Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Author's note: Apologies for the lengthy delay between chapters this time - I was away, and then Real Life (!) has been getting in the way of important things like writing since I got back. Shouldn't happen again. I plan to rattle on with this now as fast as I can. Thanks for reviews and comments!
----
The captain cowered before the combined threat of pistol and blade. "We have nothing!" he said. "Please - don't kill us!"
Jack leered. "I might not, if you 'and over yer cargo," he returned, doing his best 'Evil Pirate' act. "Dunno whether me partner in crime," he waved his pistol in the general direction of Captain Lloyd, "will be so gracious."
Lloyd, occupied in directing the search for loot, paused and nodded at Jack.
"So," Jack continued, turning his attention back to the man before him, "you'd be best givin' up easy - savvy?"
The captain caved, and soon crewmen from both the Black Pearl and the Adventure were carrying goods over to their own ships. Jack watched, keeping a close eye on the captured captain, and shortly Lloyd came to join him.
"Jack."
"Sam," Jack returned. They had been on first name terms for a week or so, following a couple of successful raids that seemed to cement the two ships' relationship as consorts. Jack was happy enough to have Sam Lloyd and the Adventure around, and the men on both vessels enjoyed the companionship.
"Good haul," Lloyd said.
"Aye, it is." Jack grinned cheerfully at his captive, who was glaring at the last comment.
"I'm going to take some men with me," Lloyd continued. "Couple of my lads have come down with the scurvy; they ain't well and I could do with the extra hands."
"Prisoners?" Jack said, moving closer to Lloyd and lowering his voice. "You sure you need the men?"
"Of course I'm bloody sure, Jack," Lloyd said. "Anyways, I'll be taking 'em on as deck hands, not to shove 'em in the brig."
"Meaning you'll be wanting them to turn pirate," Jack clarified. "Why not just ask who wants to come?"
Lloyd stared at Jack as if he had gone mad - or, possibly, madder. "Nobody'll want to come. I'll just grab the likeliest-looking men."
"Then how'll this poor fellow get himself to land?" asked Jack, gesturing towards the captured captain. "If you take men, he'll be short."
"He'll manage."
"Can't you manage? Borrow some of my crew, if you want. We're s'posed to be stealing stuff, not the men on the ship."
"Come on, Jack, are you a pirate or are you not?" Lloyd's eyes were scornful. "Don't go telling me you've never taken a prisoner?"
"I can't say that," Jack said, "but usually there's a better reason than some lads being ill. You'll get better work out of them as want to come with you - and I'd wager some of them would."
"Damn it!" Lloyd swore, turning on his heel. "We've no time for daft arguments, Jack Sparrow. Poor excuse for a pirate that you are." He called two of his crewmen over and briskly ordered them to find four sailors and take them across to the Adventure. The selected men, protesting violently, were bodily dragged over the gangplank, and Lloyd followed them.
Jack turned back to the ship's captain. "Sorry about that, mate," he said, sincerely.
The other man merely scowled. Jack shrugged, looked him over, and took a rather lovely jewelled dagger from his belt. "Ta." Raising his voice, he ordered his men back to the Nictaux.
As they sailed away a short while later, Deschamps caught Jack watching the Adventure, close-hauled a few hundred yards distant.
"Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?" the Frenchman asked, quietly.
Jack turned. "Eh? What's that?"
"What's wrong?" Deschamps repeated.
Gazing at the Adventure, his eyes serious, Jack sent his first mate a shining and carefree grin. "Nothin'."
Deschamps looked hard at Jack, but his captain showed no sign of being about to volunteer any more words.
The two ships kept going alongside each other for another three days. But Jack was itching to escape from Lloyd's company now. He needed independence, and the freedom to do as he would without having to factor in another vessel. He just was not sure how to get rid of the Adventure without seriously damaging relations with the other ship; and so he resolved to wait for the opportune moment and take it when it presented itself.
It came with a sudden wind. Until then, the weather had been moderate - enough breeze to carry them forward, no rain, and blue skies. On the third day after their last raid, the clouds rolled in and the rain began, and with it came the wind.
Jack grinned. Though the Nictaux was the smaller ship, she was also lighter and sleeker, and he thought that properly tested she would also be faster than the Adventure. Now was the chance. He took the helm from his second mate, a Scotsman named McDougall, and began to call orders. His men scurried about the ship, piling on as much canvas as Jack dared to carry. The wind filled the sails, and the Nictaux surged forwards. To port, the Adventure began to fall back.
"Will she take the canvas?" MacDougall asked, hovering close to the helm.
Shaking water from his hat, Jack nodded. "Aye, she'll take it. We won't lose a sail." He turned a smile towards the second mate. "Anyways, I got Sim to pinch one of the Adventure's spare tops'ls a week ago. We've got the extra canvas; she don't."
MacDougall laughed a rolling guffaw of a laugh, and on Jack's instruction went off to see to the set of the foresails.
The Nictaux picked up speed, her captain guiding her with sure and steady movements of the helm. Their consort was being left behind now, a clear length astern. Jack let out a whoop that was borne aloft on the wind, even as the ship was lifted on the crest of a wave, and his crew caught the exuberance and cheered too.
He pushed the ship as hard as she could go for the rest of the evening, and by dusk they were well clear of the Adventure. With the darkness, Jack ordered the topsails down and reefed the mainsail and foresail, in order to sail safely without the light. He left the ship in the safe hands of Deschamps, and retired to his cabin to sleep. By morning, the Adventure was nowhere in sight.
They sailed on. The storm cleared, and everyone was in a good mood. They took another two small merchant vessels, easily and without damage, and put into Malacca twelve days later to unload and sell the loot.
"That was a good haul," MacDougall said, with satisfaction. Jack and his mates were counting silver in the captain's cabin.
Jack made a note of the total takings in the logbook and nodded. "Excellent. Would've been better without Lloyd."
"Having a consort kept the men happy, capitaine," Deschamps pointed out. "It was only for a little time."
"Ah, cap'n's just too happy on his own," said MacDougall.
"Not that happy," Jack said, looking up, and closing the logbook decisively. "Let's go ashore, gents - this town has some delectable ladies who'd be glad of our company, I reckon."
Deschamps and MacDougall exchanged looks, and both nodded. "Aye!" MacDougall said, enthusiastic. "The ladies it is."
They went ashore, leaving two pirates on watch, and made their way to a tavern bustling with business. There were several shiploads of white men getting cheerfully drunk on the local beverages, and a crowd of slim, pretty young women preparing to relieve the sailors of their coins. Some young men, almost as pretty as the women, circulated too.
Jack and his mates settled down at a table and ordered drinks. One of the young men, clad only in a piece of bright fabric wrapped around his narrow hips like a skirt, came up to them and smiled suggestively at Jack. Jack grinned back and gave the boy a pat on his rump to send him away, winking instead at a girl with flowers in her hair. Soon the young man was occupied across the room, and the girl was settled on Jack's lap threading some of the flowers into his braids.
"Dunno how you do it, cap'n," MacDougall said. "Is it the what-d'you-call-it," he circled his eyes with a finger, "or what?"
Jack smoothed a smudge of kohl away from under his right eye. "It's me nat'ral charm, savvy? Lasses can't resist it." He snaked an arm around the girl's shoulders, and she leaned into the embrace. "See?"
MacDougall downed his drink and looked morosely at Deschamps. "We've no luck against that, Jean."
"None at all," Deschamps agreed. He held out his cup to be refilled by a charming young lady in blue. "But then, it is him who's the captain."
"You've the right of it," said Jack. He put some coins on the table. "I find silver works too, though. Have fun, lads." He touched his hat to them, and wandered off with his arm around the girl.
Deschamps and MacDougall exchanged glances, shook their heads, and settled to some serious drinking.
Author's note: Apologies for the lengthy delay between chapters this time - I was away, and then Real Life (!) has been getting in the way of important things like writing since I got back. Shouldn't happen again. I plan to rattle on with this now as fast as I can. Thanks for reviews and comments!
----
The captain cowered before the combined threat of pistol and blade. "We have nothing!" he said. "Please - don't kill us!"
Jack leered. "I might not, if you 'and over yer cargo," he returned, doing his best 'Evil Pirate' act. "Dunno whether me partner in crime," he waved his pistol in the general direction of Captain Lloyd, "will be so gracious."
Lloyd, occupied in directing the search for loot, paused and nodded at Jack.
"So," Jack continued, turning his attention back to the man before him, "you'd be best givin' up easy - savvy?"
The captain caved, and soon crewmen from both the Black Pearl and the Adventure were carrying goods over to their own ships. Jack watched, keeping a close eye on the captured captain, and shortly Lloyd came to join him.
"Jack."
"Sam," Jack returned. They had been on first name terms for a week or so, following a couple of successful raids that seemed to cement the two ships' relationship as consorts. Jack was happy enough to have Sam Lloyd and the Adventure around, and the men on both vessels enjoyed the companionship.
"Good haul," Lloyd said.
"Aye, it is." Jack grinned cheerfully at his captive, who was glaring at the last comment.
"I'm going to take some men with me," Lloyd continued. "Couple of my lads have come down with the scurvy; they ain't well and I could do with the extra hands."
"Prisoners?" Jack said, moving closer to Lloyd and lowering his voice. "You sure you need the men?"
"Of course I'm bloody sure, Jack," Lloyd said. "Anyways, I'll be taking 'em on as deck hands, not to shove 'em in the brig."
"Meaning you'll be wanting them to turn pirate," Jack clarified. "Why not just ask who wants to come?"
Lloyd stared at Jack as if he had gone mad - or, possibly, madder. "Nobody'll want to come. I'll just grab the likeliest-looking men."
"Then how'll this poor fellow get himself to land?" asked Jack, gesturing towards the captured captain. "If you take men, he'll be short."
"He'll manage."
"Can't you manage? Borrow some of my crew, if you want. We're s'posed to be stealing stuff, not the men on the ship."
"Come on, Jack, are you a pirate or are you not?" Lloyd's eyes were scornful. "Don't go telling me you've never taken a prisoner?"
"I can't say that," Jack said, "but usually there's a better reason than some lads being ill. You'll get better work out of them as want to come with you - and I'd wager some of them would."
"Damn it!" Lloyd swore, turning on his heel. "We've no time for daft arguments, Jack Sparrow. Poor excuse for a pirate that you are." He called two of his crewmen over and briskly ordered them to find four sailors and take them across to the Adventure. The selected men, protesting violently, were bodily dragged over the gangplank, and Lloyd followed them.
Jack turned back to the ship's captain. "Sorry about that, mate," he said, sincerely.
The other man merely scowled. Jack shrugged, looked him over, and took a rather lovely jewelled dagger from his belt. "Ta." Raising his voice, he ordered his men back to the Nictaux.
As they sailed away a short while later, Deschamps caught Jack watching the Adventure, close-hauled a few hundred yards distant.
"Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?" the Frenchman asked, quietly.
Jack turned. "Eh? What's that?"
"What's wrong?" Deschamps repeated.
Gazing at the Adventure, his eyes serious, Jack sent his first mate a shining and carefree grin. "Nothin'."
Deschamps looked hard at Jack, but his captain showed no sign of being about to volunteer any more words.
The two ships kept going alongside each other for another three days. But Jack was itching to escape from Lloyd's company now. He needed independence, and the freedom to do as he would without having to factor in another vessel. He just was not sure how to get rid of the Adventure without seriously damaging relations with the other ship; and so he resolved to wait for the opportune moment and take it when it presented itself.
It came with a sudden wind. Until then, the weather had been moderate - enough breeze to carry them forward, no rain, and blue skies. On the third day after their last raid, the clouds rolled in and the rain began, and with it came the wind.
Jack grinned. Though the Nictaux was the smaller ship, she was also lighter and sleeker, and he thought that properly tested she would also be faster than the Adventure. Now was the chance. He took the helm from his second mate, a Scotsman named McDougall, and began to call orders. His men scurried about the ship, piling on as much canvas as Jack dared to carry. The wind filled the sails, and the Nictaux surged forwards. To port, the Adventure began to fall back.
"Will she take the canvas?" MacDougall asked, hovering close to the helm.
Shaking water from his hat, Jack nodded. "Aye, she'll take it. We won't lose a sail." He turned a smile towards the second mate. "Anyways, I got Sim to pinch one of the Adventure's spare tops'ls a week ago. We've got the extra canvas; she don't."
MacDougall laughed a rolling guffaw of a laugh, and on Jack's instruction went off to see to the set of the foresails.
The Nictaux picked up speed, her captain guiding her with sure and steady movements of the helm. Their consort was being left behind now, a clear length astern. Jack let out a whoop that was borne aloft on the wind, even as the ship was lifted on the crest of a wave, and his crew caught the exuberance and cheered too.
He pushed the ship as hard as she could go for the rest of the evening, and by dusk they were well clear of the Adventure. With the darkness, Jack ordered the topsails down and reefed the mainsail and foresail, in order to sail safely without the light. He left the ship in the safe hands of Deschamps, and retired to his cabin to sleep. By morning, the Adventure was nowhere in sight.
They sailed on. The storm cleared, and everyone was in a good mood. They took another two small merchant vessels, easily and without damage, and put into Malacca twelve days later to unload and sell the loot.
"That was a good haul," MacDougall said, with satisfaction. Jack and his mates were counting silver in the captain's cabin.
Jack made a note of the total takings in the logbook and nodded. "Excellent. Would've been better without Lloyd."
"Having a consort kept the men happy, capitaine," Deschamps pointed out. "It was only for a little time."
"Ah, cap'n's just too happy on his own," said MacDougall.
"Not that happy," Jack said, looking up, and closing the logbook decisively. "Let's go ashore, gents - this town has some delectable ladies who'd be glad of our company, I reckon."
Deschamps and MacDougall exchanged looks, and both nodded. "Aye!" MacDougall said, enthusiastic. "The ladies it is."
They went ashore, leaving two pirates on watch, and made their way to a tavern bustling with business. There were several shiploads of white men getting cheerfully drunk on the local beverages, and a crowd of slim, pretty young women preparing to relieve the sailors of their coins. Some young men, almost as pretty as the women, circulated too.
Jack and his mates settled down at a table and ordered drinks. One of the young men, clad only in a piece of bright fabric wrapped around his narrow hips like a skirt, came up to them and smiled suggestively at Jack. Jack grinned back and gave the boy a pat on his rump to send him away, winking instead at a girl with flowers in her hair. Soon the young man was occupied across the room, and the girl was settled on Jack's lap threading some of the flowers into his braids.
"Dunno how you do it, cap'n," MacDougall said. "Is it the what-d'you-call-it," he circled his eyes with a finger, "or what?"
Jack smoothed a smudge of kohl away from under his right eye. "It's me nat'ral charm, savvy? Lasses can't resist it." He snaked an arm around the girl's shoulders, and she leaned into the embrace. "See?"
MacDougall downed his drink and looked morosely at Deschamps. "We've no luck against that, Jean."
"None at all," Deschamps agreed. He held out his cup to be refilled by a charming young lady in blue. "But then, it is him who's the captain."
"You've the right of it," said Jack. He put some coins on the table. "I find silver works too, though. Have fun, lads." He touched his hat to them, and wandered off with his arm around the girl.
Deschamps and MacDougall exchanged glances, shook their heads, and settled to some serious drinking.