A/N Thanks for the reviews so far. Here's the next chapter. . . ^_^

Chapter Three ~ Eavesdropping.

The next morning Avery awoke early, he lay in his bunk, just enjoying the gentle rocking motion of the ship as it sailed the waves. He closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep, when the murmur of voices forced him to listen. He wasn't normally one for listening to private conversations, but he did not trust the crew of The Abyss. And dropping some eaves did not seem so wrong.

So he lifted his head slightly from the pillow, to free both ears. He ignored the creaking and cracking of the ship's timber, and tried to block out the sound of the scrabbling rats. He concentrated on the undertone voices he could hear.

"The Abyss should have been mine." The first voice was easily recognisable as Radigus's.

He imagined the other was nodding.

Radigus continued. "He only got it by chance, he did? Snatched it right from my hands, he did?" He told his listeners. "And now it's time to get it back. Frankie were gonna stop this voyage from ever takin' place. He were gonna get rid o' the ol' Captain before we even left shore."

"That would a been better."

"'Xactly, no one could o' questioned the ship as being rightfully mine." Radigus sighed. "But then Cotton messed it up for us."

Avery shuddered. Radigus had said his name with such venom and hatred, it was enough to make the bravest of men quiver with fear.

"Ah, Cotton know where his loyalties lie." One of the men replied. "He'll stick wit' the crew."

"I won't take the chance." Radigus said, quietly.

Avery shifted uncomfortably. He desperately wanted to get away, but the next few words stopped him dead.

"We strike tomorrow. Get all the loyals together." Gus continued. Footsteps were the next sound to reach his ears, the men had gone up on deck. He lay his head back on his pillow, and shut his eyes. But sleep did not come that night.

The next morning, they were far out to sea. Avery had a headache from the rum, and he couldn't be completely sure about what he had heard the previous night. He may have imagined it. He decided he would watch Gus closely, rather then go to the Captain with half a story.

But Gus seemed normal, or as normal as he could possibly be. He poured over a map, tracing their progress with his finger. "We need to be headin' North East." He muttered, almost to himself.

The Captain grabbed the map from him. He titled it slight, and his parrot squawked loudly. "East, I'd say."

"Nah, Cap'n, with all due respect we need to be goin' North."

He handed the map to Avery, and took control of the wheel. "Well, I say East, so East we shall go."

Gus strutted off, looking daggers at both the Captain and Avery.

"I wouldn't 'ave a man like that on my ship." Avery remarked.

The Captain chuckled. "Ah, you would be making a mistake there." He leaned closer to Mr Cotton. "Yer see Cotton, I keep my friends close, and my enemies even closer." He said, with a snarled whisper. He grinned.

Avery went off to help scrub the decks, his attention however was claimed by the big cannons that took up the deck. He stopped and knelt beside it. He was so interested in them, he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.

"She's a big un, ain't she?"

Avery looked up to see Gus's grinning face.

"Look Cotton I know you heard us last night." He said. "An' I'm offerin' you the chance to join us."

"Join yer?" Avery choked.

Gus nodded. "Aye. We donna need tha' Cap'n."

"Why 'cause he's takin' us East?" Avery asked, with a smirk.

Gus looked about to hit him, but he thought better of it. "Not 'cause o' tha'." He snarled. "He be takin' us the wrong way, he won't share no booty wit' us. He'll get us killed. He be going to pick a fight wit' Dominic Raymond."

At the time Dirty Dom, was the most powerful pirate sailing the seas. He had a massive fleet at his command, and out of every five ships you saw, one would be flying his colours from the flagpole. When he attacked, he left no one alive. He betrayed even his most loyal followers. He was not a pirate to be messed with.

"If that be where Cap'n takes us, tha's where we go." Avery replied, pushing him self up. His hand rested on the cold metal of the cannon, as he turned to face Gus.

"Then ye die." He said, showing his rotting teeth in a twisted grin. Gus moved his foot, as a rat scuttled past them. "He even let's us share cabins wit' the vermin."

Avery looked down.

"I'm offerin' yer a chance to live." Gus said. "Yer a fool if yer donna take it." He drew his sword.

There was no point getting into a fight with Gus, Avery didn't have a sword with him anyway. Gus looked experience, and probably was the better swordsman. Besides getting himself killed wasn't going to help the Captain.

"Dirty Dom?" He asked.

Gus nodded. He extended his hand.

"What happens if I join you?"

"We take ov'r the ship, we kill the Cap'n, we pillage and plunder an' keep the booty." Gus shrugged. "We donna upset Dominic Raymond."

Avery Cotton took his hand, and they shook.

"Good." Gus said. "We act tonight."

"Tonight?"

"The sooner the better."