Show Me the Horizon
Chapter 15
Two sailors brought Will a bowl full of stew, one holding a pistol on him while the other unlocked the cell and set down the bowl. "Where's Annamaria?" asked Will.
"She was taken over to the Dona Catalina," said the sailor indifferently.
"The Dona Catalina?" exclaimed Will. "Isn't that a Spanish ship?"
"Aye," replied the sailor. "Captain LeSerre and Captain DaSilva have some sort of arrangement."
"What kind of arrangement?" asked Will intently.
"Oh, the Captain gives DaSilva information about fleet movements and pirate activity," answered the sailor, "and in return we get a share of Spanish gold."
"But he's an English privateer, he sails under English letters of marque, how can he be in league with the Spanish?"
"Aye, makes it all very tidy, dunnit?" The sailor grinned as he and his companion left.
Will went forward and picked up the bowl. He picked up the spoon and looked at it intently, banging it lightly against the bars of the cell.
--
Annamaria sat, bound to a chair with her hands behind her. Glancing down, she lifted her left foot as high as she could toward her hands, fingers reaching for the hilt of the small knife in her boot. Her fingers brushed the edge of it, but couldn't take hold. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.
--
DaSilva stood by the helm and raised his telescope to his eye. "Any sign of the Dauntless yet? he asked.
"Not yet, sir," replied the sailor.
"She should be in these waters somewhere," said Captain DaSilva, lowering the telescope.
--
Will banged the rock down on the spoon again, checking the tool he was making. He went to the door, inserted the altered spoon into the lock and felt around a bit. "Not quite yet," he murmured to himself. Going back to his makeshift anvil he picked up the rock again.
--
LeSerre's first mate came up to him. "Captain, shouldn't we be keeping closer to the Catalina?"
"No, I'd rather be a bit of a distance away when she comes across the Dauntless," replied LeSerre. "No reason to jump right into the fight immediately, is there?" He grinned wickedly.
--
"Sails to port!" came the call from the watchman.
Jack went to the helm and stood beside Norrington as he looked through his telescope. "Who is it?" he inquired.
"Not sure exactly," replied Norrington. He handed the telescope to Jack. "What is your thought?"
Jack took a long look. "She looks Spanish - one of the military galleons I'd say. Coming right for us, and the wind favors her. You won't be able to outrun her. By the time you've turned she'll be here."
Norrington took another look. "I'm afraid you're right. Markson! Ready the guns!" He thrust the telescope back to Jack and strode down the deck, barking orders to ready the ship for battle.
Gwen hurried up to Jack. "What's going on?"
Jack took another look through the telescope. "Looks like we're going to have a bit of a turn up with the Spanish." He lowered the telescope. "The Dauntless looks to be stronger, luv. Though, that being the case, why is she headed right for us?" he mused. "You'd think she'd want to avoid a battle where she'd probably be badly mauled. I wonder.." he trailed off and took another long look. "Norrington!" he shouted suddenly. "She's not alone!"
Norrington grabbed the telescope and looked through it. "Indeed she is not. And her companion is none other than your old friend the Banshee."
Jack snatched the telescope back and looked through it. "Damn it to hell!" he spat.
"Hard a port!" bellowed Norrington. "Full sails up!" More quietly he said, "Our only chance against both of them is to disable the Spaniard before the Banshee gets close enough to join the fight." He yanked the telescope out of Jack's hands and looked again saying as he did so, "Get your own damn telescope."
"I've got one," said Jack. "Unfortunately, it's on the Pearl."
--
"Sails!" shouted the watchman. Elizabeth rushed to the rail and leaned out, hanging onto the rigging for balance.
"It's the Dauntless!" she called back to Gibbs.
"Are ye sure, lass?" Gibbs asked as he looked through his telescope.
"I've seen that ship nearly every day of my life since arriving in Jamaica," said Elizabeth. "I'm sure."
"Now what should we do?" moaned Gibbs. "If we run we'll lose the Banshee. If we stay we may have to fight all three of them."
Elizabeth looked at him incredulously. "You can't leave the Dauntless to be attacked by two ships at once?"
"Can't I?" asked Gibbs. "We're pirates, Miss Elizabeth. Norrington would as soon have our necks in a noose as look at us and you want us to rescue him?"
Elizabeth looked out to sea again. "At least attack the Banshee," she insisted. "It's lagging behind the Spaniard. Keep it from entering the fight with the Dauntless. With the wind to our stern and them distracted we should be able to get close enough for the cannon to reach before they realize we're here."
"You'd have us fire on the Banshee with your husband aboard?"
Elizabeth swallowed hard. "There isn't much choice." She bit her lip. "He'll be fine."
--
Will inserted the altered spoon into the lock again and wiggled it around. "Yes, yes," he muttered. "Just a little bit..ah!" With a snap the lock clicked and he shoved the door open. Moving swiftly to the stairwell he looked up quickly, then cautiously went up.
--
The knife was finally in her fingertips. Carefully, Annamaria manipulated it in her hands until the blade was against the ropes around her wrists. Little by little, she began to saw at the rope.
Chapter 15
Two sailors brought Will a bowl full of stew, one holding a pistol on him while the other unlocked the cell and set down the bowl. "Where's Annamaria?" asked Will.
"She was taken over to the Dona Catalina," said the sailor indifferently.
"The Dona Catalina?" exclaimed Will. "Isn't that a Spanish ship?"
"Aye," replied the sailor. "Captain LeSerre and Captain DaSilva have some sort of arrangement."
"What kind of arrangement?" asked Will intently.
"Oh, the Captain gives DaSilva information about fleet movements and pirate activity," answered the sailor, "and in return we get a share of Spanish gold."
"But he's an English privateer, he sails under English letters of marque, how can he be in league with the Spanish?"
"Aye, makes it all very tidy, dunnit?" The sailor grinned as he and his companion left.
Will went forward and picked up the bowl. He picked up the spoon and looked at it intently, banging it lightly against the bars of the cell.
--
Annamaria sat, bound to a chair with her hands behind her. Glancing down, she lifted her left foot as high as she could toward her hands, fingers reaching for the hilt of the small knife in her boot. Her fingers brushed the edge of it, but couldn't take hold. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.
--
DaSilva stood by the helm and raised his telescope to his eye. "Any sign of the Dauntless yet? he asked.
"Not yet, sir," replied the sailor.
"She should be in these waters somewhere," said Captain DaSilva, lowering the telescope.
--
Will banged the rock down on the spoon again, checking the tool he was making. He went to the door, inserted the altered spoon into the lock and felt around a bit. "Not quite yet," he murmured to himself. Going back to his makeshift anvil he picked up the rock again.
--
LeSerre's first mate came up to him. "Captain, shouldn't we be keeping closer to the Catalina?"
"No, I'd rather be a bit of a distance away when she comes across the Dauntless," replied LeSerre. "No reason to jump right into the fight immediately, is there?" He grinned wickedly.
--
"Sails to port!" came the call from the watchman.
Jack went to the helm and stood beside Norrington as he looked through his telescope. "Who is it?" he inquired.
"Not sure exactly," replied Norrington. He handed the telescope to Jack. "What is your thought?"
Jack took a long look. "She looks Spanish - one of the military galleons I'd say. Coming right for us, and the wind favors her. You won't be able to outrun her. By the time you've turned she'll be here."
Norrington took another look. "I'm afraid you're right. Markson! Ready the guns!" He thrust the telescope back to Jack and strode down the deck, barking orders to ready the ship for battle.
Gwen hurried up to Jack. "What's going on?"
Jack took another look through the telescope. "Looks like we're going to have a bit of a turn up with the Spanish." He lowered the telescope. "The Dauntless looks to be stronger, luv. Though, that being the case, why is she headed right for us?" he mused. "You'd think she'd want to avoid a battle where she'd probably be badly mauled. I wonder.." he trailed off and took another long look. "Norrington!" he shouted suddenly. "She's not alone!"
Norrington grabbed the telescope and looked through it. "Indeed she is not. And her companion is none other than your old friend the Banshee."
Jack snatched the telescope back and looked through it. "Damn it to hell!" he spat.
"Hard a port!" bellowed Norrington. "Full sails up!" More quietly he said, "Our only chance against both of them is to disable the Spaniard before the Banshee gets close enough to join the fight." He yanked the telescope out of Jack's hands and looked again saying as he did so, "Get your own damn telescope."
"I've got one," said Jack. "Unfortunately, it's on the Pearl."
--
"Sails!" shouted the watchman. Elizabeth rushed to the rail and leaned out, hanging onto the rigging for balance.
"It's the Dauntless!" she called back to Gibbs.
"Are ye sure, lass?" Gibbs asked as he looked through his telescope.
"I've seen that ship nearly every day of my life since arriving in Jamaica," said Elizabeth. "I'm sure."
"Now what should we do?" moaned Gibbs. "If we run we'll lose the Banshee. If we stay we may have to fight all three of them."
Elizabeth looked at him incredulously. "You can't leave the Dauntless to be attacked by two ships at once?"
"Can't I?" asked Gibbs. "We're pirates, Miss Elizabeth. Norrington would as soon have our necks in a noose as look at us and you want us to rescue him?"
Elizabeth looked out to sea again. "At least attack the Banshee," she insisted. "It's lagging behind the Spaniard. Keep it from entering the fight with the Dauntless. With the wind to our stern and them distracted we should be able to get close enough for the cannon to reach before they realize we're here."
"You'd have us fire on the Banshee with your husband aboard?"
Elizabeth swallowed hard. "There isn't much choice." She bit her lip. "He'll be fine."
--
Will inserted the altered spoon into the lock again and wiggled it around. "Yes, yes," he muttered. "Just a little bit..ah!" With a snap the lock clicked and he shoved the door open. Moving swiftly to the stairwell he looked up quickly, then cautiously went up.
--
The knife was finally in her fingertips. Carefully, Annamaria manipulated it in her hands until the blade was against the ropes around her wrists. Little by little, she began to saw at the rope.