Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 42

"Mrs. Turner, you and your companions have a seat. We're naught but humble pirates but I offer ya what bounty we possess." Barbossa said with a sweeping gesture at the table full of a variety of foods. "Feel free ta dig in."

"Just what will you expect of us in return?" Elizabeth said suspiciously as she, Alon, and Josette eyed the food longingly.

"Nothin you're incapable of providing Mrs. Turner, I assure you." Barbossa said with an ominous smile.

Elizabeth gave him a distrusting look but didn't push it further at the moment as the food, which they had been out of on their little ship for the past several days, was overpowering other concerns at the moment. She motioned Alon and Josette to take a seat, and she did the same. They helped themselves to the feast, only intermittently casting glances in Barbossa's direction. Barbossa returned their looks with a smug smile.

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"Jack help me get him off the floor." Will said as he watched Jack fiddling with the shirt hanging from his hair.

"William, I've told ya I have no intention of helping put that," as he rocked back and forth, floppily pointing to James, and then to the bunk, "there."

"Jack I can't get him off the floor by myself." Will said with irritation.

"Well then, I guess you'll be leaving him where he lies." Jack said flippantly, his attention once again on the shirt still hanging from the side of his head.

"Jack, he would help you if your positions were reversed." Will replied.

"I highly doubt that William. I'm thinkin the only way he'd be helpin me off the ground is with one end of a rope around me neck and the other over a ceilin beam." Jack said making a face and rubbing his throat with his hand.

"Now Jackie, I'm thinkin the Commodore here might forego said throttlin for awhile at least if ya was ta do him the favor of helpin him into said bunk." Teague said from the doorway.

"And what would you know about it?" Jack said snippily as he turned to look at Teague. As Teague stared back at him Jack put a sheepish look on his face, shrugged, and gave a weak smile, "Sorry" he said with a flop of his hands. He turned back to Will and said, "Very well William, I will help you place this incapacitorially inert and prostrate personage on yon bunk."

"Thank you Jack." Will said as he looked between Teague and Jack, not sure exactly what had just gone on between them but thankful for the help all the same.

As they started to move the Commodore Teague said as he turned to leave, "Jackie, I'll see ya in yer cabin when yer finished here."

Jack gave him a grimace over his shoulder as he and Will struggled to hoist the Commodore off the floor and drag him towards the bunk. They finally succeeded in manhandling him to said bunk, and as Jack turned to leave Will spoke, "Jack." As Jack spun about to look at him Will said with a smile as he pointed at Jack, "You might want to do something about that shirt hanging from your hair, it doesn't suit ya mate."

Jack looked sideways at the shirt, looked back at Will, made a face, and swayed out of the cabin. As he stepped out the door he began tugging at the shirt mumbling 'bugger, bugger, bugger' as he walked towards his cabin.

"Here Jackie, let me lend a hand to your vexational quandry." Teague said as Jack came in still cursing.

"I've already told young Turner no one is gettin near me hair with scissors." Jack said sharply.

"Don't see the need fer scissors Jackie, just a pair o skilled and deftly maneuverable hands, which by the way I happen ta possess, should suffice." Teague said as he walked over to Jack and in a short few moments did indeed have the shirt unensnared from Jack's hair. Jack gave the shirt, which Teague had handed to him with a smirk, a dirty look and threw it on the floor.

"Now Jackie, I'm thinkin since we should soon be pickin up Mr. Turner's bonny lass we need ta be discussin the particulars of what's ta come after." Teague said.

"Once we drop the lot of them off in Port Royal we'll be free ta pursue our other business as it were." Jack replied with a wave of his hands.

"Ah good, the sooner we get on about it the better." Teague said with a satisfied smile. "Now how about a bit of rum?" he continued as he slapped Jack on the back and headed out the door.

Jack grumbled to himself as he followed behind making faces and sticking his tongue out at the back of Teague's head, "Don't think me rums gonna last till we make our next port the way he drinks."

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James woke with a pounding headache, as he raised his hand to his forehead he grimaced with more pain as his hand connected with a good sized lump situated there. "I don't remember falling," he mumbled aloud, and then with a snort, "Of course I would have to say I don't remember much of anything."

He slowly sat up on the side of the bunk and remained there until his stomach decided whether it was going to return what he had provided it in excess. After it had finally settled a bit he looked around for his shirt but didn't spend too much time pondering its whereabouts as his head was not in any shape to be doing that at present. He stood unsteadily, sat back down as the room began to spin around him, and waited a few minutes before attempting it again. After the third try he was able to make it to the washbasin and throw a bit of water on his face. He adjusted the small mirror sitting adjacent to the washbasin and looked at the dark black and blue lump on his forehead, and wondered how he could have connected with something that violently and not remember. "James," he said to his reflection, "Let this be a lesson to you. Spirits are never the answer to your problems." He opened a drawer and taking a shirt out gently eased it over his head and the lump there, he thought briefly about putting the bandanna on but discarded the idea. He assessed his condition and deeming himself able to make it to the galley decided to go get some tea in hopes of soothing his throbbing head and queasy stomach. He headed out of the cabin only lurching a bit from side to side as he made his way.

"Ah James, come ta join us have ya?" Jack said cheerily from where he sat with his ankles crossed on the table.

"Sparrow, must you shout in that way?" James replied with a grimace as he clamped his hands over his ears.

"Seems ya may be in a bit of a petulant mood James." Jack said with a smile, and then looking at the lump on the Commodore's forehead said as he fluttered his hands in James' direction, "Have a go at some undead pirates in yer dreams Commodore? That's a extensively prodigious knob yer sportin there mate."

"Thank you for bringing that to my attention Captain, no doubt I would have gone unaware if not for your amiable and benevolent observation." James retorted snippishly.

"Ah don't mention it mate, always happy ta help out." Jack said with a flip of his hands.

"Indeed!" James snapped back as he poured himself some tea and headed for the table.

He no more sat down when Mr. Gibbs came in and said, "Cap'n, we spotted a sail off ta larboard. Not close enough ta make it out yet but thought ya might want ta be comin and takin a look."

To Be Continued

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