Chapter Seven: Mr. Sparrow, I presume?
"There it is… the Black Pearl," Jack announced, pointing at the rather battered looking vessel moored at the end of the dock.
"It looks kind of… ratty."
"Yes it does, but don't tell the captain that. He's rather sensitive about the ship."
"Ah. Donkey, what-" Puss looked around. "Donkey?" The dark man was nowhere in sight… again. Puss sighed. "Jack, have you seen Donkey?"
"Can't say that I have," Jack said. "But then again, he could get lost in a hedge-maze with four lanes."
Puss stared at him. Jack was starting to sound like he really did hate Donkey.
"Jack," he said slowly. "Donkey is much smarter than you give him credit for. Why do you hate him so much?"
The bounty hunter's answer surprised him.
"He's competition," the man said bluntly. "I've been making it clear that you're mine, and he doesn't get the picture."
Puss burst out laughing. "I'm yours? Madre de dios, I have never heard such a lie!"
Jack looked hurt. "Is that all I am?" he asked. "A lie?"
Puss sighed again. "Jack, you aren't a lie. I gave Donkey my word that I would give him a chance to woo me, and with you around, he has been too angry to even make an attempt. Frankly, you are much better looking than he is, but I have to make a choice in the next four days."
"Why?" Jack asked, dark eyes alight, for once with curiosity and not mischief.
"You could say that we're under a curse of a sort," Puss answered cautiously. "This… is not my true form."
"Then what-" Before Jack could ask what Puss's true form was, the cat cut him off.
"You'll find out in four days, if I do not choose Donkey. I swear to you, though, that if it is this form that you like, and I choose you, I will do everything in my power to keep it."
"But-" Jack began again, and the swordsman cut him off again.
"You. Will. Find. Out. In. Four. Days."
"Fine," Jack grumbled. "Let's go meet the captain and tell him that we're here. And to quote Mike- he was the bartender- 'Do not mention rum, women, the state of the ship except for a compliment, or the fact that you're open to either sex.' From what I hear, he's the faggiest straight man that ever sailed the Seas, and he's got sexual appetite enough for forty men."
A man with a sex drive that wouldn't quit? He sounded rather interesting…
"Puss? Puss, are you listening to me?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Huh? Oh yeah," said Puss, snapping back to reality.
"So remember what I said," Jack said as they approached the ship. "Just try to let me do all the talking."
A short, portly man with glasses accosted them as they reached the end of the dock, clearly headed for the Pearl
"You would be Jack an' company, I presume?" he asked in a gruff tone.
"Ah- yes, we-"
"They said there would be two people with you, not one. Where's the other one?"
"We lost him somewhere back there," Jack said as he waved a hand carelessly behind them. "And you are?"
"First Mate Gibbs, sir. Cap'n says you're to follow me to his quarters an' wait there. The ship's not leaving for another two hours."
"But the bartender said it was a half-hour!" Puss said.
"Schedule's changed," Gibbs said shortly. "I'm s'posed to bring you to the Cap'n's quarters, so-"
"Right, then," Jack said. "Off we go."
Gibbs looked annoyed at being interrupted, but motioned for them to follow him up the gangplank that led to the ship.
As he led them to the Captain's quarters, Puss looked about the ship with interest. Scattered around the ship, doing various jobs that didn't seem very appealing were men. The sails of the ship were black, and slightly tattered, but the men didn't seem to care in the least. The deck seemed semi-clean, and the mast seemed in fairly good condition, so the ship couldn't be that bad.
Gibbs stopped in front of the one structure on the deck of the ship- a box with windows- and unlocked it with a key.
"You two wait in here. An' don't touch anything!" He left without another word, leaving Jack and Puss to find chairs in the sparsely decorated room. The only thing that seemed to be a main thing among the few items was rum. Empty bottles were scattered across the floor, and full and half-full bottles were stashed in corners of peeking out of trunks.
'I guess he wasn't kidding about the rum thing,' Puss thought, slightly amused. He sat gingerly on an empty trunk, and Jack chose to lean against the small space of wall that didn't have anything blocking it from the floor. Puss just sat there quietly for a while, studying the contents of the cabin boredly, while Jack occasionally got up to look out the window.
After what seemed like hours, there was shouting from outside, and Gibbs came back, dragging a frightened looking Donkey behind him. "This yours?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes, we-" Jack began, but Gibbs cut him off.
"He snuck onto the ship and was wandering around until one of the crew finally grabbed him. Make sure that he stays here, and for God's sake, keep him quiet!" He released Donkey, who slumped forward into the room, packages looking very heavy and the man who carried them exhausted.
Puss scrambled forward and pulled the packages off of Donkey, who gratefully let go of them.
"How did you find the ship?" Jack asked, eyes glinting with what seemed to be suspicion.
Donkey apparently still had the strength to glare, for he shot a death look at Jack. "A little bird told me," he said through gritted teeth. "Thanks for helping with the bags."
"Oh, no problem," Jack said casually. "How long were you looking for us?"
"Long enough. I got lost in the worst district of town, got propositioned by some she-he-dog thing, nearly ran into a gangfight between a bunch of cats and dogs, which got interrupted by another cat, got followed by some little crawling dude who kept whining about some ring, and then got led to the docks by the creepy guy, who followed me into an alley and jumped me, screaming about his 'Precious'. I hit him with a rock and he ran off, and then I just went along the dock, asking for the Black Pearl. Clear enough for you, buddy?" He asked Jack.
The bounty hunter actually looked impressed. "Crystal clear."
"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." Donkey practically fell onto the chest that Puss had been sitting on, and propped his back up against it, closing his eyes. Puss studied him carefully as the man's face relaxed. He really did look exhausted, strong features sagging and sweat shining against dark mahogany skin. He did look sort of striking… in a tired, worn-out way, that was. The combination of his dark hair and features were eye-catching in a way that that Puss had never really noticed before. His features softened even more, and Puss felt his breath catching slightly. Donkey was so- so-
"Admiring th' view?" Donkey asked.
Immediately Puss colored. "Ah- sort of." He couldn't believe that Donkey had caught him staring.
"Good. Admirin' the good things 's fun. Soun's like… me…t' me…" he slurred as his features slackened completely and his muscles relaxed.
Puss looked over at Jack, who raised an eyebrow and snorted. "He'll be fine. I wonder when the Captain's going to come back. I want to get started."
"Eager?" Puss asked.
"No… I just want to get this job over with. I've been after the Annis for long enough. Sure, the reward's nice and high, but what good is being a high-profile bounty hunter when you can only take small cases?"
"Good point." Puss would have said more, but just then the door flew open and silhouetted in it stood what was apparently Jack Sparrow. The man wasn't very physically intimidating, and he reeked of alcohol.
"Mr. Sparrow, I presume?" Jack asked.
"It's Captain Sparrow. You'd be the three lads traveling to Neverland?" he asked, in a surprisingly only slightly slurred voice.
"Yes. Jack and companions," Jack supplied.
"Yeah. Lemme give you the rundown. There will be no fighting on my ship unless I am there to place a bet, no drinking unless I am there to drink with you, and no women unless I get a fair share. Stay out of my men's way and they will not harm you. I cannot guarantee safety otherwise."
"That's it?" Puss asked, surprised. Weren't ships supposed to have a lot more rules?
"Oh, and no touching Anamaria. The last man that tried to lay a hand on her lost a tooth for his trouble." Jack winced, and grinned at them. He was missing three teeth.
"Three times?"
"Only one unless you happen to be me, that is."
"Oh."
"Ship leaves in a half hour. You have fifteen minutes to get your things in order, and be up on deck by then. I will give you instructions on what to do in emergencies there. Savvy?"
Jack looked at Puss, who shrugged. He had no idea of what the word 'savvy' meant.
"Savvy," both men chorused, a muffled, 'shavvvvvvy' coming from Donkey.