"Pirates Marooned"

[dwgm]

Was Googling for the Howard Pyle artwork that viva_gloria uses for her Marooned icon and came up with the pic below, by graphic artist Ashley Auld, who kindly gave me permission to post it here, along with the link to a whole bunch more she's done. Very nice work! I particularly liked the Sea Turtles one, but the Marooned one goes along with the story below. Seems gryphons_lair posted a challenge in which one is to explain what exactly Jack bartered to get passage off that island (and it can't be sex). She posted a clever solution today, and I made up one, too, which is also All Conversation, the current drabble challenge at Black Pearl Sails. This is no drabble, but it's not terribly long so I thought it would qualify.

It’s All Who You Know
 

“Who the devil’re you?”

“Captain Jack Sh-sh-Sparrow. At your service.”

“Bloody hell! ‘E’s been guzzlin’ our rum!”

“Shut up, Smoot, we’ve got eyes an’ ears, ain’t we? Not to mention noses! Captain, eh. Captain Sparrow? Where’s yer ship, Captain Sparrow? If ye don’t mind me askin’? Or even if ye do!”

“It’s…gone. Over there. Thataway. But I’ll be getting’ ‘er back, don’t worry about that. What I need from you gents is a passage off this godforsaken…”

“It ain’t.”

“Eh?”

“Godforsaken. It’s a right fine island. Perfect fer stashin’ rum. Or was. ‘Til you showed.”

“Apologies. It’s that an’ coconuts. Wha… wha... what would you?”

“Mmm. So why shouldn’t we finish what those other fellas started?”

“Eh?”

“There must o’ been a reason they left ye to rot here, Captain. And ye’ve been suckin’ down our profits fer a few days, from the looks o’ things.”

“We’ve killed men for less.”

“That’s right. We ‘ave.”

“That right?”

“Aye.”

“I see. I do, really. Completely understandable. D’ye know Phineas McCollough?”

“What?”

“Who the blazes is…”

“Wait. Mayor Phin? Of Tortuga?”

“Me best friend. Assure you.”

“Oh, aye?”

“Aye. Like a father he is to me. Or an uncle. Or first cousin at least. Could put in a word for you. Best market for rum in the Caribbean, mate. An’ I’ve sampled yours, y’know. Good s-stuff.”

“You’ve ol’ Phin’s ear, do you?”

“I do. And much of the rest of ‘im, as well, at times. My word on’t.”

“The rest of ‘im!”

“Strictly platonic, of course.”

“Ah. Platonic. What do ye think o’ that Smoot?”

“I think ‘e’s a bloody liar.”

“As do I.”

“Gentlemen! Please!”

“Please what?”

“My word! Take it! Without the grain of salt, I beg. Good as gold.”

“Gold. Like those teeth o’ yourn?”

“P-precisely.”

“All right, then. We’ll take ye to Tortuga, Captain Sparrow. But if that word o’ yourn proves less than gold, we’ll maybe take them teeth as are, savvy?”

“Oh, indisputably. Unarguably. I savvy, completely. But truly, it’s a moot point. As it were.”

“Humph.”

 

 

~.~

 

Comments

[tessabeth.livejournal.com]

Also, I am the world's slowest beta-er. Slow, but loving :)

Glad the outing went well; am pos'tively jealous!

And yes, you inspired me through two thousand words today. Yay you!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I am the world's slowest beta-er.

No, that award would probably go to me. That's one reason I rarely offer to do it. I am very bad--get distracted so easily.

MT was perfection today, and I am so looking forward to more, soonest! ;)

Slowest Beta????

[ladywarringford.livejournal.com]

Oh great --- NOW you tell me!

LMWBGO!! Sorry, I just HAD to throw that in. I loved this "Macro-Drabble" (for lack of a better description. Drunk!Jack was perfect, and I'm in awe of your dialogue... as always. Can I write like you when I grow up? Pleeeeeeezzzee!

Re: Slowest Beta????

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hi!! OMG, I got home early and was SO trying to a) finish my story (just a leeettle more!) and b) edit yours (not much required--only fournd one spelling error so far (It should be altar instead of alter) and here I'm ASLEEP!!! ARG! No time to sleep! Can't seem to help it, though.

Can I write like you when I grow up? Pleeeeeeezzzee!

LOL! That's what I always think about saying to YOU!

Thanks, though, and I'm so happy you liked this one. ;)

Re: Slowest Beta????

[ladywarringford.livejournal.com]

LOL! We're the Mutual Appreciation Society! And yes, I loved this short piece. Loving the longer pieces too, as I've just been through a few more chapters on FF.net.

Can't do more tonight, though... need to get out of the shop before our present lake becomes a raging river again!

Argh... I WOULD have to live and work in a part of LA that the whole rest of the bloody county drains into when it rains.

Bloody stupid City Planners... (stalks off, muttering imprications under her breath)