AN (5/19)-This insane story of mine has two hundred reviews! I should've made a more celebratory chapter in commemoration, but I felt as if I needed something like this chapter. Forgive the oddness of this one-I promise things won't be this odd in the next chapter!
In other news, today's the one hundredth day of the never ending Role Play on Neopets! Brownies, cookies, and punch to everyone, and a Jack Sparrow plushie to everyone who leaves a review!
Chapter 24-Torpid
It was intolerably hot as the merciless Caribbean sun started slowly setting. Across the horizon, Jack could almost see the water evaporating, distorting the hued sky in odd patterns. Wiping his sweaty forehead, Jack sighed, the slight emmitance of air raggedly scratching his throat. He looked up at the sails, frowning as he surveyed their own exhausted state. The Pearl was imperceptibly moving in this period of no wind. The crew would start cheering in some of the most gentle breezes, eager to escape the dull inactivity and the heat. There hadn't been any wind in over a week, and many worried rations would run out before they ever reached land. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, and tales of cannibalism were quietly discussed as of late. Sailors of any kind could understand those who were forced to eat the flesh of another in order to survive.
A tap on the shoulder made Jack jump as he contemplated the rare stories of cannibalism he'd heard. A large grin broke across his face, opening his chapped lips painfully up and exposing the layer of skin and such beneath. "Daniel, mate, ye look much better." Jack put his left hand on the redhead's slightly taller shoulder. Though Jack seemed taller, he was only about five feet, ten inches-slightly above the average of the day. Daniel was nearly six feet tall, and he sometimes enjoyed mocking Jack about the difference in their heights.
Daniel nodded. "Aye, Eric finally said I'd recovered enough t' get back to work."
"Well, tha's good, Daniel, bu' there isn' really much work to do. Blasted heat an' no wind make it seem like we'll ne'er reach Port Royal." Jack carefully removed his hand from Daniel's shoulder as Devon walked by. He didn't want to give the odd man an incorrect assumption.
Daniel nodded. Optimistically, he said, "Well, the wind 'as to come back eventually."
Three weeks later, Jack was sitting on a coiled hemp rope in the shade of the unmoving sails. Rations had been drastically reduced, and the entire crew was starting to feel the ill effects of malnutrition. Jack, himself, was getting rather thin. He'd been giving half of his rations to Calico Jack in an attempt to help him heal better. The older man was worrying him, for he hadn't tried to leave his cabin at all and seemed to not notice anything.
Sighing, Jack's fingers began twisting at the hemp rope. He really wished Daniel's optimistic utterance would come true soon. The meager supply of food they had been getting the past three weeks had been cut in half again by Barbossa today. If the winds didn't come soon, chances were they'd never make it to Port Royal with the whole crew alive.
Two more weeks passed, the wind refusing to come like true solitude in a bustling tavern. Most of the crew didn't bother moving any longer, trying to conserve the little amount of energy they had. The crew's bunks were full of men with similar unseeing expressions. Their cheek bones stood out sharply, their eyes dull and sunken. No conversations took place any longer, for the last barrel of water had been opened and discovered moldy yesterday. There was only enough foodstuffs to feed the crew another week, if they reduced rations once again.
Jack Sparrow, however, was standing at the helm of the Pearl, consulting a compass and their bearings every hour or so. Something about his personality made it hard for him to not do anything, even though he'd shed considerable weight, consuming half of what everyone else had. Most men would boast and complain of this gesture, wanting recognition to puff up their pride. Jack, however, kept silent. He doubted anyone noticed him slip more food onto Calico Jack's plate. The captain was slowly mending, too weak to do more than eat the meager rations Jack brought him. Jack was rather worried he wouldn't make it, if the winds didn't come.
With a silent sigh, for actually speaking made one's mouth seem drier than the insides of a salt mine, Jack let go of the helm. The Pearl was right on course for Port Royal, and he really didn't need to be standing in the hot sun mercilessly beating down any longer. The only thing that kept Jack from developing the same look in his eyes as the rest was his strong self determination. Jack refused to relent to the waves of dizziness and nausea that washed over him constantly. The pirate refused to let Mother Nature claim him in this grotesque way.
Frowning, Jack slowly staggered off the bridge, leaning against the railing on the starboard side of the Pearl. He really wished that the wind would pick up, and even contemplated praying to any personage in the heavens that would pick the wind up and bring the sails back to life, almost like the wealthy few who used snuff and instantly were energized. Jack would rather be anywhere but standing on board a ship that hadn't moved in over a month. He'd especially been looking forward to visiting Port Royal. That town was even bawdier than Tortuga, often being called the Sodom of the Caribbean. The lawlessness there was only slightly mitigated by the English fort next to towering cliffs and remarkable views. Most of the governors in that port encouraged this reckless behavior, and there was not the faintest glimmer of suspicion the port would fly straight in anyone's heart after visiting. Prostitutes, both male and female, lined the garbage-strewn streets. There were ten times as many taverns as general stores. It was a haven for all manner of deceitful smugglers, vagabonds, miscreants, murderers, adulterers, and thieves.
With a flippant wave of his rather thin arm, Jack dismissed such thoughts. His eyes had started to lose their vitality as he contemplated what he could be missing. Putting his hand down to his side, Jack's dark brown eyes soon caught sight of some squabble in his peripheral vision. He turned and looked at it, alarmed by what he saw. He swaggered his way over, folding his arms across his chest, glaring at Snide Shaine, who was trying to instigate something.
"I say we eat 'im," Snide Shaine sneered as he gazed in utter contempt at the kneeling figure of Robert. "Tha' bilge rat cleared out the res' of the food."
Many of the crew were nodding, the glazed look that had been in their eyes replaced by hunger and hatred. "Aye, 'e ate the rest of the food. Only fair tha' 'e dies so we all live," a voice from the crowd seemingly echoed the sentiments of everyone else.
Jack opened his mouth, about to protest. Sure, the news that Robert had finished off the last of the food was disheartening, but talk of eating him? That was pure lunacy.
Before he could say anything, however, Barbossa decided to speak. "Alright, ye scabberous dogs, there be no reason t' talk of killin' yet." His sunken eyes scanned the whole crowd, many individuals putting their head down in shame. Robert looked up at Barbossa, his gray eyes full of thanks.
Jack let his breath out quickly, merely nodding. This comment from Barbossa seemed almost compassionate, and Jack was so stunned that he hadn't caught the last word the usually foul mouth had spoken.
Swallowing hard and trying to muster up more saliva, Barbossa continued after a moment. "Tha' be too light of a punishment. Firs' we'll beat 'im, then kill 'im, an' then eat 'im so we can survive." He grinned malevolently at the now terrified Robert.
"I did not eat the last of the rations," Robert proclaimed, his fairly cultured voice strained with terror and dehydration. "The crates were already empty!" A sharp blow to the cheek made the protesting man with amber hair quiet.
Jack opened his mouth, rather surprised at how quickly the hungry men had turned back to their murderous rage. He was cut off again by Barbossa, who had given Jack an evil grin.
"Snide Shaine, did ye see this thief get into the supplies?" A mock trial seemed to have developed over the past few moments, Barbossa assuming the part of an "unbiased" judge.
"Aye, sir, I saw Robert take them wiv me own eyes." The tall man glared at the prostrated Robert, his eyes full of disdain.
Barbossa nodded. "Well, Robert, yer own peers 'ave found ye guilty. Accordin' t' Article Five o' the code, ye get thirty-nine lashes t' the back. We'll keelhaul ye for thirty minutes after tha', an' kill you if ye aren't dead by then. Any las' words?" he asked as he tilted his head and paused.
Jack took this moment to finally say something before the crew did as Barbossa had decreed. "Aren' cases such as this only t' be determined by the captain? Or did I misread the code?"
Barbossa frowned and looked towards Jack. "I don't think the Cap'n is fit enough for a decision such as this, Jack." Calico Jack's code did mention that in any punishment that could include death, he was the deciding factor.
Those of the Pearl's crew that could read the code glanced anxiously between Barbossa and Jack, wondering which of the stubborn wills would relent first.
"Well, I 'appen t' think 'e's more than ready t' pass judgment," a voice from the back of the starving crowd said. Whitey and Mark quickly moved towards Devon, revealing Calico Jack leaning on a cutlass with its tip buried in the Pearl's wood, frowning at Barbossa.
"Sorry, cap'n," Barbossa quickly mumbled, seemingly losing his oppressive spirit. "I din' think you'd wish to be disturbed by this easy case, sir. Snide Shaine saw Robert eat the last of the rations."
"While tha' very well could be the case, Hector, Robert deserves the chance to dispute Snide Shaine's claim." Calico Jack's dark brown eyes glanced mercifully towards the terrified Robert. "We need more proof before we do somethin' so drastic."
"Aye, the Cap'n is right," Jack added, suddenly quite dizzy. "Did anyone else actually see Robert?" He glanced around at the crew, trying to keep the world from spinning. No one could see his personal alarm, though, for Jack looked as he normally did.
Whitey shook his head, quickly accompanied by shakes all around. Kaman quietly said, "Me don't tink 'e would do that." The black man shared a special bond with Robert. Viktor nodded in acquiescence.
Calico Jack was carefully watching everyone's reaction. Glancing at Snide Shaine, he quietly asked, "Did ye really see anythin', Shaine?"
Snide Shaine glanced at Barbossa for a split second, wondering what he should say. Barbossa gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. He glanced back at Calico Jack. "No, I only saw 'im lookin' in the empty crate."
The tension that had been mounting suddenly dissipated as Calico Jack glanced at Robert. He said, "Robert, I find no proof tha' ye did anything wrong. Ye be free to go, mate."
As the crowd went back below decks to escape the heat and worry about how they would survive for much longer, Jack staggered to Robert and offered his hand. Robert took Jack's thin hand, standing. "Thanks, Jack," he said shortly as he smiled.
"Think nothin' of it," Jack said as he tried to not fall flat on his face or lose the very meager contents of his stomach.
Robert nodded and went below deck, knowing that he wouldn't be received very well by the crew. However, he was infinitely grateful that he wasn't on the menu.
When Robert had disappeared below deck, Jack turned and saw Calico Jack motioning him over. Carefully walking to his captain, Jack wondered what he wanted. Reaching his side, Jack rather haggardly quipped, "Yes, Cap'n?"
"Jack, thank ye for trying to maintain order here," the older man said, an ashen tint to his face.
"It was nothin'," Jack said as he frowned. "Ye shouldn' be out of bed yet, Cap'n." Calico Jack looked rather how Jack felt-about ready to fall down.
Jack nearly did fall down as he heard a voice behind him. "I'd have t' agree wiv the boy, Cap'n. Ye need your rest." Barbossa spoke with what sounded like sympathy. His cold blue eyes couldn't help but notice how similar the two looked at the moment as each tried not to show their weakness.
Jack frowned, wondering how Barbossa could go so fast from talk of cannibalism to agreeing with Jack. He watched Barbossa for a moment, his dark eyes scanning for any sense of resentment Barbossa had towards Calico Jack. Other than the faintest hint of ill-will, Jack could sense nothing but sincerity.
"Alright, I'll go back t' bed," Calico Jack said as he began doing just that. Using the cutlass as a walking stick and nearly falling down, the weathered pirate reached his cabin and disappeared.
Jack was now alone with Barbossa, and he felt a bit uneasy on top of his distorted equilibrium.
"I jus' wanted t' test ye, Jack," Barbossa said after a minute of tense silence. "I wouldn' 'ave really let the crew kill 'im."
Jack glanced curiously at Barbossa, not expecting that comment at all. Perhaps he'd misjudged the man. "Wha'?"
Barbossa chuckled slightly, his normally cold eyes full of amusement. "I was jus' testin' ye, Jack. Wanted t' make sure wha' sort of character ye 'ave." He was standing in an unusually lax stance.
Jack's mind was truly reeling as the shock of this statement resonated in his dizzy mind. "It was a test?" After a perfunctory nod from Barbossa, Jack grinned. "Did I pass?"
"Aye, boy, ye passed. Ye rose t' your crewmate's defense when everyone else wouldn't." He grinned, showing off his decaying teeth. "Ye questioned an improper judgment. Jus' wanted t' tell you I..."
Before Jack could hear what Barbossa had been about to say, a strong wind suddenly picked up and the Pearl's sails jumped to life. Barbossa stopped talking, a large grin on his face as the Pearl started picking up speed. In a matter of days, they should reach Port Royal, and the crew would forget how close they'd come to complete insanity.
Ms. Baldwin- You left review number two hundred! You win the fabulous prize of an entire plushy set of Pirates of the Caribbean in addition to a truckload of cookies! Thanks for sticking with this story for so long, and I hope this chapter wasn't too odd.
sunkist3208- Aye, poor Jack...and thanks for the review-I hope you enjoyed the ones I left on your story-which, if anyone else is reading this response, they should read...anyway, the only tip I have is for you to update frequently and not get discouraged.
WaNdA- Thanks for yet another review! And I'm glad you mentioned it...I'm trying to be as factual as possible. Without loyal reviewers such as you, I'd have probably given up ages ago.
Meggumscat- Very welcome for the cookies you are. Thanks for leaving a review, even though you were being dragged away-don't know if I could do that. And where is your update? I won't give you cookies until you update.
Cheatachu82-Thanks for leaving you sentiments...and it's a fairly good explanation, being much better than my first idea.
DragonHunter200-Was this soon enough? Anyway, I hope you like this odd chapter-if not, feel free to institutionalize me...
starwarsfreakford13-Thank you for those words of encouragement! I just feel a bit apathetic sometimes...and sometimes I wonder why I bother...but then I remember I'd be disappointing the nine or so regular reviewers.
Daisy- A beret from Chile? I feel so privileged! Thanks, and I hope this chapter isn't too odd for your tastes...
Bluekrystal1- Not too much longer-I'd never realized how popular Bootstrap was-anyway, we'll also shortly see the introduction of someone many people absolutely adore-Joshamee Gibbs! Just kidding...I think you can tell who it will be.