Ch.27 Good Report
It was late afternoon on the sea, and the Black Pearl was in drunken sleep from yet another pilfer the previous night. Only one pirate was awake.
Cambury looked around the deck and smiled, satisfied. He sneaked over to the side of the ship, got into a boat, and slowly lowered himself into the water. And he began to row...
Cambury reached the sandy beach of Port Royal under cover of darkness and fog. He jumped out of the boat into the knee-high water and pulled the boat ashore. Then he walked up to the town and through it, until he reached the bar.
He opened the door and walked inside. He was greeted by sounds of loud talking, of arguing and games. He walked to the bar and got a drink and then he waited.
Slowly the bar began to clear out as men headed home to their families. Finally, only a few men remained. Cambury walked over to a dark corner where one man waited. He sat down.
The man glanced over at him. "You have been long in coming, Cambury. I was afraid you had lost your resolve. You have good news to report, I hope."
"Aye, Captain. I have good news."
"Then please enlighten me while no one else can hear," Barbosa replied.
"Captain Sparrow—how should I put this—has a lover. Or I should say, he IS the lover," Cambury responded.
"Really now? Is that so? I wonder..." Barbosa said. "What is her name and where is she?"
"Well, right now, Jaclyn is on this very island, in this very port," Cambury replied.
"That could turn to our advantage," Barbosa muttered. "Do you know of her feelings for him?"
"Well, Captain, as far as I know, she should hate him; he just abandoned her on this island," Cambury said.
"Interesting. This is turning out better than I thought," Barbosa mused. "Would you possibly know a physical description? "Medium skinned, fair, dark brown to amber hair, blue eyes..." Cambury trailed off. Barbosa made a mental note of the description in his head. "She's staying at the Governor's mansion as far as I know." Barbosa turned and smiled. "How ironic," he muttered. "I also know, Captain, that Jack has a piece of Aztec gold," Cambury added hesitantly.
"How do you know this? That isn't something Jack would talk about lightly," Barbosa asked.
"I saw it, Captain," Cambury said.
"You're sure?" Barbosa asked.
"Very sure," Cambury replied.
Barbosa thought. "Well, Cambury, I am pleased with your report. Now be gone, so you will not be missed on the Pearl," he said.
"Aye, sir," Cambury replied and then walked out.
Barbosa sat in the corner thinking.
After a while another man approached him.
"Captain Barbosa, we have a ship," the man said.
"What type?" Barbosa asked.
"50 gun ship with capable speed of 20 knots. It's large and well built," the man replied.
"Very good," Barbosa replied. "Bring it here by a fortnight."
"Aye, sir," the man replied and walked out of the bar.
Barbosa leaned back. "We will have the bait and the ship." He smiled evilly. "All we need now is the blood, and to lay the bait for the bait."
"So where do you want to go?" Elizabeth asked Josephine.
"I don't know; you choose," Josephine replied. "What shops do you have?"
"Well, there's a shop with imported cloth, a shop with dishes and kitchen things, a shop with imported dresses and accessories, and a shop with shoes," Elizabeth replied. "Those are usually the stores I go to."
"Well, then, how about we go to the dress shop?" Josephine asked.
"Fine with me," Elizabeth replied. She poked her head out of the carriage window. "To Mari's Fine Clothes, please."
The carriage started, and Elizabeth pointed out some of the sights of the town to Josephine. A couple minutes later, they arrived at the shop.
Josephine and Elizabeth climbed out of the carriage and entered the shop.
Elizabeth walked past all the men's cloths in the front and walked to the back where the dresses were. Josephine followed her.
Elizabeth walked down the rack, passing over dresses she didn't like and occasionally stopping to look at a dress. She stopped and picked one out.
"Here! This would look great on you," Elizabeth said.
Josephine looked at it. It was pale pink and blue, and was trimmed in a pale gold.
"It's beautiful!" Josephine exclaimed.
"Now you pick one out for me," Elizabeth said and she handed Josephine the dress.
Josephine smiled. "Okay." She walked down the racks. She stopped by a blue one, pulled it out and looked at Elizabeth. Shaking her head, she put it back. She did the same for another dress that was yellow and another dress that was pale pink.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth inquired.
Josephine looked up from another dress she was examining. "Selecting a dress." She paused and put the dress back. "Blue makes you look pale, yellow and green would make you look sickly. That pale pink one," Josephine said pointing, "Would make you look flushed. Now this one," Josephine said pulling out a scarlet dress, also trimmed in pale gold and with a gold sash," is perfect for you. She held it up to Elizabeth and nodded her head in satisfaction. "Scarlet gives you a healthy look, while picking up the red tones in you skin and the blond highlights in your hair."
She handed it to Elizabeth. "Shall we try them on?"
Elizabeth nodded eagerly and they went behind a curtain to change.
They emerged a few minutes later. They looked at each other and smiled.
"You look fantastic!" Josephine exclaimed.
"As do you!" Elizabeth replied.
They made their way to the front and bought the dresses and then bought two bags to put their other dresses in.
They walked out of the shop.
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Elizabeth asked her. "We could go back to the fort, and get lunch there, or we could go and buy food and have a picnic by the beach."
"Then let's have a picnic," Josephine decided.
"Great!" Elizabeth said.
They went around to different shops buying bread, fruit, cheese, meat, and other things for their picnic. Then they bought a basket and put all the food in it and walked down to the beach.
Upon reaching the beach, they took out a blanket, unfolded it and lowered it onto the sand. They placed the basket on it, and then sat down on the blanket themselves.
They opened the basket and took out the food and began to eat.
When they were both finished, Elizabeth started to talk.
"There's the Dauntless," Elizabeth said pointing to a large ship sitting out in the cove. "I sailed here from England on that ship. Will did too, or at least partially. We picked him up. That's where the pirate battle was just a few months ago as well."
Josephine absorbed this. "Were you frightened, when the pirates took you?"
Elizabeth looked at her. "Oh yes. Incredibly frightened. Even more so when I thought they were going to kill me."
"How did you escape?" Josephine asked.
"Will saved me; he basically traded himself for me," Elizabeth said. She thought back to the experience and shuddered. "I would not wish that experience on anyone."
Elizabeth looked up at Josephine. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Josephine, about how you came here."
Josephine looked at her and struggled to keep her face emotionless. Even so, anxiety and dread seethed with in her.
"Your coming here was a bit, um...untimely and unusual," Elizabeth said.
"How so?" Josephine squeaked. She was instantly appalled with herself.
Elizabeth took no notice. "You arrived here the night on which we were attacked by pirates, and no other ship came in that night. You brought back the things stolen from our house. Yes, I know about that," Elizabeth said, seeing Josephine's face. "Will told me."
Josephine let her mask drop. "Yes. What you said it true." She sighed and stalled for time. "I was on the ship. Jack kept me there. I had traced him and he said I was becoming a nuisance. So he contained the nuisance by holding it on his ship," she said angrily.
"So, did you escape?" Elizabeth asked.
Josephine looked at her. "Escape?" she laughed. "I was dumped." She smiled bitterly. "Sparrow couldn't keep me on board anymore because he liked me, and he couldn't let his men see it. So at the first opportunity he dumped me."
Elizabeth saw the pain in her. "But you liked him too," she realized and whispered.
Josephine hearing her, looked up in panic. "No, no I didn't. I didn't," Josephine said in denial. "I hate him. I despise him. I wish I could...." She trailed off. They sat quietly for a moment. "Yes, I liked him," Josephine whispered. "Yes, I loved him, and he...just...threw me away." Any anger in her voice fell away and was filled with more hurt. "Why? Why?" she muttered. Elizabeth started packing up and then they both went up to the carriage and then to the house. Josephine went up to her room and lay on her bed. She pushed back the curtain and looked down at the harbor. She could almost she herself standing there, that last night, while Sparrow sailed off in his boats, sinking though they were into the water. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt them moisten with tears. "Why, Jack? Why?" Josephine whispered.
It was late afternoon on the sea, and the Black Pearl was in drunken sleep from yet another pilfer the previous night. Only one pirate was awake.
Cambury looked around the deck and smiled, satisfied. He sneaked over to the side of the ship, got into a boat, and slowly lowered himself into the water. And he began to row...
Cambury reached the sandy beach of Port Royal under cover of darkness and fog. He jumped out of the boat into the knee-high water and pulled the boat ashore. Then he walked up to the town and through it, until he reached the bar.
He opened the door and walked inside. He was greeted by sounds of loud talking, of arguing and games. He walked to the bar and got a drink and then he waited.
Slowly the bar began to clear out as men headed home to their families. Finally, only a few men remained. Cambury walked over to a dark corner where one man waited. He sat down.
The man glanced over at him. "You have been long in coming, Cambury. I was afraid you had lost your resolve. You have good news to report, I hope."
"Aye, Captain. I have good news."
"Then please enlighten me while no one else can hear," Barbosa replied.
"Captain Sparrow—how should I put this—has a lover. Or I should say, he IS the lover," Cambury responded.
"Really now? Is that so? I wonder..." Barbosa said. "What is her name and where is she?"
"Well, right now, Jaclyn is on this very island, in this very port," Cambury replied.
"That could turn to our advantage," Barbosa muttered. "Do you know of her feelings for him?"
"Well, Captain, as far as I know, she should hate him; he just abandoned her on this island," Cambury said.
"Interesting. This is turning out better than I thought," Barbosa mused. "Would you possibly know a physical description? "Medium skinned, fair, dark brown to amber hair, blue eyes..." Cambury trailed off. Barbosa made a mental note of the description in his head. "She's staying at the Governor's mansion as far as I know." Barbosa turned and smiled. "How ironic," he muttered. "I also know, Captain, that Jack has a piece of Aztec gold," Cambury added hesitantly.
"How do you know this? That isn't something Jack would talk about lightly," Barbosa asked.
"I saw it, Captain," Cambury said.
"You're sure?" Barbosa asked.
"Very sure," Cambury replied.
Barbosa thought. "Well, Cambury, I am pleased with your report. Now be gone, so you will not be missed on the Pearl," he said.
"Aye, sir," Cambury replied and then walked out.
Barbosa sat in the corner thinking.
After a while another man approached him.
"Captain Barbosa, we have a ship," the man said.
"What type?" Barbosa asked.
"50 gun ship with capable speed of 20 knots. It's large and well built," the man replied.
"Very good," Barbosa replied. "Bring it here by a fortnight."
"Aye, sir," the man replied and walked out of the bar.
Barbosa leaned back. "We will have the bait and the ship." He smiled evilly. "All we need now is the blood, and to lay the bait for the bait."
"So where do you want to go?" Elizabeth asked Josephine.
"I don't know; you choose," Josephine replied. "What shops do you have?"
"Well, there's a shop with imported cloth, a shop with dishes and kitchen things, a shop with imported dresses and accessories, and a shop with shoes," Elizabeth replied. "Those are usually the stores I go to."
"Well, then, how about we go to the dress shop?" Josephine asked.
"Fine with me," Elizabeth replied. She poked her head out of the carriage window. "To Mari's Fine Clothes, please."
The carriage started, and Elizabeth pointed out some of the sights of the town to Josephine. A couple minutes later, they arrived at the shop.
Josephine and Elizabeth climbed out of the carriage and entered the shop.
Elizabeth walked past all the men's cloths in the front and walked to the back where the dresses were. Josephine followed her.
Elizabeth walked down the rack, passing over dresses she didn't like and occasionally stopping to look at a dress. She stopped and picked one out.
"Here! This would look great on you," Elizabeth said.
Josephine looked at it. It was pale pink and blue, and was trimmed in a pale gold.
"It's beautiful!" Josephine exclaimed.
"Now you pick one out for me," Elizabeth said and she handed Josephine the dress.
Josephine smiled. "Okay." She walked down the racks. She stopped by a blue one, pulled it out and looked at Elizabeth. Shaking her head, she put it back. She did the same for another dress that was yellow and another dress that was pale pink.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth inquired.
Josephine looked up from another dress she was examining. "Selecting a dress." She paused and put the dress back. "Blue makes you look pale, yellow and green would make you look sickly. That pale pink one," Josephine said pointing, "Would make you look flushed. Now this one," Josephine said pulling out a scarlet dress, also trimmed in pale gold and with a gold sash," is perfect for you. She held it up to Elizabeth and nodded her head in satisfaction. "Scarlet gives you a healthy look, while picking up the red tones in you skin and the blond highlights in your hair."
She handed it to Elizabeth. "Shall we try them on?"
Elizabeth nodded eagerly and they went behind a curtain to change.
They emerged a few minutes later. They looked at each other and smiled.
"You look fantastic!" Josephine exclaimed.
"As do you!" Elizabeth replied.
They made their way to the front and bought the dresses and then bought two bags to put their other dresses in.
They walked out of the shop.
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Elizabeth asked her. "We could go back to the fort, and get lunch there, or we could go and buy food and have a picnic by the beach."
"Then let's have a picnic," Josephine decided.
"Great!" Elizabeth said.
They went around to different shops buying bread, fruit, cheese, meat, and other things for their picnic. Then they bought a basket and put all the food in it and walked down to the beach.
Upon reaching the beach, they took out a blanket, unfolded it and lowered it onto the sand. They placed the basket on it, and then sat down on the blanket themselves.
They opened the basket and took out the food and began to eat.
When they were both finished, Elizabeth started to talk.
"There's the Dauntless," Elizabeth said pointing to a large ship sitting out in the cove. "I sailed here from England on that ship. Will did too, or at least partially. We picked him up. That's where the pirate battle was just a few months ago as well."
Josephine absorbed this. "Were you frightened, when the pirates took you?"
Elizabeth looked at her. "Oh yes. Incredibly frightened. Even more so when I thought they were going to kill me."
"How did you escape?" Josephine asked.
"Will saved me; he basically traded himself for me," Elizabeth said. She thought back to the experience and shuddered. "I would not wish that experience on anyone."
Elizabeth looked up at Josephine. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Josephine, about how you came here."
Josephine looked at her and struggled to keep her face emotionless. Even so, anxiety and dread seethed with in her.
"Your coming here was a bit, um...untimely and unusual," Elizabeth said.
"How so?" Josephine squeaked. She was instantly appalled with herself.
Elizabeth took no notice. "You arrived here the night on which we were attacked by pirates, and no other ship came in that night. You brought back the things stolen from our house. Yes, I know about that," Elizabeth said, seeing Josephine's face. "Will told me."
Josephine let her mask drop. "Yes. What you said it true." She sighed and stalled for time. "I was on the ship. Jack kept me there. I had traced him and he said I was becoming a nuisance. So he contained the nuisance by holding it on his ship," she said angrily.
"So, did you escape?" Elizabeth asked.
Josephine looked at her. "Escape?" she laughed. "I was dumped." She smiled bitterly. "Sparrow couldn't keep me on board anymore because he liked me, and he couldn't let his men see it. So at the first opportunity he dumped me."
Elizabeth saw the pain in her. "But you liked him too," she realized and whispered.
Josephine hearing her, looked up in panic. "No, no I didn't. I didn't," Josephine said in denial. "I hate him. I despise him. I wish I could...." She trailed off. They sat quietly for a moment. "Yes, I liked him," Josephine whispered. "Yes, I loved him, and he...just...threw me away." Any anger in her voice fell away and was filled with more hurt. "Why? Why?" she muttered. Elizabeth started packing up and then they both went up to the carriage and then to the house. Josephine went up to her room and lay on her bed. She pushed back the curtain and looked down at the harbor. She could almost she herself standing there, that last night, while Sparrow sailed off in his boats, sinking though they were into the water. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt them moisten with tears. "Why, Jack? Why?" Josephine whispered.