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Chapter Nineteen.
Meanwhile not so far away, seated at the silk covered window seat, staring out into the night sat Jo Baxter-Cress. She had returned to the harem, and the search for her had dropped. She had made her apologies, but the Garter was not pleased. Certain privileges had been taken away, any freedom she had once possessed was now snatched away in the form of the greedy fat man, known as the Garter.
Sleep was impossible, she had stumbled out of her four poster bed, and to the window, and there she sat for a large proportion of the night. There was only one thought in her mind and that was off Jack Sparrow. He would hang for his offences against the Garter, killing a guard was enough, but arson, and kidnapping of a harem girl added to his list of charges. The prosecution was drawn tight around him, there was no chance of escape.
Although there were no bars on the window, Jo felt like she was caged in, she was as much in prison as Jack and the others were. The bangle felt cold around her wrist, she despised it's icy grip. Jack's last words to her played vividly out in her mind.
"Jo, you are returnin' to a man who terrorises your people, destroys the very ground you walk on, hurts in ways unimaginable, an' yet you return to 'im willingly. That's power."
"Yes, power." She muttered. "But of the wrong sort." She looked once more at the menacing description on her bangle, before standing up, slowly and determinedly. She no longer wanted to be 'property of the Garter'.
There were many who agreed with her, if they would just stand together, they would have a mass army big enough to oppose the Garter. If they could fight side by side for their freedom, and put someone else on the throne of Rhydon. And Jo started believing, something she had never dared to believe before. At last some hope had crept into her miserable life, and her dull eyes shone with determination. She pulled the bangle from her wrist, it was so tight that it scraped her skin and the gold was stained with blood. For years the bangle had pierced her skin, keeping her in the icy grip of the Garter. But no longer, she had freed herself of her shackles.
She smiled. Now she had to help Jack.
There was already a secret organisation running against the Garter. It was led by Onslow, the chief eunuch. Living at the harem, Jo and Onslow had formed a partnership, using each other to survive the unbearable rule of the Garter. Onslow led the secret service, he had many men and women following him. If only they would stand up together fight, put into action what they had planned for years in secret.
The next morning, before the other mindless girls awoke, Jo crept out to sit by the fountain. She ran her hand through the icy waters, bathing the skin where the bangle had burnt into her. A hand fell on her shoulder, and she sighed relieved. She recognised the black ringed hand.
"Onslow." She said, getting up.
"We were worried yesterday." The man said. She reached her unbangled hand up and grasped his. He noticed the absence of the bracelet and smiled.
"Onslow, I need your help."
He nodded. "Anything."
"I need you to help me raise an army against the Garter."
He ringed hand moved from her shoulder to her mouth, with such haste she did not see it move. "You should be careful, even the water has ears, ears for Garter." He said, angrily, but quietly.
"I'm sorry." She said, standing up.
"What has brought this on? I remember once you begged me not to get involved with the uprising."
"Yeah, well, I don't want to be his slave anymore." She said, pointing up at the large fortress. "I am tired of living in his shadow."
"These things take time, and there is a time for everything, the time for rash actions is not now."
"No, it's tomorrow, next week, next year, next century! There is no time like the present Onslow."
"Jo."
"Jack will die, unless we do something to help him. I almost led him to his death, as the Garter tells me that is my duty. But no longer."
"Jack?"
"He spared my life after I betrayed his. It's my turn to do something for him."
"You want to fight the Garter to save one man?"
She shook her head angrily. "No, I want to fight the Garter, to save every man, woman and child on Rhydon. I want to give them their lives back."
"I don't want to be a martyr."
"Nor I, I want to live, I do, but under his rule none of us are alive."
Onslow nodded. "They will not stand together."
"Make them!"
"They are peasants, fisher men, farmers, they are not warriors, like the Garter's soldiers."
"One free man defending his home is more powerful then a hundred paid soldiers."
Onslow smiled. "Then we fight, what makes you think we win?"
She shrugged. "Call it intuition, but I don't think Jack's ever lost anything in his life, and he's not gonna start now."
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Jack had got up, he was standing at the stone door, and looking through the small slit made by the bars. But he could see nothing in the loom. He tugged at the bars but they were solid.
Bill peered up at him. "Must be mornin' by now, only two hours to go, I reckon."
"It won't come to that."
"Why? You got a bright idea to get us outta 'ere." Bill demanded, angrily.
Jack didn't reply, partly because he didn't know what to say and partly because his throat was so parched, speaking was hard.
Barbossa was still mumbling away to himself in the dark, his crew were listening with rapt attention, should he ask them a question on what he had just said. It was clear even now, with death facing them all, that the crew were terrified of Barbossa.
"What you got there Bill?" Jack managed to ask.
Bill shoved the gold hastily back in his pocket. "Nothin'."
"How can you be secretive when you've got nothin' to hide?" Jack asked.
Bill's hand touched his pocket, and his filthy fingers outline the gold's round shape. "I said it were nothin' so it is nothin'." He said, angrily.
Bill stood up as he spoke.
Jack turned to face. "So you're gonna die lyin' to your captain?"
"You just said it hadn't come to that yet."
Jack grinned. "I kill liars."
"I didn't think you agreed wit' suicide."
"You callin' me a liar?"
"Yeah, I think that's what I'm doing!" Bill said, forcefully, stepping forward.
Jack punched him knocking him to the ground. Bill kicked his leg and tripped Jack up as he was returning to the barred door. Bill got on top of him, and started to bang Jack's head against the stone floor. Jack attempted to kick him off, but Bill dodged out of the way. He kicked Jack's stomach, Jack groaned and turned over. He pushed himself up from the floor, throwing Bill against the wall.
"What the bloody 'ell are you two up to?" Barbossa demanded.
"Yeah, the Garter will kill us soon, so no need to 'ill each other." One of the crew called.
Bill sat panting against the wall, clutching his chest, the sharp pain was so intense he felt like his ribs had shattered.
He looked across at Jack, who seemed to be in an equal amount of pain from his head. The blood clouded Jack's vision, and the world slipped away into darkness, he fell unconscious on the cold bloody floor.
"Jack." Bill cried jumping up. "Jack." He said, shaking him gently, then more forcefully. "Jack!"
"You've killed 'im." One of the crew cried.
Bill shook his head, hopelessly. "JACK!"
Jack stirred ever so slightly.
Bill gave a massive sigh of relief. "At least your still alive, hold on Jack, we're gonna get outta 'ere."
"If I was you Bootstrap I'd be prayin' for his death, 'cause he's gonna kill you when he wakes up." The nearest man said.
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The Garter called for his harem girl, Jo Baxter-Cress. Onslow wished her look, as he disappeared to organise the army for freedom. Jo entered the fortress guarded by three men, she went up the carpeted stone stairs. Through the extensive gallery of family portraits before eventually reaching the Garter's sitting room.
She knocked, but as her hand raised to knock on the door, she stared suddenly terrified at her scorched flesh. The bangle was no longer there, the Garter would notice instantly. The guards watched her in surprise as she hesitated, no chance to turn back. She knocked and entered.
As she walked into the dark room, her left hand was concealed behind her back. The Garter sat on a huge chaise lounge. He wore his ceremony robes of golden silk, and his brown hair was dyed a rich black, plaited and beaded. His body was covered in diamonds, from head to foot. For the first time Jo was appalled, the man was sitting on a fortune whilst those outside the fortress starved for a loaf of bread. He was round and fat, but no so much that he could not stand. He was small in height, but when on horse back he was truly terrifying. He could fight well, surprising due to his weight and size, but he often remarked that the sword was his best friend and the noose his second.
"You wanted to see me." She bowed, she didn't know it at the time but that was to be the last time she ever bowed down to the Garter.
He held out his large hand for hers. She gave it to him reluctantly, and he gripped in a pincer type grip.
She hid the pain from her face.
"My child, whom do you serve?"
"No one."
"What?" He demanded.
"No one but you."
"You ran yesterday."
"I did not run." she began but was silenced with a heavy slap from the Garter's other hand. The force would have thrown her to the floor if her other hand had not been held tightly by the Garter.
"Do not interrupt me!" He said, angrily.
She nodded, tears appearing in her eyes. "I apologise sire."
"You met this man, Jack Sparrow, what is he like?"
"He is nothing, a mindless barbarian, not a king like you my Lord." Jo said, quietly.
"That nothing killed six of my men, and set one of my barns alight." He shouted.
Jo did not reply, she looked down.
"You were seen, at the hotel, with him. You slept with him." The Garter said, looking straight in her eyes.
"No." She turned away.
He shook her. "You dirty slag, you slept with him, I take you under my roof, protect from the swarming rabbles outside and this is how I am to be repaid?!" He smiled cruelly. "Very well, girl, you shall die with him, this mindless barbarian."
"And so shall you." She said, angrily, unable to hold back the tears.
The Garter's son entered the room, and stared at the two of them in surprise.
"Father, what is going on?"
"Have you never heard of knocking!?" He thundered.
His son stared at him but did not reply.
"Guards!" The doors opened instantly. "Take this scuzzy bitch to the dungeons she will join the others." Tuleus Garter watched as Jo was taken away, he saw the determination written across every inch of her face. Every inch said that she was going to live, she would survive. He shook his head sadly, but that was impossible, when the Garter decided to kill someone that person died. There were no exceptions, no escape, no mercy.
Chapter Nineteen.
Meanwhile not so far away, seated at the silk covered window seat, staring out into the night sat Jo Baxter-Cress. She had returned to the harem, and the search for her had dropped. She had made her apologies, but the Garter was not pleased. Certain privileges had been taken away, any freedom she had once possessed was now snatched away in the form of the greedy fat man, known as the Garter.
Sleep was impossible, she had stumbled out of her four poster bed, and to the window, and there she sat for a large proportion of the night. There was only one thought in her mind and that was off Jack Sparrow. He would hang for his offences against the Garter, killing a guard was enough, but arson, and kidnapping of a harem girl added to his list of charges. The prosecution was drawn tight around him, there was no chance of escape.
Although there were no bars on the window, Jo felt like she was caged in, she was as much in prison as Jack and the others were. The bangle felt cold around her wrist, she despised it's icy grip. Jack's last words to her played vividly out in her mind.
"Jo, you are returnin' to a man who terrorises your people, destroys the very ground you walk on, hurts in ways unimaginable, an' yet you return to 'im willingly. That's power."
"Yes, power." She muttered. "But of the wrong sort." She looked once more at the menacing description on her bangle, before standing up, slowly and determinedly. She no longer wanted to be 'property of the Garter'.
There were many who agreed with her, if they would just stand together, they would have a mass army big enough to oppose the Garter. If they could fight side by side for their freedom, and put someone else on the throne of Rhydon. And Jo started believing, something she had never dared to believe before. At last some hope had crept into her miserable life, and her dull eyes shone with determination. She pulled the bangle from her wrist, it was so tight that it scraped her skin and the gold was stained with blood. For years the bangle had pierced her skin, keeping her in the icy grip of the Garter. But no longer, she had freed herself of her shackles.
She smiled. Now she had to help Jack.
There was already a secret organisation running against the Garter. It was led by Onslow, the chief eunuch. Living at the harem, Jo and Onslow had formed a partnership, using each other to survive the unbearable rule of the Garter. Onslow led the secret service, he had many men and women following him. If only they would stand up together fight, put into action what they had planned for years in secret.
The next morning, before the other mindless girls awoke, Jo crept out to sit by the fountain. She ran her hand through the icy waters, bathing the skin where the bangle had burnt into her. A hand fell on her shoulder, and she sighed relieved. She recognised the black ringed hand.
"Onslow." She said, getting up.
"We were worried yesterday." The man said. She reached her unbangled hand up and grasped his. He noticed the absence of the bracelet and smiled.
"Onslow, I need your help."
He nodded. "Anything."
"I need you to help me raise an army against the Garter."
He ringed hand moved from her shoulder to her mouth, with such haste she did not see it move. "You should be careful, even the water has ears, ears for Garter." He said, angrily, but quietly.
"I'm sorry." She said, standing up.
"What has brought this on? I remember once you begged me not to get involved with the uprising."
"Yeah, well, I don't want to be his slave anymore." She said, pointing up at the large fortress. "I am tired of living in his shadow."
"These things take time, and there is a time for everything, the time for rash actions is not now."
"No, it's tomorrow, next week, next year, next century! There is no time like the present Onslow."
"Jo."
"Jack will die, unless we do something to help him. I almost led him to his death, as the Garter tells me that is my duty. But no longer."
"Jack?"
"He spared my life after I betrayed his. It's my turn to do something for him."
"You want to fight the Garter to save one man?"
She shook her head angrily. "No, I want to fight the Garter, to save every man, woman and child on Rhydon. I want to give them their lives back."
"I don't want to be a martyr."
"Nor I, I want to live, I do, but under his rule none of us are alive."
Onslow nodded. "They will not stand together."
"Make them!"
"They are peasants, fisher men, farmers, they are not warriors, like the Garter's soldiers."
"One free man defending his home is more powerful then a hundred paid soldiers."
Onslow smiled. "Then we fight, what makes you think we win?"
She shrugged. "Call it intuition, but I don't think Jack's ever lost anything in his life, and he's not gonna start now."
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Jack had got up, he was standing at the stone door, and looking through the small slit made by the bars. But he could see nothing in the loom. He tugged at the bars but they were solid.
Bill peered up at him. "Must be mornin' by now, only two hours to go, I reckon."
"It won't come to that."
"Why? You got a bright idea to get us outta 'ere." Bill demanded, angrily.
Jack didn't reply, partly because he didn't know what to say and partly because his throat was so parched, speaking was hard.
Barbossa was still mumbling away to himself in the dark, his crew were listening with rapt attention, should he ask them a question on what he had just said. It was clear even now, with death facing them all, that the crew were terrified of Barbossa.
"What you got there Bill?" Jack managed to ask.
Bill shoved the gold hastily back in his pocket. "Nothin'."
"How can you be secretive when you've got nothin' to hide?" Jack asked.
Bill's hand touched his pocket, and his filthy fingers outline the gold's round shape. "I said it were nothin' so it is nothin'." He said, angrily.
Bill stood up as he spoke.
Jack turned to face. "So you're gonna die lyin' to your captain?"
"You just said it hadn't come to that yet."
Jack grinned. "I kill liars."
"I didn't think you agreed wit' suicide."
"You callin' me a liar?"
"Yeah, I think that's what I'm doing!" Bill said, forcefully, stepping forward.
Jack punched him knocking him to the ground. Bill kicked his leg and tripped Jack up as he was returning to the barred door. Bill got on top of him, and started to bang Jack's head against the stone floor. Jack attempted to kick him off, but Bill dodged out of the way. He kicked Jack's stomach, Jack groaned and turned over. He pushed himself up from the floor, throwing Bill against the wall.
"What the bloody 'ell are you two up to?" Barbossa demanded.
"Yeah, the Garter will kill us soon, so no need to 'ill each other." One of the crew called.
Bill sat panting against the wall, clutching his chest, the sharp pain was so intense he felt like his ribs had shattered.
He looked across at Jack, who seemed to be in an equal amount of pain from his head. The blood clouded Jack's vision, and the world slipped away into darkness, he fell unconscious on the cold bloody floor.
"Jack." Bill cried jumping up. "Jack." He said, shaking him gently, then more forcefully. "Jack!"
"You've killed 'im." One of the crew cried.
Bill shook his head, hopelessly. "JACK!"
Jack stirred ever so slightly.
Bill gave a massive sigh of relief. "At least your still alive, hold on Jack, we're gonna get outta 'ere."
"If I was you Bootstrap I'd be prayin' for his death, 'cause he's gonna kill you when he wakes up." The nearest man said.
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The Garter called for his harem girl, Jo Baxter-Cress. Onslow wished her look, as he disappeared to organise the army for freedom. Jo entered the fortress guarded by three men, she went up the carpeted stone stairs. Through the extensive gallery of family portraits before eventually reaching the Garter's sitting room.
She knocked, but as her hand raised to knock on the door, she stared suddenly terrified at her scorched flesh. The bangle was no longer there, the Garter would notice instantly. The guards watched her in surprise as she hesitated, no chance to turn back. She knocked and entered.
As she walked into the dark room, her left hand was concealed behind her back. The Garter sat on a huge chaise lounge. He wore his ceremony robes of golden silk, and his brown hair was dyed a rich black, plaited and beaded. His body was covered in diamonds, from head to foot. For the first time Jo was appalled, the man was sitting on a fortune whilst those outside the fortress starved for a loaf of bread. He was round and fat, but no so much that he could not stand. He was small in height, but when on horse back he was truly terrifying. He could fight well, surprising due to his weight and size, but he often remarked that the sword was his best friend and the noose his second.
"You wanted to see me." She bowed, she didn't know it at the time but that was to be the last time she ever bowed down to the Garter.
He held out his large hand for hers. She gave it to him reluctantly, and he gripped in a pincer type grip.
She hid the pain from her face.
"My child, whom do you serve?"
"No one."
"What?" He demanded.
"No one but you."
"You ran yesterday."
"I did not run." she began but was silenced with a heavy slap from the Garter's other hand. The force would have thrown her to the floor if her other hand had not been held tightly by the Garter.
"Do not interrupt me!" He said, angrily.
She nodded, tears appearing in her eyes. "I apologise sire."
"You met this man, Jack Sparrow, what is he like?"
"He is nothing, a mindless barbarian, not a king like you my Lord." Jo said, quietly.
"That nothing killed six of my men, and set one of my barns alight." He shouted.
Jo did not reply, she looked down.
"You were seen, at the hotel, with him. You slept with him." The Garter said, looking straight in her eyes.
"No." She turned away.
He shook her. "You dirty slag, you slept with him, I take you under my roof, protect from the swarming rabbles outside and this is how I am to be repaid?!" He smiled cruelly. "Very well, girl, you shall die with him, this mindless barbarian."
"And so shall you." She said, angrily, unable to hold back the tears.
The Garter's son entered the room, and stared at the two of them in surprise.
"Father, what is going on?"
"Have you never heard of knocking!?" He thundered.
His son stared at him but did not reply.
"Guards!" The doors opened instantly. "Take this scuzzy bitch to the dungeons she will join the others." Tuleus Garter watched as Jo was taken away, he saw the determination written across every inch of her face. Every inch said that she was going to live, she would survive. He shook his head sadly, but that was impossible, when the Garter decided to kill someone that person died. There were no exceptions, no escape, no mercy.