Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Business' (43/?)

[dwgm]

450 words, with thanks to my dear 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 39. That can't be 40. Prophesy 41. Ten Years Later 42. French

And here's today's...

43. Deed


~ An Execrable Business, continued...



“Sit here, hang on tight, and admire the view,” Jack instructed Nell, carefully but urgently pressing her to do so. “I’ll send Bootstrap up.”

And then he was gone, descending with startling speed and apelike dexterity. He started shouting orders even before he gained the deck, and she could hear him faint but clear from her lofty, swaying perch. Instantly there were men swarming everywhere, up the ratlines, out onto the yards, obeying Jack’s orders to trim and brace and crack on more sail with wonderful enthusiasm.

Nell made herself as small as possible, clinging as men moved around her, and presently she was treated to the sight of the Pearl turning in a wide arc to her new bearing, every sail set to catch the light but steady airs. The ship’s wake spread out behind for more than a mile, and her bow wave rose higher and whiter as her speed increased. She was beautiful, dark, deadly, and swift, and the spark of elation that had emanated from Jack and expanded to engulf the crew caught Nell, too, and she laughed aloud.

Finally, Bootstrap came for her. “All right, Lucky Nell, let’s get you down from here. Remember, clap on tight, one hand for the ship, one hand for yourself –

“—and mind the swell!” she joined in, with a grin.

Her expression turned to one of grim determination as they descended, for it seemed to her that climbing down was far more frightening than climbing up. She set each foot and hand with redoubled care, and all the while marveled anew at the ease with which Jack, and indeed most of the crew, moved about when aloft.

When she finally jumped the final few feet to land on the black deck, Jack was there, coming to her and hoisting her up a few inches with joyous strength to kiss both her cheeks.

“Lucky Nell!” he exclaimed, setting her down again, and he said to those nearby, “She saw that Frenchie first, lads, I told you she’d bring us good fortune, did I not?”

There was laughter, and back-slapping (somewhat painful, this) and general cheer, and Nell's heart soared.

But then she found herself standing at the rail between Jack and Barbossa, and studying the French ship, now hull-up and visible in more detail.

Jack turned away to give some instruction to Bootstrap, and Barbossa took the opportunity to speak. "Ever seen a piratical action, Lucky Nell?"

Nell looked up at him. His face held amusement, contempt, even a modicum of pity; his eyes revealed a man apt to cold-blooded violence. Her heart, soaring only moments before, froze.

She did not reply, but peered out again... at their prey.


TBC...

Comments

[arwen-lune.livejournal.com]

I find descending a mast far easier than going up, and always tell the kids I teach "Down is easier, gravity assists!" which nobody really finds comforting, strangely enough... *grin*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Let me know if any of the shipboard stuff sounds too off, would you? I've been listening to the Aubrey-Maturin series for months now, and find I can remember enough to put in bits and pieces of nautical detail here and there but, like Stephen Maturin, I don't catch on to the intricacies very easily. I have sailed, on a 37' sloop in local waters, and on gigantic cruise ships, but only for a couple of hours on a square-rigged ship (and we were under power, there was no wind to speak of on our tour of Boston Harbor last June).

Thank you for reading, and commenting so quickly!

[mary684.livejournal.com]

Jack running down the lines, shouting orders, the men flying off to their stations and this wondrous thing of beauty you wrote: she was treated to the sight of the Pearl turning in a wide arc to her new bearing, every sail set to catch the light but steady airs. The ship’s wake spread out behind for more than a mile, and her bow wave rose higher and whiter as her speed increased. She was beautiful, dark, deadly, and swift, and the spark of elation that had emanated from Jack and expanded to engulf the crew caught Nell, too, and she laughed aloud.

Wow. That was something to see.

I know every story has to have some nasty, but damn Barbossa for ruining a perfectly good thrill.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

damn Barbossa for ruining a perfectly good thrill.

It's always something, isn't it?

I'm so glad you liked that description, there's something about tall ships that just captures one's heart and imagination, in spite of knowing how hard a life those sailors led.

Thank you for commenting, and so quickly too!

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Lyric description of the Pearl on the hunt, and I love Jack's care for Nell, and him trusting her to Bootstrap. Barbossa adds just the right note of trepidation and reality - prey indeed.

Thanks again for this, m'dear ♥

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Barbossa is good for that sort of thing. ;)

You're very welcome. Thank you for commenting!

[arwen-lune.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know, and I'm always happy to answer questions about sailing related stuff as well, so poke me if you want to know something :-)

I've not seen anything particularly off here, except perhaps that you send your people aloft a little more often than would be necessary. You don't even need to go up to take in sail (you pull them in by the clew and bunt lines on deck) though you need to go to pack it up securely so it doesn't flog about. Once all sails are set, most things for changing direction can be done from the deck, by using the braces - and if wind and course are steady, often going aloft wouldn't be necessary for days at a time. Back then they did need to go up for reefing though, if the weather got heavy. Horribly dangerous as the topsails were massive, filled with wind, and needed to be wrestled down..

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the info, and I may take you up on that invitation to poke in future bits!

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

"...and the spark of elation that had emanated from Jack and expanded to engulf the crew caught Nell, too, and she laughed aloud." - I loved this! And the description of the Pearl was magnificent.

Beautiful installment!! *waiting with bated breath for more* :)

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

"She was beautiful, dark, deadly, and swift, and the spark of elation that had emanated from Jack and expanded to engulf the crew caught Nell, too, and she laughed aloud." How lucious--the Pearl flying down on someone, too cool.

"His face held amusement, contempt, even a modicum of pity; his eyes revealed a man apt to cold-blooded violence. Her heart, soaring only moments before, froze." This is one of the best description of a man about to go to work, frightening, she is sooo right about this one. No Sunday pirates, serious and capable and determined. Amazing what you said in that one line.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! More ready to go in the morning. :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

No Sunday pirates, indeed, I'd be hiding under the bed, myself. So glad you liked this! Thank you again for commenting. :)

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

News flash, Nell. They are pirates.... This will be interesting indeed... *rubs hands together*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Interesting for us, scary for Nell.

Thank you for all the comments! I really appreciate that.