Usual disclaimers... oh well!
Last chapter today...
***
It was mid afternoon when the Black Pearl sailed into Tortuga harbour, gun ports open in answer to any possible threat. Their arrival caused a great deal of comment, but when Jeremiah Hallam himself waited for them on the docks, nobody was foolish enough to act.
"Jeremiah," Jack smiled, grasping his hand and making sure his greeting was seen by as many people as possible. It would not hurt their case to be linked even closer to the Hallams.
"Sparrow," he nodded. "Mistress Sparrow." To Jack's amazement he took Catherine's hand and politely kissed it, offering his arm as support up the hill. They walked slowly, matching their pace to the best that she could manage.
Jack, Jean Claude and Oran followed with an equally bemused Ana carrying Edan. She had enjoyed her stay at the bay with the crew, but realised that now she was back in the world of meanings within meanings, where nothing was ever quite what it seemed and all was done for appearance. She frowned at Jeremiah, her expression not missed by Jack who drifted to the back of the group to walk with her.
"What's he up to?" Jack whispered, cautious of being overheard by the guards that Jeremiah had brought with him.
"He's marking you as his," she replied, equally quietly. "When this little trip is over I've a feeling you will be asked into the inner circle..."
Jack nearly missed his step with shock. "What?" he hissed. To be asked into the inner circle meant that he had truly arrived. No new Captain had been asked for over ten years to join those deemed worthy of such esteem - the elite of pirates.
"There has been a seat empty since Neithan was killed," she sighed. "And you are becoming too known as a maverick for his liking..." She leaned closer, her voice barely audible. "You have strange friends Jack and powerful enemies - it makes people uncomfortable! Hell, on occasion you've even called the Commodore by his first name!"
"I don't take kindly t' a leash," Jack warned.
"You know that, I know that, he'll discover that." She grinned conspiratorially at him. "Use his power Jack, it can only benefit the Pearl..."
Jack nodded, knowing what she said made sense. "Well, we'll see," he muttered, surprised to realise that they had reached Jeremiah's house. He climbed the steps with the others and was ushered into the plush study. Jeremiah turned to one of his servants. "Send for Jedidiah," he ordered. He looked up as the others entered. "Please sit," he smiled as he gestured towards the comfortable chairs. Jack sat on one of the sofas next to Catherine, Oran and Jean Claude taking the other.
"So who is this Jedidiah?" Jack asked.
"Your passenger," Jeremiah said, looking up as a small, non-descript middle aged man with plain brown trousers and a white shirt walked into the room. "Ah, Jedidiah, join us please." Jack looked at the man closely realising he had the sort of unremarkable face that would pass anywhere without comment or remembrance.
"You wanted to see me Mr Hallam?" he asked. Even his voice was unremarkable.
"This is Captain Sparrow of the Black Pearl who will be taking you to Penang," Jeremiah introduced, "and his senior crew."
"And the woman?" Jedidiah enquired.
"M' first mate," Jack explained.
"Ridiculous!" the man snorted. "A woman cannot hold rank over men!"
Jack turned his back on the man, pointedly ignoring him. "Jeremiah," he sighed. "Either yer explain th' facts of life on th' Pearl t' him or he swims t' Penang..."
Jeremiah looked at the three men from the Black Pearl. All had bridled at Jedidiah's comments, their hands inching towards their weapons. "What Captain Sparrow says is true. I trust that this will not be a problem whilst you are on board his ship?" Although his tone was polite, the command in his words was plain to hear.
"No Mr Hallam. The item will be delivered without problem," Jedidiah replied, but his tone still spoke of his distaste at the situation.
"An' what exactly is th' cargo - other than 'im?" Jack demanded. "I carry nothing unseen!"
Jeremiah looked carefully at Jack, considering, then nodded. "Show him."
"Mr Hallam!" Jedidiah gasped.
"I said show him!" Jeremiah ordered.
"Yes Sir..." Jedidiah fumbled at a pouch at his neck that had been previously concealed by his shirt. He upended it, revealing a stunning set of emerald jewellery, each stone priceless in its own right. Jack raised an eyebrow, whistling as a final unset stone fell from the pouch. The size of a plum, it was perfectly cut, each facet glinting in the candlelight.
"Pretty," he shrugged. "But I've always been more partial t' rubies m'self." He turned to Jeremiah as the man replaced the emeralds in the pouch, carefully tucking it once again out of sight. "I'll need t' borrow yer charts fer Cape Town t' Penang though - mine are somewhat out of date..." He didn't think Jeremiah needed to worry about Barbossa using them to light his candles all those years ago.
Jeremiah nodded, realising that he would have to allow Jack access to his charts if the emeralds were to be safely delivered. "Your word they will be returned undamaged," he pressed.
"Of course, frigates an' the East Indian Tradin' Company not withstanding..." Jack smiled.
"I'll have the charts delivered to you in the morning," Jeremiah said. "Jedidiah will join you then as well."
"Is it safe fer m' crew t' have a nights shore leave?" Jack asked cautiously. "They'll not see a whore fer months..."
Jeremiah nodded. "I'll see that it is safe," he assured Jack. "But make sure they are fit to sail tomorrow!"
Jack rose, offering Catherine his hand. "Well we'd best be off then," he announced. "Th' crew will want t' make as much use of th' night as they can!"
***
You know the routine... review or I sulk... and I'm already feeling very sulky today. Anybody mentions Sean Penn and I'll keelhaul them - savvy?
Last chapter today...
***
It was mid afternoon when the Black Pearl sailed into Tortuga harbour, gun ports open in answer to any possible threat. Their arrival caused a great deal of comment, but when Jeremiah Hallam himself waited for them on the docks, nobody was foolish enough to act.
"Jeremiah," Jack smiled, grasping his hand and making sure his greeting was seen by as many people as possible. It would not hurt their case to be linked even closer to the Hallams.
"Sparrow," he nodded. "Mistress Sparrow." To Jack's amazement he took Catherine's hand and politely kissed it, offering his arm as support up the hill. They walked slowly, matching their pace to the best that she could manage.
Jack, Jean Claude and Oran followed with an equally bemused Ana carrying Edan. She had enjoyed her stay at the bay with the crew, but realised that now she was back in the world of meanings within meanings, where nothing was ever quite what it seemed and all was done for appearance. She frowned at Jeremiah, her expression not missed by Jack who drifted to the back of the group to walk with her.
"What's he up to?" Jack whispered, cautious of being overheard by the guards that Jeremiah had brought with him.
"He's marking you as his," she replied, equally quietly. "When this little trip is over I've a feeling you will be asked into the inner circle..."
Jack nearly missed his step with shock. "What?" he hissed. To be asked into the inner circle meant that he had truly arrived. No new Captain had been asked for over ten years to join those deemed worthy of such esteem - the elite of pirates.
"There has been a seat empty since Neithan was killed," she sighed. "And you are becoming too known as a maverick for his liking..." She leaned closer, her voice barely audible. "You have strange friends Jack and powerful enemies - it makes people uncomfortable! Hell, on occasion you've even called the Commodore by his first name!"
"I don't take kindly t' a leash," Jack warned.
"You know that, I know that, he'll discover that." She grinned conspiratorially at him. "Use his power Jack, it can only benefit the Pearl..."
Jack nodded, knowing what she said made sense. "Well, we'll see," he muttered, surprised to realise that they had reached Jeremiah's house. He climbed the steps with the others and was ushered into the plush study. Jeremiah turned to one of his servants. "Send for Jedidiah," he ordered. He looked up as the others entered. "Please sit," he smiled as he gestured towards the comfortable chairs. Jack sat on one of the sofas next to Catherine, Oran and Jean Claude taking the other.
"So who is this Jedidiah?" Jack asked.
"Your passenger," Jeremiah said, looking up as a small, non-descript middle aged man with plain brown trousers and a white shirt walked into the room. "Ah, Jedidiah, join us please." Jack looked at the man closely realising he had the sort of unremarkable face that would pass anywhere without comment or remembrance.
"You wanted to see me Mr Hallam?" he asked. Even his voice was unremarkable.
"This is Captain Sparrow of the Black Pearl who will be taking you to Penang," Jeremiah introduced, "and his senior crew."
"And the woman?" Jedidiah enquired.
"M' first mate," Jack explained.
"Ridiculous!" the man snorted. "A woman cannot hold rank over men!"
Jack turned his back on the man, pointedly ignoring him. "Jeremiah," he sighed. "Either yer explain th' facts of life on th' Pearl t' him or he swims t' Penang..."
Jeremiah looked at the three men from the Black Pearl. All had bridled at Jedidiah's comments, their hands inching towards their weapons. "What Captain Sparrow says is true. I trust that this will not be a problem whilst you are on board his ship?" Although his tone was polite, the command in his words was plain to hear.
"No Mr Hallam. The item will be delivered without problem," Jedidiah replied, but his tone still spoke of his distaste at the situation.
"An' what exactly is th' cargo - other than 'im?" Jack demanded. "I carry nothing unseen!"
Jeremiah looked carefully at Jack, considering, then nodded. "Show him."
"Mr Hallam!" Jedidiah gasped.
"I said show him!" Jeremiah ordered.
"Yes Sir..." Jedidiah fumbled at a pouch at his neck that had been previously concealed by his shirt. He upended it, revealing a stunning set of emerald jewellery, each stone priceless in its own right. Jack raised an eyebrow, whistling as a final unset stone fell from the pouch. The size of a plum, it was perfectly cut, each facet glinting in the candlelight.
"Pretty," he shrugged. "But I've always been more partial t' rubies m'self." He turned to Jeremiah as the man replaced the emeralds in the pouch, carefully tucking it once again out of sight. "I'll need t' borrow yer charts fer Cape Town t' Penang though - mine are somewhat out of date..." He didn't think Jeremiah needed to worry about Barbossa using them to light his candles all those years ago.
Jeremiah nodded, realising that he would have to allow Jack access to his charts if the emeralds were to be safely delivered. "Your word they will be returned undamaged," he pressed.
"Of course, frigates an' the East Indian Tradin' Company not withstanding..." Jack smiled.
"I'll have the charts delivered to you in the morning," Jeremiah said. "Jedidiah will join you then as well."
"Is it safe fer m' crew t' have a nights shore leave?" Jack asked cautiously. "They'll not see a whore fer months..."
Jeremiah nodded. "I'll see that it is safe," he assured Jack. "But make sure they are fit to sail tomorrow!"
Jack rose, offering Catherine his hand. "Well we'd best be off then," he announced. "Th' crew will want t' make as much use of th' night as they can!"
***
You know the routine... review or I sulk... and I'm already feeling very sulky today. Anybody mentions Sean Penn and I'll keelhaul them - savvy?