Usual disclaimers. drat, drat and double drat!
*** James Schott sat huddled in a ball on the leaward side of the small spit of land. Peter Spense sat dejectedly next to him. They had been marooned for nearly two weeks and their food and water was nearly exhausted. James knew that if it had not been for a few scrawny palm trees they would already be dead.
"He will come Peter, trust me!" James faith in Jack was still undiminished, despite his fears. He eyed the water rising. "Jack will come!" He cuddled Pearl underneath his shirt for although she did not like it, she liked the storm less.
"What was that?" Peter started. "I thought I heard."
"Jimmy!" A voice nearby shouted. "Jimmy!"
"Jack?" James poked his head above the top of the dune. "Jack!"
Jack fell over the top of the dune in the dark, sliding a few feet below them nearly into the water. "Thank heavens you're alright!" He clambered back up to them. "Quick - we've gotta go before this spit floods!"
He led the two boys back to the ships boat where Theodore and two burly pirates, Hawker and Gibson, waited at the oars. They rowed back to the Black Pearl, fighting against the ever increasing waves. For a panicked moment James thought they would not make it, the small boat tossed high by the storm, but then the hull of the ship shielded them, strong hands hauling them on deck. Before they could speak they were bundled into the cabin, the men climbing quickly up behind them.
"Gibbs, get us out of here!" Jack ordered. "Run before it with as much sail as we can!" He glanced southwards. "Sweeps for as long as it's safe too!"
Jack dashed into his cabin out of the stinging rain as the Black Pearl fled northwards. Catherine walked across to hug him but was beaten by James. Jack crouched down, hugging him back. "I gotta go on deck Jimmy - we've gotta run from a big storm. Go with your friend and get some food an' rest. there's two hammocks ready below." He rose. "Theo - I need every hand at the sweeps."
***
When the storm lessened, Oran Booth took the wheel and he staggered back to his cabin. He found Catherine wrapped in some blankets wedged in the corner of the cabin. He smiled at the memories it brought back - the night she had undressed him and wrapped her arms around him for the first time. Fingers shaking with cold he eventually managed to slip his clothes off, sliding beneath the blankets with her.
"Aaaaaaaarrgghh!" Catherine sat upright, blankets slipping from her shoulders. "You're cold!"
"So warm me up then," he murmured, pulling her back down again.
***
The next day she woke to find him pouring over a large map. The sea was still rough, but she hoped that the worst of the storm had passed. She had just pulled on her shirt when Theodore strode into the cabin. She walked across to the table, standing next to Jack. "Where are we?" she asked.
Jack nodded to Theodore. "Apart from way off course, I've no idea. Roughly here I guess." He jabbed his finger to the east of Bermuda. "An' we need to get here." He pointed to the massive river system of the Amazon. "Th' bastards already have a week's start on us!"
"How long will it take you from Port Royal?" Theodore queried.
"Port Royal? I'm not going to Port Royal mate!" He looked up sharply. "I'm seven days behind already - I'm not making that nine! Pearl might be fast but she's not that bloody fast!"
"Jack! You have to drop us off at Port Royal! We cannot go on this treasure hunt!" Theodore argued.
"But I'm not going t' Port Royal! If I'm lucky it'll be twelve days to Belem. an' then a bit more. I may have given him th' map but I'm not giving him th' treasure! An' I still don't know who he is!"
None of them had noticed the two boys entering the cabin. "The ship was the Swallow, Jack - does that help?"
"Wha." Jack spun to face James. "Are you sure Jimmy?"
"They were careful not to name anyone, but we saw the ship's name when they left us."
Jack turned back to the map, his fingers dancing across it as he calculated the other ships top speed. "Close," he murmured. "Too bloody close!" His finger paused over the southern Caribbean - the British controlled island of Barbados. "If I give yer a ships boat near here, could you make it ashore?"
"What about the men?" Theodore asked.
"Commodore wants Lact an' I'll need 'em for that, plus I'll probably need every boat I've got on th' river!" Jack insisted. He paused, finger tapping on the table as he thought. "I'll spare one boat, that's all - look, there'll be enough room for you, the boys and a few marines to row. but the rest stay!"
Theodore looked at the children worriedly. He knew that he should not, could not, leave his men but he had to get the boys back to Port Royal. He could see though that Jack would not back down and he knew how badly Jack needed the extra men, especially if he had to fight the Swallow.
"Could you not send a letter with one of your men Theo?" Catherine looked at her brother, seeing the indecision on his face. "The boys will be safe on the Black Pearl - safer than sailing across the Caribbean with just a few men protecting them. but the Commodore and Governor Spense will need to know that they are safe."
Theodore sighed. He knew that she was right - it would be dangerous to send the boys back without a proper escort, but to do so would leave the Black Pearl seriously undermanned and both the Commodore and Governor Spense would expect those that snatched the boys to be caught. Reluctantly he nodded.
"Woohoo!" James jumped excitedly. "We're staying on the Pearl!"
Catherine stared at him, quietening his enthusiasm. "And you will work for your passage - both of you! I will need help in the galley." James suddenly did not look so excited.
Jack started rummaging in one of the chests in the cabin, his hand resting on some red cloth. "Gibbs!" he shouted, "Run this up, an' the other three below it!" Joshamee took the flag from him, and soon all four red flags were flying, just as Jack had told the nun. If anyone was stupid enough to try to attack them, then they had received fair warning.
***
The Black Pearl sailed southwards towards as fast as she could, stopping only to drop the single marine off at Bridgetown. Within an hour they were off again, as fast as the sails and sweeps could take them.
***
Commodore James Norrington sat quietly in his office reading the letter from Captain Groves. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the boys were safe, but worried when he realised that they were still aboard the Black Pearl - which was flying four reds and heading to the Amazon. He rose, reaching for his hat before heading to the Governor's Mansion - Thomas Spense would want to know the contents of the letter immediately.
*** James Schott sat huddled in a ball on the leaward side of the small spit of land. Peter Spense sat dejectedly next to him. They had been marooned for nearly two weeks and their food and water was nearly exhausted. James knew that if it had not been for a few scrawny palm trees they would already be dead.
"He will come Peter, trust me!" James faith in Jack was still undiminished, despite his fears. He eyed the water rising. "Jack will come!" He cuddled Pearl underneath his shirt for although she did not like it, she liked the storm less.
"What was that?" Peter started. "I thought I heard."
"Jimmy!" A voice nearby shouted. "Jimmy!"
"Jack?" James poked his head above the top of the dune. "Jack!"
Jack fell over the top of the dune in the dark, sliding a few feet below them nearly into the water. "Thank heavens you're alright!" He clambered back up to them. "Quick - we've gotta go before this spit floods!"
He led the two boys back to the ships boat where Theodore and two burly pirates, Hawker and Gibson, waited at the oars. They rowed back to the Black Pearl, fighting against the ever increasing waves. For a panicked moment James thought they would not make it, the small boat tossed high by the storm, but then the hull of the ship shielded them, strong hands hauling them on deck. Before they could speak they were bundled into the cabin, the men climbing quickly up behind them.
"Gibbs, get us out of here!" Jack ordered. "Run before it with as much sail as we can!" He glanced southwards. "Sweeps for as long as it's safe too!"
Jack dashed into his cabin out of the stinging rain as the Black Pearl fled northwards. Catherine walked across to hug him but was beaten by James. Jack crouched down, hugging him back. "I gotta go on deck Jimmy - we've gotta run from a big storm. Go with your friend and get some food an' rest. there's two hammocks ready below." He rose. "Theo - I need every hand at the sweeps."
***
When the storm lessened, Oran Booth took the wheel and he staggered back to his cabin. He found Catherine wrapped in some blankets wedged in the corner of the cabin. He smiled at the memories it brought back - the night she had undressed him and wrapped her arms around him for the first time. Fingers shaking with cold he eventually managed to slip his clothes off, sliding beneath the blankets with her.
"Aaaaaaaarrgghh!" Catherine sat upright, blankets slipping from her shoulders. "You're cold!"
"So warm me up then," he murmured, pulling her back down again.
***
The next day she woke to find him pouring over a large map. The sea was still rough, but she hoped that the worst of the storm had passed. She had just pulled on her shirt when Theodore strode into the cabin. She walked across to the table, standing next to Jack. "Where are we?" she asked.
Jack nodded to Theodore. "Apart from way off course, I've no idea. Roughly here I guess." He jabbed his finger to the east of Bermuda. "An' we need to get here." He pointed to the massive river system of the Amazon. "Th' bastards already have a week's start on us!"
"How long will it take you from Port Royal?" Theodore queried.
"Port Royal? I'm not going to Port Royal mate!" He looked up sharply. "I'm seven days behind already - I'm not making that nine! Pearl might be fast but she's not that bloody fast!"
"Jack! You have to drop us off at Port Royal! We cannot go on this treasure hunt!" Theodore argued.
"But I'm not going t' Port Royal! If I'm lucky it'll be twelve days to Belem. an' then a bit more. I may have given him th' map but I'm not giving him th' treasure! An' I still don't know who he is!"
None of them had noticed the two boys entering the cabin. "The ship was the Swallow, Jack - does that help?"
"Wha." Jack spun to face James. "Are you sure Jimmy?"
"They were careful not to name anyone, but we saw the ship's name when they left us."
Jack turned back to the map, his fingers dancing across it as he calculated the other ships top speed. "Close," he murmured. "Too bloody close!" His finger paused over the southern Caribbean - the British controlled island of Barbados. "If I give yer a ships boat near here, could you make it ashore?"
"What about the men?" Theodore asked.
"Commodore wants Lact an' I'll need 'em for that, plus I'll probably need every boat I've got on th' river!" Jack insisted. He paused, finger tapping on the table as he thought. "I'll spare one boat, that's all - look, there'll be enough room for you, the boys and a few marines to row. but the rest stay!"
Theodore looked at the children worriedly. He knew that he should not, could not, leave his men but he had to get the boys back to Port Royal. He could see though that Jack would not back down and he knew how badly Jack needed the extra men, especially if he had to fight the Swallow.
"Could you not send a letter with one of your men Theo?" Catherine looked at her brother, seeing the indecision on his face. "The boys will be safe on the Black Pearl - safer than sailing across the Caribbean with just a few men protecting them. but the Commodore and Governor Spense will need to know that they are safe."
Theodore sighed. He knew that she was right - it would be dangerous to send the boys back without a proper escort, but to do so would leave the Black Pearl seriously undermanned and both the Commodore and Governor Spense would expect those that snatched the boys to be caught. Reluctantly he nodded.
"Woohoo!" James jumped excitedly. "We're staying on the Pearl!"
Catherine stared at him, quietening his enthusiasm. "And you will work for your passage - both of you! I will need help in the galley." James suddenly did not look so excited.
Jack started rummaging in one of the chests in the cabin, his hand resting on some red cloth. "Gibbs!" he shouted, "Run this up, an' the other three below it!" Joshamee took the flag from him, and soon all four red flags were flying, just as Jack had told the nun. If anyone was stupid enough to try to attack them, then they had received fair warning.
***
The Black Pearl sailed southwards towards as fast as she could, stopping only to drop the single marine off at Bridgetown. Within an hour they were off again, as fast as the sails and sweeps could take them.
***
Commodore James Norrington sat quietly in his office reading the letter from Captain Groves. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the boys were safe, but worried when he realised that they were still aboard the Black Pearl - which was flying four reds and heading to the Amazon. He rose, reaching for his hat before heading to the Governor's Mansion - Thomas Spense would want to know the contents of the letter immediately.