Chapter 10
Explanations
We stood there staring at each other for a good minute until Norrington broke the silence. "You say you work with Mr. Diesel?"
"Sometimes," I answered cautiously and I noticed Sparrow taking a small half-step back.
Norrington's expression didn't give anything away as he asked, "Is he a relation?"
I shook my head. "Just a friend. Why?"
"I find it interesting," Norrington said, slowly, "that you share the same so-called speech impediment."
Diesel was right. Norrington really was law enforcement at its finest and he was scary as heck. I looked at Sparrow for help, but Sparrow was busy fiddling with one of the swords that were on display. I guessed this was his idea of payback for me giving Norrington a nickname.
"I suspect it is not really a speech impediment at all," Norrington continued, walking over and plucking the sword from Sparrow's hands, ignoring the indignant stare Sparrow threw at him. "I would venture to guess that your manner of speech is a regional accent and that you both are from the same place. I would further venture to guess that this Ring person we are seeking is also from this unknown place. May I remind you, Miss Plum, of your pledge of full cooperation?"
"She's from the future," Sparrow told him, draping his arm around my shoulders. "A place called New Jersey and the year be 2004, I believe."
I pulled away from him. "Are you out of your mind, telling him that?!"
Sparrow grinned at me. "Ye promised Noose here full cooperation, love. Besides, the man fought undead cursed pirates. After that, what's a woman bounty hunter from the future, eh, Noose?"
"What indeed," Norrington agreed. He leaned down to look at me more closely. It unnerved me and I took a step back. Sparrow wrapped his arm around me again. "My assumptions regarding Mr. Diesel and Ring are correct, then?"
"I guess."
Norrington raised an eyebrow. "You guess?"
"Diesel's from my future or that's about as much as he explained to me and since Junior is from where Diesel is from, I'd figure he's from the future, too." As I listened to the words coming out of my mouth, even I didn't believe me. "Diesel just showed up in my apartment last Christmas."
Both men were gaping at me. Norrington recovered first. "He just showed up?"
"Uh-huh."
"I woke up and there he was."
"There he was," Sparrow echoed, his eyes narrowing as he tightened his grip on me. "And just where would there have been, love?"
I rolled my eyes. "In my living room, for crying out loud."
"I am almost afraid to ask this," Norrington began, "but –"
"You should always be afraid to ask her anything," Sparrow told him. "I've learned that the hard way."
"But," Norrington continued, throwing an annoyed glance in Sparrow's direction, "did he simply appear and ask you to track down this Ring person with him?"
"Pretty much."
"Pretty much," Norrington repeated. "And you have been working together since?"
"No." I shrugged. "Diesel went back wherever he came from and then he showed up a couple of weeks ago to tell me that Junior sent me back in time. I thought I was having a hallucination on account of being hit with a tire or a fender from my Explorer when it blew up."
"Ka-blooey," Norrington said, softly, rubbing his eyes. "I can understand the appeal of hoping that Captain Sparrow is a hallucination."
Sparrow smiled at Norrington and I hoped never to have one of those smiles directed at me. "Ask her about the superpowers."
Norrington sat heavily in one of the chairs and heaved a deep sigh. When he looked up at me, I shuddered involuntarily. The man was clearly not happy. "Superpowers. Miss Plum, it seems you've neglected to tell me a good many things."
"I said there were things I couldn't tell you." I slipped out of Sparrow's embrace. "I thought other people might have had the common sense to remember that loose lips sink ships."
"The superpowers," Norrington reminded me. "I'm waiting."
"Ring, Junior and Diesel have superpowers. Or something." I shrugged helplessly. "Diesel never really explained it, so I can't. He won't explain it to you, either, since what we're doing here could maybe affect the future and it would be my luck that Twinkies don't get invented."
Norrington got back to his feet. "Are all women from the future like you?"
"What do you mean," I asked.
"Are all women from the future this frightening?"
At least he didn't ask what a Twinkie was.
We stood there staring at each other for a good minute until Norrington broke the silence. "You say you work with Mr. Diesel?"
"Sometimes," I answered cautiously and I noticed Sparrow taking a small half-step back.
Norrington's expression didn't give anything away as he asked, "Is he a relation?"
I shook my head. "Just a friend. Why?"
"I find it interesting," Norrington said, slowly, "that you share the same so-called speech impediment."
Diesel was right. Norrington really was law enforcement at its finest and he was scary as heck. I looked at Sparrow for help, but Sparrow was busy fiddling with one of the swords that were on display. I guessed this was his idea of payback for me giving Norrington a nickname.
"I suspect it is not really a speech impediment at all," Norrington continued, walking over and plucking the sword from Sparrow's hands, ignoring the indignant stare Sparrow threw at him. "I would venture to guess that your manner of speech is a regional accent and that you both are from the same place. I would further venture to guess that this Ring person we are seeking is also from this unknown place. May I remind you, Miss Plum, of your pledge of full cooperation?"
"She's from the future," Sparrow told him, draping his arm around my shoulders. "A place called New Jersey and the year be 2004, I believe."
I pulled away from him. "Are you out of your mind, telling him that?!"
Sparrow grinned at me. "Ye promised Noose here full cooperation, love. Besides, the man fought undead cursed pirates. After that, what's a woman bounty hunter from the future, eh, Noose?"
"What indeed," Norrington agreed. He leaned down to look at me more closely. It unnerved me and I took a step back. Sparrow wrapped his arm around me again. "My assumptions regarding Mr. Diesel and Ring are correct, then?"
"I guess."
Norrington raised an eyebrow. "You guess?"
"Diesel's from my future or that's about as much as he explained to me and since Junior is from where Diesel is from, I'd figure he's from the future, too." As I listened to the words coming out of my mouth, even I didn't believe me. "Diesel just showed up in my apartment last Christmas."
Both men were gaping at me. Norrington recovered first. "He just showed up?"
"Uh-huh."
"I woke up and there he was."
"There he was," Sparrow echoed, his eyes narrowing as he tightened his grip on me. "And just where would there have been, love?"
I rolled my eyes. "In my living room, for crying out loud."
"I am almost afraid to ask this," Norrington began, "but –"
"You should always be afraid to ask her anything," Sparrow told him. "I've learned that the hard way."
"But," Norrington continued, throwing an annoyed glance in Sparrow's direction, "did he simply appear and ask you to track down this Ring person with him?"
"Pretty much."
"Pretty much," Norrington repeated. "And you have been working together since?"
"No." I shrugged. "Diesel went back wherever he came from and then he showed up a couple of weeks ago to tell me that Junior sent me back in time. I thought I was having a hallucination on account of being hit with a tire or a fender from my Explorer when it blew up."
"Ka-blooey," Norrington said, softly, rubbing his eyes. "I can understand the appeal of hoping that Captain Sparrow is a hallucination."
Sparrow smiled at Norrington and I hoped never to have one of those smiles directed at me. "Ask her about the superpowers."
Norrington sat heavily in one of the chairs and heaved a deep sigh. When he looked up at me, I shuddered involuntarily. The man was clearly not happy. "Superpowers. Miss Plum, it seems you've neglected to tell me a good many things."
"I said there were things I couldn't tell you." I slipped out of Sparrow's embrace. "I thought other people might have had the common sense to remember that loose lips sink ships."
"The superpowers," Norrington reminded me. "I'm waiting."
"Ring, Junior and Diesel have superpowers. Or something." I shrugged helplessly. "Diesel never really explained it, so I can't. He won't explain it to you, either, since what we're doing here could maybe affect the future and it would be my luck that Twinkies don't get invented."
Norrington got back to his feet. "Are all women from the future like you?"
"What do you mean," I asked.
"Are all women from the future this frightening?"
At least he didn't ask what a Twinkie was.