![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dwgm400 words of miffed Barbossa, theme: "Greed". Many thanks to my dear ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hereswith for beta reading, editing, and excellent suggestions.
Previous bits...
And here's today's...
25. Greed
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
It still lacked an hour to dawn when there came a knock on the door of the Great Cabin, but before Jack had a chance to speak it opened and Barbossa walked in. Jack frowned, but he said, light enough, “Hector! Thought you’d still be abed. Have a drink with us?” Pouring another glass, Jack noticed that Joe was eyeing the newcomer warily. As well he might. Barbossa was a scary fellow.
“Haven’t been to bed,” Barbossa growled. He took the glass, tossed back the rum, and wiped his mouth. “Not to sleep, at least. What’s this I’m hearin’ about the Pearl sailin’ to England?”
“Your hearing is excellent as always. We’ll start taking on stores soon as it’s light. Might be ready to leave by the evening tide, if we can round up the stragglers.”
“I thought we’d decided against that course, seein’ as how we’d miss the whole season here.” Hector bared his teeth, a disturbing sight. “Bloody hell!” he exclaimed, sounding angrier as he warmed to his theme. “We’ll be fightin’ the hurricanes by the time we come back, and have nothin’ to show for it!”
Jack shook his head sadly. “Semper avarus eget, Hector, no doubt of a word.” There was no understanding in the narrowed eyes. Jack sighed. “Horace. The greedy man is ever in want. Look, there’s plenty that’re ecstatic at the prospect of going, or will be when they find out.”
“Well, I ain’t one of ‘em! But I’ll wager Turner is, and don’t try to deny it!”
“Why should I?” Jack shrugged. “But he’s not the only one, as you well know. And I’ve taken a fancy to the idea meself. Call it a whim.”
“You and your whims!” Barbossa spat.
Jack stood up, his patience wearing thin. “Aye, me and my whims. Seein’ as how I’m captain, my whims’ll carry the day. If you can’t live with that, you might look into alternative employment.”
Barbossa scowled. “I ain’t leaving the Pearl.”
Jack inclined his head. “Your loyalty is admirable. And who knows, p’rhaps we’ll contrive to combine business with pleasure. The Canary Islands and thereabouts have been good pickings in the past.”
Hector’s scowl faded. “Well. That might go a ways toward assuaging me greed.”
“I’d think so,” said Jack, pointedly.
Barbossa nodded. “Business and pleasure, then. Like killin’ two birds with one stone. As it were.” And he almost smiled.
TBC...
hereswith for beta reading, editing, and excellent suggestions.Previous bits...
| 1. Tortuga 2. Happiness 3. Festive 4. Last Minute 5. Calm 6. Truth 7. Bargain 8. Spook 9. Down 10. Wounds 11. Moon 12. Monsters | 13. Beauty 14. Name 15. History 16. Service 17. Advice 18. Captain 19. Awe 20. Cross 21. "You've made a big mistake" 22. Heroism 23. Gold 24. Echo |
And here's today's...
25. Greed
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
It still lacked an hour to dawn when there came a knock on the door of the Great Cabin, but before Jack had a chance to speak it opened and Barbossa walked in. Jack frowned, but he said, light enough, “Hector! Thought you’d still be abed. Have a drink with us?” Pouring another glass, Jack noticed that Joe was eyeing the newcomer warily. As well he might. Barbossa was a scary fellow.
“Haven’t been to bed,” Barbossa growled. He took the glass, tossed back the rum, and wiped his mouth. “Not to sleep, at least. What’s this I’m hearin’ about the Pearl sailin’ to England?”
“Your hearing is excellent as always. We’ll start taking on stores soon as it’s light. Might be ready to leave by the evening tide, if we can round up the stragglers.”
“I thought we’d decided against that course, seein’ as how we’d miss the whole season here.” Hector bared his teeth, a disturbing sight. “Bloody hell!” he exclaimed, sounding angrier as he warmed to his theme. “We’ll be fightin’ the hurricanes by the time we come back, and have nothin’ to show for it!”
Jack shook his head sadly. “Semper avarus eget, Hector, no doubt of a word.” There was no understanding in the narrowed eyes. Jack sighed. “Horace. The greedy man is ever in want. Look, there’s plenty that’re ecstatic at the prospect of going, or will be when they find out.”
“Well, I ain’t one of ‘em! But I’ll wager Turner is, and don’t try to deny it!”
“Why should I?” Jack shrugged. “But he’s not the only one, as you well know. And I’ve taken a fancy to the idea meself. Call it a whim.”
“You and your whims!” Barbossa spat.
Jack stood up, his patience wearing thin. “Aye, me and my whims. Seein’ as how I’m captain, my whims’ll carry the day. If you can’t live with that, you might look into alternative employment.”
Barbossa scowled. “I ain’t leaving the Pearl.”
Jack inclined his head. “Your loyalty is admirable. And who knows, p’rhaps we’ll contrive to combine business with pleasure. The Canary Islands and thereabouts have been good pickings in the past.”
Hector’s scowl faded. “Well. That might go a ways toward assuaging me greed.”
“I’d think so,” said Jack, pointedly.
Barbossa nodded. “Business and pleasure, then. Like killin’ two birds with one stone. As it were.” And he almost smiled.
TBC...