Revenge of the Fox
Chapter 10
Elizabeth looked up at the sound of footsteps. A moment later, Reynard came into view, ushering Gwen with him.
"Gwen!" she exclaimed.
"Elizabeth!" Gwen said in relief. "You're all right!"
Reynard opened the cell next to Elizabeth and gestured Gwen in with a courtly bow. "You'll dine with me tonight, Mrs. Sparrow, of course?"
Gwen raised her eyebrow. "On the condition that I am given a comb and water for washing."
"Strike a hard bargain, do you my dear?" Reynard said genially. "Very well then. Until later." He took her hand and kissed it, then locked the cell and departed.
Elizabeth looked at Gwen with surprise. "Made a conquest, have you?"
Gwen sat down on the cot and covered her eyes. "He's obsessed with Jack. And because he can't understand what Jack sees in me, he's determined to find out. It's nerve wracking to be honest." She stretched her back and groaned. "I never want to see another horse again."
"You got here on horseback?"
"Yes. How did you get here."
"In the hold of a little fishing boat." Elizabeth shuddered. "If the trip had taken any longer I would have gone mad."
"Any idea where we are?"
"None, although since you came by land, we must still be in Jamaica."
"Somewhere on the northeast coast, I think, although it's hard to be sure. He told me he'd left a note telling Jack, Will and the Commodore to go to Tortuga, but he isn't going to take us there."
Elizabeth leaned against the bars separating her cell from Gwen's. "I wish I knew what his plans are."
Gwen sighed. "I'm going to try and find out."
--
The Black Pearl dropped anchor in Totuga's harbor about an hour after sundown. Jack's orders had been clear. He, Will, Commodore Norrington and Joseph would go ashore and find the Salty Dog tavern. No one else was to leave the ship until they returned.
"Do you know where the tavern is, Jack?" Will asked.
"Aye, a seedy little place if I remember it correctly," Jack answered.
"A seedy little tavern in Tortuga? I am all astonishment," said Norrington sarcastically.
Jack looked over at him. "Ever been to Tortuga, Commodore?"
"No, it isn't somewhere that the Royal Navy is particularly welcome."
"Well, do us a favor and try to pipe down about the Navy and all. Just about every man you see will be a pirate. I'd as soon not have to keep you from getting your throat cut, savvy?"
"Is this when you tell him not to do anything stupid?" Will asked sarcastically. "I've been waiting three years for you to say that to someone aside from me."
Jack ignored him and continued cautioning Norrington. "So we're going to forget both your name and your title, James, since both of them are too well known."
Norrington looked pained. "Must you address me by my Christian name, Sparrow?"
Jack grinned cheerily. "Why, yes, I must."
Will and Joseph exchanged amused glances, and pulled steadily at the oars until they reached the shore. There they stowed the oars and tied up the boat. "Off this way," said Jack gesturing away from the waterfront. "Stay close."
The tavern was about a ten minute walk from where they'd left the boat. By the time they reached it, Norrington's jaw was tight. "I thought the waterfront area of Port Royal was bad," he muttered, glaring at a drunken pirate weaving down the street with his arm around a blowsy prostitute.
"Hello darling!" gushed a dark haired woman with a heavily made up face, loitering in front of the tavern. "Have you some time to spend with me?"
"Not today, luv," Jack said with a cheeky grin. He opened the door of the Salty Dog, stepped out of the way to let a pair of brawling men stumble out, and strolled into the noisy, ill lit building as if it was a tea parlor. Will and Joseph fell in behind him without comment, and Norrington gritted his teeth and followed.
Jack walked casually to the bar. "Rum for me and me confederates, lad," he said genially, dropping a few coins on the bar.
"I'd prefer brandy," said Norrington under his breath.
"Drink the rum and shut up," Jack replied. When the bartender came back with their drinks, he said quietly. "I was told I could find a man named Johnson here, lad. Me name is Captain Jack Sparrow."
The lad looked startled for a moment. He mumbled something unintelligible and disappeared into the back room. Several minutes later he came out and beckoned to Jack. "Back 'ere, sir," he said. Jack strolled toward the back room. Will, Joseph and Norrington exchanged quick, silent glances, and followed.
The back room was set up as a parlor of sorts. It was dingy, ill lit and not terribly clean. A large man in a shabby brown coat sat in a large chair, a tankard of ale in his hand. Jack swaggered forward and settled in a chair nearby. Joseph moved to stand behind Jack's chair, arms folded. Will leaned against the wall midway between the two men, and Norrington stood by the door. Jack leaned back comfortably, and toasted his silent host. "Mr. Johnson, I imagine?"
"Aye,' replied the man tersely. "What's it to ye?"
Jack smiled, a glint of gold teeth below eyes that remained dark and watchful. "I was told by an old friend of mine that I should look you up. His name is Reynard? Reynard the Fox?"
Johnson grunted. "And yer Jack Sparrow?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes. You've some instructions for me?"
"Aye." Johnson pulled out a grubby sheet of paper and handed it over.
Jack read it quickly and looked up. "Nothing else?" The man merely looked at him impassively. "All right then, mate. Tell me how long ago Reynard gave you this letter."
"I've told ye all I was bid to tell ye."
"I'm sure ye have," said Jack gently. Casually he pulled out a knife and started to use it to pare his fingernails. "But ye see, Johnson, I don't have all the information I want yet, and I'm reluctant to go without learning everything I can." He looked mockingly at Johnson. "Ye do understand, now, do ye mate?" Johnson looked uneasily at Joseph standing impassively behind Jack; at Will leaning casually against the wall and at Norrington, who getting into the spirit of the thing, turned the key in the lock and began fingering his sword hilt. Jack smiled again, an evil, rougish smile that turned Johnson's blood to ice. "So tell me, mate, when did you receive this letter?"
--
Chapter 10
Elizabeth looked up at the sound of footsteps. A moment later, Reynard came into view, ushering Gwen with him.
"Gwen!" she exclaimed.
"Elizabeth!" Gwen said in relief. "You're all right!"
Reynard opened the cell next to Elizabeth and gestured Gwen in with a courtly bow. "You'll dine with me tonight, Mrs. Sparrow, of course?"
Gwen raised her eyebrow. "On the condition that I am given a comb and water for washing."
"Strike a hard bargain, do you my dear?" Reynard said genially. "Very well then. Until later." He took her hand and kissed it, then locked the cell and departed.
Elizabeth looked at Gwen with surprise. "Made a conquest, have you?"
Gwen sat down on the cot and covered her eyes. "He's obsessed with Jack. And because he can't understand what Jack sees in me, he's determined to find out. It's nerve wracking to be honest." She stretched her back and groaned. "I never want to see another horse again."
"You got here on horseback?"
"Yes. How did you get here."
"In the hold of a little fishing boat." Elizabeth shuddered. "If the trip had taken any longer I would have gone mad."
"Any idea where we are?"
"None, although since you came by land, we must still be in Jamaica."
"Somewhere on the northeast coast, I think, although it's hard to be sure. He told me he'd left a note telling Jack, Will and the Commodore to go to Tortuga, but he isn't going to take us there."
Elizabeth leaned against the bars separating her cell from Gwen's. "I wish I knew what his plans are."
Gwen sighed. "I'm going to try and find out."
--
The Black Pearl dropped anchor in Totuga's harbor about an hour after sundown. Jack's orders had been clear. He, Will, Commodore Norrington and Joseph would go ashore and find the Salty Dog tavern. No one else was to leave the ship until they returned.
"Do you know where the tavern is, Jack?" Will asked.
"Aye, a seedy little place if I remember it correctly," Jack answered.
"A seedy little tavern in Tortuga? I am all astonishment," said Norrington sarcastically.
Jack looked over at him. "Ever been to Tortuga, Commodore?"
"No, it isn't somewhere that the Royal Navy is particularly welcome."
"Well, do us a favor and try to pipe down about the Navy and all. Just about every man you see will be a pirate. I'd as soon not have to keep you from getting your throat cut, savvy?"
"Is this when you tell him not to do anything stupid?" Will asked sarcastically. "I've been waiting three years for you to say that to someone aside from me."
Jack ignored him and continued cautioning Norrington. "So we're going to forget both your name and your title, James, since both of them are too well known."
Norrington looked pained. "Must you address me by my Christian name, Sparrow?"
Jack grinned cheerily. "Why, yes, I must."
Will and Joseph exchanged amused glances, and pulled steadily at the oars until they reached the shore. There they stowed the oars and tied up the boat. "Off this way," said Jack gesturing away from the waterfront. "Stay close."
The tavern was about a ten minute walk from where they'd left the boat. By the time they reached it, Norrington's jaw was tight. "I thought the waterfront area of Port Royal was bad," he muttered, glaring at a drunken pirate weaving down the street with his arm around a blowsy prostitute.
"Hello darling!" gushed a dark haired woman with a heavily made up face, loitering in front of the tavern. "Have you some time to spend with me?"
"Not today, luv," Jack said with a cheeky grin. He opened the door of the Salty Dog, stepped out of the way to let a pair of brawling men stumble out, and strolled into the noisy, ill lit building as if it was a tea parlor. Will and Joseph fell in behind him without comment, and Norrington gritted his teeth and followed.
Jack walked casually to the bar. "Rum for me and me confederates, lad," he said genially, dropping a few coins on the bar.
"I'd prefer brandy," said Norrington under his breath.
"Drink the rum and shut up," Jack replied. When the bartender came back with their drinks, he said quietly. "I was told I could find a man named Johnson here, lad. Me name is Captain Jack Sparrow."
The lad looked startled for a moment. He mumbled something unintelligible and disappeared into the back room. Several minutes later he came out and beckoned to Jack. "Back 'ere, sir," he said. Jack strolled toward the back room. Will, Joseph and Norrington exchanged quick, silent glances, and followed.
The back room was set up as a parlor of sorts. It was dingy, ill lit and not terribly clean. A large man in a shabby brown coat sat in a large chair, a tankard of ale in his hand. Jack swaggered forward and settled in a chair nearby. Joseph moved to stand behind Jack's chair, arms folded. Will leaned against the wall midway between the two men, and Norrington stood by the door. Jack leaned back comfortably, and toasted his silent host. "Mr. Johnson, I imagine?"
"Aye,' replied the man tersely. "What's it to ye?"
Jack smiled, a glint of gold teeth below eyes that remained dark and watchful. "I was told by an old friend of mine that I should look you up. His name is Reynard? Reynard the Fox?"
Johnson grunted. "And yer Jack Sparrow?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes. You've some instructions for me?"
"Aye." Johnson pulled out a grubby sheet of paper and handed it over.
Jack read it quickly and looked up. "Nothing else?" The man merely looked at him impassively. "All right then, mate. Tell me how long ago Reynard gave you this letter."
"I've told ye all I was bid to tell ye."
"I'm sure ye have," said Jack gently. Casually he pulled out a knife and started to use it to pare his fingernails. "But ye see, Johnson, I don't have all the information I want yet, and I'm reluctant to go without learning everything I can." He looked mockingly at Johnson. "Ye do understand, now, do ye mate?" Johnson looked uneasily at Joseph standing impassively behind Jack; at Will leaning casually against the wall and at Norrington, who getting into the spirit of the thing, turned the key in the lock and began fingering his sword hilt. Jack smiled again, an evil, rougish smile that turned Johnson's blood to ice. "So tell me, mate, when did you receive this letter?"
--
