Chapter sixteen: The Pride of India

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by...

-John Masefield

Three months later:

"Captain! There be a ship a commin' upon us, ma'am! Wha' are we gunna do?" Slapp yelled at me, as I walked out of the galley and onto the deck. I grabbed the spyglass out of my pocket of my breeches, and quickly looked to the direction Slapp was pointing. It was a Navel ship, probably just heading to Port Royal.

"Let it be," I advised. "Jus' leave the false colors up there until she passes." Slapp nodded and barked these orders out to the rest of the crew.

Slapp was my first mate, and worthy enough to be. He was an older man, who at first coming onto my account helped me in the controling of my new crew. His gray beard and auburn hair where always trimmed and neat, as well as his tailored clothes that fit, unlike those of the tar-heads aboard. In all I had twenty crew members to handle my small scooner, the Pride of Inda.

My second mate, Hopkins, was sitting in the crow's nest silently watching the navel ship glide by. Hopkins was a very quiet man, who only spoke when he deemed it absolutely nessicary. He knew when to sound the alarm if anything were to go awry.

"Ah, Captain, where be yer lil' girl whom this ship was a named af'er?" Slapp asked me. I smiled and called out for India and she came hobbling over to where we were standing at the bow.

"'Ello there," Slapp said to India as she stuck her thumb in her mouth and wrapped her free arm about my leg. She looked up shyly at Slapp and smiled around her thumb.

"She's gunna be jus' like 'er mumma." Slapp said, and clunked away to tend to his duties. I sent India to her special little room I had converted from the first mate's cabin into a school-room. Slapp happily agreed to sleep below with the other tar-heads in a hammock, just so my daughter could have an appropraite place to learn on this pirate ship. There was a nanny I had picked up in India who took care of India's teachings while I was busy with the captain's duties. Her name was Jasmine and she was borderline pretty, except she hid her face from the world with a veil...She had contracted the pox when she was sixteen, causing her to lose any suiters that she may have had. She was paid handsomely with my dead aunt's stolen money, just so she would help India along and maybe even advance her learning capacity.

"Cap'n?" on of the cabin boys asked, by my elbow. I turned, and looked at him expectantly. His name was Sam and he had proved his abilities more than once on raids. He was only sixteen, and this alone made me feel protective of him, though only God knows why.

"Yes, Sam?" I asked, a pleasant smile on my face.

"Ma'am, Hunter'll be wantin to know where we are to be a goin' next?" I nodded and pulled out from my pocket the one thing I treasured stealing. Everytime I pulled it out, I got a rush of satisfaction from managing to knick it from one of the "greatest pirates around"(coughcoughyeahrightcough)

"About two days west of Port Royal, and one day south...That's all he needs to know." I said and put the map back into my pocket.

Hunter was the most kniving man to ever be graced on God's planet. Thats why I daren't show anyone the map, not because I didn't trust them...Well, ok I didn't trust them, but come on! They are all pirates. I was being smart in my carefulness. Sam nodded and went to where Hunter was cutting rope in the corner. I noticed lately that Sam did whatever Hunter bid him to. They were about six years apart in age, and yet, Hunter almost had complete control over the young and impressionable Sam.

"Hopkins!" I yelled up to the crows nest. He hung his head over the side and patiently waited for me to say something.

"Can you please come here?" Hopkins nodded and with animal-like grace grabbed a rope and swung back onto the deck.

"Hopkins," I said trying to choose my words wisely, "If there were to be a muitiny, would you see fit to tell me?" I asked. He nodded, then to my surprise, spoke.

"Captain," He said in his trance like speech, "I don't think there a be any'on who'd want to muitiny on this 'ere ship. Ye are a fair and kind Captain, yet ye know when to put yer foot down. No, ma'am, there be a no plans fer muitiny on this ship." He nodded as if proving his point, then went to help with the swabing of the decks.

"Slapp!" I called this time, "Please keep watch for anying that might go awry...I'm going to check on my daughter." Slapp 'aye'd his reply and sat upon the figurehead that was a maiden holding a clam shell with a small mermaid in it out as a beacon. I slowly walked to the first mates cabin that was now a schoolroom savoring the life I now had. I was...happy. And that was all that mattered, right? Being a pirate was just the life I always wanted, yet never knew.

"India, darling, how is it going in here?" I called out as I entered the school-room. She looked up from her lines and smiled her dull yet bright smile. Every morning I dressed her and did her hair. Today she wore a blue cotten smock like dress with little red flowers embroidered around the collar, sleeves, and hem. Her hair had been brushed and pinned back at the sides, leaving the rest of it to cascade in long soft waves down her back. Before we left India, we went shopping in the market place and along with the clothes and nescesities I had bought her, I also got a small necklace for her. It was a peacock, the bird of India, and its fanning tail held small little rubies, sapphires and opals. Its was very small, yet very beautiful. I myself had a lotus flower made of silver...the flower of India...I hated India, yet I was also drawn to it. It was my home country, so there will always be a connection between myself and that hostile place.

"Loo!" She said and held up her paper. She had managed to write her numbers all correctly under the ones that nanny Grace had written for her to follow. I clapped my hands and gave her praise, like the nurse had said back at the hospital. Always keep her wanting to do more.

(Tourtuga)

"Well how the devil did ya find out about tha'?" Jack Sparrow was standing in the shadows of the Devils Tail, his coat wrapped about him for warmth(in reality, he wasn't cold) and his hat pulled down as low as he could without imparing his eye sight.

"Well, I 'eard that she gone and got 'erself a ship an ever'thing. Calls it, the Pride of India. Its a small scooner, but its pret'y fas'. Rumor 'as it tha' she got a map tha' leads to treas'er." Jack snorted and gave a small smile.

"Then, we mus' take it from her." His friend he was talking to shrugged and walked away, as Jack plotted the stealing of an insignificant little scooner.

(Abord the Pride of India)

"Ah...Cap'n, there be a massive black ship com'n up on the horizon...She pu' up 'er colors!" I ran up the steps from below and grabbed the spyglass straight from Slapp's hand and looked for myself.

That bastard! I thought, What is he trying to do? "Slapp! Put up the colors and ready the guns. I think he means to fight." I pocketed the spyglass and put my hand on my belt.

"Who be meanin' to figh' cap'n?" Slapp asked delaying.

"Never mind who!" I snaped. "Just go and do as I say now! Or I will throw you in the brig!" Slapp, stunned at being yelled at, quickly scurried off to do my biding. My heart was pounding a mile a minute at the thought of a fight with Jack. I had seen the Pearl in action, and it wasn't a pretty sight for those going under her cannon balls. I thought about running, but as fast as this ship was, I couldn't outrun the Pearl if my life depended on it...and it did.

"Wait! Slapp!" I called out turning on my heel and following the poor man. "Stop! Put up the flag of truce! Just do it...Don't question me." Slapp shouted orders and I stood by the helm, a smirk playing my lips, thinking about how I could bring this man down.