Plums of the Caribbean 2: Black Sails in the Sunset
By MsBrooklyn
Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns Stephanie Plum and the Mouse owns all things PotC. All I own is the idea to put the two together.
Part One – A Sparrow Told Me This Would Happen
People were staring at me. Some were pointing and laughing. It didn't bother me because it wasn't anything new. My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm a bail enforcement agent. Usually, I'm enforcing bail in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, New Jersey known as the Burg, but today, I was in a tiny little town in the Caribbean called Port Royal. It wasn't a vacation. I'd been thrown back in time to 1689, courtesy of John Ring Junior and ended up capturing a Dutch bounty hunter by the name of Rob Grujters.
Grujters was the reason for my visit to Port Royal. He'd been sent to recover opium, which had been stolen or hijacked by my self-appointed tour guide to 1689, Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow was a dreadlocked, eye-liner wearing pirate with a ship called the Black Pearl, which was my home for the past three weeks. It was his idea to turn Grujters over to the British authorities and collect the bounty.
So here I was, pulling a small wheelbarrow holding a bound and gagged Grujters through the streets of Port Royal to the office of the Royal Navy. Grujters recognized our destination and his muffled protests became even more frantic.
The two sentries outside the Navy office gawked openly. Sparrow warned me this would probably happen. He told me other things, too. And it looked like probably he was going to be right about all of it.
"I'm here to see Commodore Norrington," I said, giving the sentries a little wave hello.
They exchanged glances and finally, one of them found his voice. "State your business, miss. The Commodore's a busy man."
Sparrow warned me they were going to say that. "My prisoner's an agent of the Dutch East India Company. I'm here to collect the bounty for his capture."
"Excuse us, please, miss."
The two had a quick whispered exchange and then one of them flagged down a passing redcoat. "Lieutenant Gillette!"
Gillette turned, looked me up and down, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, men?"
"This lady has a Dutch man she wants to turn over to Commodore Norrington."
"Indeed?" Gillette gave me his full attention. "Well, by all means, let's go see the Commodore."
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Commodore James Norrington was everything Sparrow said he would be, right down to the precise curls in his wig. I never understood that custom, but then again, here I was, wearing more fabric than it took to cover a sofa so I would blend in.
Norrington rose, bowed slightly to acknowledge me, and then did a full circuit around the wheelbarrow. "I imagine there is quite a story behind this unusual sight, Miss Plum."
"Not really," I lied. "Can I just get a body receipt and find out where I go for payment?"
"That's a very unusual accent, Miss Plum. I've not heard it's like before."
Okay, Sparrow warned me that might happen. "It's a speech impediment. I really don't want to talk about it."
"I see." He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. "I'm afraid I cannot pay you a bounty until I am assured that the man in your, uh, custody, is indeed Dutch."
"Okey doke." I undid Grujters' gag and poked him. "Tell the man."
Grujters glared at me. "I have no idea what she's talking about. This crazy wench hit me over the head and the next thing I knew –"
"Hey, Grujters!"
Grujters' head snapped in my direction.
"See? Dutch. The British accent's a fake."
"So it would appear." It might have been a trick of the candle-light, but I could swear the man was smiling.
"You might want to interrogate him," I said, pulling a small sack from the wheelbarrow. "He was plotting to smuggle opium into London in coffee shipments."
"Gillette."
"Yes, sir?" Gillette gave me another appraising look and then he winked at me.
"Take the prisoner away."
"Hey!" I stepped forward. "Body receipt."
"You'll get your pieces of silver, Miss Plum." Norrington settled back into his chair and rested his eyes on me. "After I am satisfied with your explanation of the facts."
I wasn't worried. Sparrow warned me this would probably happen.
Disclaimer: Janet Evanovich owns Stephanie Plum and the Mouse owns all things PotC. All I own is the idea to put the two together.
Part One – A Sparrow Told Me This Would Happen
People were staring at me. Some were pointing and laughing. It didn't bother me because it wasn't anything new. My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm a bail enforcement agent. Usually, I'm enforcing bail in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, New Jersey known as the Burg, but today, I was in a tiny little town in the Caribbean called Port Royal. It wasn't a vacation. I'd been thrown back in time to 1689, courtesy of John Ring Junior and ended up capturing a Dutch bounty hunter by the name of Rob Grujters.
Grujters was the reason for my visit to Port Royal. He'd been sent to recover opium, which had been stolen or hijacked by my self-appointed tour guide to 1689, Captain Jack Sparrow. Sparrow was a dreadlocked, eye-liner wearing pirate with a ship called the Black Pearl, which was my home for the past three weeks. It was his idea to turn Grujters over to the British authorities and collect the bounty.
So here I was, pulling a small wheelbarrow holding a bound and gagged Grujters through the streets of Port Royal to the office of the Royal Navy. Grujters recognized our destination and his muffled protests became even more frantic.
The two sentries outside the Navy office gawked openly. Sparrow warned me this would probably happen. He told me other things, too. And it looked like probably he was going to be right about all of it.
"I'm here to see Commodore Norrington," I said, giving the sentries a little wave hello.
They exchanged glances and finally, one of them found his voice. "State your business, miss. The Commodore's a busy man."
Sparrow warned me they were going to say that. "My prisoner's an agent of the Dutch East India Company. I'm here to collect the bounty for his capture."
"Excuse us, please, miss."
The two had a quick whispered exchange and then one of them flagged down a passing redcoat. "Lieutenant Gillette!"
Gillette turned, looked me up and down, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, men?"
"This lady has a Dutch man she wants to turn over to Commodore Norrington."
"Indeed?" Gillette gave me his full attention. "Well, by all means, let's go see the Commodore."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Commodore James Norrington was everything Sparrow said he would be, right down to the precise curls in his wig. I never understood that custom, but then again, here I was, wearing more fabric than it took to cover a sofa so I would blend in.
Norrington rose, bowed slightly to acknowledge me, and then did a full circuit around the wheelbarrow. "I imagine there is quite a story behind this unusual sight, Miss Plum."
"Not really," I lied. "Can I just get a body receipt and find out where I go for payment?"
"That's a very unusual accent, Miss Plum. I've not heard it's like before."
Okay, Sparrow warned me that might happen. "It's a speech impediment. I really don't want to talk about it."
"I see." He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. "I'm afraid I cannot pay you a bounty until I am assured that the man in your, uh, custody, is indeed Dutch."
"Okey doke." I undid Grujters' gag and poked him. "Tell the man."
Grujters glared at me. "I have no idea what she's talking about. This crazy wench hit me over the head and the next thing I knew –"
"Hey, Grujters!"
Grujters' head snapped in my direction.
"See? Dutch. The British accent's a fake."
"So it would appear." It might have been a trick of the candle-light, but I could swear the man was smiling.
"You might want to interrogate him," I said, pulling a small sack from the wheelbarrow. "He was plotting to smuggle opium into London in coffee shipments."
"Gillette."
"Yes, sir?" Gillette gave me another appraising look and then he winked at me.
"Take the prisoner away."
"Hey!" I stepped forward. "Body receipt."
"You'll get your pieces of silver, Miss Plum." Norrington settled back into his chair and rested his eyes on me. "After I am satisfied with your explanation of the facts."
I wasn't worried. Sparrow warned me this would probably happen.