Apologies in advance for such a talky chapter. More action after this, I promise.
****************************
The taking of the Hellfire went without a hitch. Lots were killed in the fight and a few unruly prisoners had to be executed, but Jack managed to salvage almost half the crew and was extraordinarily pleased. Ana Maria insisted that the ship be given over to her immediately, along with a few of the men she'd sailed with before and trusted. The captured sailors of the Hellfire would be split half and half between their own ship and the Pearl.
Jack ordered Norrington, Gibbs, and Ana Maria into his cabin to finalize the details.
"Four of us, two ships. Any thoughts?" Jack asked as soon as the door had closed.
Ana Maria, displaying her usual flawless mastery of the obvious, snapped, "We'll split up, two and two."
"Aye, but who's to go with which captain?" Gibb's eyes darted from one pirate to the other. "I'd sail under Jack any day of the year, only that leaves you to sail with a mate you can't trust," he muttered to Ana Maria.
She nodded. "Captain Sparrow, he was your idea," she pointed out.
"I've no objections. Gibbs can sail with you, and our bloody friend Norrington with me, and we'll get on fine. Although," he mused, "It would be infinitely preferable to sail with you, darling…you'd make a fine mate…" He was not surprised when she slapped him across the face.
"Captain Sparrow, don't I get any say in all this?" Norrington spoke up at last. "This whole plan hinges on my cooperation, doesn't it?"
"Later, mate, later." Jack wanted to have that conversation when they were alone. He sent Ana Maria and her crew off, prowled the deck for a few minutes to ensure that everyone was at least pretending to work, and then dragged Norrington back into the cabin.
He sat back and propped his feet on the desk, fully cognizant that his attitude was only making Norrington fume harder. "Now. What is it you wanted to talk to me about? I know you're a bit irritable – since you've been sick and all. I ought to have warned you, some of those Tortuga ladies can spread plague faster than you'd-"
"I don't know what you think you are doing, Sparrow, but you had better watch out," Norrington hissed. His words were increasingly short and bitten-off, as he fought a losing battle to keep hold of his temper. "You told me you'd bring me home – not shoot me, not take me to bed, and for God's sake not promote me! Do you not understand the meaning of the words TAKE ME TO PORT ROYAL? How about immediately – d'you know that one, Sparrow? Do you?"
"That would be Captain Sparrow, especially now," Jack reminded him, lowering his voice. His gaze had sharpened but he still sounded calm. "And be careful. It's one thing for you to be impertinent in private but I will not have you embarrassing me in front of the men. This is not a ship of the royal navy, and half of this crew are new recruits without a shred of loyalty…have you any idea what they'll do to us if I look weak? If you insinuate that I'm not to be feared?"
"To us?"
"Aye, Bloody." Jack watched Norrington's face carefully, grinning widely as the Commodore absorbed how completely he was trapped. "Us."
"You bastard, what have you done?" Norrington had lost all self-possession and was in complete panic. "If there's a mutiny I'll be killed as sure as you will! If the ship is taken I'll be hanged just as quickly! There is no way on God's green earth to pretend I'm still your prisoner if I'm serving as first mate and the crew is obedient to my orders! If we're caught-"
"Exactly. We're in this together now, mate. We are sailing to Port Royal. Originally I'd intended to give you the Hellfire and a couple men and let you go yourself, but for some reason Ana Maria is hell-bent on keeping the ship for her own. If you cooperate with me, I'll still find a way to get you home as though nothing had happened. But in the meantime you had better do your level best to keep this ship running, because as you are no doubt aware by now, if you try to sabotage me in any way it'll be your neck, too. Savvy?"
"Yes, Captain, I'm afraid I understand you perfectly," Norrington said through gritted teeth. "May I just ask why you don't simply kill me and be done with it?"
Jack spread his hands innocently and smiled. "Oh, honestly! Kill you? Where would be the fun in that?"
*************************
Norrington drove the pirates like the dogs they were, and they made Port Royal in record time. Only half a day from the sight of land, he finally cornered Jack and insisted on hammering out a detailed, workable plan for his return to society.
"Well? How do you propose we do this? I assume I'm taking that poor lad ashore with me, right?"
The injured boy had sat recovering in sullen silence for nearly the whole trip, and Jack was glad to finally be rid of him. "That is indeed correct," he enunciated pompously. "And it has come to me attention that the boy probably cannot swim, judging from his current unenviable medical condi-"
"Will you stop it?" Norrington growled. "What do you want me to do? Why can't we just take a boat, he and I, and row into the harbour? You could let us off a long ways from shore, and the Pearl could be gone long before anybody-"
"No- Sorry…did I not mention…? We need to spring one of my friends from jail. That'll mean I have to go ashore myself and-"
"Are you mad?"
"Most definitely, Bloody," Jack agreed generously, "But that's beside the point. I really do have to-"
"Jack. Please. You cannot tell me you're seriously considering going to shore with us? What about the Pearl?"
"Gibbs'll watch over her for me. Ana Maria and I already agreed on it, mate. You're the last one to be told. Here's what we'll do: You, me, and the boy will go to shore in one of the boats. I'll be hiding in a barrel or something…I haven't quite figured that part out yet…but in any case I won't be seen. You and the boy will get yourselves noticed by some honest citizens-"
"-And we'll tell them we're the prisoners of pirates and we've only just escaped. Understood. The two of us are home free. But then what about you and your shipmate? Is he really necessary?"
"I'm losing my first mate here, Bloody! I have no choice. This fellow isn't quite as good as you but in a pinch I know he'll serve without a fuss. See?"
Norrington fought through a vague twinge of guilt. "Don't get yourself caught," he warned roughly. "There will be no Will Turner this time, and I swear I won't lift a finger if you're captured, you understand?"
"Perfectly. If I'm caught," Jack said, throwing his head back proudly, "I ask only that you have a cannon fired. Can you do that? It will tell Ana Maria what's happened so she knows not to wait for me."
Norrington frowned. "Not to wait?"
Jack shrugged and explained, "Pirate's code."
"I know. Any man who falls behind…. But Jack, surely that doesn't apply to you?"
"Why not? I'm a man like any other."
"But you're…" Norrington struggled to put words on his objection. "You're their captain. You're Jack Sparrow. You can't just be abandoned by-"
"I can and I will. If I'm caught, mate. And that's a very, very big 'if'."
**********************
TBC. (Gee, like we don't all know what's going to happen. But I promise, there are still surprises. Really. Review review review! What do you think so far?)