Show Me the Horizon
Chapter 7
Gibbs scanned the horizon anxiously. "Do we have any idea where the Banshee would go?"
Annamaria swung the helm to one side. "Not really. I've got another idea, though."
Gibbs asked, "What is that?"
Annamaria looked at him. "Will and Elizabeth Turner set sail on the Wave Dancer this morning toward Antigua. Captain LeSerre was a guest at their wedding. Maybe he told Will where he was heading."
"Do you mean that we should take the Wave Dancer?"
"Of course not!" retorted Annamaria indignantly. "Just stop her long enough to ask the Turners if they know anything that will help us."
--
Will and Elizabeth stood at the prow of the ship and looked out over the ocean. Elizabeth leaned back into her Will's arms and smiled up at him. Suddenly the lookout called out "Sails ho!" The Turners looked around. A ship was coming up behind them.
"Funny," said Will. "That looks a lot like the Black Pearl. Most ships don't have black sails."
"Why would it be the Pearl after Jack told you we'd have an uninterrupted voyage?" asked Elizabeth.
The ship came closer. "I think it is the Pearl," said Will, incredulously. As they watched, the ship following them ran up a white flag. "Something's wrong," said Will, starting for the helm. "Captain, heave to!"
Captain Darley stood at the helm, screaming out orders to ready the guns. "Heave to? Are you mad! Why should I stop and invite the pirates to come aboard as they choose?"
"Captain!" shouted Elizabeth, "They've run up a white flag! Something's wrong. We must stop!"
"Captain Sparrow is an honorable man. He would never run up a false flag," insisted Will. "Give the order to heave to!"
"He's a damn pirate!" shouted the Captain.
"Captain, think." said Will, as calmly as he was able. "You cannot outrun the Black Pearl. You don't have the firepower to stand and fight. I give you my word, Captain. No harm will come to you if you do stop."
"Don't tell me my business, you young whelp!" Darley snarled.
Will and Elizabeth exchanged glances. The Pearl had come up a hundred feet to the port side of the Wave Dancer. A loud boom was heard, and a cannon ball sang through the air in front of the Wave Dancer. "Heave to, dammit!" hissed Will. "Before she does fire upon you!" The Captain showed no signs of relenting. A second shot, closer than the last one, whizzed before the bow. "Bloody hell!" snapped Will. He pulled a pistol from his belt and leveled it at the Captain. "Give the order to heave to!" The Captain hesitated, looking shocked. "Do it!"
"Heave to, take in sail." shouted Darley, with a furious look at Will.
"Aye, sir!" shouted the crew as they ran to obey.
Will glanced at Elizabeth and he cautiously lowered the pistol. "Was that mutiny?" he asked uneasily.
Elizabeth shot a look at the fuming Captain. "It's only mutiny if you keep the ship afterward. I think."
A small boat bearing a white flag rowed over to the Wave Dancer. Will and Elizabeth leaned over the rail as Annamaria climbed aboard, followed by two other crewmembers from the Pearl. Annamaria shot them a glance, the turned to the Captain. "Captain, I am the second mate of the Black Pearl. We mean you no harm today. I have an urgent message for Mr. and Mrs. Turner."
Will and Elizabeth drew Annamaria away from the watching people. "What is it?" hissed Elizabeth.
"Jack's been kidnapped by Captain LeSerre and taken to the Banshee," said Annamaria. "He ambushed us right after the wedding. Do you know where he was headed?"
"Kidnapped?" breathed Will. "What for?"
"Cuba!" interjected Elizabeth. "He told my father he was headed toward Cuba in hopes of catching a Spanish ship."
"Cuba!" said Annamaria. "Thank you!" She started back toward the ladder down to the boat.
"Annamaria! Take me with you," said Will. "I can help you save him."
"Will, what will the crew of the Wave Dancer think if you come with me?" replied Annamaria. "They'll think you were in league with me all the time. You'll end up undergoing charges of piracy."
"Not if you take me captive," said Will. "Point your pistol at me and tell everyone you're taking me hostage."
"Taking US hostage," said Elizabeth, reaching for Will's hand.
"You are NOT coming!" stated Will.
"Oh, yes I am!" retorted Elizabeth.
Annamaria looked from one to the other, glanced at the watching crew of the Wave Dancer, made up her mind and drew her pistol. You're both coming," she stated. She gave Elizabeth a small shove toward the rail where her two crewmembers were waiting. "Step lively, you're coming with us!" she said loudly. Will raised his hands and moved to the rope ladder. "The Turners will be spending a short while aboard the Black Pearl," she announced. "When we've returned to our ship, the Wave Dancer will be free to go on its way." Annamaria was the last to climb down the ladder. She waved the pistol around, nodded to Captain Darley, and departed.
As the rowers started out Annamaria spoke again. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your honeymoon."
"It's all right," said Will. "I pulled a pistol on the Captain to get him to heave to. He'd have probably locked me in the brig if I'd stayed aboard. That would have ruined our honeymoon even more surely."
--
Captain Darley watched the small boat row back to the Pearl. "What shall we do, Captain?" asked the first mate.
Darley looked at him. "Governor Swann's daughter has been kidnapped by pirates," he replied. "We must return to Port Royal immediately.
Chapter 7
Gibbs scanned the horizon anxiously. "Do we have any idea where the Banshee would go?"
Annamaria swung the helm to one side. "Not really. I've got another idea, though."
Gibbs asked, "What is that?"
Annamaria looked at him. "Will and Elizabeth Turner set sail on the Wave Dancer this morning toward Antigua. Captain LeSerre was a guest at their wedding. Maybe he told Will where he was heading."
"Do you mean that we should take the Wave Dancer?"
"Of course not!" retorted Annamaria indignantly. "Just stop her long enough to ask the Turners if they know anything that will help us."
--
Will and Elizabeth stood at the prow of the ship and looked out over the ocean. Elizabeth leaned back into her Will's arms and smiled up at him. Suddenly the lookout called out "Sails ho!" The Turners looked around. A ship was coming up behind them.
"Funny," said Will. "That looks a lot like the Black Pearl. Most ships don't have black sails."
"Why would it be the Pearl after Jack told you we'd have an uninterrupted voyage?" asked Elizabeth.
The ship came closer. "I think it is the Pearl," said Will, incredulously. As they watched, the ship following them ran up a white flag. "Something's wrong," said Will, starting for the helm. "Captain, heave to!"
Captain Darley stood at the helm, screaming out orders to ready the guns. "Heave to? Are you mad! Why should I stop and invite the pirates to come aboard as they choose?"
"Captain!" shouted Elizabeth, "They've run up a white flag! Something's wrong. We must stop!"
"Captain Sparrow is an honorable man. He would never run up a false flag," insisted Will. "Give the order to heave to!"
"He's a damn pirate!" shouted the Captain.
"Captain, think." said Will, as calmly as he was able. "You cannot outrun the Black Pearl. You don't have the firepower to stand and fight. I give you my word, Captain. No harm will come to you if you do stop."
"Don't tell me my business, you young whelp!" Darley snarled.
Will and Elizabeth exchanged glances. The Pearl had come up a hundred feet to the port side of the Wave Dancer. A loud boom was heard, and a cannon ball sang through the air in front of the Wave Dancer. "Heave to, dammit!" hissed Will. "Before she does fire upon you!" The Captain showed no signs of relenting. A second shot, closer than the last one, whizzed before the bow. "Bloody hell!" snapped Will. He pulled a pistol from his belt and leveled it at the Captain. "Give the order to heave to!" The Captain hesitated, looking shocked. "Do it!"
"Heave to, take in sail." shouted Darley, with a furious look at Will.
"Aye, sir!" shouted the crew as they ran to obey.
Will glanced at Elizabeth and he cautiously lowered the pistol. "Was that mutiny?" he asked uneasily.
Elizabeth shot a look at the fuming Captain. "It's only mutiny if you keep the ship afterward. I think."
A small boat bearing a white flag rowed over to the Wave Dancer. Will and Elizabeth leaned over the rail as Annamaria climbed aboard, followed by two other crewmembers from the Pearl. Annamaria shot them a glance, the turned to the Captain. "Captain, I am the second mate of the Black Pearl. We mean you no harm today. I have an urgent message for Mr. and Mrs. Turner."
Will and Elizabeth drew Annamaria away from the watching people. "What is it?" hissed Elizabeth.
"Jack's been kidnapped by Captain LeSerre and taken to the Banshee," said Annamaria. "He ambushed us right after the wedding. Do you know where he was headed?"
"Kidnapped?" breathed Will. "What for?"
"Cuba!" interjected Elizabeth. "He told my father he was headed toward Cuba in hopes of catching a Spanish ship."
"Cuba!" said Annamaria. "Thank you!" She started back toward the ladder down to the boat.
"Annamaria! Take me with you," said Will. "I can help you save him."
"Will, what will the crew of the Wave Dancer think if you come with me?" replied Annamaria. "They'll think you were in league with me all the time. You'll end up undergoing charges of piracy."
"Not if you take me captive," said Will. "Point your pistol at me and tell everyone you're taking me hostage."
"Taking US hostage," said Elizabeth, reaching for Will's hand.
"You are NOT coming!" stated Will.
"Oh, yes I am!" retorted Elizabeth.
Annamaria looked from one to the other, glanced at the watching crew of the Wave Dancer, made up her mind and drew her pistol. You're both coming," she stated. She gave Elizabeth a small shove toward the rail where her two crewmembers were waiting. "Step lively, you're coming with us!" she said loudly. Will raised his hands and moved to the rope ladder. "The Turners will be spending a short while aboard the Black Pearl," she announced. "When we've returned to our ship, the Wave Dancer will be free to go on its way." Annamaria was the last to climb down the ladder. She waved the pistol around, nodded to Captain Darley, and departed.
As the rowers started out Annamaria spoke again. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your honeymoon."
"It's all right," said Will. "I pulled a pistol on the Captain to get him to heave to. He'd have probably locked me in the brig if I'd stayed aboard. That would have ruined our honeymoon even more surely."
--
Captain Darley watched the small boat row back to the Pearl. "What shall we do, Captain?" asked the first mate.
Darley looked at him. "Governor Swann's daughter has been kidnapped by pirates," he replied. "We must return to Port Royal immediately.