A Spirit from the Vasty Deep
Rating: PG
Warning: this is a ghost story so there has been a character death but not angsty or sad
Disclaimer: the Mouse owns. I don't. Very sad.
Part the Eighth
Anamaria had the night watch on the helm. She actually enjoyed the time to be with the ship and not have the crew fussing about. The air was chill so she had worn her great coat when she had come up to take the wheel from Kursar. It was a fine night; the sky was so clear and deep that the stars pulsed with life, the masts and sails dark shadows against them. There was no moon to drown out the lesser lights in the heavens and even the winds were fair and soft, the Pearl's path through the waves an easy one. Nights such as these were to be savoured for the treasures they were and she had no intentions of not taking her share.
The time alone on the quarterdeck allowed her to consider the strange happening earlier in the day. She had heard laughter coming from the great cabin, as had several others among the crew, but she knew there had been no one in there at the time. Jack had been slinking about for hours now, almost as if he were avoiding returning to his quarters. She had caught him staring at the doors to the cabin, only for him to abruptly look away when he had noticed her watching him. Anamaria was not entirely certain where Jack was at the moment but she was convinced it had something to do with that laughter. The sound had not been loud but the quality of it had caught her attention; somehow, it had a warmth and richness to it that made her wish to hear the voice that might accompany it. She sighed in frustration, knowing that it could not have come from a living being. One of these days, she would have to find out what it was about Jack Sparrow that drew the spirits from the other side and see if a mambo could do something to control what the fool man attracted.
The night passed without incident, much to Anamaria's relief. The day time was better for coping with the oddities. A couple of hours before sunrise and there was Gibbs stumping along the main deck, checking on the ship as he habitually did. She figured that once a Navy man, always a Navy man. He was all right, for an older fellow, at least he was able to respect her for her skills and temper, had done so almost from the very beginning. He climbed up the steps to join her on the quarterdeck and paused to check the hourglass, waiting for the last bit of sand to run before reversing it and sounding out the time on the ship's bell. Duty done, he came up alongside her at the wheel. She was in no hurry to relinquish control of the Black Pearl and Gibbs was in no hurry to take it from her, each content to just stand there in companionable silence for a spell.
"Been a nice smooth run tonight, eh, Ana?"
"Couldn't have asked for a better, Joshamee."
"Aye, it's not often we get a sweet time like this. Best we enjoy it whilst we can."
"You make it sound like somethin's goin' to happen. Why is that, man?"
"I've a feeling, lass, just a feeling."
"Would that feelin' of yours happen to have somethin' to do wit' that laughter that was heard around the ship yesterday? You know, that laughing comin' from Jack's cabin."
"Heard that, did you now?"
"Aye and so did you, Joshamee Gibbs. Now, what was it? Do you know?"
"I have my suspicions."
"Come on. Out wit' them. Don' keep me waitin'."
"Maybe you don't want to hear what I think it was. I know I surely don't."
"I already think it's one of the undead again. Just I don' know which one or what it wants. Who can tell what Jack Sparrow draws to him? That man, he have a wicked talent to get involved with them what's on the other side."
"Only one person I can think of who it might be. He's been dead a few months now and I can see why, if he was going to haunt somebody, it would be Jack. At least he ain't like Barbossa and that ilk, that's likely the only good news about this whole thing."
"Well, whoever it is, he has the prettiest laugh. Wish I could hear the voice what goes wit' it. You sound like you know this haunt personally?" Anamaria could not resist needling Gibbs over his possible acquaintance with whatever or whoever was hanging about the Pearl this time around.
Gibbs looked at Anamaria, frowning a bit in annoyance as he made out her amusement at his expense. He still thought it was bad luck to have a woman aboard a ship but, like Jack had said, it was worse luck not to have this one. She was being drawn to the spirit in turn; the Black Pearl had already been won over and made her approval of the wee ghost manifest. Even the ship's chief cat, also female, had succumbed to the late man's charms. Really no surprise, the Commodore had been a handsome man in life and had had good manners where the ladies were concerned, from all Gibbs had seen or heard of the man. Gibbs might not have been affected by the quality of the late officer's voice but he had seen its effect on the females before and was not unduly surprised. He did not think Norrington had ever really appreciated what a fine tool he had with those warm rich tones; if the man had played it properly, he could have had half of Port Royal swooning over him. He snickered when the pictures of some of those "ladies" crossed his mind; the Commodore had had a good deal of practice deftly avoiding their snares but there had been a number of bets hazarded as to which one might have caught the man.
"Aye, I knew him. Heard him speak up when Cotton was on watch the other day. Jack and the others wouldn't look me in the eye or admit they heard it too but I knew it had to be him, just from what he said and how he said it."
"Who? Come on, Gibbs, spit it out. I want to know who the haunt is we've got aboard."
"The Commodore, that's who."
"The Commodore? You mean…Norrington? The one what almost hanged Jack in Port Royal and then let him have a head start? That one?"
"O' course, that one! How many Commodores you know of what have been chasing Jack like this?" Gibbs snorted in sudden good humour, "And now he's gone and caught Jack and there's nothing Jack can do about it, I'd say."
Anamaria laughed in glee. Gibbs chuckled right along with the young woman, his fine whiskers ruffling out as he grinned broadly.
"Couldn't happen to a more deserving man, now, could it?"
During this exchange, the ghost in question had been listening in, quite unabashed at his eavesdropping. He had been up on the quarterdeck enjoying the night and the picture the helmswoman made but had had no inclination to strike up a conversation. He was quite amused by Gibbs' willingness to believe in ghosts and the man's accurate deduction as to the identity of what was haunting the Black Pearl. He did not really consider himself to be a haunt, merely a guest the ship had chosen to invite aboard to travel along with her. Norrington decided to speak up and see if the pair was able to hear him properly; it would be nice to have more people with whom to converse. He approached the helm and came around so he stood forward of the wheel and was able to see their faces; he did not wish to cause them harm or undue upset.
"My thanks for the kind words, Miss Anamaria, and yours as well, Mr. Gibbs."
Gibbs and Anamaria stood stock still as they registered the words and the pleasant voice that each had obviously heard, even though there was nobody on the quarterdeck with them. Their eyes were stretched wide as they stared over each other's shoulder. Gibbs swallowed thickly before making so bold as to ask something he had not truly wanted an answer for.
"Is that yourself, then, Commodore Norrington?"
"I'm afraid that it is, Mr. Gibbs. I would say 'in the flesh' but that is clearly not the case. My apologies for causing you both unnecessary distress but I am somewhat limited in my options at present."
Anamaria removed one ice-cold hand from the worn wood of the wheel and surreptitiously wiped the sweat off down the leg of her canvas breeches. It was one thing to speculate on the presence aboard the Pearl of what might be an undead but quite another to be confronted with it and having a conversation with the thing. True to her nature, she scowled in annoyance and spoke up sharply.
"Where are you and how long have you been listenin' to us talk, eh?"
"I am standing in front of you at this moment, Miss Anamaria, although I do not believe you can see me. As for my overhearing your conversation, I must repeat my apologies. It had not been my intention to intrude."
"Well, that certainly didn't stop you." Ana paused, her frown deepening as she tried to spot Norrington. "Where, exactly, in front of me are you supposed to be?"
"Approximately two paces forward of the wheel."
"I can't see you."
"No, so far very few can see my form. Agatha the cat is able to see me, as are the other animals on board. I seem to make some people uncomfortable with my presence but others are apparently quite unaware of me. I have no idea why there would be such disparity but there you have it."
"Gibbs, can you make him out?"
"No, I'm nowheres near drunk enough to be seeing what ain't there, lass." Gibbs took a sip from his flask but knew it would not really help, just the action made him feel more himself. Besides, there just was not enough rum in the little flask to do much aside from wetting his dry mouth.
"Are you so certain that I am not here, Joshamee?"
"If it really is yourself, Commodore, since when do you call me by my name. Answer that, if you can."
"It really is me, Mr. Gibbs. As for addressing you by your name, it is not as if I am still a Commodore in the Royal Navy, I'm merely a passenger aboard the Black Pearl. Why should I be so formal as to not acknowledge your name?"
"And that's another thing, Commodore, how did you get to be aboard the Black Pearl, anyway? This be a pirate ship, not a Navy ship. You're supposed to be hunting us down, not coming along as a lark."
"I had no where else to be and the Black Pearl was so kind as to allow me to come along with her on her journey. As for hunting pirates, I have no need to be hunting anyone at present and am quite happy to be here."
At that remark, Anamaria snorted in sudden good humour. Norrington might be happy to be aboard but she knew at least one person who did not share that opinion.
"Have you let Jack know you're aboard his ship, Norrington?"
"Ah, that would be an affirmative. It was, after all, only proper courtesy that I should make my presence known to my host as he is the captain of this ship."
"No wonder he's skulking about, too scared to go back into his own cabin." Gibbs and Anamaria looked at each other for a moment before bursting out into sniggers. Jack was in for it now and they were lucky enough to be there to see the show. They had heard the sly humour in Norrington's spectral voice and appreciated the entertainment that was bound to happen.
"So, Commodore Norrington, why can't we see you? I've heard that ghosts can be seen by the living but how come you're still invisible, as it were?"
"Why do not you address me by my name? We can leave the Commodore out of this as he is no longer of any rank in the Royal Navy that I am aware of. My name is James. I would be pleased if you would use it."
"Thank'ee, sir. It may take a while to get used to the notion but I'll try."
Ana motioned to Gibbs to take the wheel and then she walked around to the other side of it, standing clear of where she thought she had heard the voice coming from. She did not want to find out the hard way if a ghost and a living person could share the same space or not. The voice, now that she had heard more of it, was living up to expectations and she would not object to hearing more of it. She was growing more curious as to what Norrington looked like, or had looked like when he was a man walking the earth.
"You're supposed to be standing about here," she said, pointing vaguely at the deck by the wheel, "at least, that's what you said. Where exactly are you?"
"About one pace directly ahead of where you are facing at this moment."
The answer came from some distance above her head so he must have been a tall man, assuming ghosts kept their original sizes from when they were living. She tilted her head back a bit, trying to make eye contact had she been able to see him. He watched in amusement as she tried to map out something about him. He decided to help her out a bit and spoke up.
"If you look up just a bit more and toward your left slightly, you would be looking at my face. I believe you are attempting to place some semblance of form onto my presence. Gibbs and Sparrow know what I looked like so they could likely fill in some of the details if that would be of assistance to you."
"You say the cat can see you and some of the crew can feel you about. I know some of us can hear you. So why can we not see you? Can Jack see you?"
"I do not understand why I cannot be seen by humans. Perhaps it is because I am new to this role and have not yet learned the skills needed. As for Sparrow, I do not believe he can see me; at least, he has given no indication that that is the case. He is definitely aware of me and can hear me perfectly well."
"I'll just bet he can. No wonder he's acting the way he is. That was you laughing before, wasn't it? I think half the crew heard you that time. What did Jack do to you?" Anamaria was becoming more and more curious about the goings on aboard the Black Pearl. It was obvious the ship was not objecting to whatever was going on between the two adversaries; in fact, the Pearl felt as if she was amused by the whole situation, judging by the lightness of spirit that could be felt through the wheel and the deck.
"I had just learned how to turn the pages of a book and was enjoying reading for the first time since arriving at this condition and he took the books away, locking them in a trunk where I am unable to retrieve them."
"More importantly, what did you do to Jack, Comm…er… James?" Gibbs was fascinated by the story he was hearing and could not resist asking for more.
"I must confess that part of it is my fault; I forgot one of the first rules of shipboard life, that is to say, I neglected to ask permission before I made use of Jack's possessions."
"He should understand that; it's not as if he don't like any book he can get his grubby, clutching, sticky paws on."
"Besides, it's not what I have done to Jack that was making me laugh."
"No? Then what was it? Don't stop there, lad, we want to hear everything."
"It's just that I had a thought as to what I could perhaps do to Jack that was making me laugh."
Anamaria gasped aloud as she realized that the torment-Jack campaign was about to start and she would be able to watch it unfold. She looked to Gibbs and saw the same unholy glee light up his face. This could be good and with Jack on the receiving end for once, it was only just. They looked to where they could hear a soft chuckle coming from Norrington's position.
"I gather, from your expressions, that you do not disapprove of what is about to befall your captain?"
"I seem to recollect some stories I heard about a certain dodgy young midshipman, then lieutenant, at least before he got all starched up. Only got to kiss the gunner's daughter the oncet, he was smart enough to escape all the other times he surely deserved punishment."
Gibbs took a sip of rum, slanting a pointed look to where he thought James was standing. Anamaria poked him in the shoulder and held her hand out for her share of the spirits. Her watch was almost over and there was nothing untoward to prevent her having a warming swallow of rum.
"Just don't be damagin' him, eh, James? We've almost got him trained proper and the Pearl is fond of the daft bugger." Gibbs felt he ought to make the reminder, just for the sake of good form and setting up some ground rules.
The three stood for a while longer, contemplating the possible mayhem that was about to descend upon Captain Jack Sparrow, and enjoying the relaxed companionship. If the Black Pearl wished to have an undead Navy commander aboard, then at least she had the good taste to pick the best. Anamaria had never seen Norrington in the flesh and she was curious what he looked like so she spoke up.
"What do you look like anyway, James? You seem to be tall enough from where I can hear your voice comin' from. Josh 'members tales of pranks you got into when you were a young'un so you can't be all that old. The voice is nice enough but I'd like to have a face to put to it."
Gibbs hoisted an eyebrow and shrugged a bit at the question. Typical female, always wanting to be knowing more details like how someone looked. He was no where near stupid enough to inform her of that so he decided to tell her a bit about what the officer had looked like.
"You're right about James bein' a tall bloke, he's an inch or two over a fathom. Kind o' skinny. Dark brown hair, not that you could see it when he got himself promoted and had to wear that wig contraption. Black brows, sort of heavy and slung over the eyes, almost joined in between. Good nose, my da' would have said; leastways it didn't look as if it had been broken much, like some hereabouts. Guess the most striking thing about him would have been the eyes. The sailors below decks used to say Mr. Norrington could see through the deck planks. Funny colour, too, they were, quite green and sharp. Didn't seem to put off any of the ladies about the towns, they all had their hooks out for him whenever they came within range of boarding."
"I think that is quite enough, Mr. Gibbs. I do not believe we need to be subjected to more about my looks, whatever they were." James sounded rather embarrassed by the whole thing; he had not been a vain man in life but that did not mean he enjoyed being described in such a fashion.
"I don' agree, James, I never knew you, except by reputation, and that was enough to frighten a good many honest pirates. I like to know who I be talkin' to, to watch their eyes and their expressions, to tell me what's goin' on in their heads. Can't do that with you; gives you the advantage over the likes of us, don't it?"
"Hmm, you do have a point. Very well, I concede Joshamee's description of me, despite what it does to my vanity."
"Thought you'd see it my way."
Anamaria gave a smug smile as she stood back from the wheel to let Gibbs take over the helm. She would be on her way to her cabin and her bunk to take a well-earned rest. It had been an interesting trick at the wheel, this one. She never would have thought she would have been having such a pleasant conversation with the ghost of one of the Royal Navy's most feared pirate hunters in these waters. She turned to look at the lightening in the sky to eastward, it bid to be a fair day but right now her warm cot was calling to her loud and clear. She swung around to bid goodnight to the two men over by the wheel and stopped in shock.
There, by the wheel, stood a wispy image of a tall man, his white shirt, breeches and waistcoat catching what light there was. The sun was not up but still it was not night any longer, either; rather it was the between time between night and day. She heard a rough curse from Gibbs and knew he was seeing the same thing as she was. Her eyes opened wider in wonder as for just an instant, Norrington's face became clear and she was able to see his features truly for the first time. He disappeared as soon as the first rays from the sun touched him but for a moment out of time, he had stood there before them, a quiet smile on the lean face.
TBC of course