, Moll. Take it or leave it." He lent back and folded his arms across his chest.
Moll chewed on her lip. "Alright."
Clark smiled, stood and walked across the room. Sliding a dresser forward he pulled a loose brick from the wall and pulled out a leather pouch, throwing it to Moll. She caught it and slipped it in her pocket. "Ta, Clark."
"A pleasure doing business." Clark pulled his forelock.
Moll nodded her thanks and heaved the door open, stepping out into the darkness and letting it bang shut behind her. Looking up at the sky the moon was now high, she sighed, time was pressing.
*~*~*~*
Ten minutes later she was pushing the door of a tavern open. It was crowded and smokey, but it didn't take long for her to find who she was looking for. She danced her way through the tables, get pushed and shoved by over enthusiastic patrons. She got to the table in the far corner, placed her hands down on the surface.
"Where is he?" She demanded.
"Where's who?" The man gave a toothless smile.
"Where's Hornby?"
"How should I know?" The man slurred.
Moll grabbed the mans lapels "Tell me where he is."
"What d'ya want him for anyway, thought you hated the bugger."
Moll let him go and glared at him. "He owes me."
"I ain't seen him........ 'Ave you?" He asked the empty chair. "He 'asn't seen him either."
"Well, if you or your friend see him, tell him I'm looking for him."
"Yesh sir." The man saluted, then wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve. Moll backed up, shoving her way across the room and out into the fresh air.
*~*~*~*
She was still keeping to the shadows and the emptier taverns, it was cold now and she really wished she was close to a fire with a mug of ale keeping her warm. Suddenly she walked into something solid. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Moll Locke."
The voice came from behind her, she stiffened, the solid thing in front of her stepped back. Slowly, her hand reached out for her sword.
"I wouldn't do that Moll."
So instead she turned to face the voice. He was standing shadowing the light behind him, menacing. "I wasn't expecting to see you round here."
"What can I say, I missed the place."
He took a couple of steps forward, his face smiled at her, green eyes glinting. "I'm a very patient man, Moll, but I will not be made a fool off."
Moll stepped away, straight into the solid thing. "I'm not fooling you."
"So where is it, Moll?" His arms opened out in question.
"I'm getting it."
"That's not good enough, Moll."
"I've got some of it. I'm just going to see this guy, he owes me..... Then I'll get you the rest, I promise."
He shook his head.
"I just need more time."
"TIME?" He slammed his fist against the wall, making her flinch. "I've given you time, Moll."
"I've got money, I'll pay you some, I just.."
"That wasn't the deal, Moll."
"I'll get you the rest tonight...." The man laughed, his teeth flashed. The solid thing behind her, grabbed her arms and pined them to her side, she tried in vain to struggle.