Chapter seventeen: A New Governor

"We've a letter!" Jack came up to me, brandishing a piece of parchment.

"Who from?" I looked up from a map I had been looking at out of boredom, and took the paper from him. After scanning the letter briefly, I noticed the words "Wyeth" "Dead" and "Trying to soldier on". I read the thing over, and was almost relieved when it turned out that Wyeth wasn't dead.

"Oh no," I said frowning, however.

"What?"

"Governor Swann died," I folded the paper and furrowed my brows. "What happens now? You aren't openly hunted, and who knows what this new governor will do. We may not be able to go to Port Royal anymore." I looked back down at the folded letter, then thought of Wyeth. "I don't like it one bit."

"Love, there is nothing we can do about it now. I suppose we will have to sneak into Port Royal next time was are around, and if the new guy doesn't take kindly to pirates, then maybe we can do something about Wyeth." I was shocked that he thought of his young son. He gave me a look, knowing where my thoughts were.

"He is my son," Jack said, pointing a finger at me. I shrugged and sat back down in a chair.

Two weeks later we docked in a small cove just off of Port Royal, and I sneaked into town. I had a large argument the night before with Jack, due to the fact that he wanted to go with. It was too dangerous. Almost all of Port Royal knew of him, or what he looked like, and it was uncertain as to what was going on with the law. Hating ths, I went by the back alleys, getting lost twice, because I didn't know the place too well.

"Mack!" The door to Elizabeth and Will's house opened at my small knock, and I was soon enfolded into a large hug, and ushered into the place.

"Where is Jack? Please tell me you two haven'tfought again," I shook my head and once we were seated in the large parlor, accounted all that had happened since leaving here a while ago.

"So, what is with the new governor? Has one been chosen?" At the mention, a pained and aggravated look came to my friends face. It took her a moment to answer, and when she did, it was in a curt voice she hardly everused.

"Governor Frederick is very...strange. When he saw how lax Port Royal is with pirates...well...he wasn't too pleased. And he has ordered so many new laws, that its hard to keep count. I fear that Port Royal is on the decline." I knew it. In fact, I wasn't surprised. I had rather liked Swann, though not meeting him more then once, in passing. What he did for Jack and the crew earned my respect.

"What's his first name?" I asked, curious.

"Jerome, I think. I dunno. Anyways, would you like to see Wyeth?" Something in the back of my memory twinged, but at the mention of Jack's son, I quickly jumped up and followed Elizabeth to the nursery.

Wyeth was asleep, watched over by a nanny in a rocking chair. I could have fainted at how much he grew in such a sort time.

"We cut his hair the first time the day before yesterday. He has learned to say a few things since then." I smiled down at the boy, his dark hair now close to his head. He was going to be a beauty, I could tell that for sure.

"I just remembered something," I said as we tiptoed out of the nursery.

"What?"

"Its my birthday today. It completely skipped my memory." I frowned. The sky was darkening, and I knew Jack would be itching to find out what is happening.

"So, what ripe old age are you now?"

"Twenty-five. I feel ancient." Elizabeth laughed, and we climbed down the stairs. After a few pleasantries with Will, I left back to the cove. The rowboat was waiting, though Jack wasn't around. IN the distance I could see the Pearl, and a lone figure up in the crows nest. I gave a wave of my arm, and the figure did as well. After a few minutes, making sure I wasn't followed, I got into the tender and rowed back to the ship.

"Please tell me something good," Jack begged when we were back in the large cabin. I lighted a few candles and turned up the lanterns, giving it a cheery glow.

"Er..." I cast around for something good to say. "Wyeth is going to be the spitting image as you. You might have to watch it, because he might be better looking,"

I said it in jest, but his face turned sour none the less. I sighed and sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the small oval table. I never took in the cabin at once. It was large. Very large. With cupboards lining one side of it, a table for meetings, a king sized bed, a man and a dog chair, a desk, and a wardrobe. It was in fact, larger then most of the small shanty I grew up in.

"And?"

"Well, this man, Frederick, the new governor...Elizabeth says he isn't too bonny. He completely abolished any sort of truce held between the Black Pearl and the Port. And now the men are supposed to rid the waters around the southern part of Jamaica of anything pirate-like. Even privateers are to go!"

Jack swore as I said the last statement. We had always been reasonably comfortable in Port Royal. Due to the fact that Jack didn't fire on the English ships, and he usually kept other pirate from attacking when he could, or was in range. In return the late-governor allowed us to walk freely in his streets. We in fact, did not have an official pardon, but the militia knew not to harm us. It was all balanced out peacefully. And now it was corrupted.

"Do you mind if I look more into this?" Jack suddenly asked. I was taken aback, because this pirate was more like 'Do now, explain or reason later'.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because," Jack started pacing, clearly agitated. "This will of course mean we must put the hunt for that Jerome guy on hiatus for the moment. I need to figure out the exact motives of this new man. How old is he?"

"Don't really know. But from descriptions he doesn't sound over fifty." Jack nodded.

"That's worse for us. He is more...agile? For lack of a better term. He will be hard to wear down. I just curse whatever killed Swann!" He slammed his fist down on the desk top he was now standing by.

"Elizabeth said that he died in his sleep. The maid came in and found him in the morning when she went in with the breakfast."

Instantly Jack's eyes narrowed.

"I don't like that sound of that. It could be nothing, but it could be something."

I opened my mouth, then let out a breath and shrugged.

"Yes?" Jack asked, knowing I was going to say something.

"It could be my over active imagination, but maybe he was poisoned? So Fredrick could take over? Maybe its some large plot." Jack scoffed, and sat down next to me in a chair.

"What did you say his first name was?"

"I didn't." I screwed my face up to remember it, then gasped.

"What?" Jack was suddenly frowning in concern, and I knew he might have been thinking back to my episode on the way to Africa.

"His name...Jerome. His first name was Jerome...Jack!" I jumped to my feet, surprised by how easily it clicked. "Its him! Its Jerome! That is the governors first name! Jerome. Oh, God, how it fits!" I let out a laugh that was more like a sob, and put my palm to my face, eyes wide.

Jack got to his feet, and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Mack? Are you sure?" I nodded, and flung myself on him.

"I...I am sure. I know its him. I can feel it in my bones. Oh, this might just turn out alright."