Usual disclaimers… sigh!
But I'm putting up two chapters today… just because!
Pen – if you are reading this, Ani has told me of your problems with emailing me! Hang in there and send anything via her if you can't get through to me.
Chapter 22 – To Bermuda
Jack followed Jacob back through the narrow streets, heading back to Bessie's Revenge. "Is this your ship?" Jacob asked, looking at the vessel in surprise.
"Aye, fer now," Jack said. "Until I get th' Pearl back…"
"Bessie's Revenge? Doesn't sound like a trader," he chuckled. "More like a pirate!"
"Watch your tongue!" Jack hissed, alarmed to see a number of people seeming to look towards them.
Jacob looked at his brother in surprise. "You mean…" he said cautiously. "Jesus! I was only joking!"
"Jacob!" A voice shouted from along the docks and both brothers looked in dread towards it's source. "Jacob!" Why aren't you working? We have a delivery and the drayman has been waiting for you!"
Jacob looked at Jack, who shrugged. "Because I've been helping John here…" he explained.
"J... John!" Belatedly, James recognised his brother. "You bastard!" he cursed, throwing a punch which Jack easily dodged. His older brother took after their father, bull-thick and just as stupid. "What are you back for, you useless bastard?"
"He's looking for his…" Jacob began, but Jack held his hand for silence.
"It doesn't matter what I'm here fer," he retorted, staring his brother in the eye and wondering how his childhood enemy had seemed to have shrunk over the years. "An' I was just leavin'."
"You can't leave soon enough!" James snarled. "Jacob, get back to work!"
"No," Jacob said quietly, enjoying seeing his bullying brother have little effect on Jack.
"What?" James snarled. "Get back to work before I have you whipped!"
Jack realised that he could not leave Jacob behind, fearful of what James would do to him if he did for daring to stand up to him. His younger brother took after their mother's side of the family, tall and slender, as did he. "Jacob, up th' gangplank an' tell m' quartermaster t' make ready t' sail..."
"Your quartermaster?" James sneered, putting out a hand to stop Jacob. "You're going nowhere boy!"
Jack's fist caught James full in the face, knocking him unconscious. Jacob paused at the bottom of the gangplank, looking in stunned disbelief as Jack turned from James. "Up th' gangplank now," he urged. "Quickly…" The two brothers hurried on board, and Jack spoke quietly to him. "Here m' name is Jack Sparrow," he cautioned. "I trust yer not t' use our real names here."
"Then what should I call myself?" Jacob asked, puzzled.
"Jacob Sparrow, if yer need t' give yer name. They'll know yer as m' brother… we're too alike fer it t' be chance."
"Captain?" Joshamee walked forwards towards them.
"Make ready t' leave," Jack ordered. "An' draw up th' gangplank before th' buffoon wakes!" Already a crowd of onlookers had gathered about the prone man, a number of them trying to bring him round.
"Aye Captain," the quartermaster acknowledged. "Um… Bessie?"
For a moment, a pained look flitted across Jack's face before his normal mask returned. "She's not here. We have t' search at Hamilton…"
"Bermuda?" Paul gasped, blatantly eavesdropping nearby.
"Aye, so make haste!" Jack urged, pleased to see the men scrambling quickly up into the rigging. He turned to Joshamee. "This is m' brother, Jacob," he introduced. "He'll be travellin' with us, without favours…"
Joshamee nodded. "Have you sailed before?" he asked.
"No…" Jacob said, wondering for a moment what he had gotten himself into. He shrugged, reasoning it could be little worse than working at the tavern.
"Well, yer'll learn soon enough if yer a Sparrow," he grinned. "Keep out th' way for now an' I'll show you what to do once we leave th' estuary…"
88888
Jack called the crew together when they were clear of the estuary, heading southwards for the English Channel. Paul Barker stood at the helm. He leaned against the main mast, watching the mens' faces as they gathered around.
"All right," he said quietly. "I'll say this once an' I'll not be repeatin' it." He paused, taking a deep breath. "We all know Bessie an' th' children left Port Royal on th' Jolly Maid, but what yer don't know is that th' ship went down in a storm off Bermuda…" He was forced to stop as startled cries echoed around the deck.
"And Bessie?" Jem demanded. "Th' children?"
Jack shrugged. "I don't know. Th' insurers said that there was at least one survivor – the ship's quartermaster. His name is Oliver Trescoe an' we have t' find news of him, or better still, m' family at Hamilton. There was no record of the ship carrying passengers, but from what Will said, th' Commodore didn't give the Captain of the ship much choice in the matter…" He sighed heavily. "So we could find one survivor, or eight…"
"Nine…" Jem said quietly, causing Jack to look at him sharply. "You left Bessie with child again…"
Jack found his gaze drawn westwards, roughly in the direction of Bermuda. "One… nine… none…" he said softly, striding quickly into the master cabin and slamming the door behind him, not wanting the men to see his tears.
