Ch.16 A Precaution
During the middle of the night, a person entered into the captain's
quarters and shook Sparrow awake. Sparrow awoke with a start.
"Captain Sparrow, we have reached the island," the person warned him.
"Ah! Thank you Holmes," Sparrow said. He got up and walked out of the room
and out onto deck with Holmes right behind him.
"What do you intend to do sir?" Holmes asked him as Sparrow stepped into a
small rowboat. Holmes put his hand on the rope that would lower Sparrow
down. He threw in two bags full of treasure in the boat.
"I'm not sure, Holmes. Not until I get there," Sparrow said, settling into
the boat and adjusting the bags.
Holmes released the rope and slowly let Sparrow down into the water.
"Be careful Captain," Holmes said.
"Yes I will," Sparrow replied.
Sparrow rowed into the small cove on the side of the island, and then into
the wide mouthed cave. He ran his boat aground, and tied it up. He grabbed
the two treasure bags and then passed through one of the many passageways
that led to the treasure cave.
He got there and stopped short. "Barbosa gone? Not good," Sparrow said
softly.
He opened the bags and poured the contents on the mountainous pile of
treasure already existing.
He turned and was about to walk away, but thought better of it.
He turned back and looked at the chest: Cortez's chest. He crossed the
water and climbed the hill of treasure on it and reached the chest. He
opened the top and fingered the contents: the Aztec gold coins. He looked
around him before grabbing one and then quickly closing the chest.
He placed the coin in his pocket and then rowed back to the ship.
One of the mates up on deck lowered a ladder for him.
Sparrow climbed up the ladder and up onto deck.
He glanced up. The moon was covered.
Holmes walked over to him.
"Captain? What did you do?" he asked.
"I just had to take a precaution, Holmes, a necessary precaution," Sparrow
replied. "Travel with all possible speed to Tortuga; I need to speak with
some one there."
"Right away sir," Holmes replied. He walked up to the stern of the ship and
talked to the steerer.
With one final glance at the moon, Sparrow walked below.
*** Josephine woke up late the following morning. She glanced down to the floor, and was not surprised to find that Captain Sparrow was already gone. She sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched. She got up, washed up, and then selected a pale pink dress from her many garments. She braided her hair and then twisted her it back into a bun, and pinned it securely. She walked out from her room and went to the kitchen where she grabbed more apples and then headed to the library. She had been reading for several hours when Sparrow came down and interrupted her. "Pardon me, Lady Jaclyn, put I believe there are certain, uh, organisms requesting your attention," Sparrow said. Josephine looked at him questioningly, but he gave no readable facial expression. "I like your dress by the way. But it would be better if it were, a, more see through," Sparrow said as she stood. She looked at him. "You are so forward and completely random, I can hardly believe it," she said to him. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "Don't; it wasn't meant to be," she said. He guided her up on deck. He pointed to the right, or starboard side. She walked over and saw dolphins leaping happily from the water. Some were swimming right next to the ship. One came up and brushed her hand that was hanging just a bit over the side of the ship.
Josephine laughed. The dolphin bobbed in the water and sprayed her with water.
Sparrow laughed, but Josephine laughed harder and rubbed the dolphin affectionately on the head. It swam back and joined the pod.
Josephine looked down at her dress in dismay. Then looked up at no one in particular and smiled ruefully. "Well, captain, your little organism brought about your wish, whether you intended it to or not," she said still smiling.
"And what wish would that be?" he asked her.
"That my dress were more see through," Josephine said.
Sparrow laughed. "Actually it did the opposite; It made it darker," he responded.
*** Josephine woke up late the following morning. She glanced down to the floor, and was not surprised to find that Captain Sparrow was already gone. She sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched. She got up, washed up, and then selected a pale pink dress from her many garments. She braided her hair and then twisted her it back into a bun, and pinned it securely. She walked out from her room and went to the kitchen where she grabbed more apples and then headed to the library. She had been reading for several hours when Sparrow came down and interrupted her. "Pardon me, Lady Jaclyn, put I believe there are certain, uh, organisms requesting your attention," Sparrow said. Josephine looked at him questioningly, but he gave no readable facial expression. "I like your dress by the way. But it would be better if it were, a, more see through," Sparrow said as she stood. She looked at him. "You are so forward and completely random, I can hardly believe it," she said to him. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "Don't; it wasn't meant to be," she said. He guided her up on deck. He pointed to the right, or starboard side. She walked over and saw dolphins leaping happily from the water. Some were swimming right next to the ship. One came up and brushed her hand that was hanging just a bit over the side of the ship.
Josephine laughed. The dolphin bobbed in the water and sprayed her with water.
Sparrow laughed, but Josephine laughed harder and rubbed the dolphin affectionately on the head. It swam back and joined the pod.
Josephine looked down at her dress in dismay. Then looked up at no one in particular and smiled ruefully. "Well, captain, your little organism brought about your wish, whether you intended it to or not," she said still smiling.
"And what wish would that be?" he asked her.
"That my dress were more see through," Josephine said.
Sparrow laughed. "Actually it did the opposite; It made it darker," he responded.