Disclaimer: see chapter 1
----
"What shall we do with the drunken sailor?" Jack sang softly to himself, perched comfortably in the crows nest of the East India Company's Castle Frigate. "What shall we do with the drunken sailor? Early in the morning ..." His voice tailed off, and he pulled open the ship's telescope. Sails had appeared on the horizon.
Jack glanced down at the deck to check that nobody else had noticed the other ship, and then looked through the telescope.
"I knew it!" he told a passing seabird. He put the telescope to his eye again. "That's the Pearl."
The black sails seemed to be making good progress on a course parallel to the frigate's, heading east towards the islands of Indonesia. Jack grinned to himself, and deliberately turned the other way.
Following his sighting of the Black Pearl, Jack took extra pains to fulfil every order that was given to him. He behaved impeccably, and even made an effort not to be sarcastic - this took some doing, but he just succeeded, biting back comments before they escaped his mouth. It paid off, though; his good reputation increased and he was left alone far more.
He kept an eye out during his watches, and twice more thought he caught a glimpse of the black sails on the horizon. It got harder to distinguish them, however. The nearer they got to Indonesia, the more traffic there was. There were other European vessels - Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, for the most part - as well as the local, smaller ships and boats, and the horizon quickly became a mass of sails of all colours.
Dusk was falling as they sailed into a small port, a new town evidently built for trading. Jack was one of the topmen again, furling the main topsail as they reduced canvas for docking. As they glided into the harbour, another ship was anchoring out in the bay, dark sails furled tidily. Jack's lips curled into a grin.
Once the frigate was safely tied up to the docks, the crew were given shore leave. A small number of the men were ordered to stay aboard, with promises of extra rations of the local spirits. The bo'sun who was setting the watches drew Jack aside.
"Ye'll have to stay here, John lad. Can't have ye runnin' loose ashore."
"Course not, sir," Jack said, nodding. "Maybe the next port we reach?"
"I don't doubt it, if ye continue as ye have been," the bo'sun agreed. "None of us reckoned a pirate could reform so well." He turned to go, and glanced back. "They're picking you up a uniform from the base here, also - ye can get rid of them old breeches."
Jack forced a smile, and the bo'sun disappeared.
The crew left on board had a few tasks to complete before they could relax, and Jack maintained his façade until they were done. They ate, and settled down on deck to talk and sing.
It got dark. Out in the bay, Jack could see two lanterns shining on the Black Pearl, and shapes moving around. Evidently some of the pirates were also on watch. Water lapped gently against the ship's side.
He bided his time, and waited until some of the crew were beginning to look sleepy, and then he excused himself and sauntered off in the direction of the heads. Nobody seemed suspicious; indeed barely anyone took notice of his departure.
At the bow, Jack glanced back once. None of the other men were looking in his direction. He climbed up on the rail, poised himself, and dove neatly into the water, cutting cleanly through the surface.
He swam underwater until his breath gave out, and then surfaced cautiously. So far, his escape seemed to have gone unnoticed aboard the frigate. The Black Pearl was a few hundred metres away, across the bay, and Jack struck out quickly and strongly. The water was cold, deep, and he had no idea what creatures might be lurking in the blackness.
Jack swam round the far side of the Pearl, hidden from the sight of the frigate or indeed any other ship, and there he trod water. There were no ropes hanging down, but he was sure that someone would be on board, and so he let out a piercing whistle.
Footsteps sounded on deck, and shortly a head was hanging over the rail, searching the water.
"Ahoy there!" Jack called, as loudly as he dared. "Permission to come aboard?"
"Blow me." It was Thornton's voice. "Jack, is that you?"
"Aye, it's me," Jack said, still treading water. "Throw me a line, will you? It's mighty cold in here."
Thornton's head disappeared, and in a moment the pale line of a rope was trailing in the water. Jack gripped, and climbed, with Thornton pulling at the other end. He landed in a wet heap on the Pearl's dark deck with the mate looking down at him.
"Were you planning on staying here long?" he asked, dripping.
"Reckon you might be followed, is that it, lad?" Thornton returned, offering a hand to help Jack to his feet.
"I reckon so, aye," Jack agreed. "Ship like the Pearl isn't easily disguised, either."
Thornton nodded. "Just as well nobody's on shore tonight, then, ain't it?"
"Nobody?"
"Cap'n said as how it were too late to go ashore this evening. We were to have tomorrow on leave. They're having supper below. There's a deal of folk who'll be mighty glad to see you, lad." Thornton let out a whistle, and shortly one of the crew appeared. He stopped and stared when he saw Jack.
"Evening, Bob," Jack said.
"Well now, here's a surprise," Bob returned.
"Keep an eye on the ship, will you?" Thornton said. "I'm taking Jack below. Holler if anyone comes."
"Aye, sir," Bob said. "Good to have you back, Jack."
Jack grinned, and followed Thornton down below decks.
The crew were busy eating, but when Jack appeared, still soaking from his swim, they stopped and silence fell. Then there was a squeal from the bottom end of the table, and a small figure hurtled up to him and threw its arms around his waist.
"Jack!"
"You'll get wet doing that, love," Jack said, looking down at Anamaria's dark head.
"I don't care," she muttered into his shirt. "I thought you were dead."
"As did we all," Captain Flint added, standing up. "Where've you been, lad? How did you get here?"
"Hitched a lift with the East India Company," Jack said, disentangling Anamaria. "Did you see that frigate sail in earlier, cap'n?"
"The new one? Aye, I did," Flint said.
"That one. I was aloft furling canvas," Jack returned. "Got a pretty souvenir from them, too." He rolled up his sleeve and showed the captain his scar, now healing well but still a livid pink.
"Those bastards!" Thornton exclaimed. "Who do they think they are?"
Jack accepted a jacket from Carpenter, and sat down to tell the crew his tale. He did so briefly and, for once, without exaggerating any of the facts. "And I reckon they'll be here to search the ship before the night's out," he concluded. "Captain, we do not want to be on their wrong side. That frigate's got enough cannon to send the Pearl and all in her to Davy Jones."
The captain's face was grim. He nodded. "I reckon you're right, Jack. I'm not sorry to see you back, but I will be if we lose the Pearl." He pushed his chair back. "All right, gentlemen. All hands on deck! We've a bright moon to steer by and a fair wind - let's get this lady under way." The pirates hurried on deck, and Jack made to follow them, but Flint stopped him. "Not you - it's you they're after, and you'll catch your death. Go and get some dry gear on."
Nodding, Jack made for the sleeping quarters.
His hammock was still hanging, with his hat and his blanket and a spare shirt neatly piled in it. He picked up the hat and stroked it lovingly, before carefully putting it down again and changing his shirt. He had no spare breeches, so he contented himself with taking the wet ones off and wringing them out, and then putting them back on again. Finally, he untied his headscarf and replaced it in the preferred manner, letting his hair hang free to dry.
There was a clatter as the anchor was weighed, and Jack felt the ship start to move as the night breeze caught the sails. The floor tilted as the Black Pearl went about, her bow turning out to sea. Jack heard the rush of water beginning under her keel, and the creak of wood and rope. He smiled to himself, and climbed into his hammock to fall happily asleep.
By morning, they were well out at sea, and Jack came on deck to see blue sky and blue water and the green of the coast some distance away. He ran his hands affectionately along the battered rail and reflected that the Pearl's old wood was much more beautiful than the carefully tended, perfect paintwork of the Castle Frigate.
"Are you glad to be back?"
Jack turned, and looked down at Anamaria who had appeared beside him with a mop.
"I am, aye."
"I am glad you're back," she said, examining her toes. She held out the mop. "The captain says that you have to do some work."
He took the mop, and they settled to sluicing the decks. Anamaria hauled up buckets of water, and Jack mopped the decks and sent the water into the scuppers. Both of them got splashed, but neither of them minded.
Towards noon there was a call from aloft, where Joffo was on watch. "Sail ho, capitaine!"
"What sail?" Flint yelled back.
"Three masts. New white canvas. Frigate!" Joffo returned.
"Sparrow, get up there and tell me if it's your ship," the captain ordered.
Jack nodded, and scampered quickly up the rigging to join the Frenchman.
"She's a mile or so astern of us," Joffo said, pointing. "She's got all her canvas on."
"That's her," Jack said, and climbed swiftly down again to tell Flint.
"Can she catch us?" the captain asked.
"Yes."
"If we add all our canvas?"
Jack thought about it. "Then we can get away. And we should. I don't like running, cap'n, but if they catch us we haven't a hope."
Flint considered Jack. "Running doesn't suit, but ship and crew matter more." He raised his voice. "Stir yourselves - we're piling on canvas."
The men moved to their positions, and O'Connell struck up a shanty. The Pearl gathered speed, the water beneath the keel rushing past joyfully. Captain Flint adjusted the course to make best use of the wind, and the chasing ship gradually, but surely, lost ground.
"I hope that's the last we'll see of 'em," Flint said. Perched high above the deck, Jack fervently agreed with him.
----
"What shall we do with the drunken sailor?" Jack sang softly to himself, perched comfortably in the crows nest of the East India Company's Castle Frigate. "What shall we do with the drunken sailor? Early in the morning ..." His voice tailed off, and he pulled open the ship's telescope. Sails had appeared on the horizon.
Jack glanced down at the deck to check that nobody else had noticed the other ship, and then looked through the telescope.
"I knew it!" he told a passing seabird. He put the telescope to his eye again. "That's the Pearl."
The black sails seemed to be making good progress on a course parallel to the frigate's, heading east towards the islands of Indonesia. Jack grinned to himself, and deliberately turned the other way.
Following his sighting of the Black Pearl, Jack took extra pains to fulfil every order that was given to him. He behaved impeccably, and even made an effort not to be sarcastic - this took some doing, but he just succeeded, biting back comments before they escaped his mouth. It paid off, though; his good reputation increased and he was left alone far more.
He kept an eye out during his watches, and twice more thought he caught a glimpse of the black sails on the horizon. It got harder to distinguish them, however. The nearer they got to Indonesia, the more traffic there was. There were other European vessels - Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, for the most part - as well as the local, smaller ships and boats, and the horizon quickly became a mass of sails of all colours.
Dusk was falling as they sailed into a small port, a new town evidently built for trading. Jack was one of the topmen again, furling the main topsail as they reduced canvas for docking. As they glided into the harbour, another ship was anchoring out in the bay, dark sails furled tidily. Jack's lips curled into a grin.
Once the frigate was safely tied up to the docks, the crew were given shore leave. A small number of the men were ordered to stay aboard, with promises of extra rations of the local spirits. The bo'sun who was setting the watches drew Jack aside.
"Ye'll have to stay here, John lad. Can't have ye runnin' loose ashore."
"Course not, sir," Jack said, nodding. "Maybe the next port we reach?"
"I don't doubt it, if ye continue as ye have been," the bo'sun agreed. "None of us reckoned a pirate could reform so well." He turned to go, and glanced back. "They're picking you up a uniform from the base here, also - ye can get rid of them old breeches."
Jack forced a smile, and the bo'sun disappeared.
The crew left on board had a few tasks to complete before they could relax, and Jack maintained his façade until they were done. They ate, and settled down on deck to talk and sing.
It got dark. Out in the bay, Jack could see two lanterns shining on the Black Pearl, and shapes moving around. Evidently some of the pirates were also on watch. Water lapped gently against the ship's side.
He bided his time, and waited until some of the crew were beginning to look sleepy, and then he excused himself and sauntered off in the direction of the heads. Nobody seemed suspicious; indeed barely anyone took notice of his departure.
At the bow, Jack glanced back once. None of the other men were looking in his direction. He climbed up on the rail, poised himself, and dove neatly into the water, cutting cleanly through the surface.
He swam underwater until his breath gave out, and then surfaced cautiously. So far, his escape seemed to have gone unnoticed aboard the frigate. The Black Pearl was a few hundred metres away, across the bay, and Jack struck out quickly and strongly. The water was cold, deep, and he had no idea what creatures might be lurking in the blackness.
Jack swam round the far side of the Pearl, hidden from the sight of the frigate or indeed any other ship, and there he trod water. There were no ropes hanging down, but he was sure that someone would be on board, and so he let out a piercing whistle.
Footsteps sounded on deck, and shortly a head was hanging over the rail, searching the water.
"Ahoy there!" Jack called, as loudly as he dared. "Permission to come aboard?"
"Blow me." It was Thornton's voice. "Jack, is that you?"
"Aye, it's me," Jack said, still treading water. "Throw me a line, will you? It's mighty cold in here."
Thornton's head disappeared, and in a moment the pale line of a rope was trailing in the water. Jack gripped, and climbed, with Thornton pulling at the other end. He landed in a wet heap on the Pearl's dark deck with the mate looking down at him.
"Were you planning on staying here long?" he asked, dripping.
"Reckon you might be followed, is that it, lad?" Thornton returned, offering a hand to help Jack to his feet.
"I reckon so, aye," Jack agreed. "Ship like the Pearl isn't easily disguised, either."
Thornton nodded. "Just as well nobody's on shore tonight, then, ain't it?"
"Nobody?"
"Cap'n said as how it were too late to go ashore this evening. We were to have tomorrow on leave. They're having supper below. There's a deal of folk who'll be mighty glad to see you, lad." Thornton let out a whistle, and shortly one of the crew appeared. He stopped and stared when he saw Jack.
"Evening, Bob," Jack said.
"Well now, here's a surprise," Bob returned.
"Keep an eye on the ship, will you?" Thornton said. "I'm taking Jack below. Holler if anyone comes."
"Aye, sir," Bob said. "Good to have you back, Jack."
Jack grinned, and followed Thornton down below decks.
The crew were busy eating, but when Jack appeared, still soaking from his swim, they stopped and silence fell. Then there was a squeal from the bottom end of the table, and a small figure hurtled up to him and threw its arms around his waist.
"Jack!"
"You'll get wet doing that, love," Jack said, looking down at Anamaria's dark head.
"I don't care," she muttered into his shirt. "I thought you were dead."
"As did we all," Captain Flint added, standing up. "Where've you been, lad? How did you get here?"
"Hitched a lift with the East India Company," Jack said, disentangling Anamaria. "Did you see that frigate sail in earlier, cap'n?"
"The new one? Aye, I did," Flint said.
"That one. I was aloft furling canvas," Jack returned. "Got a pretty souvenir from them, too." He rolled up his sleeve and showed the captain his scar, now healing well but still a livid pink.
"Those bastards!" Thornton exclaimed. "Who do they think they are?"
Jack accepted a jacket from Carpenter, and sat down to tell the crew his tale. He did so briefly and, for once, without exaggerating any of the facts. "And I reckon they'll be here to search the ship before the night's out," he concluded. "Captain, we do not want to be on their wrong side. That frigate's got enough cannon to send the Pearl and all in her to Davy Jones."
The captain's face was grim. He nodded. "I reckon you're right, Jack. I'm not sorry to see you back, but I will be if we lose the Pearl." He pushed his chair back. "All right, gentlemen. All hands on deck! We've a bright moon to steer by and a fair wind - let's get this lady under way." The pirates hurried on deck, and Jack made to follow them, but Flint stopped him. "Not you - it's you they're after, and you'll catch your death. Go and get some dry gear on."
Nodding, Jack made for the sleeping quarters.
His hammock was still hanging, with his hat and his blanket and a spare shirt neatly piled in it. He picked up the hat and stroked it lovingly, before carefully putting it down again and changing his shirt. He had no spare breeches, so he contented himself with taking the wet ones off and wringing them out, and then putting them back on again. Finally, he untied his headscarf and replaced it in the preferred manner, letting his hair hang free to dry.
There was a clatter as the anchor was weighed, and Jack felt the ship start to move as the night breeze caught the sails. The floor tilted as the Black Pearl went about, her bow turning out to sea. Jack heard the rush of water beginning under her keel, and the creak of wood and rope. He smiled to himself, and climbed into his hammock to fall happily asleep.
By morning, they were well out at sea, and Jack came on deck to see blue sky and blue water and the green of the coast some distance away. He ran his hands affectionately along the battered rail and reflected that the Pearl's old wood was much more beautiful than the carefully tended, perfect paintwork of the Castle Frigate.
"Are you glad to be back?"
Jack turned, and looked down at Anamaria who had appeared beside him with a mop.
"I am, aye."
"I am glad you're back," she said, examining her toes. She held out the mop. "The captain says that you have to do some work."
He took the mop, and they settled to sluicing the decks. Anamaria hauled up buckets of water, and Jack mopped the decks and sent the water into the scuppers. Both of them got splashed, but neither of them minded.
Towards noon there was a call from aloft, where Joffo was on watch. "Sail ho, capitaine!"
"What sail?" Flint yelled back.
"Three masts. New white canvas. Frigate!" Joffo returned.
"Sparrow, get up there and tell me if it's your ship," the captain ordered.
Jack nodded, and scampered quickly up the rigging to join the Frenchman.
"She's a mile or so astern of us," Joffo said, pointing. "She's got all her canvas on."
"That's her," Jack said, and climbed swiftly down again to tell Flint.
"Can she catch us?" the captain asked.
"Yes."
"If we add all our canvas?"
Jack thought about it. "Then we can get away. And we should. I don't like running, cap'n, but if they catch us we haven't a hope."
Flint considered Jack. "Running doesn't suit, but ship and crew matter more." He raised his voice. "Stir yourselves - we're piling on canvas."
The men moved to their positions, and O'Connell struck up a shanty. The Pearl gathered speed, the water beneath the keel rushing past joyfully. Captain Flint adjusted the course to make best use of the wind, and the chasing ship gradually, but surely, lost ground.
"I hope that's the last we'll see of 'em," Flint said. Perched high above the deck, Jack fervently agreed with him.