Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Business' (44/?)
500 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. Monsters13. 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. Echo25. 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. Court37. What if?
38. Island
39. That can't be
40. Prophesy
41. Ten Years Later
42. French
43. Deed
And here's today's...
44. Tea
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
They took their time stalking the French ship, maneuvering for the "weather gauge" (which Nell couldn't quite understand even after it was explained to her), honing weapons, shifting stores to make room for the treasures they anticipated bringing aboard, and they were well out into the Atlantic by the time the Pearl began to close in for the kill, more than twenty-four hours after Nell had first made the sighting.
"Puts their nerves on edge," Jack told her, flashing a sly grin before going back to sharpening his favorite sword.
Nell was quite sure it did, for she felt extremely nervous herself.
He had not come to bed the night before, but had stayed on deck to observe the chase, which could be clearly seen in the waning but still bright moon. Her own dreams had been troubled by visions of terrible bloodshed, and Jack's laughing face turning to Barbossa's leer.
Lucky Nell!
The French ship was appreciably closer in the morning. Breakfast in the main cabin had the air of a war council, and then Jack said he would try for a few hours of shuteye, since all was in train to close with their prey come mid-afternoon.
Nell left him to his nap. She was reluctant to confide her fears to Jack, but down in the galley, helping once again with preparations for dinner, she finally spoke to Cook when he asked, "Now what's got you so blue-devilled, missy?"
"Will there be much killing?" Nell asked bluntly.
"Ah!" Cook nodded. "I thought that might be it. No, not much, if any, not if Captain Sparrow has his way."
"But Mr. Barbossa-"
"He'll behave. There was a bit of a struggle between 'em when Tobias was killed and Jack was voted captain - by a wide margin, though it weren't unanimous. Jack threw 'im in the brig for a couple of days once, early on, and when he was let out he was told he'd follow orders from that day or leave the Pearl. Well, Hector couldn't leave, he loves the Pearl near as much as Jack. So he curbs his violent tendencies, and bides his time. Jack's a fool to have him for first, but there you go. Hector's near as skilled as Jack in most ways, and better in some. Better at handling a sword, for one thing, though Bootstrap's the best on the ship. But no one's more ruthless than Hector, when he's given free rein. He ain't as likeable as Jack, though, and so far that's tipped the scales."
Cook lumbered over and put a kettle on the stove. "Hot cup of tea'll set you up, Lucky Nell."
"Oh, don't call me that!" Nell exclaimed, remembering how Barbossa had spoiled the phrase.
"Now, now, belay such talk. Don't you go a-lookin' at gift horses, the captain gave you the moniker and no one knows more about the value of words than he! Bear up, missy, bear up and put your faith in Captain Jack Sparrow!"
TBC...
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. Monsters13. 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. Echo25. 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. Court37. What if?
38. Island
39. That can't be
40. Prophesy
41. Ten Years Later
42. French
43. Deed
And here's today's...
44. Tea
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
They took their time stalking the French ship, maneuvering for the "weather gauge" (which Nell couldn't quite understand even after it was explained to her), honing weapons, shifting stores to make room for the treasures they anticipated bringing aboard, and they were well out into the Atlantic by the time the Pearl began to close in for the kill, more than twenty-four hours after Nell had first made the sighting.
"Puts their nerves on edge," Jack told her, flashing a sly grin before going back to sharpening his favorite sword.
Nell was quite sure it did, for she felt extremely nervous herself.
He had not come to bed the night before, but had stayed on deck to observe the chase, which could be clearly seen in the waning but still bright moon. Her own dreams had been troubled by visions of terrible bloodshed, and Jack's laughing face turning to Barbossa's leer.
Lucky Nell!
The French ship was appreciably closer in the morning. Breakfast in the main cabin had the air of a war council, and then Jack said he would try for a few hours of shuteye, since all was in train to close with their prey come mid-afternoon.
Nell left him to his nap. She was reluctant to confide her fears to Jack, but down in the galley, helping once again with preparations for dinner, she finally spoke to Cook when he asked, "Now what's got you so blue-devilled, missy?"
"Will there be much killing?" Nell asked bluntly.
"Ah!" Cook nodded. "I thought that might be it. No, not much, if any, not if Captain Sparrow has his way."
"But Mr. Barbossa-"
"He'll behave. There was a bit of a struggle between 'em when Tobias was killed and Jack was voted captain - by a wide margin, though it weren't unanimous. Jack threw 'im in the brig for a couple of days once, early on, and when he was let out he was told he'd follow orders from that day or leave the Pearl. Well, Hector couldn't leave, he loves the Pearl near as much as Jack. So he curbs his violent tendencies, and bides his time. Jack's a fool to have him for first, but there you go. Hector's near as skilled as Jack in most ways, and better in some. Better at handling a sword, for one thing, though Bootstrap's the best on the ship. But no one's more ruthless than Hector, when he's given free rein. He ain't as likeable as Jack, though, and so far that's tipped the scales."
Cook lumbered over and put a kettle on the stove. "Hot cup of tea'll set you up, Lucky Nell."
"Oh, don't call me that!" Nell exclaimed, remembering how Barbossa had spoiled the phrase.
"Now, now, belay such talk. Don't you go a-lookin' at gift horses, the captain gave you the moniker and no one knows more about the value of words than he! Bear up, missy, bear up and put your faith in Captain Jack Sparrow!"
TBC...