A boat with my name on it - by Cunien

Disclaimer: Jack Sparrow belongs to no man but himself! Anamaria belongs to no man either - not even Jack. And the Jolly Mon belongs to Anamaria. Not Jack.

Warning: here be mild cockney swearing as befits a cad like Jack Sparrow.

Chapter 4 - Tortuga in the morning.

So I wake up right, sometime in the morning.
I can only guess that it's the morning after the night where I had an impromptu drinking contest with the lovely Anamaria, but for all I know I could have been lying there dead to the world for days. Certainly felt like it.

That's the thing about Tortuga - practically every building on the island is a pub, and even if it isn't there will always be people and rum there, so it's the same thing really. And the taverns never close neither, so there's no danger of being thrown out in the early hours when you've begun to stick to the bar with your own drool.

But the only thing is that being lobbed out of a tavern door and being too drunk to roll when you hit the ground outside is always great for sobering a man up. So at least you never find yourself wondering how many days you've been unconscious for.

My face hurt like bleeding hell.

Like I said, I'd fallen rather heavily on the bar when the drink finally took me, and got a face full of glass.
Not nice I can tell you. I'd mostly avoided and real damage, just a few cuts and scrapes here and there. I pulled a few shards out of my beard and looked around.

There was one man still sitting upright, but as I watched he gave a massive burp and slumped sideways, disappearing under the table.
Over in the corner a man lay face-down on the ground, but I could hear a muffled old sea- song coming from that direction, so at least he was semi-conscious.

You should see Tortuga in the morning, it's one of the wonders of the world I can tell you. There are bodies everywhere in all sorts of amusing positions, a few people still drinking, bu they're the heavy-weights they are.
And a heavy-weight Pirate, us being people who's job largely involves drinking rum like it's water, are something else.

Well there was no sign of Anamaria anywhere, and as I was an early bird, I decided to head down to the docks again.

Now my boat buying funds were slowly depleting, what with all the rum and such like, so now it was important I worked my magic with Anamaria and got her to sell me the Jolly Mon for not too much gold at all.

My main problem was that I hadn't had that much gold to begin with - but that was only a problem if you let it be one.

Down at the port I sought out Taffy. He squeaked and tried to hide behind a mooring post when he saw me.

I said.
Jack Jack!hehe..... he laughed feebly, I have more boats for you, I do.

He gestured at the water beside him. Yes, he had more boats, and although they were considerable improvements on yesterday's, being that they did not all contain a foot of water at the bottom of the boat thrown in for free, they were still useless. And they were still all row boats.

I sighed.
Now, I don't think I flatter myself when I say that I am quite well endowed in the bicep area. But there is not a chance that I could row all the way from Tortuga to Jamaica. Not a chance in bleeding hell.

But even if I could, and providing I didn't starve before I got there, there are a multitude of little row boats milling about Port Royal harbour, going about the business that little row boat owners have.... I can't imagine what they might be and I'm not sure I'd like to know.

But the point it that no one is going to notice another little row boat sailing in. Now, I'm not vain, but piracy is all about images, entrances, reputations. Good or bad, at least they know your name.

Piracy is 10% inspiration and 10% perspiration.
But 80% reputation.

And people remember see? They'll remember a man who sails in on the most ridiculously small sailing boat ever to put to sea. They'll remember a man who sails in on the Jolly Mon.

I shook my head at Taffy, and put my arm around his shoulders. He looked like he might have a heart attack being this close to me.

I need you to help me, Taffy. You're the man for the job and no mistake. It's you an' me, eh? You and me, against her, and the prize is that boat. I said, pointing with the hand resting on his shoulder.

He looked at my finger, right beside his face, with wide-eyed terror. I nodded encouragingly, and he followed my gaze to the boat in question. Sure enough, Anamaria sat beside it, cleaning the rigging and still patching up the sails.

he whimpered, but I smiled a toothy grin at him and gave him no lee -way to object any further.

I sent Taffy to scurry off and try and find out as much as he could about Anamaria - know thy enemy and all that.

Meanwhile, I go over to see her right, as I don't think we've gotten off to a very good start.

When I came up to her, she stood up warily and made to shove me into the water again, but I was ready for her this time weren't I? I danced out of the way and leaned against a mooring post, making sure to subtly get a good hold of it in case she decided to see me swimming again.

She sat down with a suspicious glance, and went about picking the tar from the rigging as though I wasn't even there.

I feel we didn't get off to too good a start, did we, eh luv? The name's Captain Jack Sparrow.

Captain? But without a ship. she said, without even looking up. How does that work?

I noticed then that she really was a very pretty thing. Scary, but pretty - all dark and slightly crazy. That's how I like them, given a choice. I wouldn't mind getting her into my bed before I got her boat. Except, of course, I don't actually have a bed per say. Not even a hammock at this point in time. But I'm sure we could find somewhere convenient.

Well Ana, I'll call you Ana...
I trailed off at the look of pure evil she shot me.
-maria, Anamaria. Miss Anamaria. I backtracked.

Yes, I'm in the market at the moment, you know, looking for a boat.

Silence.

And um, well that's a very pretty boat you have there.

Her head was down in concentration while she worked. I could see she was trying to ignore me altogether, but a dark frown creased her brow as I said this.

So I won't beat about the bush darling - how much would you want old Jack to part with? For...for your boat?

She looked up at me then, a cool look on her face, and I noticed it must have taken a hell of a lot of effort to restrain her fiery temper and look as though she really didn't give a damn.

It's not for sale. Not for all the rum in the Caribbean.

My eyes widened at this - that's a lot of rum.

I jingled my pockets, making the gold clink around.

I can pay well.

Nope. No deal. I will not sell this boat.

But I want it so much! I resorted to pleading, And I have an awful lot of gold in these here pockets.

I doubt that. she said drily. I will never sell you this boat.

Er... right, well I see you need time to think on this one, so I'll be back later eh?

But it was pretty obvious what I was thinking - that if she wouldn't sell it then I'd take it anyway.

She went back to her work without a word. I, stupidly, hung around waiting for some acknowledgement.

Are you still here? she asked after a few minutes of silence. She didn't even look up.

No, no I'm gone. I left 5 minutes ago. I said, scurrying away.

Now don't be thinking Jack Sparrow is afraid of a little girl. Because this girl was not little, and she was quite scary.

But I couldn't help wondering what she would look like asleep next to me, the bright morning light streaming through the windows onto her face...because in my dream world I have a house with a bed and real glass windows and everything.

I gave her a few hours while I had a little mooch around Tortuga, seeing what was new, catching up on some of my old acquaintances and seeing if any of them were willing to share a drink with an old friend. Providing they were paying of course.

I did manage to find one or two who owed me, and so when I made my way back to the dock it was with a bit of a stagger and a hiccup.

Anamaria was still there, working on fixing up her boat. I felt a little pang of anxiety then, because she obviously loved this boat as much as I did, and therefore wouldn't part with it without some very expensive persuasion. I could of course, borrow it without permission, but I'd still feel a little guilty about lifting a boat from someone who I knew looked after it and really loved it.

A little guilty, anyway.
Perhaps.

Walking up to the Jolly Mon, I instantly noticed something was missing. From a distance, the shape of the boat just looked wrong. When I stopped beside Anamaria with a little stagger, I realised the rudder was gone.

Wassa...was...where...where's the rudder gone? I ask, trying to get my tongue under control because it feels like a dead weight.

I don't know, where might it be? Anamaria asks, grinning an evil grin at me.

So I stumble over to the stern of the boat and take a closer look, and I'm bending down, wobbling around so much that I nearly fall headfirst into the water, this time without Anamaria's help.

Isss definitely gone....

I straightened up, gasping in shock, and turned to her.
I couldn't believe she'd be so devious.
It seemed like something I'd do, not a lady like her!

You took it! I gasped, You hid it somewhere!

I have no idea what you're talking about. she said innocently, glancing cooly at my accusatory finger pointed at her. She batted it out of the way casually. Now, I'm just a girl, but it strikes me that you wouldn't be able to sail this boat without a rudder - am I right?

I said, fuming with rage.

I composed myself a little more, and said Well! I'm jussst a pirate captain, but it strikes me that you would be able to row this boat without a rudder - am I right?, before turning on my heel and walking away.
Well, I tried to turn on my heel but spun a bit too far and ended up almost wobbling off the jetty.

TBC....

Ahh, feel more in the flow of things now.
Also just heard that the PotC DVD is out on December the 2nd with deleted scenes, 3 commentaries and bloopers. Wondrous praise and jubilation! That deserve a Huzzah!'