"There's what we've been waitin' fer, my men!" Sparrow called, his already
unsteady rumble further slurred by drink. I was sitting at a table with
Anamaria in the belly of the ship. It was evening, the next morning we were
to harbour in the town of Accra – made fat with gold by slave trading.
"Whole rooms, no, no, wait" Sparrow stood up, sloshing rum from the bottle he held in his hand "Whole buildings full of gold! Doubloons, Pieces of eight, jewellery, crowns – more than yer could imagine." I watched him through the only sober eyes in the room and wondered if he was convincing himself as much as the crew.
Below us, in the hold was the cargo of the merchant ship, moth-eaten silk and mouldering spices. But the crew were none the wiser of this. Anamaria had gone down with me to inspect the cargo earlier in the day. While she sorted through the pitiful haul, she let me in on Sparrow's true plans for Accra.
****
"We're gonna pose as merchants. Jack will convince a rich toff to let 'im and 'is sister stay a night at his house and when dark falls 'e'll sneak about the house and take all the gold's to be 'ad." I snorted.
"Rather complicated, for a pirate." I sneered. Anamaria snorted and replied.
"Aye, well if there's ever been a man with a flair fer the dramatic, then it's Jack." She grimaced as a rotten length disintegrated in her hand. "God ferbid 'e do sumfing simply."
I will admit the man was a complete mystery to me. Seemingly cold and heartless, yet also elaborate and dramatic. Some days he would be intolerably cruel to me, others almost friendly but mostly would ignore me altogether. I began to wonder what good I was to him, why had he brought me on his ship?
I learnt why the next morning.
"I won't do it!" I stamped my foot on the floor, crossed my arms and looked that despicable pirate firmly in the eye.
He moved around me like a snake, pleading and coaxing in that oddly elegant voice. "Oh, come along Miss. Barbrook. It'll be nothing; a few smiles, a few curtsies and couple of noncey words and we'll be off." He looked beguilingly at me with his dark eyes, hands pressed together as if in prayer.
"You." I shot him an icy glare "Want me to pose as your sister, lie to respectable Christian merchants, eat their food and sleep on their bed while you steal their gold?" "Yes." He spoke; as if relieved, bending his pressed hands forward to me. "I'm glad you understand."
"Well why me, why bother dragging me all this way when Anamaria would have done the job just as well."
"Problem there love," Sparrow spoke slowly, as if talking to an imbecile "Is that me an' Ana ain't exactly got much family resemblance, if you get me meanin'. Besides – we need a woman of breedin' to be confincin', like, savvy?" This time it was from Anamaria he received an icy glare.
"You are contemptible, Sparrow. I won't do it."
"Cathy," Anamaria cut in, exasperated "yer don't understand, we need to pull this off. Any more bad luck an the crew'll mutiny fer sure!"
"Shut up Ana." Sparrow snapped, and turned to me again. "Well?"
I shook my head; this was too much, even from him!
"Bloody 'ell." He spoke with a sigh and pulled his pistol from his belt, pulled back the flintlock and pressed the barrel to my forehead. "Do I 'ave to say please?"
I froze
"I'll do it." Sparrow smiled, and moved the gun away.
"I'm glad we 'ave an accord."
"You've been planning this since you first got me on board." I looked accusingly at him, but as people always seemed to do on this ship, he just laughed.
"Why does everyone allus think the worst of me?"
We set off an hour later, arm in arm down the seafront of Accra. I had to admit Sparrow looked almost decent. His hair had been rid of all the strange beads and medallions that had previously adorned it and was tied back neatly from his face. Gone were the ridiculous plaited beard, the oversized rings and the hoops in his ears. His clothes had been washed and he carried no visible weapons. Even the exaggerated swagger, which looked like drunkenness in a pirate, could be passed of as aristocratic arrogance.
He even smelled better; I detected a faint odour of eu de cologne, and wondered where a villain like himself would pick up habits like that.
In comparison to this dashing figure, I knew I must have looked a fright. Three weeks on the Black Pearl hand shredded the lace of my dress, the silk was stained from salt water and sweat. My many layers of petticoats had been removed early on in the voyage – they soaked up the water on deck dreadfully. My dainty suede boots were scuffed and stained beyond repair and only my bonnet - hidden under my bunk the night of my arrival – looked decent. I'll admit I was more worried about me passing for a lady than Sparrow as a gentleman.
"Good day my good man." Sparrow strode up to a smarmy looking young clerk and spoke in a surprisingly refined accent; all his usual cockney swagger was gone. "I need to speak to whoever is in charge here."
"That would be Mr. Smyth there, sir." The youth replied in a piercing nasal voice. "He knows every bit of trade that is carried out in this port, and be sure he makes money from in all in one shape or another."
"Ahhh." I saw Sparrow's eyes light up. "That would be the man I need." And away he strode once more, dragging me by the elbow. Soon we came across a powerfully built man, tall but wide also; dressed in dark velvets and a wig than spilled over his shoulders in a froth of powdered curls.
"Mr. Smyth." Again, that respectable voice. "I have a fine cargo of spices, ivory and silk I wish to trade and I hear you're the only man to speak to." I saw at once Sparrow had appealed to Mr. Smyth's high opinion of himself and would get on smoothly from here on in. I recognised his type, from dinners with Daddy's friends. They believe they are the ultimate political thinkers, because the can direct tiny boats full of assorted rubbish from one shore to another.
"Yes, Mr?"
"Captain" Sparrow cut in quickly, and I saw another man's high self-esteem at work.
"Captain Barbrook, my good man."
"Ah, yes Barbrook I recognise the name; well, where's this cargo?"
"I would not dream of dragging you across the docks to my humble ship. If you will permit me I will sent my sister to retrieve a sample of the fine goods I have to offer." Sparrow touched my arm, it must have appeared light, but I could feel his nails digging in "Catherine, would you be so kind? Hurry back, mind."
"Yes brother dearest." I hissed through clenched teeth, and wrenching my arm from his grip, set off the way we came.
"You will have to excuse her." I heard Sparrow say to Mr. Smyth, as I left "Women don't have the constitution for long voyages."
Making my way back the Pearl a hundred thoughts flashed through my mind. Here was my chance! I might slip away at any moment, board a ship and be free of that infernal Sparrow forever! My mind was so full with escape plans I did not notice I was back at the Pearl until I stood nearly on top of her. I stopped short, and my face fell as I looked over the dark bulk of the ship. I realised if I escaped now I would never see Anamaria again. The crew would never get their gold. I had heard Gibbs planning to set up a shop with his share of the treasure, many had families they wanted to send money to, wives and children who still thought their father was an honest merchant or sailor. Was I really about to dash all their hopes? Leave them stranded?
And angry – I remembered Anamaria mention of mutiny. All my life I had heard dreadful things pirates were capable of – to each other as well as victims. Sparrow was a liar, a thief and a crude man, but could I really escape knowing his death would be on my conscience?
Looking at the now familiar curves and angles of the Black Pearl I knew I had made my choice. But staggering back to Sparrow under the weight of a chest filled with two unharmed bolts of silk and some ivory trinkets, salvaged from the disaster of a raid, I felt a fool and a coward.
I finally spotted my 'brother' at a table outside a tavern. Sparrow had a dram of rum in his hand, even though it could barely be past midday. I pushed my way to the tavern and dropped the chest onto the table, causing Sparrow's rum to tip onto his lap.
"Oh, Sorry Jack." I gave him a warm smile, which he repaid with a frown. "But here is what you wanted."
"Thank you Catherine, would you care to join us?"
I sat by Sparrow and listened idly to the two men barter over quality and price. It was so like the dinners with Daddy's merchants at home, those had been as boring and edious as this, but I thought of how I may never see my dear Daddy again, never hear his voice or see that wry smile he would cast Mummy and I whenever a good deal had been struck. I picked at the loose threads in my gloves and hung my head – praying Mr. Smyth wouldn't see my tears and the game would be up.
I needn't have worried; Sparrow had completely charmed Mr. Smyth and, I will admit, me also. But the end of the day the change in him was so absolute the rough pirate seemed a different person to this charming man. As Jack had planned, when we confessed we had nowhere to lodge, Mr. Smyth wouldn't hear of us spending another night on the ship, but invited us to stay the night at his house. Here we met his wife and two sons aged four and two. His wife, Maud, was a dear woman who couldn't have been much older then me. Mr. Smyth, who looked nearly fifty, slipped lower in my opinion. Maud listened to my much censored account of the voyage to Africa and was even kind enough to offer to lend me one her dresses, as mine was so tattered. When I thought of how I was to trick her and her husband I could hardly bear it. She was such a good, simple, kind person and Sparrow and his crew were so devious. But I held fast to my decision, kissed my dear new friend warmly on the cheek and went up to bed. Sparrow had told me to wait there for further instructions, but the warmth and comfort of being in a feather bed for the first time in nearly a month, with a warming pan and thick blankets, was too much for me. I believe I was fairly asleep before me head even hit the pillow.
The next thing I knew, I was being roughly shaken by Sparrow.
"Wake up, damn you!" He hissed in my ear.
"What?" I replied, my voice thick with sleep
"We 'ave to go, out the window - quickly. 'arry an' Sim are outside wiv' the gold, but the butler saw 'em an' we 'aven't time to waste."
As he spoke I stumbled out of bed, and up to the window without thinking, but as I looked out to the two-story drop, I pulled back suddenly.
"I can't climb down there!" I whispered
"Yes yer can, look." In a flash Sparrow was out the window and gripping the trellis, holding his hand out to me. "Come on!"
Lifting up my skirts, I stepped cautiously onto the sill, But this was still too slow for my companion and he had grabbed my arm and fairly carried me down the trellis before I could draw breath. There was no time once we got to ground either. Shouts could be heard from the house.
"Come on!" Sparrow urged again and we were flying across the lawn towards the high wall. My bare feet thudded wetly against the sodden lawn; the dew had already fallen. I stumbled over my skirts and in my bouncing scope of vision the wall looked no closer.
But Sparrow gripped fast to my hand (I wondered whom he was trying to comfort) and presently we reached the wall, like the house it was covered with ivy and a wooden trellis and Sparrow had clambered up in a second. I followed, clumsy with my cumbersome dress. As I reached the top, I lost my footing, and fell the six feet to the ground below. In a minute Sparrow was beside me, helping me up, but I groaned in pain – my ankle would not take my weight.
"There's no time, jest run." He implored me. And for a time I stumbled behind him, but my ankle was so painful that soon I fell again.
Sparrow turned, and made to help me up again, the pain made me mad and I pushed him away.
"Leave me will you? I can't run another minute."
"Oh, bloody hell, you cowerin' whelp." He cursed me with clenched teeth, then slipped his arm under mine and in a second was running again with me scooped up in his arms.
The indignity! Carried through the streets of the settlement by a pirate!
"Whole rooms, no, no, wait" Sparrow stood up, sloshing rum from the bottle he held in his hand "Whole buildings full of gold! Doubloons, Pieces of eight, jewellery, crowns – more than yer could imagine." I watched him through the only sober eyes in the room and wondered if he was convincing himself as much as the crew.
Below us, in the hold was the cargo of the merchant ship, moth-eaten silk and mouldering spices. But the crew were none the wiser of this. Anamaria had gone down with me to inspect the cargo earlier in the day. While she sorted through the pitiful haul, she let me in on Sparrow's true plans for Accra.
****
"We're gonna pose as merchants. Jack will convince a rich toff to let 'im and 'is sister stay a night at his house and when dark falls 'e'll sneak about the house and take all the gold's to be 'ad." I snorted.
"Rather complicated, for a pirate." I sneered. Anamaria snorted and replied.
"Aye, well if there's ever been a man with a flair fer the dramatic, then it's Jack." She grimaced as a rotten length disintegrated in her hand. "God ferbid 'e do sumfing simply."
I will admit the man was a complete mystery to me. Seemingly cold and heartless, yet also elaborate and dramatic. Some days he would be intolerably cruel to me, others almost friendly but mostly would ignore me altogether. I began to wonder what good I was to him, why had he brought me on his ship?
I learnt why the next morning.
"I won't do it!" I stamped my foot on the floor, crossed my arms and looked that despicable pirate firmly in the eye.
He moved around me like a snake, pleading and coaxing in that oddly elegant voice. "Oh, come along Miss. Barbrook. It'll be nothing; a few smiles, a few curtsies and couple of noncey words and we'll be off." He looked beguilingly at me with his dark eyes, hands pressed together as if in prayer.
"You." I shot him an icy glare "Want me to pose as your sister, lie to respectable Christian merchants, eat their food and sleep on their bed while you steal their gold?" "Yes." He spoke; as if relieved, bending his pressed hands forward to me. "I'm glad you understand."
"Well why me, why bother dragging me all this way when Anamaria would have done the job just as well."
"Problem there love," Sparrow spoke slowly, as if talking to an imbecile "Is that me an' Ana ain't exactly got much family resemblance, if you get me meanin'. Besides – we need a woman of breedin' to be confincin', like, savvy?" This time it was from Anamaria he received an icy glare.
"You are contemptible, Sparrow. I won't do it."
"Cathy," Anamaria cut in, exasperated "yer don't understand, we need to pull this off. Any more bad luck an the crew'll mutiny fer sure!"
"Shut up Ana." Sparrow snapped, and turned to me again. "Well?"
I shook my head; this was too much, even from him!
"Bloody 'ell." He spoke with a sigh and pulled his pistol from his belt, pulled back the flintlock and pressed the barrel to my forehead. "Do I 'ave to say please?"
I froze
"I'll do it." Sparrow smiled, and moved the gun away.
"I'm glad we 'ave an accord."
"You've been planning this since you first got me on board." I looked accusingly at him, but as people always seemed to do on this ship, he just laughed.
"Why does everyone allus think the worst of me?"
We set off an hour later, arm in arm down the seafront of Accra. I had to admit Sparrow looked almost decent. His hair had been rid of all the strange beads and medallions that had previously adorned it and was tied back neatly from his face. Gone were the ridiculous plaited beard, the oversized rings and the hoops in his ears. His clothes had been washed and he carried no visible weapons. Even the exaggerated swagger, which looked like drunkenness in a pirate, could be passed of as aristocratic arrogance.
He even smelled better; I detected a faint odour of eu de cologne, and wondered where a villain like himself would pick up habits like that.
In comparison to this dashing figure, I knew I must have looked a fright. Three weeks on the Black Pearl hand shredded the lace of my dress, the silk was stained from salt water and sweat. My many layers of petticoats had been removed early on in the voyage – they soaked up the water on deck dreadfully. My dainty suede boots were scuffed and stained beyond repair and only my bonnet - hidden under my bunk the night of my arrival – looked decent. I'll admit I was more worried about me passing for a lady than Sparrow as a gentleman.
"Good day my good man." Sparrow strode up to a smarmy looking young clerk and spoke in a surprisingly refined accent; all his usual cockney swagger was gone. "I need to speak to whoever is in charge here."
"That would be Mr. Smyth there, sir." The youth replied in a piercing nasal voice. "He knows every bit of trade that is carried out in this port, and be sure he makes money from in all in one shape or another."
"Ahhh." I saw Sparrow's eyes light up. "That would be the man I need." And away he strode once more, dragging me by the elbow. Soon we came across a powerfully built man, tall but wide also; dressed in dark velvets and a wig than spilled over his shoulders in a froth of powdered curls.
"Mr. Smyth." Again, that respectable voice. "I have a fine cargo of spices, ivory and silk I wish to trade and I hear you're the only man to speak to." I saw at once Sparrow had appealed to Mr. Smyth's high opinion of himself and would get on smoothly from here on in. I recognised his type, from dinners with Daddy's friends. They believe they are the ultimate political thinkers, because the can direct tiny boats full of assorted rubbish from one shore to another.
"Yes, Mr?"
"Captain" Sparrow cut in quickly, and I saw another man's high self-esteem at work.
"Captain Barbrook, my good man."
"Ah, yes Barbrook I recognise the name; well, where's this cargo?"
"I would not dream of dragging you across the docks to my humble ship. If you will permit me I will sent my sister to retrieve a sample of the fine goods I have to offer." Sparrow touched my arm, it must have appeared light, but I could feel his nails digging in "Catherine, would you be so kind? Hurry back, mind."
"Yes brother dearest." I hissed through clenched teeth, and wrenching my arm from his grip, set off the way we came.
"You will have to excuse her." I heard Sparrow say to Mr. Smyth, as I left "Women don't have the constitution for long voyages."
Making my way back the Pearl a hundred thoughts flashed through my mind. Here was my chance! I might slip away at any moment, board a ship and be free of that infernal Sparrow forever! My mind was so full with escape plans I did not notice I was back at the Pearl until I stood nearly on top of her. I stopped short, and my face fell as I looked over the dark bulk of the ship. I realised if I escaped now I would never see Anamaria again. The crew would never get their gold. I had heard Gibbs planning to set up a shop with his share of the treasure, many had families they wanted to send money to, wives and children who still thought their father was an honest merchant or sailor. Was I really about to dash all their hopes? Leave them stranded?
And angry – I remembered Anamaria mention of mutiny. All my life I had heard dreadful things pirates were capable of – to each other as well as victims. Sparrow was a liar, a thief and a crude man, but could I really escape knowing his death would be on my conscience?
Looking at the now familiar curves and angles of the Black Pearl I knew I had made my choice. But staggering back to Sparrow under the weight of a chest filled with two unharmed bolts of silk and some ivory trinkets, salvaged from the disaster of a raid, I felt a fool and a coward.
I finally spotted my 'brother' at a table outside a tavern. Sparrow had a dram of rum in his hand, even though it could barely be past midday. I pushed my way to the tavern and dropped the chest onto the table, causing Sparrow's rum to tip onto his lap.
"Oh, Sorry Jack." I gave him a warm smile, which he repaid with a frown. "But here is what you wanted."
"Thank you Catherine, would you care to join us?"
I sat by Sparrow and listened idly to the two men barter over quality and price. It was so like the dinners with Daddy's merchants at home, those had been as boring and edious as this, but I thought of how I may never see my dear Daddy again, never hear his voice or see that wry smile he would cast Mummy and I whenever a good deal had been struck. I picked at the loose threads in my gloves and hung my head – praying Mr. Smyth wouldn't see my tears and the game would be up.
I needn't have worried; Sparrow had completely charmed Mr. Smyth and, I will admit, me also. But the end of the day the change in him was so absolute the rough pirate seemed a different person to this charming man. As Jack had planned, when we confessed we had nowhere to lodge, Mr. Smyth wouldn't hear of us spending another night on the ship, but invited us to stay the night at his house. Here we met his wife and two sons aged four and two. His wife, Maud, was a dear woman who couldn't have been much older then me. Mr. Smyth, who looked nearly fifty, slipped lower in my opinion. Maud listened to my much censored account of the voyage to Africa and was even kind enough to offer to lend me one her dresses, as mine was so tattered. When I thought of how I was to trick her and her husband I could hardly bear it. She was such a good, simple, kind person and Sparrow and his crew were so devious. But I held fast to my decision, kissed my dear new friend warmly on the cheek and went up to bed. Sparrow had told me to wait there for further instructions, but the warmth and comfort of being in a feather bed for the first time in nearly a month, with a warming pan and thick blankets, was too much for me. I believe I was fairly asleep before me head even hit the pillow.
The next thing I knew, I was being roughly shaken by Sparrow.
"Wake up, damn you!" He hissed in my ear.
"What?" I replied, my voice thick with sleep
"We 'ave to go, out the window - quickly. 'arry an' Sim are outside wiv' the gold, but the butler saw 'em an' we 'aven't time to waste."
As he spoke I stumbled out of bed, and up to the window without thinking, but as I looked out to the two-story drop, I pulled back suddenly.
"I can't climb down there!" I whispered
"Yes yer can, look." In a flash Sparrow was out the window and gripping the trellis, holding his hand out to me. "Come on!"
Lifting up my skirts, I stepped cautiously onto the sill, But this was still too slow for my companion and he had grabbed my arm and fairly carried me down the trellis before I could draw breath. There was no time once we got to ground either. Shouts could be heard from the house.
"Come on!" Sparrow urged again and we were flying across the lawn towards the high wall. My bare feet thudded wetly against the sodden lawn; the dew had already fallen. I stumbled over my skirts and in my bouncing scope of vision the wall looked no closer.
But Sparrow gripped fast to my hand (I wondered whom he was trying to comfort) and presently we reached the wall, like the house it was covered with ivy and a wooden trellis and Sparrow had clambered up in a second. I followed, clumsy with my cumbersome dress. As I reached the top, I lost my footing, and fell the six feet to the ground below. In a minute Sparrow was beside me, helping me up, but I groaned in pain – my ankle would not take my weight.
"There's no time, jest run." He implored me. And for a time I stumbled behind him, but my ankle was so painful that soon I fell again.
Sparrow turned, and made to help me up again, the pain made me mad and I pushed him away.
"Leave me will you? I can't run another minute."
"Oh, bloody hell, you cowerin' whelp." He cursed me with clenched teeth, then slipped his arm under mine and in a second was running again with me scooped up in his arms.
The indignity! Carried through the streets of the settlement by a pirate!