My first POTC effort, please R+R. Hope you like it! Just revised –
got a bit muddled up...
~
'What the devil is going on?'
Swann threw the papers down on the table, hitting the hard mahogany with his fist. The orderly he was addressing winced, as though his master had personally criticised him, and began to make excuses.
'Those are the statistics, sir. We've had reports from all over the Caribbean, and there's seems no mistake.'
Swann collapsed into his chair, running a hand over his white wig.
'Fifteen raids. Fifteen! Smuggling, theft, possibly even murder! I swear I've never had such bad crime rates in all my commands.'
He took a deep breath, then turned to the orderly.
'Mr Finch, I would like you to send messages to all the headquarters of the Caribbean and ask them to confirm these statistics. Because I just can't believe them to be true.'
The orderly nodded, then stood uncertainly, waiting to be dismissed. Swann watched him patiently, then, in a fit of temper, roared at him.
'For god's sake, man, don't dawdle! Go!'
The man fled like a frightened hare. Swann stood for a moment, his chest ballooning, then removed his jacket and began to walk backwards and forwards between table and wall, clutching the red material as though it were life itself.
'For God's sake, what is the matter with me?' he muttered. 'I used to be able to sniff things out like that (snapping his fingers) and now I can't even locate a gang of smugglers.' The last was shouted as he threw his jacket to the ground
Elizabeth stood swiftly from the corner of the room, her taffeta skirt rustling as she crossed the floor.
'Please, father, don't shout. You know what the doctor said.'
Swann paced desperately, staring into space.
'Fifteen raids, Elizabeth. Money, jewels, even children stolen from beneath our very noses. And what do we know of the culprits? Nothing, that's what. I tell you, it's at times like these that I wish I'd gone into medicine.'
Will Turner followed Elizabeth towards her father, flicking his long hair out of his eyes.
'Elizabeth's right, sir. You shouldn't worry so much. Things will sort themselves out.'
Swann sighed again, his shoulders falling in despair.
'I hope they shall, Will. Else I am going to be much more worried than I am now.' He bowed briefly, sighed again, and made for the door. 'I'll take my leave, if you don't mind. An old man needs his afternoon nap.' The door clicked shut behind him.
Elizabeth sat in her father's vacated chair, staring out of the window.
'He's right, you know, Will.'
Will shrugged, picking up the red jacket and laying it carefully on the back of one of the chairs around the mahogany table.
'What can we do?'
'It's killing him. He should be resting, not fighting smugglers.'
There was a pause, then Elizabeth spoke up again.
'It's at times like this that I wish Jack Sparrow was here.'
A fleeting smile crossed Will' s face.
'That old pirate. He'd sort this out, though not in the conventional way.' He looked out of the glass window, watching the harbour. Elizabeth stood, and he slipped his arm round her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, echoing both their thoughts.
'I wonder where he is now?'
~
'What the devil is going on?'
Swann threw the papers down on the table, hitting the hard mahogany with his fist. The orderly he was addressing winced, as though his master had personally criticised him, and began to make excuses.
'Those are the statistics, sir. We've had reports from all over the Caribbean, and there's seems no mistake.'
Swann collapsed into his chair, running a hand over his white wig.
'Fifteen raids. Fifteen! Smuggling, theft, possibly even murder! I swear I've never had such bad crime rates in all my commands.'
He took a deep breath, then turned to the orderly.
'Mr Finch, I would like you to send messages to all the headquarters of the Caribbean and ask them to confirm these statistics. Because I just can't believe them to be true.'
The orderly nodded, then stood uncertainly, waiting to be dismissed. Swann watched him patiently, then, in a fit of temper, roared at him.
'For god's sake, man, don't dawdle! Go!'
The man fled like a frightened hare. Swann stood for a moment, his chest ballooning, then removed his jacket and began to walk backwards and forwards between table and wall, clutching the red material as though it were life itself.
'For God's sake, what is the matter with me?' he muttered. 'I used to be able to sniff things out like that (snapping his fingers) and now I can't even locate a gang of smugglers.' The last was shouted as he threw his jacket to the ground
Elizabeth stood swiftly from the corner of the room, her taffeta skirt rustling as she crossed the floor.
'Please, father, don't shout. You know what the doctor said.'
Swann paced desperately, staring into space.
'Fifteen raids, Elizabeth. Money, jewels, even children stolen from beneath our very noses. And what do we know of the culprits? Nothing, that's what. I tell you, it's at times like these that I wish I'd gone into medicine.'
Will Turner followed Elizabeth towards her father, flicking his long hair out of his eyes.
'Elizabeth's right, sir. You shouldn't worry so much. Things will sort themselves out.'
Swann sighed again, his shoulders falling in despair.
'I hope they shall, Will. Else I am going to be much more worried than I am now.' He bowed briefly, sighed again, and made for the door. 'I'll take my leave, if you don't mind. An old man needs his afternoon nap.' The door clicked shut behind him.
Elizabeth sat in her father's vacated chair, staring out of the window.
'He's right, you know, Will.'
Will shrugged, picking up the red jacket and laying it carefully on the back of one of the chairs around the mahogany table.
'What can we do?'
'It's killing him. He should be resting, not fighting smugglers.'
There was a pause, then Elizabeth spoke up again.
'It's at times like this that I wish Jack Sparrow was here.'
A fleeting smile crossed Will' s face.
'That old pirate. He'd sort this out, though not in the conventional way.' He looked out of the glass window, watching the harbour. Elizabeth stood, and he slipped his arm round her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, echoing both their thoughts.
'I wonder where he is now?'
