Jack of All Trades
Chapter 2: The Warning
Mister Sparriff props his feet upon the stones of the main hearth, closes his eyes, and leans back in the rocking chair. He happily listens to the voice of his daughter, Sanette, as she chatters in the kitchen, at her mother, about married life and her friends in a higher class of society. Large whiffs of smoke billow from Jack Senior's pipe and fill the home with a comforting smell that is only experienced when he is not at sea.
"Father?" Sanette calls, "Father, aren't you listening to me?"
Sparriff raises his head. "Of course I am, Luv... What did you say?"
Sanette places her hands on her hips, then whirls over to her young father. She lovingly tugs on the black ponytail secured tightly at the base of his neck and brushes at the strands of grey hair that are prematurely beginning to increase in number. "I asked if you would call the rest of our guests to the table... The food is ready to eat..."
The Captain of the Pearl smiles, clamps his pipe in between his teeth, then slowly stands up. He takes his daughter by the hand and pirouettes her in playful circles... as if she were a little girl again. "You have grown into a fine woman," he esteems. "I imagine you cause much jealousy amongst those stuffy high-society broods you band with..."
Sanette bounces her raven black hair as she twirls, and laughs. "And being a fine woman, it would not be polite for me to allow our dinner to turn cold."
Sparriff lets go of his daughter and tacks his face in a boyish pout. "What do ye say we just leave those men outside and have dinner solely as a family for once, eh?"
Sanette returns the frown. "Father, Markus IS family... He is your son-in-law... And, Officer Reese and Doctor Mayne might as well be considered family... seeing how they watch over us while you are not here..."
The Captain quirks his mustache, sighs in defeat, then tromps over to the front door. He steps out into the chilly October air and makes his way over to the water well, only to discover that the men are no longer there. Opening his mouth to call out for them, Sparriff hears muffled voices carrying on behind the small barn over his root cellar. Silently, he slips closer... until he can hear the conversation.
"I've known Jack for a long time," Reese argues with the two other gentlemen. "He is loyal to the crown... He loves his country... and he would never do anything to cause his fellow Englishman unearned harm..."
"But I have seen these pamphlets!" the doctor returns. "I am as true to Jack's friendship as you are, Mister Reese... But when specific men are named with particulars against the King, I must stand with Markus... We must do something before our names are added, and circulated among the public."
Markus nods solemnly. "Doctor Mayne is correct... The names in those pamphlets have long been suspected to be part of the radical underground... Those men will no doubt, be hunted down and hung by the week's end."
Reese continues to stand in the captain's defense. "We can't even be sure that these claims are being written by Jack's hand... Everyone is well aware of Sparriff's influence on the common folk of this community... Perhaps someone is using his name to legitimize their cause..."
"Enough!" Markus snaps. "You know as I do, that Jack has a loose tongue. You hear just as I do, how he rambles on at meals about his opinions of government. Well, tonight... he must be silenced..."
Sparriff decides he has heard as much as he wants to hear. He takes in a deep breath, then makes his presence known by stomping the rest of the way to the barn. "Where've ye been, mates?" Jack asks. He pretends to be cheery, but his voice cracks with anger. "Washed up and ready to eat? Sanette and Rachelle have cooked up a feast."
Officer Reese smiles sadly at his friend. "You looked so content to be back in your home with your family, that we didn't want to intrude... So, we just decided to stay out here and jaw a bit, until you came out to fetch us..."
"Well," the captain answers, staring back intently, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important..."
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"James, wake up your brother again," Misses Sparrow orders her son. "Tell Jack that we are all waiting."
Thirteen year old James huffs a few words under his breath, then gets up from the dinner table and opens the door to the downstairs bedroom. He sneaks up to his older brother and flicks him on his injured arm. "Wake up, mud head... No one can eat until we've said grace... and we can't say grace until your butt is out on that bench..."
Jack Junior slowly opens his eyes and blinks at James, then closes them again and rolls over.
"Get up!" James pinches Jack's fresh wound until blood seeps through the bandage... and Jack yelps in pain.
Young Sparrow takes a wild swing at his brother... and falls from his bed in the process. He stands to his feet, wobbles a bit from the after effects of the medicinal rum, then chases James to the protection of their mother. "Mum's little baby boy," Jack mouths tauntingly, then sits next to his father.
Mister Sparriff laughs at Jack's messy bed head and dazed appearance, then clasps his hands together, bows reverently, closes his eyes, and waits for everyone else to follow rank.
The two boys, still glaring at each other, lower their heads and sit still as the prayer is being said. Jack notices the mound of mashed potatoes on the plate in front of him, then grins. Silently, he lifts his spoon from the table and rounds out a generous scoop.
James' eyes grow wide at the realization that Father's prayer is not going to end in time... and he is helpless to do anything about Jack's plan.
Jack slowly moves the spoon into a launch position, then pulls back, aims carefully...and releases.
Officer Reese struggles with all of his might, to stifle an outburst of laughter as he hears the potatoes splat against James' forehead.
The prayer continues peacefully for several moments more. Then, once completed, all hell breaks loose...
"MUM!!" James wails, as mashed potato slides down the bridge of his nose.
"JACK!" Mother howls in response. She jumps up from the table, whirls around the men in her way and grabs her oldest son by the ear. "I have had all I can take!"
Jack winces in pain as he is pulled from his seat... his head tilted to the side like a teapot.
"Rachelle! Rachelle!" Mister Sparriff calms his wife. "Let the boy be. He's had a rough day..."
"He's had a rough day?!" Misses Sparriff shouts back. "What kind of day is it going to be when our son is brought home in the mortician's wagon because he can't seem to stay clear of trouble?" Mother releases her hold on Jack, then stares over her guests who are busily eating their dinner and minding their own business. She sighs at her outburst, then clears her plate. "Reese... Doctor Mayne... Markus... It was good to see you all again... But I think I shall retire for the night if you do not mind..."
The men politely stand up in unison and thank Rachelle for her hospitality as she heads for the kitchen. Sparriff removes himself from the table as well, and begins to go after his wife, when a small thump is heard at the front door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Sanette thinks out loud. She daintily hops up and wisps her way over, to answer the sound. When she opens the door, Sanette lets out a horrified scream.
Captain Sparriff spins around to see what is causing his daughters fright. He catches his breath in his throat when he discovers a dead barn sparrow nailed to the wood of the front door by an arrow, trimmed in black.
Young Jack narrows his eyes in alarm as he notices a rare fright in his father's face. He glances around and notices that the same expression is shared by everyone else in the room... everyone else that is, except for his brother-in-law Markus... who is hiding a slight smile.
*Author's note: Being a girl who needs many, many creative outlets to sustain her sanity... I have drawn a picture of Young Sparrow and posted it on potcfandom.com if anyone be interested...
Mister Sparriff props his feet upon the stones of the main hearth, closes his eyes, and leans back in the rocking chair. He happily listens to the voice of his daughter, Sanette, as she chatters in the kitchen, at her mother, about married life and her friends in a higher class of society. Large whiffs of smoke billow from Jack Senior's pipe and fill the home with a comforting smell that is only experienced when he is not at sea.
"Father?" Sanette calls, "Father, aren't you listening to me?"
Sparriff raises his head. "Of course I am, Luv... What did you say?"
Sanette places her hands on her hips, then whirls over to her young father. She lovingly tugs on the black ponytail secured tightly at the base of his neck and brushes at the strands of grey hair that are prematurely beginning to increase in number. "I asked if you would call the rest of our guests to the table... The food is ready to eat..."
The Captain of the Pearl smiles, clamps his pipe in between his teeth, then slowly stands up. He takes his daughter by the hand and pirouettes her in playful circles... as if she were a little girl again. "You have grown into a fine woman," he esteems. "I imagine you cause much jealousy amongst those stuffy high-society broods you band with..."
Sanette bounces her raven black hair as she twirls, and laughs. "And being a fine woman, it would not be polite for me to allow our dinner to turn cold."
Sparriff lets go of his daughter and tacks his face in a boyish pout. "What do ye say we just leave those men outside and have dinner solely as a family for once, eh?"
Sanette returns the frown. "Father, Markus IS family... He is your son-in-law... And, Officer Reese and Doctor Mayne might as well be considered family... seeing how they watch over us while you are not here..."
The Captain quirks his mustache, sighs in defeat, then tromps over to the front door. He steps out into the chilly October air and makes his way over to the water well, only to discover that the men are no longer there. Opening his mouth to call out for them, Sparriff hears muffled voices carrying on behind the small barn over his root cellar. Silently, he slips closer... until he can hear the conversation.
"I've known Jack for a long time," Reese argues with the two other gentlemen. "He is loyal to the crown... He loves his country... and he would never do anything to cause his fellow Englishman unearned harm..."
"But I have seen these pamphlets!" the doctor returns. "I am as true to Jack's friendship as you are, Mister Reese... But when specific men are named with particulars against the King, I must stand with Markus... We must do something before our names are added, and circulated among the public."
Markus nods solemnly. "Doctor Mayne is correct... The names in those pamphlets have long been suspected to be part of the radical underground... Those men will no doubt, be hunted down and hung by the week's end."
Reese continues to stand in the captain's defense. "We can't even be sure that these claims are being written by Jack's hand... Everyone is well aware of Sparriff's influence on the common folk of this community... Perhaps someone is using his name to legitimize their cause..."
"Enough!" Markus snaps. "You know as I do, that Jack has a loose tongue. You hear just as I do, how he rambles on at meals about his opinions of government. Well, tonight... he must be silenced..."
Sparriff decides he has heard as much as he wants to hear. He takes in a deep breath, then makes his presence known by stomping the rest of the way to the barn. "Where've ye been, mates?" Jack asks. He pretends to be cheery, but his voice cracks with anger. "Washed up and ready to eat? Sanette and Rachelle have cooked up a feast."
Officer Reese smiles sadly at his friend. "You looked so content to be back in your home with your family, that we didn't want to intrude... So, we just decided to stay out here and jaw a bit, until you came out to fetch us..."
"Well," the captain answers, staring back intently, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything too important..."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"James, wake up your brother again," Misses Sparrow orders her son. "Tell Jack that we are all waiting."
Thirteen year old James huffs a few words under his breath, then gets up from the dinner table and opens the door to the downstairs bedroom. He sneaks up to his older brother and flicks him on his injured arm. "Wake up, mud head... No one can eat until we've said grace... and we can't say grace until your butt is out on that bench..."
Jack Junior slowly opens his eyes and blinks at James, then closes them again and rolls over.
"Get up!" James pinches Jack's fresh wound until blood seeps through the bandage... and Jack yelps in pain.
Young Sparrow takes a wild swing at his brother... and falls from his bed in the process. He stands to his feet, wobbles a bit from the after effects of the medicinal rum, then chases James to the protection of their mother. "Mum's little baby boy," Jack mouths tauntingly, then sits next to his father.
Mister Sparriff laughs at Jack's messy bed head and dazed appearance, then clasps his hands together, bows reverently, closes his eyes, and waits for everyone else to follow rank.
The two boys, still glaring at each other, lower their heads and sit still as the prayer is being said. Jack notices the mound of mashed potatoes on the plate in front of him, then grins. Silently, he lifts his spoon from the table and rounds out a generous scoop.
James' eyes grow wide at the realization that Father's prayer is not going to end in time... and he is helpless to do anything about Jack's plan.
Jack slowly moves the spoon into a launch position, then pulls back, aims carefully...and releases.
Officer Reese struggles with all of his might, to stifle an outburst of laughter as he hears the potatoes splat against James' forehead.
The prayer continues peacefully for several moments more. Then, once completed, all hell breaks loose...
"MUM!!" James wails, as mashed potato slides down the bridge of his nose.
"JACK!" Mother howls in response. She jumps up from the table, whirls around the men in her way and grabs her oldest son by the ear. "I have had all I can take!"
Jack winces in pain as he is pulled from his seat... his head tilted to the side like a teapot.
"Rachelle! Rachelle!" Mister Sparriff calms his wife. "Let the boy be. He's had a rough day..."
"He's had a rough day?!" Misses Sparriff shouts back. "What kind of day is it going to be when our son is brought home in the mortician's wagon because he can't seem to stay clear of trouble?" Mother releases her hold on Jack, then stares over her guests who are busily eating their dinner and minding their own business. She sighs at her outburst, then clears her plate. "Reese... Doctor Mayne... Markus... It was good to see you all again... But I think I shall retire for the night if you do not mind..."
The men politely stand up in unison and thank Rachelle for her hospitality as she heads for the kitchen. Sparriff removes himself from the table as well, and begins to go after his wife, when a small thump is heard at the front door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Sanette thinks out loud. She daintily hops up and wisps her way over, to answer the sound. When she opens the door, Sanette lets out a horrified scream.
Captain Sparriff spins around to see what is causing his daughters fright. He catches his breath in his throat when he discovers a dead barn sparrow nailed to the wood of the front door by an arrow, trimmed in black.
Young Jack narrows his eyes in alarm as he notices a rare fright in his father's face. He glances around and notices that the same expression is shared by everyone else in the room... everyone else that is, except for his brother-in-law Markus... who is hiding a slight smile.
*Author's note: Being a girl who needs many, many creative outlets to sustain her sanity... I have drawn a picture of Young Sparrow and posted it on potcfandom.com if anyone be interested...