Show Me the Horizon
Chapter 3
Norrington joined a group including Governor Swann and a flamboyant man with a goatee and a gold earring. "Good afternoon, Captain LeSerre. I saw your ship in port this morning, and thought Id see you here today."
Captain LeSerre turned. "Commodore. Just a brief stop for supplies, sir. I'll be setting sail again tomorrow."
"Where are you bound?"
LeSerre shrugged. "Skirting Cuba toward the Florida Keys. I'm hoping to find a Spanish ship or two shipping gold back to Europe."
Governor Swann smiled and explained to a well-dress couple. "Captain LeSerre is a privateer. He sails under English Letters of Marque."
The lady asked, "What is the difference, Captain, between a pirate and a privateer?"
The Captain smiled graciously. "A privateer attacks only those who are enemies of the English Crown, Madame. A pirate is not so particular."
The Governor and the couple move off. Will is passing the group at this point, and Captain LeSerre called out, "Will Turner! Now here's a man who has engaged in some piracy!"
Will stopped and smiled, trying to mask his annoyance. "A rescue mission, sir, no more."
"Ah," said LeSerre, "But you spent quite some time aboard the Black Pearl, did you not?"
Will smiled again. "Most of my time aboard the Pearl was spent in the brig, sir."
LeSerre grinned, not pleasantly. "You are on intimate terms with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, though, aye?"
Will (trying hard to keep smiling pleasantly) "Intimate? Is anyone on intimate terms with Captain Sparrow? He's a complicated man. He saved my life and Elizabeth's. I owe him a debt of gratitude. However, since he escaped Port Royal and returned to the Black Pearl last year, I haven't heard any more of him than the reports of his exploits. I'm not sure that qualifies as intimate. Excuse me, I must find my bride."
LeSerre put out a hand to stop him. "The lovely Elizabeth! By all means, Turner, don't let us delay you. I'm sure you'd prefer to keep her close to you. After all, she has some affinity for pirates herself, does she not?"
Will dropped all pretence of civility. "I don't understand you, sir."
LeSerre smiled wickedly. "Well, I was just commenting on her extraordinary choice of husband. A pirate blacksmith rather than a Commodore? And did she not spend a night upon a deserted island with Jack Sparrow? As well as several days aboard the Black Pearl under Captain Barbossa."
"Your comments are neither welcome, nor appropriate, Captain LeSerre," said Norrington coldly.
"You'd best take care with your words, Captain," said Will with a dangerous tone in his voice. "Or this pirate blacksmith will shove them back down your throat along with my sword." He nodded to Norrington in farewell. "Commodore."
Norrington moved off as well in the opposite direction, leaving LeSerre grinning after them. LeSerre then catches sight of Jack and Annamaria as they slip from the crowd. A wider grin spread slowly across his face. "Haven't heard from Sparrow in a year, have you?" he mused to himself.
--
A horse and cart stood tied to a tree in a wooded area. Jack's voice came from the trees on one side of the road. "I don't understand why you can't wait until we get back to town to change your clothes."
Annamaria's voice came from the trees on the other side of the road. "I can't stand this corset another moment! I've spent half the day feeling like I'm going to faint."
Jack's head popped up from behind a bush. "Do ye need any help with the laces, luv?"
Annamaria's head popped up. "Don't even think about it!"
As Jack fumbles with this clothing, another face appears, with a pistol pointing at Jack. "Captain Sparrow? I've been sent to take you to the Banshee. I'm sure ye'll be willing to come quietly, aye?"
Jack looked momentarily startled, but recovered quickly. "You'll let me put me clothes on, of course?"
Annamaria finished dressing in her customary garb, and hearing voices, ducked down and peeked through the underbrush. She saw a stranger holding a pistol on Jack, gesturing him to the cart. Jack climbed up and took the reins while the stranger climbed up next to him, covering him with the pistol the whole time. "May I ask where we're going?" complained Jack.
"Just drive," grunted the stranger. "The Banshee will pick us up a few covers to the East."
Annamaria watched them drive off. "The Banshee," she breathed.
Chapter 3
Norrington joined a group including Governor Swann and a flamboyant man with a goatee and a gold earring. "Good afternoon, Captain LeSerre. I saw your ship in port this morning, and thought Id see you here today."
Captain LeSerre turned. "Commodore. Just a brief stop for supplies, sir. I'll be setting sail again tomorrow."
"Where are you bound?"
LeSerre shrugged. "Skirting Cuba toward the Florida Keys. I'm hoping to find a Spanish ship or two shipping gold back to Europe."
Governor Swann smiled and explained to a well-dress couple. "Captain LeSerre is a privateer. He sails under English Letters of Marque."
The lady asked, "What is the difference, Captain, between a pirate and a privateer?"
The Captain smiled graciously. "A privateer attacks only those who are enemies of the English Crown, Madame. A pirate is not so particular."
The Governor and the couple move off. Will is passing the group at this point, and Captain LeSerre called out, "Will Turner! Now here's a man who has engaged in some piracy!"
Will stopped and smiled, trying to mask his annoyance. "A rescue mission, sir, no more."
"Ah," said LeSerre, "But you spent quite some time aboard the Black Pearl, did you not?"
Will smiled again. "Most of my time aboard the Pearl was spent in the brig, sir."
LeSerre grinned, not pleasantly. "You are on intimate terms with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, though, aye?"
Will (trying hard to keep smiling pleasantly) "Intimate? Is anyone on intimate terms with Captain Sparrow? He's a complicated man. He saved my life and Elizabeth's. I owe him a debt of gratitude. However, since he escaped Port Royal and returned to the Black Pearl last year, I haven't heard any more of him than the reports of his exploits. I'm not sure that qualifies as intimate. Excuse me, I must find my bride."
LeSerre put out a hand to stop him. "The lovely Elizabeth! By all means, Turner, don't let us delay you. I'm sure you'd prefer to keep her close to you. After all, she has some affinity for pirates herself, does she not?"
Will dropped all pretence of civility. "I don't understand you, sir."
LeSerre smiled wickedly. "Well, I was just commenting on her extraordinary choice of husband. A pirate blacksmith rather than a Commodore? And did she not spend a night upon a deserted island with Jack Sparrow? As well as several days aboard the Black Pearl under Captain Barbossa."
"Your comments are neither welcome, nor appropriate, Captain LeSerre," said Norrington coldly.
"You'd best take care with your words, Captain," said Will with a dangerous tone in his voice. "Or this pirate blacksmith will shove them back down your throat along with my sword." He nodded to Norrington in farewell. "Commodore."
Norrington moved off as well in the opposite direction, leaving LeSerre grinning after them. LeSerre then catches sight of Jack and Annamaria as they slip from the crowd. A wider grin spread slowly across his face. "Haven't heard from Sparrow in a year, have you?" he mused to himself.
--
A horse and cart stood tied to a tree in a wooded area. Jack's voice came from the trees on one side of the road. "I don't understand why you can't wait until we get back to town to change your clothes."
Annamaria's voice came from the trees on the other side of the road. "I can't stand this corset another moment! I've spent half the day feeling like I'm going to faint."
Jack's head popped up from behind a bush. "Do ye need any help with the laces, luv?"
Annamaria's head popped up. "Don't even think about it!"
As Jack fumbles with this clothing, another face appears, with a pistol pointing at Jack. "Captain Sparrow? I've been sent to take you to the Banshee. I'm sure ye'll be willing to come quietly, aye?"
Jack looked momentarily startled, but recovered quickly. "You'll let me put me clothes on, of course?"
Annamaria finished dressing in her customary garb, and hearing voices, ducked down and peeked through the underbrush. She saw a stranger holding a pistol on Jack, gesturing him to the cart. Jack climbed up and took the reins while the stranger climbed up next to him, covering him with the pistol the whole time. "May I ask where we're going?" complained Jack.
"Just drive," grunted the stranger. "The Banshee will pick us up a few covers to the East."
Annamaria watched them drive off. "The Banshee," she breathed.