Usual disclaimers... wow, look at those hailstones!
Last chapter for today.
***
Jack was relieved when all those ashore had finally returned, even if some of them required Ned Cotton's medical skills or a spell in the sick bay before they would be fit for duty. At least there would be no more men to speak eulogies for - three was still three too many.
"Weigh anchor!" Jack ordered, turning south and heading towards the Sunda Strait. They would hold their ceremony in a few hours - at dusk if the tides were favourable and no ships were near. It was hard to see at times though, the numerous small islands could shield an entire flotilla and they not spot it. At least Jean Claude would speak the words this time... Jack hated such duties and was glad of his Quartermaster's way with words. He watched the other ships in the harbour closely as they left, reassured to see no signs of others making ready to sail - but he still did not trust them.
"Captain?" Jean Claude asked, noticing Jack's stare.
"Have th' crew stay alert... I don't trust 'em not t' try somethin'," Jack warned.
Jean Claude nodded and went onto the main deck to pass the word. The Black Pearl would not be taken unawares in such dangerous waters.
***
Jack ordered the sails furled a few hours out of Singapore. He still was unhappy at their closeness to the city and that he could not see clear sea around him, but the ceremony had to go ahead before the bodies caused illness aboard. Already the smell was noticeable and another day in the heat did not bear thinking about.
"This'll have t' do," he sighed as the three bodies were brought on deck. "Pale! Keep a watch from th' crows' nest!" he ordered. "An' watch th' island!"
The crew assembled, hearing Jean Claude speak the traditional words of internment before Ashley Milton, Franklin Davies and Paul Worcester slid beneath the waves. He watched the second body go regretfully - the broken nosed pirate had become a good crewman despite his dodgy start.
"Captain!" Tobias Pale called from above. "Captain! Sail ho! She's flying red!"
Jack looked up, cursing as he saw a sleek ship slipping around the island and sailing straight for them. Although a smaller ship than the Black Pearl, she had the advantage of manoeuvrability - and the Black Pearl was dead in the water. "Raise our own red an' turn t' meet them! Loose th' sails! We need t' find room t' move!" He squinted into the rapidly dimming light at the other ship, noting her cannons. "Ready th' starboard cannons!" he ordered, realising that the other ship would pass them on that side.
Catherine watched the ship close, looking to Jack for his instructions. "Jack?" She bit her lip uncertainly - did he want her to fight or to hide, fearing she could be a target.
"Up t' th' crows nest an' take yer pistol. If it's yer they're after it will be harder t' get t' yer there!" He was relieved when she ran to obey, fetching a bag of shot and powder before nimbly scrambling up the rigging to her lofty perch.
"Captain!" Isaac shouted, running towards him. "Have you seen Moses?"
Jack shook his head. "Moses!" he shouted, urgently looking for the boy, before spotting him by the cabin doors. "Moses! Go to th' hold an' find th' smallest place yer can fit an' hide!" He sighed as Moses scurried below decks, assured that the skinny child would find somewhere inaccessible to an adult.
Jack watched the other ship and waited, judging her distance until she came into range of his cannons. "Fire!" he ordered, relieved to see the cannonballs hit despite the poor light.
"Jack!" Catherine shouted from above. "Jack! There's nobody onboard!"
"What?" Jack frowned.
"Oh my..." Catherine began, her voice trailing off in horror. "Jack! They're in boats on the far side!"
Jack watched in horror as a flotilla of small boats emerged from their hiding place. They had been shielded by the now sinking ship and were rowing at speed towards them. "Fire on 'em!" he shouted frantically, desperate to reduce the numbers before they were boarded for he gauged their numbers even.
All too soon, and despite their best efforts, the Black Pearl was boarded. Jack waded in, sword flying as he defended his beloved ship - still unsure if they were after his ship, his wife or both.
***
Catherine peered from above, shooting as many of those that attacked people she could easily spot from above - but especially Jack. She saw one, and then another, and another crew go down and for the first time in a long time she was truly frightened. For a panicked moment she lost sight of Jack before finally spotting him near the stairs to the quarterdeck. Again her pistol rang out and she smiled as he saluted her in gratitude. Desperately she reloaded and fired at another boarder, and another until gradually the numbers turned in favour of the Black Pearl. Soon the crew were fighting in twos against a single opponent... and then it was over - as quickly as it began. She looked aghast at the dead that littered the decks of the Black Pearl.
"Take their red!" Jack ordered, wanting it retrieved before the smaller ship sank. "An' get us away from 'ere!"
Cautiously Catherine crept down the rigging, stepping through the bodies until she stood next to Jack. He leaned against her, his hands and clothes covered in blood. "S'alright," he assured her. "None of it's mine..." He looked across to Jean Claude who was off-loading their attackers over the side without pause or ceremony. "How many?" he asked quietly.
Jean Claude nodded to a small, but steadily growing pile of bodies on the other side of the boat. "Ten... I think..." he grunted as he pushed another body over.
"Eleven," Paul Fearnan said sadly, placing the small blue body of Ned Cotton's macaw next to the men. His face dared any to debate his inclusion of the bird as crew, but if there had been any one glance of Ned's face silenced them.
"Ned!" Catherine rushed from Jack's side, putting her arms around her long- time friend. She could not imagine him without the darned bird and from his grief-stricken face, neither could he. She burst into tears, hugging him, relieved when he hugged her back. "We have to see to the living Ned," she said quietly. "Do you want me to do it?"
Ned Cotton looked around at the injuries and realised that it would require both him and Catherine working together to make any progress. He shook his head, pointing at her and then himself.
"I'll get my bag," she smiled, hugging him again before turning to the cabin. She nearly slipped on the deck, slick with blood it was deadly. "If anyone is in one piece, get this deck clean!" she ordered, relieved to see at least a few of the crew obey, reaching for the buckets.
***
Jack ordered those still fit to see to the dead whilst Catherine and Ned worked by torchlight on the injured. Only when all had been stitched, bandaged or cauterised where necessary did he ask for Jean Claude to speak yet another eulogy for the dead. He looked around at those still standing, few among them uninjured in some way or other. They were seriously undermanned and all knew it. They would have to reach the Caribbean with no more losses - and there was over eleven thousand miles of sea between here and home.
He watched as the dead slid from the trestles into the depths of the ocean, silently recounting their names to himself - William Cooper, Richard Nash, Joshua Polcombe, Peter Owen, Warren Jones, Jacob Faden, Henry Porter, Albert Pinkney, Samuel Varne, David Albery and not, of course, forgetting the bird. The bulge of the cannonball within the sailcloth was larger than that of the macaw, but he too was consigned to the sea with as much honour as they could confer.
As soon as the last splash had sounded and the "Amens" completed, Jack ordered the crew above. He wanted them clear of the area as soon as possible, even if it meant navigating by the charts and the stars in unfamiliar waters. He had spotted the oriental man that had first approached him amongst those that had boarded the Black Pearl and guessed that he must have been Dal. It seemed he truly had wanted Catherine, enough to sail with a pirate crew that wanted his ship.
"I want th' fittest half of yer on deck, all others below an' get some sleep. After t'night we'll be runnin' double watches from now on until Cape Town..." he warned. "Jean Claude, Booth, make sure yer get sleep as yer'll be taking th' helm at dawn!" He turned to Catherine. "Stay with me luv," he smiled quietly. "I'll need yer here t'night."
The crew remaining awake busied themselves cleaning the decks and ensuring that the sails were kept trim for Jack, working by torchlight in the darkness of the night. Catherine stood silently next to him as he took the helm, again heading southwards for the Sunda Strait and home. After a while he reached across to her, pulling her between him and the wheel, hugging her with his spare arm. Neither of them spoke or moved until dawn.
***
Okay - I'm sorry! I shot the bleedin' parrot! Just be grateful it wasn't the donkey or we'd never hear the last of it from BlueTrinity!
You know the routine... more reviews mean more chapters... simple really! ;)
Last chapter for today.
***
Jack was relieved when all those ashore had finally returned, even if some of them required Ned Cotton's medical skills or a spell in the sick bay before they would be fit for duty. At least there would be no more men to speak eulogies for - three was still three too many.
"Weigh anchor!" Jack ordered, turning south and heading towards the Sunda Strait. They would hold their ceremony in a few hours - at dusk if the tides were favourable and no ships were near. It was hard to see at times though, the numerous small islands could shield an entire flotilla and they not spot it. At least Jean Claude would speak the words this time... Jack hated such duties and was glad of his Quartermaster's way with words. He watched the other ships in the harbour closely as they left, reassured to see no signs of others making ready to sail - but he still did not trust them.
"Captain?" Jean Claude asked, noticing Jack's stare.
"Have th' crew stay alert... I don't trust 'em not t' try somethin'," Jack warned.
Jean Claude nodded and went onto the main deck to pass the word. The Black Pearl would not be taken unawares in such dangerous waters.
***
Jack ordered the sails furled a few hours out of Singapore. He still was unhappy at their closeness to the city and that he could not see clear sea around him, but the ceremony had to go ahead before the bodies caused illness aboard. Already the smell was noticeable and another day in the heat did not bear thinking about.
"This'll have t' do," he sighed as the three bodies were brought on deck. "Pale! Keep a watch from th' crows' nest!" he ordered. "An' watch th' island!"
The crew assembled, hearing Jean Claude speak the traditional words of internment before Ashley Milton, Franklin Davies and Paul Worcester slid beneath the waves. He watched the second body go regretfully - the broken nosed pirate had become a good crewman despite his dodgy start.
"Captain!" Tobias Pale called from above. "Captain! Sail ho! She's flying red!"
Jack looked up, cursing as he saw a sleek ship slipping around the island and sailing straight for them. Although a smaller ship than the Black Pearl, she had the advantage of manoeuvrability - and the Black Pearl was dead in the water. "Raise our own red an' turn t' meet them! Loose th' sails! We need t' find room t' move!" He squinted into the rapidly dimming light at the other ship, noting her cannons. "Ready th' starboard cannons!" he ordered, realising that the other ship would pass them on that side.
Catherine watched the ship close, looking to Jack for his instructions. "Jack?" She bit her lip uncertainly - did he want her to fight or to hide, fearing she could be a target.
"Up t' th' crows nest an' take yer pistol. If it's yer they're after it will be harder t' get t' yer there!" He was relieved when she ran to obey, fetching a bag of shot and powder before nimbly scrambling up the rigging to her lofty perch.
"Captain!" Isaac shouted, running towards him. "Have you seen Moses?"
Jack shook his head. "Moses!" he shouted, urgently looking for the boy, before spotting him by the cabin doors. "Moses! Go to th' hold an' find th' smallest place yer can fit an' hide!" He sighed as Moses scurried below decks, assured that the skinny child would find somewhere inaccessible to an adult.
Jack watched the other ship and waited, judging her distance until she came into range of his cannons. "Fire!" he ordered, relieved to see the cannonballs hit despite the poor light.
"Jack!" Catherine shouted from above. "Jack! There's nobody onboard!"
"What?" Jack frowned.
"Oh my..." Catherine began, her voice trailing off in horror. "Jack! They're in boats on the far side!"
Jack watched in horror as a flotilla of small boats emerged from their hiding place. They had been shielded by the now sinking ship and were rowing at speed towards them. "Fire on 'em!" he shouted frantically, desperate to reduce the numbers before they were boarded for he gauged their numbers even.
All too soon, and despite their best efforts, the Black Pearl was boarded. Jack waded in, sword flying as he defended his beloved ship - still unsure if they were after his ship, his wife or both.
***
Catherine peered from above, shooting as many of those that attacked people she could easily spot from above - but especially Jack. She saw one, and then another, and another crew go down and for the first time in a long time she was truly frightened. For a panicked moment she lost sight of Jack before finally spotting him near the stairs to the quarterdeck. Again her pistol rang out and she smiled as he saluted her in gratitude. Desperately she reloaded and fired at another boarder, and another until gradually the numbers turned in favour of the Black Pearl. Soon the crew were fighting in twos against a single opponent... and then it was over - as quickly as it began. She looked aghast at the dead that littered the decks of the Black Pearl.
"Take their red!" Jack ordered, wanting it retrieved before the smaller ship sank. "An' get us away from 'ere!"
Cautiously Catherine crept down the rigging, stepping through the bodies until she stood next to Jack. He leaned against her, his hands and clothes covered in blood. "S'alright," he assured her. "None of it's mine..." He looked across to Jean Claude who was off-loading their attackers over the side without pause or ceremony. "How many?" he asked quietly.
Jean Claude nodded to a small, but steadily growing pile of bodies on the other side of the boat. "Ten... I think..." he grunted as he pushed another body over.
"Eleven," Paul Fearnan said sadly, placing the small blue body of Ned Cotton's macaw next to the men. His face dared any to debate his inclusion of the bird as crew, but if there had been any one glance of Ned's face silenced them.
"Ned!" Catherine rushed from Jack's side, putting her arms around her long- time friend. She could not imagine him without the darned bird and from his grief-stricken face, neither could he. She burst into tears, hugging him, relieved when he hugged her back. "We have to see to the living Ned," she said quietly. "Do you want me to do it?"
Ned Cotton looked around at the injuries and realised that it would require both him and Catherine working together to make any progress. He shook his head, pointing at her and then himself.
"I'll get my bag," she smiled, hugging him again before turning to the cabin. She nearly slipped on the deck, slick with blood it was deadly. "If anyone is in one piece, get this deck clean!" she ordered, relieved to see at least a few of the crew obey, reaching for the buckets.
***
Jack ordered those still fit to see to the dead whilst Catherine and Ned worked by torchlight on the injured. Only when all had been stitched, bandaged or cauterised where necessary did he ask for Jean Claude to speak yet another eulogy for the dead. He looked around at those still standing, few among them uninjured in some way or other. They were seriously undermanned and all knew it. They would have to reach the Caribbean with no more losses - and there was over eleven thousand miles of sea between here and home.
He watched as the dead slid from the trestles into the depths of the ocean, silently recounting their names to himself - William Cooper, Richard Nash, Joshua Polcombe, Peter Owen, Warren Jones, Jacob Faden, Henry Porter, Albert Pinkney, Samuel Varne, David Albery and not, of course, forgetting the bird. The bulge of the cannonball within the sailcloth was larger than that of the macaw, but he too was consigned to the sea with as much honour as they could confer.
As soon as the last splash had sounded and the "Amens" completed, Jack ordered the crew above. He wanted them clear of the area as soon as possible, even if it meant navigating by the charts and the stars in unfamiliar waters. He had spotted the oriental man that had first approached him amongst those that had boarded the Black Pearl and guessed that he must have been Dal. It seemed he truly had wanted Catherine, enough to sail with a pirate crew that wanted his ship.
"I want th' fittest half of yer on deck, all others below an' get some sleep. After t'night we'll be runnin' double watches from now on until Cape Town..." he warned. "Jean Claude, Booth, make sure yer get sleep as yer'll be taking th' helm at dawn!" He turned to Catherine. "Stay with me luv," he smiled quietly. "I'll need yer here t'night."
The crew remaining awake busied themselves cleaning the decks and ensuring that the sails were kept trim for Jack, working by torchlight in the darkness of the night. Catherine stood silently next to him as he took the helm, again heading southwards for the Sunda Strait and home. After a while he reached across to her, pulling her between him and the wheel, hugging her with his spare arm. Neither of them spoke or moved until dawn.
***
Okay - I'm sorry! I shot the bleedin' parrot! Just be grateful it wasn't the donkey or we'd never hear the last of it from BlueTrinity!
You know the routine... more reviews mean more chapters... simple really! ;)