Yet again, usual disclaimers apply throughout this tale. If you recognise it, it probably belongs to the Mouse – else it is mine!

Chapter 47 – Lies in the Night

Year 4 - Mid January

The Black Pearl and the Leochek sat quietly at anchor in a secluded cove near Port Royal. "All right," Jack ordered. "Does everyone know what they are doing? Good. Kitty, are you sure you are up to this?"

She smiled. "Theodore will trust me Jack, at least this time, but we cannot let Andrea or the crew hang. Even he thinks it is wrong, so perhaps he will forgive me."

He hugged her tightly. "Zeke – keep her safe!" he ordered as they slipped away into the gathering dusk.

88888

Two shadows snuck into Port Royal, flitting silently through the darkness towards the house owned by Captain Theodore Groves. Quietly they waited, watching the new maid leave for the night before approaching. Only when they were sure that all was clear did one approach, slipping into the house without making a sound.

"Theo…" Catherine whispered quietly at his bedroom door. "Theo, are you awake?" She heard sounds of movement and a lamp being lit.

"Catherine?" Her brother stood before her, dishevelled with sleep. "Jesus Catherine! What are you doing here! Don't you know….".

She smiled, calmly considering she could be hanged if caught. "The Leochek warned us about Roseridge so the Pearl is safe, but I need you to get me to see Norrington – here if he'll come."

"Are you here alone?" Theo glanced worriedly out the window.

"Not quite," she smiled, "but I'm here on behalf of the Pearl and the Leochek. We want Marra and her crew Theo… or…"

"Or what?" Somehow Theodore had the feeling he did not want to hear this.

"Or the Roseridge family will be looking to young Edward to carry on their name." Theodore looked at his sister in disbelief, her transformation to pirate seeming complete. "We didn't start this Theo, but we will finish it."

"Can I assume that you hold Governor Roseridge and Damian hostage?" She just smiled. "Jesus Catherine – do you have any idea what this will do?"

"Do you have any idea what it has already done?" she countered.

Theodore sighed, closing the door slightly as he started to dress. "I will not be long – will you be here when I get back?"

"Perhaps," she smiled, "if you don't bring troops…"

He looked at her sharply, shocked at the amount of distrust shown, although he admitted to himself that the pirates at least had not been the ones to break the accord. "I'll be as quick as I can," he assured her as he left quietly by the back door.

88888

Somewhat disgruntled at being shaken awake in the middle of the night, James Norrington followed Theodore through the deserted streets of Port Royal. "Will you tell me what this is about?" he asked as they reached the house.

Theodore quietly let himself in, surprised to find his sister calmly making tea as if she still lived there. On hearing them she turned, pistol levelled. "We're alone, Catherine…" he assured her.

"Sword in the hall please, Theo…" She indicated their sword belts. "Commodore, you too." She could see that the Commodore was anxious to reach for his sword, but Theodore calmly took both and placed them outside in the hallway, before returning to the kitchen. Only when she was totally sure they were both unarmed did she make the pistol safe, tucking it into her waistband. "Tea, Commodore?" She proceeded to pour as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.

"Can I assume that I have been dragged from my bed for a reason, Mistress Sparrow?"

She glanced at Theodore, who shook his head. "I see Theo has told you nothing, so I will make it brief Commodore. Captain Marra and her crew are to be released by tomorrow night and given a ship's boat at the harbour. If this doesn't happen then things won't be too healthy for the Governor and Damian Roseridge." She smiled, using one of Jack's sayings to rile him. "Savvy?"

The Commodore looked at her in disbelief. "You know this action puts you outside of any protection that I might have been able to offer you, Catherine?" he sighed.

"Unless you release them Commodore, the situation is mirrored." She smiled assuredly.

"But…" he began.

A stone hit the kitchen window. In an instant her pistol was out and she dashed for the door. "By tomorrow night, Commodore!" she called before disappearing into the night.

88888

Late the next day a frantic slave was found on the road to the Roseridge plantation. He was rushed to the Commodore, explaining in broken English that pirates had attacked the Roseridge plantation, taking the Governor and Damian Roseridge hostage. Commodore Norrington realised he had no choice and released the pirates watching dejectedly as they rowed out of the harbour under cover of darkness to a waiting ship.

88888

Governor Roseridge rode slowly into town, even his spirited chestnut gelding drooping in the heat. The creature had cast a shoe on the road and he had been forced to stop at Stony Hill's blacksmith for a number of hours. He was looking forward to the party and the day's hanging – a few more scum removed from the seas. He rode up to the fort, puzzled to see the gallows being dismantled.

"Commodore?" he frowned.

"Governor Roseridge, thank heavens you're safe!" The Commodore dashed across the courtyard.

"Safe? What do you mean? Why shouldn't I be safe?" The Governor was truly puzzled. "And why are the gallows being dismantled? I thought we were hanging pirates today?"

The Commodore went white. "She lied!" he gasped in disbelief.

"But the slave?" Theodore was only a few seconds behind the Commodore, face paling, unable to believe that his sister had deceived them so brazenly the other night, despite all that they had risked to warn the Black Pearl. Had the slave really been a pirate as well?

"Who lied? What slave? What is going on Commodore?" the Governor demanded.

"I think you'd better come into my office, Governor," James Norrington suggested. "It seems the Sparrows have been playing tricks again!"

88888

The Black Pearl sat quietly in a secluded cove, miles from Port Royal, as the Leochek arrived, anchoring nearby. The rum flowed freely and a beach feast was under way. Captain Marra and her crew lowered their ship's boats and rowed towards the beach.

"Sparrow!" she cried in delight! "You are one of the most devious, lying bastards I know!" She walked straight past Jack, hugging Catherine. "Welcome to the wrong side of the law, Kitty!"

88888