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dwgmYikes! This one is 800 words, but Jack had some 'splainin' to do (and Barbossa was hard to shut up). 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...
39. That can't be
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Barbossa said, "Aye, sir," mostly concealing the mockery in his tone. Then he flashed a glance at the girl and was taken aback to see her glaring at him, seemingly unafraid. Before he could react with anything but surprise she turned away, following Sparrow. A kit with claws! The cheeky brat was in need of a sharp lesson, and she'd get it if she were around long enough.
He turned in the opposite direction and bawled, "All hands! All hands muster at the break of the quarterdeck!" The men scurried to obey, curious as to what their captain would tell them, and Hector was mighty curious himself, wondering what yarn Jack thought to spin that could justify keeping his dollymop in the Great Cabin.
The girl followed Jack up to the quarterdeck and stood beside him, practically unheard of in itself. Barbossa stayed below, off to the side and toward the front, where he could see both Jack, the girl, and the reactions of the gathering crew.
Jack raised his hands, and the din of talk died. "Gentlemen," he began, "I'm going to come clean with you, and each of you will judge as to whether I was right to consider deception might be the course proper to this situation, considering who we are and who this is. For the truth is, this cabin boy ain't. She's a young girl, and gently bred." There was a noise of surprise, and some derision, but Jack raised his hands again and it faded. "I know, I know. Appearances. But we all know about that, don't we? This is Miss Helen Smith, and she's been in some trouble through no fault of her own. Came out to the Caribbee to live with her mother and new stepfather, Harrison Claypool."
A ripple of shocked disapproval now. Claypool had a bad reputation, for certain, and even Barbossa found himself frowning.
Jack nodded. "Aye, we've all heard tales. Well, Nell here knows him too well – or would have. Her mother died of the Yellowjack not two months back, and she was still in weeds when Claypool started throwing out hints. Had designs on her person, if you get me drift."
Here the girl's gaze dropped. She looked blushing, devastated, and Barbossa cursed, for a murmur of sympathy swept through the crowd.
Jack went on. "She escaped, but ended up in Tortuga, where I happened on her, but she'd been followed by those who've just debarked for Grand Turk: thugs in Claypool's hire, and a rare time we had with 'em, before Joe Pêcheur and his friends helped me lock 'em up. Nell was knocked on the head, and little Anamaria – Joe's youngest, you remember – got her arm broken by that one you threw over the side."
Most of them knew Joe and his daughters and there were considerable signs of outrage, and satisfaction that they'd served Claypool's man thus. Barbossa couldn't let it pass. He shouted, "So what's she doing on the Pearl, and stayin' in your cabin?" The cheering abruptly died.
"She's goin' back to England," said Jack. "Back to her old granny, and she's staying in my cabin to keep her out of harm's way. Young as she is, I know she'll be a temptation to some of you, and I'm here to tell you now, she's under my protection. Touch her and you'll pay dear. Meanwhile, she gets the bed, I swing a hammock, and there's likely a fat reward, enough for all of us when we bring her home safe."
"Her granny's rich, then?" cried one credulous fool.
"Aye, she is. And in the meantime, we'll be looking for ripe pickings as we sail – you'll recall those two fat merchants we caught off the Canaries the last time we was home. Nigh on two years it's been."
Agreement, and nodding of heads. Barbossa scowled. "And you expect us to believe you'll leave her be?"
Jack pouted, and narrowed his whorish eyes. "You'd best believe it. Every one of you. She'll pay for her passage cleaning and sewing, polishing weapons, and helping Cook in the galley. To all intents and purposes she's my cabin boy, and the first man who forgets that'll have his choice of two dozen lashes or a long swim home – and no share of the prizes. Savvy?"
There was more nodding of heads.
"Right, then. We've done well for ourselves these two years since you made me captain, and I'll not lead you astray now. What say you? Do we have an accord?"
"Aye!" came the shouts, with some more cheering, and the girl looked up, all shy and flushed and smiling.
Barbossa seethed, but had to acknowledge, once again, the efficacy of Jack's showmanship, and his way of twisting lies with the truth 'til they were all one.
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 | 25. Greed 26. Advance 27. Challenge 28. Adventure 29. Sentence 30. Treasure 31. North 32. Coat 33. Good and Evil 34. Sickness and Health 35. Lost 36. Court | 37. What if? 38. Island |
And here's today's...
39. That can't be
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Barbossa said, "Aye, sir," mostly concealing the mockery in his tone. Then he flashed a glance at the girl and was taken aback to see her glaring at him, seemingly unafraid. Before he could react with anything but surprise she turned away, following Sparrow. A kit with claws! The cheeky brat was in need of a sharp lesson, and she'd get it if she were around long enough.
He turned in the opposite direction and bawled, "All hands! All hands muster at the break of the quarterdeck!" The men scurried to obey, curious as to what their captain would tell them, and Hector was mighty curious himself, wondering what yarn Jack thought to spin that could justify keeping his dollymop in the Great Cabin.
The girl followed Jack up to the quarterdeck and stood beside him, practically unheard of in itself. Barbossa stayed below, off to the side and toward the front, where he could see both Jack, the girl, and the reactions of the gathering crew.
Jack raised his hands, and the din of talk died. "Gentlemen," he began, "I'm going to come clean with you, and each of you will judge as to whether I was right to consider deception might be the course proper to this situation, considering who we are and who this is. For the truth is, this cabin boy ain't. She's a young girl, and gently bred." There was a noise of surprise, and some derision, but Jack raised his hands again and it faded. "I know, I know. Appearances. But we all know about that, don't we? This is Miss Helen Smith, and she's been in some trouble through no fault of her own. Came out to the Caribbee to live with her mother and new stepfather, Harrison Claypool."
A ripple of shocked disapproval now. Claypool had a bad reputation, for certain, and even Barbossa found himself frowning.
Jack nodded. "Aye, we've all heard tales. Well, Nell here knows him too well – or would have. Her mother died of the Yellowjack not two months back, and she was still in weeds when Claypool started throwing out hints. Had designs on her person, if you get me drift."
Here the girl's gaze dropped. She looked blushing, devastated, and Barbossa cursed, for a murmur of sympathy swept through the crowd.
Jack went on. "She escaped, but ended up in Tortuga, where I happened on her, but she'd been followed by those who've just debarked for Grand Turk: thugs in Claypool's hire, and a rare time we had with 'em, before Joe Pêcheur and his friends helped me lock 'em up. Nell was knocked on the head, and little Anamaria – Joe's youngest, you remember – got her arm broken by that one you threw over the side."
Most of them knew Joe and his daughters and there were considerable signs of outrage, and satisfaction that they'd served Claypool's man thus. Barbossa couldn't let it pass. He shouted, "So what's she doing on the Pearl, and stayin' in your cabin?" The cheering abruptly died.
"She's goin' back to England," said Jack. "Back to her old granny, and she's staying in my cabin to keep her out of harm's way. Young as she is, I know she'll be a temptation to some of you, and I'm here to tell you now, she's under my protection. Touch her and you'll pay dear. Meanwhile, she gets the bed, I swing a hammock, and there's likely a fat reward, enough for all of us when we bring her home safe."
"Her granny's rich, then?" cried one credulous fool.
"Aye, she is. And in the meantime, we'll be looking for ripe pickings as we sail – you'll recall those two fat merchants we caught off the Canaries the last time we was home. Nigh on two years it's been."
Agreement, and nodding of heads. Barbossa scowled. "And you expect us to believe you'll leave her be?"
Jack pouted, and narrowed his whorish eyes. "You'd best believe it. Every one of you. She'll pay for her passage cleaning and sewing, polishing weapons, and helping Cook in the galley. To all intents and purposes she's my cabin boy, and the first man who forgets that'll have his choice of two dozen lashes or a long swim home – and no share of the prizes. Savvy?"
There was more nodding of heads.
"Right, then. We've done well for ourselves these two years since you made me captain, and I'll not lead you astray now. What say you? Do we have an accord?"
"Aye!" came the shouts, with some more cheering, and the girl looked up, all shy and flushed and smiling.
Barbossa seethed, but had to acknowledge, once again, the efficacy of Jack's showmanship, and his way of twisting lies with the truth 'til they were all one.
TBC...