General Pirates code, set down by the Brethren(supposedly)
Every man shall obey civil Command; the Captain shall have one full share and a half in all Prizes; the Master, Carpenter, Boatswain and Gunner shall have one Share and quarter.
If any man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he shall be marroon'd with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small Arm and shot.
If any Many shall steel any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marroon'd or shot.
If at any Time we should meet another Marrooner (that is Pyrate) that Man that shall sign his Articles without the Consent of our Company, shall suffer such Punishment as the Captain and Company shall think fit.
That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall receive Mose's Law (that is 40 stripes lacking one) on the bare Back.
That Man that shall snap his Arms, or smoke Tobacco in the Hold, without a cap to his Pipe, or carry a Candle lighted without a Lantern, shall suffer the same Punishment as in the former Article.
That Man that shall not keep his Arms clean, fit for an Engagement, or neglect his Business, shall be cut off from his Share, and suffer such other Punishment as the Captain and the Company shall think fit.
If any Man shall lose a Joint in time of an Engagement he shall have 400 pieces of Eight; if a limb 800.
If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.
Chapter five: A new player in the chess game
"So...It was because of you, that this whole lot of navy men are currently tied up to the mast, right?" Else had her arms crossed over her chest and was grinning, almost unbelievingly at Roberts. Indeed, around twenty people were tied to the mast, no one scathed on the Pearl. Roberts was smiling like a cat who had indeed, caught the mouse.
"Well...I cant brag."
"But your going to." Jack said dryly from Else's left. Roberts shrugged, and smiled again.
"So. Cursed treasure, eh? Regular pillaging not catching your fancy anymore?" The six of them—Bill, Barbossa, Jack, Else, and Roberts—started walking towards the captain's cabin, and once they were all in, and sitting at the oval table in the middle, did Jack speak.
"Its not just any cursed treasure, mate. It's the Aztec treasure. Of Cortez(sp?). One small little piece is most likely worth what you me, and Kidd could ever make in our entire lives. And I thought you were Christian, Roberts. Or do you wear that cross around you neck simply because it is all diamond? Don't be a hypocrite. At least see it for yourself."
Roberts shook his head. He put his elbows on the table, and put his hands under his chin. There was a sort of dark glamour about him, Else thought. Something dangerous, yet alluring that both he and Jack miraculously possessed. His eyebrows were up in a look of polite disinterest.
"I'd like to hear about it, if I may." Jack looked like he was going to say something else, but didn't. He finally nodded to Bill, to speak.
"Well, I found out what exactly happens when you take the treasure. Supposedly, you become half-human, type thing. You cant eat, or drink, or die. You are just there. The moonlight is supposed to show you changed, or something. That's all I found out. But the man I was talking to was a bit shady, so I don't know if we can trust him. Probably just making something up." Else was chewing on her lip now, hoping against all odds that Jack would say no, they shouldn't go after something dangerous. But the look on Jack's face was more then enough of a hint for her. She closed her eyes in quiet distress, but opened them when she heard Jack's voice.
"I still don't know. I really have to think on it. Hmm...Who's up for something to drink? Else?" She resented that. He looked to her for his beverage, but she shrugged unhelpfully.
"There is none left on the ship." Jack's face fell into a look of disappointment. He couldn't sleep without his usual nightcap of rum. Well...more like tankard. But then again, everyone she knew, including herself, was found of rum. They drank the last of it the night before. It was truly the drink of pirates.
"Then in the next port, we might just have to get some." Jack looked over to Roberts and twisted his mouth into a frown.
"You sure you wont join us? It could be well worth it." Roberts, again shook his head. He stood up, and jammed his hat jauntily on his head. He swept the small group a bow.
"No thank you. I am already set to go to Africa. I will, however, take those men off your hands. Im sure I can fetch a lovely price for them later. So, this hideous face is leaving." He shot a look to Else, wondering if she would catch that last remark, and protest. She was smarter then that, however.
"No, your right. That hat makes your nose look big." She said in all seriousness.
"Well what about your nose?" Roberts threw back at her. "People find things to pick on. They'll pick on a nose."
"Oh go pick on your own nose." Barbossa snapped. His nose was no better. They bade fair well to the arrogant and flamboyant captain. They didn't know however, that he would have survived in joining them. He was killed in a skirmish while in Africa.
A few later, in Kingston, Else was busy looking for coffee beans, while Jack was acting as a barkeep to buy rum in mass quantities. He simply swept his long brown hair into his had, and shaved the stubble off his chin. He told Else when she questioned him, that it was easy to grow back stubble. It only took until five that day. He traded his regalia that screamed pirate for a simple tunic and vest, as well as breeches that were actually clean. He looked somewhat decent.
"How much?" Else asked for the fourth time, brandishing the small sack of coffee beans at the man like a weapon. However, the merchant was busy staring behind her. Something was causing him to be speechless as he watched a tableau going on. Finally Else turned around to see three men idling in the market place. They were walking pirate flags. One glance said that they were cut throats who didn't take any nonsense. Even she felt a little intimidated by them.
Finally, the men walked away, and Else heard nothing of them until she got back onto the ship. She found out there, that Jack had turned up missing. She swore, because that man was always getting himself into sticky situations. Kingston was crawling with militia and he would most likely have been checked for his brand.
"Well this day just keeps getting better and better." Jack muttered under his breath as he was bodily thrown on the deck of a massive ship. He fell with a thud face down, unable to put his hands out because of their binds. The crew circled around him as he struggled to get up. But beings as both hands and feet were bound with thick tight ropes, he was basically a fish out of water.
"Oh just help him up." An irritated voice rang out above the jeers of the crew. Immediately silence fell, and Jack wondered if the fall had joggled his brains, because the voice that inspired awe sounded feminine. Two men came forward and hauled Jack up with ease to his feet. He looked around for the source of the voice, and saw the circle break to allow one more person to enter.
Before he could blink, he was staring down the barrel of a pistol and had heard the affirmative clank of the hammer being drawn back.
"Oh my, boys...Seems as if we have caught a sparrow." Jack looked up from the gun to see the face of a woman. Her grin was the definition of cockiness.
Her stark black hair was just below her ears, but instead of falling easily, it was wavy and sprawled out like a torrent of black feathers. What wasn't tucked into a crimson bandana, was fly away. Her tan skin covered the most beautiful face ever. She had an eyebrow raised over clear amber eyes that slanted at the corners ever so slightly. They were an unusual type of color, and her high cheek bones coupled with the perfect nose topped it off. However; it was her deep red lips that pulled the whole thing together.
She wore a pair of black fitted breeches tucked into knee length boots. The shirt she had one was also a crimson color that matched the strip of cloth holding back her hair. And for the added affect, she also had on a black under-the-bust corset. That one was just for looks.
"You must have a staring problem. Let me be the first to welcome you to my humble ship." Her voice held a very Welsh accent and carried over the heads of her crew and hostage. She gave a small bow of the head, never taking her eyes of her target. She looked like a cat, about to devour a mouse.
"I trust you will be besotted with happiness when you explore our lush brig. You will simply crumple up with pleasure over the metal bars. In fact...you might just die from all this extravagance. And I do indeed assure you that this will be a trip you will have difficulty forgetting. I am the captain of this fine vessel, if you haven't already figured that out. My name, though you are lucky to hear it, is Brandy. Captain Brandy to everyone save myself and my small dog." While Jack was trying hard not to think she was crazy, he did realize just how verbose she was.
"Soooo..." She drawled. She looked like the cat who caught the canary and wanted to parade it around the streets.
"Fancy some tea?" She had opened her mouth to say something when Jack cut in. Her expression fell into confusion for a moment, then she dropped her raised eyebrow.
"I have you at gunpoint, Mr. Sparrow...and you want a cup of tea? Boys!" She addressed her crew smiling, but not taking her eyes off of Jack.
"I believe this man could be crazier then me." Brandy gave another smirk at the thought of that, and dismissed it out of her head. Like lightning, she dropped her pistol and walked away.
She had the most seductive walk Jack had ever seen. Jutting out her hips as she sashayed away from the small scene, with all the grace of the cat she was. With a flick of her hand Jack was roughly seized and taken down to the brig. He wasn't aware his mouth was hanging open.
Brandy walked into her cabin and threw her pistol on her bed. She had to sit down fast, because if she stood up any longer, she had no doubt that she would indeed pass out. She had never thought to see that man's face again.
Brandy had last seen Jack when he first got his pride and joy–his ship. After that, she heard little of him, and like most smart pirate, stayed as under the radar as one could. She had tried as hard as possible to forget about him. Now he was on her ship. In her brig. And in her life.
She needed to trump up an excuse to kill him. But no. That wouldn't do. He most likely had a large crew who would undoubtedly come after her, then she herself would be dead.
She supposed at the moment, the best plan of action was to simply keep him in the brig. The age old cliche; No harm, no foul.
