Chapter 20 - Say Hello to the Quakers For Me.
Jack slammed the packet onto Charles' desk. "What is this?"
Charles bristled and looked at the packet now impeding his study trade routes and mining reports. He sighed, looked through the paper and picked out a black bound book. "It looks like your current assignment."
"This is Virginia and not Jamaica."
"Actually Jonathan it says Scandinavia then Virginia."
Jack grabbed the assignment book and found Charles wasn't having a go at him about Scandinavia. He threw it back down on the desk.
"Charles I was supposed to get Thomas Grady and Jamaica."
"Your assignment says otherwise."
"I want to go to Jamaica!." he slammed his fist on the desk. Jack bent over his desk and grabbed Charles' vest. "Damn you Charles I own 25% of this company. I should not be treated like this!"
Jack's mention of his share in the Sparrow fortune infuriated Charles. He pushed his brother away. "Yes and 25% is not a controlling interest." He said scathingly." Nor are you in management. Nor are you on the Board of Directors. Nor will you ever be. Your job Jaack is to transport whom or what you are assigned to transport, when you are assigned it, to the place you are assigned to transport whom or it to. Your job is not for you and your mates to pursue the hemisphere with the best whores in a floating coffee house. Do I make myself clear?"
The good news had traveled fast. Jack knew Charles was punishing him for James' newfound admiration. He knew what the responsibilities of his job were, however he wasn't just another employee. He was Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Sparrow! Charles needed to acknowledge that.
Charles stood towering over his brother radiating superiority. "Say hello to the Quakers for me." he mocked as he slapped the book and packet into Jack's chest. " Now get out of my office before I have you thrown out."
Jack grabbed the packet and slammed the door as he left and headed for the pub.
He dispensed with propriety and drank from the bottle. Why did he let Charles do this to him? Why didn't he strike back? He wanted revenge. He was tired of being Charles' folly.
"Vengeance is mine sayeth Captain Jack Sparrow." He said aloud while lifting his bottle into the air toasting himself.
"Rough day mate?' A familiar voice came from behind as a hand clamped down on his head.
"William! 'ow long you be back mate?' Jack stood and greeted his friend. The two sat together. Jack shared his bottle and angst as William shared his most recent sea stories. He had just returned from Africa in his most recent trip with the "Merchant Marines."
Jack pouted. "I'm on me way to Virginia again. Apparently I'm commissioned to transport 'appy families to fortune and freedom in the new world by way of Scandinavia."
William snickered. "Oh spendid!. Who's wife did you get caught with?" He laughed at Jack's misery.
Jack offered a scarcastic smile and ordered another bottle.. "Yours cuz I 'ad to wait in line. I think I'll bring Sidi. She ain't seen the colonies nor Jamaica yet."
"Will King Charles allow it?" William loved watching Jack flutter as his temper rose.
"Well I got me own boat now an' I just might chuck Charles an' ' the ruddy stick up 'is arse."
"That's me mate!" William raised his mug. "Tell 'em all ta go da 'ell." Jack laughed and raised his mug. "To freedom!" they toasted.
"Yeah.." Jack continued more to himself than anyone else "I'm gonna to chuck it all an sail me weasly arse to a secret island of gold an treasure.."
It gave William pause. "Isle de Muerta?"
"If you say so." Jack answered with not really paying attention as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Seriously Jack" William continued. ""Where'd ye 'ear 'bout it?"
"ear 'bout what?" He stared blankly at William.
"The island." William was frustrated.
Jack was embarrassed. " It's a story mate. Some shop-keep made it up to sell me wife a broken compass."
"Yer 'edging Jack. Tell me what you know."
Jack paused unsure if perhaps he was making a mistake. He was getting really uncomfortable about how intense William was getting. It wasn't like him. He looked at his drinking partner and fidgeted, opened his mouth twice to start but didn't know how to say it without sounding stupid. He tilted his head, grimaced and put his palms together. His fingertips came to his mouth.
William Turner wanted to throttle the man. "Jack! Come on mate! What's in yer 'ed?"
Jacks hands started to gesture as if trying to plead a case.
"Sidi gave me a compass for me birthday. I didn't believe the story. She asked me to look at it twice a day, to remember her. (He smiled thinking of how she tricked him into learning the true value of the compass.) Well, I did. I mean I looked at it twice a day an." He ordered another drink and lowered his voice. "Ends up the story, its true. It don't point north. It points...somewhere else."
"To the island." Turner whispered.
"Yeah. Tom an me, we was gonna check it out. "'E said 'eed get closer on the way back from Jamaica but Charles, the back scuttling sod ..."
"You were there?!"
"Not on it no. " I was gonna show Tom an 'e was gonna check me bearings."
"But you saw it."
" I think so."
"And Tom?"
"No. I've mapped it on me trips. I used the compass and I checked it out. I know its there. The compass points to it. Jack was drifting off into his own thoughts."
"What did Tom think?" William asked.
Jack looked embarrassed again.
"Ahhh 'ee thinks ye be daft" William laughed.
Jack looked miserable. First Charles and now William. Jack wished he'd never started the conversation.
"Tom be damned Jack!" William was excited. "I know where to get yer crew! Let's go!"
Jack slammed the packet onto Charles' desk. "What is this?"
Charles bristled and looked at the packet now impeding his study trade routes and mining reports. He sighed, looked through the paper and picked out a black bound book. "It looks like your current assignment."
"This is Virginia and not Jamaica."
"Actually Jonathan it says Scandinavia then Virginia."
Jack grabbed the assignment book and found Charles wasn't having a go at him about Scandinavia. He threw it back down on the desk.
"Charles I was supposed to get Thomas Grady and Jamaica."
"Your assignment says otherwise."
"I want to go to Jamaica!." he slammed his fist on the desk. Jack bent over his desk and grabbed Charles' vest. "Damn you Charles I own 25% of this company. I should not be treated like this!"
Jack's mention of his share in the Sparrow fortune infuriated Charles. He pushed his brother away. "Yes and 25% is not a controlling interest." He said scathingly." Nor are you in management. Nor are you on the Board of Directors. Nor will you ever be. Your job Jaack is to transport whom or what you are assigned to transport, when you are assigned it, to the place you are assigned to transport whom or it to. Your job is not for you and your mates to pursue the hemisphere with the best whores in a floating coffee house. Do I make myself clear?"
The good news had traveled fast. Jack knew Charles was punishing him for James' newfound admiration. He knew what the responsibilities of his job were, however he wasn't just another employee. He was Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Sparrow! Charles needed to acknowledge that.
Charles stood towering over his brother radiating superiority. "Say hello to the Quakers for me." he mocked as he slapped the book and packet into Jack's chest. " Now get out of my office before I have you thrown out."
Jack grabbed the packet and slammed the door as he left and headed for the pub.
He dispensed with propriety and drank from the bottle. Why did he let Charles do this to him? Why didn't he strike back? He wanted revenge. He was tired of being Charles' folly.
"Vengeance is mine sayeth Captain Jack Sparrow." He said aloud while lifting his bottle into the air toasting himself.
"Rough day mate?' A familiar voice came from behind as a hand clamped down on his head.
"William! 'ow long you be back mate?' Jack stood and greeted his friend. The two sat together. Jack shared his bottle and angst as William shared his most recent sea stories. He had just returned from Africa in his most recent trip with the "Merchant Marines."
Jack pouted. "I'm on me way to Virginia again. Apparently I'm commissioned to transport 'appy families to fortune and freedom in the new world by way of Scandinavia."
William snickered. "Oh spendid!. Who's wife did you get caught with?" He laughed at Jack's misery.
Jack offered a scarcastic smile and ordered another bottle.. "Yours cuz I 'ad to wait in line. I think I'll bring Sidi. She ain't seen the colonies nor Jamaica yet."
"Will King Charles allow it?" William loved watching Jack flutter as his temper rose.
"Well I got me own boat now an' I just might chuck Charles an' ' the ruddy stick up 'is arse."
"That's me mate!" William raised his mug. "Tell 'em all ta go da 'ell." Jack laughed and raised his mug. "To freedom!" they toasted.
"Yeah.." Jack continued more to himself than anyone else "I'm gonna to chuck it all an sail me weasly arse to a secret island of gold an treasure.."
It gave William pause. "Isle de Muerta?"
"If you say so." Jack answered with not really paying attention as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Seriously Jack" William continued. ""Where'd ye 'ear 'bout it?"
"ear 'bout what?" He stared blankly at William.
"The island." William was frustrated.
Jack was embarrassed. " It's a story mate. Some shop-keep made it up to sell me wife a broken compass."
"Yer 'edging Jack. Tell me what you know."
Jack paused unsure if perhaps he was making a mistake. He was getting really uncomfortable about how intense William was getting. It wasn't like him. He looked at his drinking partner and fidgeted, opened his mouth twice to start but didn't know how to say it without sounding stupid. He tilted his head, grimaced and put his palms together. His fingertips came to his mouth.
William Turner wanted to throttle the man. "Jack! Come on mate! What's in yer 'ed?"
Jacks hands started to gesture as if trying to plead a case.
"Sidi gave me a compass for me birthday. I didn't believe the story. She asked me to look at it twice a day, to remember her. (He smiled thinking of how she tricked him into learning the true value of the compass.) Well, I did. I mean I looked at it twice a day an." He ordered another drink and lowered his voice. "Ends up the story, its true. It don't point north. It points...somewhere else."
"To the island." Turner whispered.
"Yeah. Tom an me, we was gonna check it out. "'E said 'eed get closer on the way back from Jamaica but Charles, the back scuttling sod ..."
"You were there?!"
"Not on it no. " I was gonna show Tom an 'e was gonna check me bearings."
"But you saw it."
" I think so."
"And Tom?"
"No. I've mapped it on me trips. I used the compass and I checked it out. I know its there. The compass points to it. Jack was drifting off into his own thoughts."
"What did Tom think?" William asked.
Jack looked embarrassed again.
"Ahhh 'ee thinks ye be daft" William laughed.
Jack looked miserable. First Charles and now William. Jack wished he'd never started the conversation.
"Tom be damned Jack!" William was excited. "I know where to get yer crew! Let's go!"