Show Me the Horizon
Chapter 10
"Sails up ahead!" called the watchman. "It's the Banshee!"
"Pull up alongside and fire a shot across her bow!" shouted Gibbs. Run up the white flag!" A few moments later, the Banshee hove to and dropped sail.
"Here we go," muttered Will as he checked his pistol.
"You'd better give that to me," said Gibbs. They won't believe you're a prisoner if you've got a pistol."
Will considered that for a moment, and then handed it over. "I'm not giving up my sword. If things go wrong I need to have a weapon."
"Will," said Gibbs, "we don't want to blow the whole thing."
"I'll tell him I gave my word not to resist you," said Will. He turned to Elizabeth. "Will he believe that?"
"It's not the sort of thing one discusses over tea," said Elizabeth, "but he very well may. Especially since I'll still be 'hostage' on the Pearl."
Annamaria objected, "Would he really believe I'd be stupid enough to allow Will to keep his sword?"
"Probably," replied Elizabeth. "He doesn't have a very high opinion of you. Or you either." she said to Will.
"I could have told you that," muttered Will as he started to climb into the longboat.
"Be careful!" called Elizabeth as the longboat rowed out.
Several minutes later the longboat came up to the Banshee and a rope ladder was thrown down. Annamaria and Will climbed up, leaving Cotton and Pete below in the boat. Pete tied the boat to a ring on the side of the Banshee, then he and Cotton slipped into one of the cannon openings to begin their search. Captain LeSerre met Will and Annamaria on deck. "Welcome aboard the Banshee," he said amicably. "Annamaria, my dear, it is good to see you. Mr. Turner, you're in strange company."
Annamaria said smoothly, "Mr. Turner is a prisoner of the Black Pearl at the moment, Captain LeSerre. As is his wife. I'm here to negotiate the exchange of the Turners for the release of Captain Sparrow."
Captain LeSerre answered with well-feigned surprise. "Captain Sparrow? What makes you think I'm holding him?"
"I was hiding in the woods when your man captured him." answered Annamaria. "I heard him say he was taking Captain Sparrow to the Banshee."
"Evidently you were mistaken," said LeSerre. "And even if I was holding Sparrow, what makes you think I'd be willing to exchange him for Will and Elizabeth Turner?"
"You're an English privateer," said Annamaria. "No doubt the Governor of Jamaica would be pleased to give you a handsome reward for the return of his daughter and son-in-law."
"Perhaps he would at that," replied LeSerre. "You haven't the look of a prisoner, Mr. Turner. I've never heard of an armed captive."
"I've given my word not to resist my captors," said Will. "And my wife is hostage to my good behavior."
"Are you really that concerned that the beautiful Elizabeth would be harmed?" asked LeSerre silkily. "Since Captain Sparrow and Miss Simone were at your wedding, I find it hard to believe they'd lift their hands against their dear friends."
"I'm a pirate," Annamaria retorted. "I'm out for myself. I'd prefer not to harm the Turners, of course. But I will do what is necessary."
"Then why do you want Sparrow back?" queried LeSerre. "Keep the Pearl for yourself. I can't imagine a sharp young woman such as yourself would let that oaf Gibbs stand in your way. You'd be Captain Simone of the Black Pearl."
"My motivations are my own concern," snapped Annamaria. "Where is Jack Sparrow?"
--
Cotton and Pete eased through the hold searching for the brig. They found it, but it was empty. Exchanging concerned looks, they continued to search. A sailor came down the stairs and the two men hid behind some barrels. Cotton stepped out behind the sailor and held a knife to his throat. "Where's Captain Sparrow?" hissed Pete.
"He's not here," answered the frightened sailor. "Captain LeSerre marooned him a few days after we captured him."
"Where?" hissed Pete.
"Cuba!" gasped the sailor. "The south coast, about three quarters down toward the eastern edge."
Pete looked at Cotton, who motioned toward the brig. "Good idea, mate. Knock him senseless and stuff him in there."
--
The blue parrot fluttered up on deck, perching on the rail. "Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" intoned the parrot.
Will and Annamaria exchanged a quick glance. Something was very wrong. "Enough!" snapped Annamaria. "If you won't give Captain Sparrow up, then I'm done talking to you. Turner, get down to the longboat!"
Will started to move toward the rail, but LeSerre drew his sword. "Oh, no, my friends. You two aren't going anywhere."
With a startled look, Will drew his sword. "You will allow me to return to my wife aboard the Black Pearl."
"No," smiled LeSerre, "I won't."
Annamaria drew her own sword and pointed it at LeSerre. "Let us go or I'll send you to hell."
LeSerre grinned wickedly. "Look around you, my dear. You're surrounded." Annamaria glanced around. A dozen sailors were there, all armed with swords and pistols. "You are my prisoner, my dear." He turned to his men. "Take them, gents."
Will and Annamaria leapt into action, but were outnumbered. Will was fighting several of the crewmembers when he heard LeSerre calling. "Oh Turner!" Looking over, he saw that LeSerre had Annamaria disarmed and backed up against a bulkhead, with his sword point at her throat. "Drop your sword, Turner." Will swallowed hard and dropped it. Immediately two burly sailors seized him. LeSerre lowered his sword and Annamaria was seized as well. "You always were a chivalric idiot, Turner," he laughed. "Ready the guns!" he shouted to his crew. "Now we'll take care of your ship."
Chapter 10
"Sails up ahead!" called the watchman. "It's the Banshee!"
"Pull up alongside and fire a shot across her bow!" shouted Gibbs. Run up the white flag!" A few moments later, the Banshee hove to and dropped sail.
"Here we go," muttered Will as he checked his pistol.
"You'd better give that to me," said Gibbs. They won't believe you're a prisoner if you've got a pistol."
Will considered that for a moment, and then handed it over. "I'm not giving up my sword. If things go wrong I need to have a weapon."
"Will," said Gibbs, "we don't want to blow the whole thing."
"I'll tell him I gave my word not to resist you," said Will. He turned to Elizabeth. "Will he believe that?"
"It's not the sort of thing one discusses over tea," said Elizabeth, "but he very well may. Especially since I'll still be 'hostage' on the Pearl."
Annamaria objected, "Would he really believe I'd be stupid enough to allow Will to keep his sword?"
"Probably," replied Elizabeth. "He doesn't have a very high opinion of you. Or you either." she said to Will.
"I could have told you that," muttered Will as he started to climb into the longboat.
"Be careful!" called Elizabeth as the longboat rowed out.
Several minutes later the longboat came up to the Banshee and a rope ladder was thrown down. Annamaria and Will climbed up, leaving Cotton and Pete below in the boat. Pete tied the boat to a ring on the side of the Banshee, then he and Cotton slipped into one of the cannon openings to begin their search. Captain LeSerre met Will and Annamaria on deck. "Welcome aboard the Banshee," he said amicably. "Annamaria, my dear, it is good to see you. Mr. Turner, you're in strange company."
Annamaria said smoothly, "Mr. Turner is a prisoner of the Black Pearl at the moment, Captain LeSerre. As is his wife. I'm here to negotiate the exchange of the Turners for the release of Captain Sparrow."
Captain LeSerre answered with well-feigned surprise. "Captain Sparrow? What makes you think I'm holding him?"
"I was hiding in the woods when your man captured him." answered Annamaria. "I heard him say he was taking Captain Sparrow to the Banshee."
"Evidently you were mistaken," said LeSerre. "And even if I was holding Sparrow, what makes you think I'd be willing to exchange him for Will and Elizabeth Turner?"
"You're an English privateer," said Annamaria. "No doubt the Governor of Jamaica would be pleased to give you a handsome reward for the return of his daughter and son-in-law."
"Perhaps he would at that," replied LeSerre. "You haven't the look of a prisoner, Mr. Turner. I've never heard of an armed captive."
"I've given my word not to resist my captors," said Will. "And my wife is hostage to my good behavior."
"Are you really that concerned that the beautiful Elizabeth would be harmed?" asked LeSerre silkily. "Since Captain Sparrow and Miss Simone were at your wedding, I find it hard to believe they'd lift their hands against their dear friends."
"I'm a pirate," Annamaria retorted. "I'm out for myself. I'd prefer not to harm the Turners, of course. But I will do what is necessary."
"Then why do you want Sparrow back?" queried LeSerre. "Keep the Pearl for yourself. I can't imagine a sharp young woman such as yourself would let that oaf Gibbs stand in your way. You'd be Captain Simone of the Black Pearl."
"My motivations are my own concern," snapped Annamaria. "Where is Jack Sparrow?"
--
Cotton and Pete eased through the hold searching for the brig. They found it, but it was empty. Exchanging concerned looks, they continued to search. A sailor came down the stairs and the two men hid behind some barrels. Cotton stepped out behind the sailor and held a knife to his throat. "Where's Captain Sparrow?" hissed Pete.
"He's not here," answered the frightened sailor. "Captain LeSerre marooned him a few days after we captured him."
"Where?" hissed Pete.
"Cuba!" gasped the sailor. "The south coast, about three quarters down toward the eastern edge."
Pete looked at Cotton, who motioned toward the brig. "Good idea, mate. Knock him senseless and stuff him in there."
--
The blue parrot fluttered up on deck, perching on the rail. "Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" intoned the parrot.
Will and Annamaria exchanged a quick glance. Something was very wrong. "Enough!" snapped Annamaria. "If you won't give Captain Sparrow up, then I'm done talking to you. Turner, get down to the longboat!"
Will started to move toward the rail, but LeSerre drew his sword. "Oh, no, my friends. You two aren't going anywhere."
With a startled look, Will drew his sword. "You will allow me to return to my wife aboard the Black Pearl."
"No," smiled LeSerre, "I won't."
Annamaria drew her own sword and pointed it at LeSerre. "Let us go or I'll send you to hell."
LeSerre grinned wickedly. "Look around you, my dear. You're surrounded." Annamaria glanced around. A dozen sailors were there, all armed with swords and pistols. "You are my prisoner, my dear." He turned to his men. "Take them, gents."
Will and Annamaria leapt into action, but were outnumbered. Will was fighting several of the crewmembers when he heard LeSerre calling. "Oh Turner!" Looking over, he saw that LeSerre had Annamaria disarmed and backed up against a bulkhead, with his sword point at her throat. "Drop your sword, Turner." Will swallowed hard and dropped it. Immediately two burly sailors seized him. LeSerre lowered his sword and Annamaria was seized as well. "You always were a chivalric idiot, Turner," he laughed. "Ready the guns!" he shouted to his crew. "Now we'll take care of your ship."