Chapter 3: A Bargain in San Miguel
"Land Ho!" shouted Annamaria. A cheer rose up from the crewmembers below.
"Ready her for the anchor!" yelled Gibbs. "We're goin' ashore, mates…San Miguel on the horizon! Stow the sails. Tie the cannons. Shore up the ship and we'll shore up, ourselves."
Soon, four full rowboats were heading from the Black Pearl to the shores of San Miguel. Jack Sparrow stood triumphantly at the helm of the first dinghy in the queue, loudly announcing that the Black Pearl would depart again at dawn on the fourth day. Eliza sat pensively between Gibbs and Cotton, who each wielded an oar. She would go to the mayor's office and throw herself at his mercy, hoping he could help her get passage to St. John. She had to explain to the governor in St. John about the attack, so nobody would think her father had made off with or sold the cargo to anyone else. If all she could do was keep her father's name in people's good esteem, she would do it, and perhaps her countrymen in St. John would take pity and help her start a new life. That was as good a plan as any, she decided. Fortunately, her father had taught her enough Spanish to get her around in a place like San Miguel, which was hardly dangerous but more a merchant port designed for people coming from and going to other places.
Once the boats reached the docks, Gibbs sought about signing them in with the harbormaster. The company from the Black Pearl had no quarrels with the Spanish at the moment, so there was no need to flout procedure; it was the English and the Dutch who required less obvious methods. Cotton helped Eliza step onto the dock. The young woman nodded in thanks, brushing a long strand of hair from her face that had fallen out of the ribbon at her neck. She looked around to see which of the buildings in front of her might be flying the Spanish flag, and prepared to set off, shirt and trousers notwithstanding, until Jack Sparrow abruptly cut her off. "Well, Miss Herrold," offered Jack, removing his hat, "I'm off to El Lagarto to negotiate with the pub's proprietor the purchase of some more fine rum for our continued adventures. You're of course welcome to join me for a drink."
"Thank you, no, Captain Sparrow," sighed Eliza. "I must to the mayor's office, straightaway. But…" She stiffened herself, making a good effort to be polite despite her revulsion toward the man standing before her, stinking of sweat, salt, and alcohol. "I thank you for your services and for your hospitality and wish you and your crew a very good journey." She squeamishly offered forward a hand, to shake hands with the pirate captain.
Jack took her hand in his, knelt with great ceremony and kissed it, then stood back up instantly and placed his hat firmly on his head. "Then my dear Miss Herrold, I bid you a fond farewell. A very fond farewell, for I don't expect to see you again, even though beautiful things would have most assuredly developed between us."
Eliza yanked her hand back in disgust, and stamped off in the direction of a palatial building which had to be the mayor's mansion.
Jack Sparrow was delighted to be visiting El Lagarto again. Diego, the barkeep, giggled knowingly as soon as his old friend staggered through the door. "Ah, Jack," cried the ruddy-faced man in a Spanish accent, tossing an old drunk off a barstool to the floor, to make room for the incoming captain. "I suppose it'll be a room upstairs, some fine company, and the usual arrangements with the rum and such."
"It will indeed, Diego, it will indeed," crowed Jack, as he waved grinningly to the squealing made-up ladies hanging from the upstairs banister.
"A mug for Jack Sparrow," ordered Diego, as a lanky young man stumbled forward with a frothing pint of ale.
Jack smiled at his friend, looked around the stucco walls to make sure nobody but the painted lizards there were listening and leaned forward, crouching. "Diego," he said, in a low voice so as not to be heard. "I'm also in the market for a bit of information, savvy?"
"Eh?" said Diego, always happy to earn more coin.
"I got two doubloons for anything you hear about a ship called the Esperanza, sacked six days north, headed for St. John."
"Someone beat you to it, eh Jack?" laughed Diego.
"Not at all, mate," continued Jack. "It's just that such knowledge might interest a certain young lady who herself is of interest to me."
"Ahhhh," replied Diego, knowingly. "A lady. Again, Jack. Always a lady. Even though I have plenty of 'em upstairs what are real happy to see the likes a you again!" Diego waved again to the ladies hanging from the bannisters.
"Well there is a lady, that's true. But whoever sacked that ship is now carrying gems from Africa, Chinese silks, and some other things that might sustain an old pirate for a spell, ay?"
"Gotcha, mate," winked Diego, glad his old friend wasn't making a fool of himself yet again for nothing but some pretty face…especially since that might mean lost profits from his ladies upstairs.
"One now, another when you've got some news," said Jack, sliding a shiny doubloon across the table, where Diego greedily snatched it up with a smile.
"Room number four, Jack. You know where it is. Just try not to rip up me sheets so badly this time."
"Three days, Diego," answered Jack, with a large smile, prancing up toward a beckoning painted redhead withimpressive cleavage.
Eliza had done her best to explain the predicament she was in to the manservant at the Spanish mayor's abode, but to no avail. The mayor was helping establish a nearby mission for the natives, three days' hike over land, and might not return for another fortnight. The weaselly fellow left in charge was indifferent to Eliza's situation and swore he could do nothing until his superior returned. Eliza dejectedly walked out of the manse and plopped herself on the marble steps, with her head in her hands.
After viewing a marvelously colorful sunset from her place on the stoop, Eliza resolved to take a walk through town, because she knew that even in an unlikely dangerous place, she should still set about finding a place to sleep that evening before the city's nighttime bawdiness took over. She strolled beneath the dim lamplights, hearing the talking and laughter around her, evaluating each group of people to find someone she might approach for assistance.
"Senorita…buy you this lovely dress!" A man was before her suddenly, holding up a dress of cream bodice and a full green skirt.
"No gracias, senor," sighed Eliza as she continued to move down the street. Her face registered shock when the dress was lowered and Jack Sparrow's face appeared, smiling hopefully at her.
"Ah, but what if I've already bought it for you?" asked Jack, holding out the dress for the surprised girl.
Eliza decided she could not appear frazzled, nor could she accept charity from a man who no doubt would want a kind of payment she was not about to remand. "Then you've got a nice present for your tavern girls, I suppose."
"Miss Herrold," said Jack gently. "Surely you don't expect to mill about dressed in stinky old pirate's clothes? Please. Please put it on."
"But I haven't any money to pay you back," said Eliza, and before Jack could answer again, continued. "And money, Captain Sparrow, is the only payment someone like me would offer to a filthy man as yourself, even though you are being somewhat charitable."
"Then," grinned the captain. "We'll call it a bargain. You'll borrow the dress until you've found your fortune and can pay me back. And if my friends come through with information about the Esperanza, then you keep the dress, but you sail again with me on the Black Pearl at dawn, Tuesday next. Are we agreed?"
Eliza felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. It hadn't even occurred to her to find out who attacked her father's ship; she was the only survivor she knew of in the ocean that night, and was more concerned with keeping her father's good name intact, and building a new life for herself. Eliza felt a pang of guilt for being so ready to accept her ordeal as over with. As for this pirate captain, Jack Sparrow, she didn't know what to think. Obviously, he was trying to help her in order to win her favor, a move she found transparent and untrustworthy. But…what if with his help, she could also maybe exact a bit of revenge on those who killed her father? She didn't have anything else to lose, and surely it wouldn't hurt to have word of her plight reach St. John before she herself did. She breathed in slowly and held a hand out to the swaying pirate. "Agreed," she said, taking the green and cream dress from him.
"Done," said Jack. "Now, for the matter of where you'll sleep tonight…"
"Captain Sparrow! Certainly you're not suggesting…"
"Relax, love. We're business partners, now, nothing more. Think of it as me protecting my investment. Up the road is a tavern called El Lagarto. Means the Leaky Lizard, you see…" Jack began to laugh, only to notice that Eliza was not amused. He deadpanned and cleared his throat. "Yes. El Lagarto, the tavern up the road. My room is number four, it's upstairs. Bolt the door behind you. If anyone gives you trouble, or you need anything at all, run downstairs to a loud man with a big red face, name of Diego, and explain that you're the girl from the Esperanza, and guest of Captain Jack."
"But you…" began Eliza, angrily.
"I have earned enough favor with certain ladies in San Miguel who will allow me lodging…so I won't trouble you at all. But I will say this much, darling…if we're to be business partners, I'd better at least be allowed to call you Eliza."
Eliza Herrold glanced Jack Sparrow up and down. While he still stunk like bilge and yesterday's toasts, and could certainly use taking down by a peg or two, clearly Jack couldn't be all bad, pirate or no. He was giving up his own room at the inn for her, even if it was to go carousing around with God knew who. She nodded slowly. "Goodnight, Captain."
"Jack," insisted the pirate.
"Jack," she answered. "Goodnight." She turned away from the swaggering captain, feeling hot and uneasy and quite sure he was watching her behind as she made her way away from him.
"Goodnight, Eliza," called Jack Sparrow after her. "Meet us at the docks, dawn Tuesday." He watched the girl hurry off down the dark cobbled street, hearing muted mariachi music wafting through a nearby wall. There was a bridge nearby, he remembered. Surely he could catch forty winks huddled up underneath, for nobody would think to look for a sleeping pirate captain there.