Things Fall Apart
09 going to trial
Disclaimer: Previous chapter.
Author's Note: I didn't expect to have another update out this soon. Who'dve thought? Oh well, here it is, anyway. Jack wanders into my head when I'm trying to sleep at 3am and makes me write these things, damn him. Maybe its the sixth grader Titanic fan that still lives somewhere deep inside of me, but in this chapter I could almost swear that Elizabeth is Rose. Many points for anyone else who picks up on that. ;x
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Without much delay Elizabeth had rushed to one of her father's carriages and ordered that the dumbfounded coachman take her to the jail at once. Her father in tow, she climbed into the back as if she had been there all along. The Governor said nothing, knowing full well how his daughter could get when she set her mind to something, but went along as a means of seeing that no harm befall her. Well, that, and perhaps a bit of curiosity.
It was now a few miles and many minutes later, and the girl was stepping out of the carriage, totally bypassing her father's outstretched helpful hand. Damning herself for the dress she was wearing she struggled to navigate her way through mud and cobblestone, and, finally reached the door of the jail. There were guards posted at either end, stopping in front of them she placed a hand on her hip, speaking just as her father appeared beside her.
"You have a prisoner here, and I wish to see him immediately." She shot, before the men could greet the lady.
The two guards exchanged looks and finally one of them spoke.
"And what prisoner would that be, miss? We do have more than one." It was said in a patronizing tone that she decided to ignore at the moment.
"Jack Sparrow." She said quickly, causing the men to look at each other again.
As if suddenly realizing, either by her dress or by the man standing beside her, who they were talking to, the one that had spoke before shook his head.
"Can't let you in, Miss Swann. Commodore's orders."
Of all people, James Norrington wanted to be absolutely sure that Elizabeth had no contact with Jack. It was all part of usual practice of breaking a pirate's spirit before their hanging. Because, lets face it, killing a person for no good reason was no fun if they weren't first broken.
Something in Elizabeth's head just clicked, and she was filled with a boldness and anger that was foreign to her. Grabbing the stubborn guard by his collar she exerted all the force she could muster and pushed him against the wall. Had he wanted to fight back he could have bested her, of course, but frankly, the man was shocked.
"I'm through being polite, goddamnit! Now let me in!"
Before the other redcoat could make a move to relieve his friend of this mad woman the Governor quickly placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. Coming back to her senses she released her would be victim and turned to her father, taken aback by her own outburst, but not apologetic by any means. The two guards once again looked at each other, and then turned to Governor Swann, searching for approval. Elizabeth's father nodded, and the guards shrugged, and stepped away from the door.
His escorts had not been kind at all, Jack remembered painfully, rubbing the bump that was beginning to form on his temple. All he had done was ask for a drink, and for that he received the butt of a gun, and the sound of a cell door closing abruptly. He sat in the corner of his cell, not bothering to move, only staring down at the pathetic excuse for a floor. Knees were brought up and his arms rested there, he thought about a lot of things. Mainly about Elizabeth, and somehow not dying, of course.
But he was not so deep in thought that he did not hear the sound of heels on the stone stairs leading down into the main area of the jail. Remembering suddenly that it was not the practice of the Royal Navy or Marines to wear heels, he looked up. Dark eyes fell on what he was quite certain was a hallucination, that is, until she spoke.
"God." She breathed, horrified at his roughed up exterior, and a rather nasty looking cut on his jaw. Other than that, she noted a busted lip, a large bruise and bloody area of the side of his head, and an overall exhausted appearance.
"Not God, luv, Jack." He corrected, pointing to himself and smiling in a way that only he could.
Standing was far easier now that his hands were free, but when he did so quickly he forgot to take into a count the head trauma he'd experienced. The world was spinning for a moment and a hand shot the area where his hair was matted with blood, trying to find his bearings. When he felt steady again Jack moved to the bars of his cell, the step up to where Elizabeth was standing made her appear taller. He placed a hand on the bars to hold himself up, and she covered it with her own, accessing the damage once more. What hurt and angered her the most was that there was absolutely nothing she could do. The men who had done this would get away with it, and probably end up knighted in the process for loyalty to England.
"Who'd've thought," Jack said after a moment, "that all these years I've been committin' crimes against the crown." He shook his head, "Never even met a bloody crown."
Elizabeth shrugged as though the idea was absurd to her as well. Up until now she hadn't acknowledged her father's presence, and the Governor had been content to watch the scene with part disgust, part intrigue, trying to figure out what his daughter found so appealing about a man who appeared to have zero respect for hygiene. He knew that Jack was quite spirited, and could see how a young, naive girl could mistake his recklessness as something to be desired. Something exciting, even. But, he had hoped that he had done a better job at parenting. Still, he had always lavished affection on Elizabeth because he could not bear to see her suffer. So, the three remained silent. That is until they heard more footsteps.
"Well, well," Norrington tsked, "I know two guards who are going to have quite a lot of explaining to do."
Elizabeth turned suddenly. If looks could kill, Norrington would be the deadest person on earth. She did not even stop to question that all of this had been his doing. The part of her that still remembered he'd let Jack go fell silent, and she knew that Gillette did not have the brains or power to think up a scheme on his own. Without waiting for anyone to speak, the Commodore took the opportunity to pull rank of Governor Swann.
"Governor, I'm sure you realize that in matters such as these I take the command. So when I say that I do not want this, this," He was unable to think up a suitable epithet, "pirate, to have any visitors, you cannot allow your daughter a private rendezvous. He is an escape risk, and I simply cannot chance it."
The fact that Norrington didn't seem suprised at all to see Elizabeth confirmed her suspicions that he knew exactly what was going on. Her father began to speak but she cut him off.
"It's not his fault. I came here of my own accord."
The Commodore smiled at her, as if she was no longer a respectable woman, and being in her presence was merely a charity that he preformed out of duty.
"It's no matter," He gave a dismissive wave of his hand, "this will all be over very soon."
"It will?" Jack spoke up from his cell, sounding somewhat confused.
"Yes," The officer nodded, "that's what I have come to tell you. The magistrate has arrived it town a day early, so it seems that you may go ahead and have your trial. Now, to be certain." He gave a wistful sigh and a carefree shrug, "Who knows, really, with any luck you'll be hanging from Gallows Point by noon tomorrow."
Elizabeth gave a short gasp, but Jack simply said, "Oh." and the two guards from the door reappeared next to their superior. Norrington took a ring of keys from a hook on the wall nearby, Elizabeth cursed herself for not noticing it before. Opening the cell the two men once again grabbed Jack, it was time to be led away to stand trial.
"Mind the head!" Jack hissed, and Elizabeth noticed the tight grip one of them men had on Jack's hair. Taking a step in front of that man she placed her hands on her hips, foot tapping against the concrete, and glared at him.
"Is that entirely necessary?" She asked in a tone that said the guard was seconds away from receiving some sort of violence. The Commodore nodded sternly and the men eased off a bit, but not so much that Jack could have escaped.
Once Elizabeth and her father were alone again she started to say that she was going to the trial with or without his blessing. She opened his mouth to do so, but before she could she was cut off.
"I know, I know." The Governor said waving his hands, "Come on, then, you know how these public things fill up quickly. No sense in going if you can't have a decent seat."
The courtroom was not what you'd expect by modern standards. There were no witness stands and jury booths. There was only a large desk behind which a magistrate sat, and seats for those who wanted to watch. Also, there were, of course, designated places for the accused to sit. And in this day and age you were always, always guilty until proven innocent. Because of the lack of, well, anything entertaining at all, really, hangings and trials were the best form of entertainment. It was for this reason that there was already a commotion around the courthouse.
Jack sat slumped in a seat, hands once again bound, guards standing on either side. Elizabeth moved to take a seat directly behind him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder before settling next to her father. There were murmurs and mumbling all through the building, mainly excitement about watching a pirate 'get his', and then there were some about the Governor's wanton daughter returning home. A hush fell across the room when a rather stern looking magistrate wordlessly entered and took his place behind the desk. Spectacles and white powdered wig in place, he picked up the piece of parchment resting on his desk and read aloud.
"Jack Sparrow," Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain.. "you stand accused of piracies, robberies, and high treason against the crown. How do you plea, sir?"
Jack rose to his feet, he had a very long and sarcastic, and brilliant, even if he did say so himself, speech in mind. However, when you are Jack Sparrow, and your hands are bound, speech making is very hard to do. There would be no characteristic fluttering fingers or ever waving arms, he could only stand, perfectly still, swaying at times.
"Guilty as sin, milord." He gave an overly extravagant bow and saw in his seat again.
The magistrate studied the pirate for a moment, realizing he should have expected some sort of mocking behavior. Most pirates acted that way when standing before a court. It was all a show, something to get their contempt for authority across to the masses gathered there. Either to ease their own suffering, or to sway others to their way of thinking. The real motive was unclear.
Elizabeth however had desperately hoped that Jack would lie, say he was innocent, anything to get out of hanging. She too, should have known better. Even if he had of lied, it was still more than obvious just by his appearance what he was.
Finally the magistrate responded.
"Are you aware of the penalty for these crimes?" Jack did not answer, the man sighed, "Is there anyone here, yourself included, Sparrow, who can give just cause as to why this man should not hang?"
Because I `ave grown rather fond of my neck? Jack thought. But, he knew no argument he could come up with would be good enough. His gaze downcast, he waited to see what would happen. He didn't expect anyone to speak on his behalf. Elizabeth would have, obviously, but because she was a woman there was no court that would hear her. Even more so, because this was a pirate case, there was no court that really wanted to hear any defense. Both sat defeated. The latter on the verge of bursting into angry tears. That is until a very familiar voice broke the silence of the room.
"I will speak for him."
Elizabeth turned, wide eyed, and Jack looked up suddenly, still not in the direction of the voice. The magistrate squinted to identify the speaker, and nodded because announcing—
"Mr. William Turner will now address the court."