Caribbean Crusades
Chapter 4
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Hi, it's me again. Thankee to all my cool reviewers. Very much appreciated.
Here's replies to a couple of my reviewers:
Queen Flare - No, I was not offended. I always appreciate a piece of constructive criticism. Thanks for taking the time to offer me some advice. I think you'll find that in the next few chapters, it strays slightly from the movie storyline. I'm going to redo my chapters anyway, and see what other changes I can make. I hope you'll read on.
Chavi West-Wind - yeah, I suppose you're right about how Sam talks and acts. I actually based Sam on me (makes it easier that way), and what I'd do or say in the situation, without having her stealing the other character's lines. That's probably why it seems like it follows the movie a lot, because I tried not to change the storyline and the character's lines too much. She doesn't dress up because she doesn't like it, and she won't change herself just for anyone, and she switches between proper English, and slang depending on her situation. I'll definitely include her in the story more, and give her some important stuff to do, though.
StoryTellerJS - Thanks for your reviews, they made me laugh. The land of mayonnaise shall forever be safe with you around! ^.^!
And onto the story we go…
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We docked at Tortuga late that afternoon, and we followed Jack through the town, while he explained to Tortuga to Will.
"…More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"
"It'll linger" Will said, looking like he was not too sure about this town. I could understand that. I looked about the streets in disgust. I'd never seen anything like this in my life, not even in the worse sections of Port Royale.
The streets were lined with drunken men, and women squeezed into dresses that are at least a size too small. Women would give the men a peep show Tortuga style, by putting the folds of their dresses over their heads. Men were getting rum and other alcohol poured into their mouths, not to mention everywhere else.
"I'll tell you, mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Jack said proudly.
I grimaced. If you say so Jack. Judging by Will's expression, I could tell he was thinking along the same lines. I looked around nervously at all the creepy old men around and decided to push my way in between Jack and Will.
"Feelin' a little scared, luv?"
"You wish. I'm just cold, that's all." I bluffed. For some reason, I didn't want to admit to him that I wasn't too comfortable with this town. I didn't want him to think any less of me.
As we walked down the muddy road, we came across a woman that Jack obviously knew. She was obviously a prostitute, dressed all in red, and she didn't look too happy.
"Scarlet!" Jack exclaimed. She pursed her lips and slapped Jack, then strode off.
Jack looked at us, slightly confused. "Not sure I deserved that."
We soon came across another woman, that Jack obviously didn't know.
"Giselle!" he exclaimed.
She put her hands on her hips and scowled at Jack. "Who was she?" then she slapped him.
"I may have deserved that."
"You think?"
Jack led us through Tortuga, and we stopped at a water pump he filled a bucket with water and handed it to me then he filled another bucket for himself and we walked around the corner to a pig sty, where there was a man, sleeping with the pigs.
Jack grinned and sloshed the water all over the man. He was definitely enjoying this, I decided.
Gibbs woke with a start. "Curse you fer breathin', ye slack-jawed idiot!" he yelled before realising who it was that woke him. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck."
"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." Jack explained, waving his hands around erratically.
Gibbs looked confused as he considered it, then his whole face changed as he realised what Jack had said. "Aye, that'll about do it." He agreed.
I looked at the bucket I was holding in my hand, dying to throw it at him, but being the good, generous person I am, I handed it to Will, giving him the water sloshing privilege. He looked at the bucket, and I jerked my head towards Gibbs. He shrugged and sloshed the water all over him.
"Blast! I'm already awake!" Gibbs spluttered.
"That was for the smell." I said, smiling sweetly. Gibbs nodded as if that was a reasonable explanation.
Gibbs led us to his favourite bar and sat us at a vacant table in the corner. It was a noisy, violent place, but exciting nonetheless. Deciding that I was going to enjoy myself, I dragged Will up to the bar to get us a drink.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked as I slid onto the barstool.
"Um, I'll have a rum." I said. I looked at Will. "Actually, make that two."
"I don't want anything." Will said. "And if you've got any sense, you shouldn't either. I mean, have you seen this place?"
I slung my arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Will. Lighten up. 'Sides, we got Jack."
Will looked over his shoulder at Jack, who was sitting at a table with Gibbs, surrounded by women in their skimpy little dresses. Will looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "He looks a little preoccupied."
The bartender slammed two mugs of rum in front of us.
I lifted mine to him. "Thankee, mate." I said, deliberately not talking proper in an effort to fit in.
I pushed Will's mug towards him, and he picked it up hesitantly.
"Drink up." I said, slapping him on his back, making some of his rum slosh out of the mug.
I belted back my drink, and noticed that Will had almost finished his.
I signalled to the bartender. "Top these up my good man."
He topped them up again and we sat in silence, sipping at our rum. I could faintly hear Jack and Gibbs' conversation.
" Now, what's the nature of this venture your'n?" Gibbs asked.
"I'm going after the Black Pearl." Jack stated, plain and simple. Gibbs choked on his drink and coughed. "I know where it's going to be and I'm going to take it."
"Jack, it's a fool's errand. Well, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl"
"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to…all I need is a crew."
"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools nor strike a bargain with one." Gibbs warned.
"Well, then I say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, aye?" Jack countered.
"Prove me wrong. What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"
"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, aye?" Jack says smoothly, nodding over to where we were sitting a number of times before Gibbs got it. Is this guy slow or what?
"The lass?"
Jack shook his head, frustrated.
"The lad?"
"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?" Jack said.
Will's Bootstrap Bill's child? Wow, that's the last thing I'd have thought of him.
"Is he now? Leverage says you, I think I feel a change in the wind says I. I'll find us a crew, there's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."
Unlikely.
"One can only hope. Take what you can…" Jack toasted Gibbs and they clinked their mugs.
"…Give nothing back!"
They drained the rest of their drinks and slammed the empty mugs on the table simultaneously.
I turned my attention back to Will. He'd obviously heard the conversation as well and he'd stopped drinking.
"Come on, drink up." I said, shoving him yet another mug full of rum. Will reluctantly picked the mug up, and started drinking again.
It was a while before Jack came back over to us. He took one look at Will, who was by then, very drunk, and was explaining to me the finer points of sword crafting.
"Ish veryyy shimple. All yer gotsta go ish melt t'all up an' cool ish all d'wn 'gain, do a lit'le bangin' and yer got yershelf a pertty shword."
I was pretty tipsy myself, but having been drinking for years. I used to meet one of my friends, Robbie, down by the beach to drink. He'd steal drink out of his dad's bar, and share it with me. He'd been doing that since we were about 15. No one but him and I knew about it, though, and his dad had never discovered the missing drink. Not so surprising if you knew his dad. He was so scatterbrained, and was always misplacing things. And as a result of this, I could handle my alcohol pretty well. Will, it seems, could not.
"Have you been gettin' Will here drunk?" Jack asked, looking at the state of Will, who was slumped over the bar.
"Course I 'ave. Needed t'know how much he could handle."
Jack laughed. "Good on ya, luv. Now let's get him into a bed so he can sleep it off."
I slid off the stool, and waited for the room to stop spinning before grabbing one of Will's arms while Jack grabbed the other. I put a few gold coins on the bar to pay for our drinks, and we pulled Will off the stool and half walked half dragged him to a nearby hotel.
We were directed upstairs to the only room the hotel had left. Jack kicked the door open and we dumped Will on the nearest bed, where he lay, spread out like a starfish. I giggled, he looked incredibly funny like that. Wait a minute, when was the last time I giggled? I was beginning to think that I must be a little more than tipsy. I shrugged. Oh well, don't matter now. Yeah, you keep on thinking that, missy, my brain told me. It was only then that I spotted the only other bed in the room. There wasn't even a couch for goodness sakes. There was only a double bed, sitting there ominously. I could almost see it laughing at me…or maybe that was the rum…
"Well, it looks like yer stuck with me then, luv." Jack said. "Now if ye don't mind, I'm goin' to bed. Will you be joinin' me?" He pulled off his jacket and laid his hat and other effects on the floor next to the bed.
"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" I said.
Jack grinned at me and shrugged.
I undid the belt that was securing the sword I'd been carrying all day and dropped it on the floor and I swung myself into bed. Jack, who must have been a bit tipsy too, rolled over and threw his arm around me and pulled me close.
I peeled his arm off. "I don't think so, Mr Sparrow. And you stick to your side." I said.
"Captain. Captain Sparrow." Jack mumbled back and just like that, he was sound asleep and I wasn't much far behind.
I woke up in the morning, with an arm slung over me from behind. I rolled over and came face to face with Jack, who was already awake.
"Mornin', luv." He said, grinning cheekily. He leaned forward, gave me a quick kiss on the lips and rolled over out of bed, pulling on his shirt and adjusting his bandanna before putting on his hat.
I half-heartedly frowned at him, and got out of bed myself, crossing the room to where Will was still sleeping. Heh, heh, he probably had a monster headache.
"Will."
Will groaned and rolled over.
"Will. Get up, we have to go."
When he didn't respond, I started shaking him. "Earthquake!" I yelled.
Will suddenly sat bolt upright, looking incredibly shocked, his eyes wide.
My job done, I walked back across the room and picked up my sword belt and put it on.
Will rolled out of bed. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt, because he looked terrible. His eyes were all glazed and he didn't look all there, if you know what I mean.
"Sorry, mate." I said.
Will waved his hand dismissively as he made his way to the water bowl and splashed water all over his face. He turned around, looking slightly more awake.
"Righto, mates, let's get goin'." Jack said, swaying his way out of the room, with Will doing a very good impression of him.
We made our way down to the dock, where Gibbs had a line of people there, ready and waiting for Jack's say-so.
"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot." Gibbs said, proudly.
"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will asked incredulously, as we made our way down the line, every mix of man lined up in front of us. Young, old, short, tall, some looking like they were still feeling the effects of last night's drinking, some looking like they were a few sandwiches short of a picnic…if you know what I mean…
Jack ignored Will's comment and stopped in front of a greying sailor with a parrot perched on his shoulder.
"You, sailor!"
"Cotton, sir." Gibbs provided.
"Mr. Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death? Mr. Cotton! Answer me!" Jack said.
"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him. No one's yet figured how…" Gibbs explained.
Cotton poked what was left of his tongue out. Jack looked squeamish and poked his own tongue out. Will gave Jack a disbelieving look. I smiled, despite the fact that my stomach was twisting about at the sight of the stump. I ran my tongue over my teeth, grateful that I still had it.
"Mr Cotton's…parrot. Same question."
"Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" the parrot squawked.
"Mostly, we figure, that means 'yes'." Gibbs provided.
"O'course it does. Satisfied?" Jack said, turning to Will.
"Well, you've proved them mad." Will said grimly.
"And what's the benefit for us?" a woman's voice asked from somewhere down the line.
Jack grimaced and hesitantly walked down the line. He pulled the sailor's hat off her head, revealing long dark hair, which tumbled down past her shoulders. "Anamaria." He stated grimly.
Anamaria slapped Jack. Poor guy.
"I 'spose you didn't deserve that one, either?" Will said.
"No, that one I deserved." Jack said matter-of-factly.
"You stole my boat!" Anamaria accused.
"Actually." Jack started to explain, before getting slapped again. "Borrowed, borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back to you."
"But you didn't!" she insisted.
"You'll get another one." Jack promised.
Anamaria stuck her finger in Jack's face menacingly. "I will"
"A better one." Will piped up.
"A better one!" Jack agreed enthusiastically.
"That one!" I said, pointing at the Interceptor. It was fun to see Jack squirm.
Jack gave me a look. " What one?" he growled. "That one?!" I shrugged, smiling innocently at him. "Aye! That one." Jack said, not given much choice now. "What say you?"
Anamaria thought about it, then yelled. "Aye!"
"No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir. Let alone two!" Gibbs cut in.
"It'd be far worse not to have 'em." Jack corrected.
I grinned and followed them down the dock. This was going to be fun.
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There ye go. The end of another chapter. The next chapter 'Pululehvoos' will be along in a couple of days. Look forward to seeing ye there, savvy?