Ch.14 Battle of Wills
Josephine woke. "What a strange dream," she thought as she slid her legs
over the bed and sat up. She groaned rubbed her head. "What was that from?"
she asked herself.
She looked around her. She was currently sitting on a bed next to a window
in a small cabin. The cabin had hardly any furnishings, except for the bed,
a small closet, a chipped and moldy washbasin, and a small, cracked mirror.
"Where am I?" she muttered aloud. "The Black Pearl," a voice answered. Josephine looked at the figure that had appeared in the doorway. "Captain Sparrow," she greeted him grimacing. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she said sarcastically. "That fact that you were constantly in my way," Sparrow replied. "And a nuisance," he added. "I would take that as a compliment," Josephine said. "How did I come to be here?" "I brought you," Sparrow said. "Well, then I must insist you bring me back," Josephine replied. She stood up and walked brushed past him and went out the door. "Well, then," he said imitating her. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," he said as he turned and followed her up. Josephine turned her head to look at him as she continued up the stairs onto that led up to the deck. "And for what reason would that be?" she asked as she turned her head back. "Two reasons actually," he said. She stopped and looked at him. "And those would be?"
She continued up the stairs. "One: because I don't want to," Sparrow said walking behind her. "And two," said as they came up on deck, "Because we've sailed." They stopped on the deck. Josephine looked around her and grimaced. She turned to look at Captain Sparrow. "Well, then, I guess I'm stuck with a Pirate," she said. "If you want to look at it as 'stuck with'," he said, "Then I guess I'm 'stuck with' a pain in the neck." The crew up on deck as well and Captain Sparrow laughed. Josephine looked at him disgustedly. She headed for the stairs and went back down into the cabin.
*** Josephine stayed in the cabin for the few remaining hours before dark, and when it got dark, and when all the sounds of merrymaking were gone. She waited until midnight. "Go, run," she urged herself as she looked around the pitch-black cabin. "He's expecting that you will run. But he knows you're expecting he will know you're going to run, so he won't have a guard up. But then again," she thought, "He's expecting that you're expecting that he's expecting you not to run, therefore he will have a guard up." Josephine tried to sort out her last thoughts. "Enough of this," she told herself. She stood and grabbed the water bucket that was next to the door. Then she sneaked out of her room and up the stairs onto the deck. She thought she saw a shadow move. She glanced around her warily as she moved deliberately to the side of the ship that the small rowboats were on. She was expecting someone to follow her, and was gratified to yet again see a shadow move. She lowered the bucket into the water noiselessly, but made like she was going to climb over the side of the ship. As she made it look like she was about to climb, a hand grasped her arm. She turned. It was Sparrow himself. Josephine pulled the bucket out of the water and dangled it in front of Sparrow's face. "False alarm," she said smiling smugishly. "You can never be too careful," he said in reply. He took the bucket from her hand and escorted her back down to the cabin.
"Where am I?" she muttered aloud. "The Black Pearl," a voice answered. Josephine looked at the figure that had appeared in the doorway. "Captain Sparrow," she greeted him grimacing. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" she said sarcastically. "That fact that you were constantly in my way," Sparrow replied. "And a nuisance," he added. "I would take that as a compliment," Josephine said. "How did I come to be here?" "I brought you," Sparrow said. "Well, then I must insist you bring me back," Josephine replied. She stood up and walked brushed past him and went out the door. "Well, then," he said imitating her. "I'm afraid I can't allow that," he said as he turned and followed her up. Josephine turned her head to look at him as she continued up the stairs onto that led up to the deck. "And for what reason would that be?" she asked as she turned her head back. "Two reasons actually," he said. She stopped and looked at him. "And those would be?"
She continued up the stairs. "One: because I don't want to," Sparrow said walking behind her. "And two," said as they came up on deck, "Because we've sailed." They stopped on the deck. Josephine looked around her and grimaced. She turned to look at Captain Sparrow. "Well, then, I guess I'm stuck with a Pirate," she said. "If you want to look at it as 'stuck with'," he said, "Then I guess I'm 'stuck with' a pain in the neck." The crew up on deck as well and Captain Sparrow laughed. Josephine looked at him disgustedly. She headed for the stairs and went back down into the cabin.
*** Josephine stayed in the cabin for the few remaining hours before dark, and when it got dark, and when all the sounds of merrymaking were gone. She waited until midnight. "Go, run," she urged herself as she looked around the pitch-black cabin. "He's expecting that you will run. But he knows you're expecting he will know you're going to run, so he won't have a guard up. But then again," she thought, "He's expecting that you're expecting that he's expecting you not to run, therefore he will have a guard up." Josephine tried to sort out her last thoughts. "Enough of this," she told herself. She stood and grabbed the water bucket that was next to the door. Then she sneaked out of her room and up the stairs onto the deck. She thought she saw a shadow move. She glanced around her warily as she moved deliberately to the side of the ship that the small rowboats were on. She was expecting someone to follow her, and was gratified to yet again see a shadow move. She lowered the bucket into the water noiselessly, but made like she was going to climb over the side of the ship. As she made it look like she was about to climb, a hand grasped her arm. She turned. It was Sparrow himself. Josephine pulled the bucket out of the water and dangled it in front of Sparrow's face. "False alarm," she said smiling smugishly. "You can never be too careful," he said in reply. He took the bucket from her hand and escorted her back down to the cabin.