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The Haunting Place	By : Lktwoozee Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 11161 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
See previous chapters for Disclaimers, Warnings, and Notes.

Chapter Two: The Fraud
Ten years
later�
Shore leave on the
streets of Tortuga was always a festive event.
�YO HO! A PIRATE�S
LIFE FOR ME!� it is a rare and terrible thing to hear a baritone that can still
screech like a soprano, but Captain Jack Sparrow managed it just fine. �WE PILLAGE! WE PLUNDER! WE RIFLE!
AND�hummm�woossaname? How�s it go? Bloody hell,� he murmured loudly, throwing
his head back to take a long swig from the bottle in his hand, pinkie and ring
finger flared daintily up.
�Giii-aa-iibs,� his whine pierced the ears of his first mate, who was
standing right next to him, trying not to appear too irritated. Jack blinked wide kohl-rimmed eyes at him,
as if only realizing he was there, �Hello Gibbs-me-mate! I was just wonderin�, how�s that song go
�gain? Ye know the one! The one I�m always singin�,� to demonstrate
Jack inhaled a mighty breath and practically belched, �YO HO! A PIRATE�S LI-oh
here �tis.�
Abruptly, he turned ninety
degrees and swaggered down an alleyway littered with debris and the occasional
unconscious sailor. The three members
of his crew that were trailing him clumsily stepped and bumped into each other
as they attempted to follow suit. Gibbs
eyed the alley distrustfully before jogging up to the side of his captain,
�Jack-,� he caught a sharp glare from Jack that motioned to the crewmembers
behind them. �Cap�n,� Gibbs quickly
rectified, while Jack and Gibbs were friends enough to drop the formalities, it
always paid to keep a certain persona among one�s crew, especially if they were
pirates. �Permission to speak bluntly?�
�Permission grant�d,
Mr. Gibbs, not like ye not havin� me permission has ever stopp�d ye talkin�
before,� Jack slurred this last bit into his bottle before taking another gulp
of what could loosely be termed cider, in that one time there must have been
apples in it.
�Well, seems to me Old
Buckman has gone lost his marbles. I
means, he was always on the daft side o� things,� reasoned Gibbs. �But this!
Come on Cap�n, ye start spreadin� the word that ye on the prowl for ghosts,� Gibbs dropped his voice to his feet when he said
this unlucky word, spitting over his right shoulder, narrowly missing a
prostitute and customer taking care of business against a brick wall. �Then here comes Old Buckman that very
night, swearin� up and down he knows just the lady ye need,� Gibbs noticed
Jack�s eyebrows shoot up under his hat, �And not in the usual sense that a
bloke be needin� a lady.�
�Ask and ye shall
receive, mate,� clasping his ringed fingers and dirty palms together, Jack
gazed heavenward, not so subtlety stifling a laugh.
�Ye ask me, Buckman�s
just pulling yer wank. I think he be a
desperate old loon what need�d to make some quick cash.�
�If that be the case,
Mr. Gibbs, me schedule is such,� Jack
over pronounced the sch in schedule,
nonchalantly examining his filthy fingernails, �that I can remain in Tortuga
til� I finds the rat, sees that me money is refund�d, and hangs him in the
square a few days, til� he learns his lesson about cheatin� Captain Jack
Sparrow.� His lips sought the drink
again, but sadly discovered the bottle empty.
Tossing it over his shoulder, ignoring the bump and moan as it found a
living target, Jack gestured to a rundown pub with a rickety sign that read in
fading letters, �The Siren�s Drink�. A
busty woman-fish was painted winking lewdly upon the door. �First let�s be makin� sure none o� that
will be necessary,� an immeasurable amount of slurs went into that last word.
Jack took one more
eager glance at the rotting building before bursting through the door like a
king, Gibbs and the others following.
The pub was visited by
a handful of ancient pirates, too damned old to be of any use on a ship, too
full of ocean to be any use on land.
They didn�t give Jack a second glance, returning to moping over their
drinks.
A curvy barmaid took
notice, �What ye gents be havin�?� she asked without looking up from the glass
she was polishing with a dirty rag.
Jack flourished an arm
in the general direction of a wobbly table by the door. Immediately, his three anonymous crewmembers
sat and outwardly appeared to be relaxed and lounging. Closer examination would find their eyes
sharp and watchful.
�Me men�ll be havin�
beer,� there were some disgruntled comments from the threesome, but a quirked
eyebrow from Captain Sparrow silenced them.
Sauntering, in his seductive sway up to the bar, Jack steepled his
decorated hands together, mock bowing his head, �Meself would greatly �ppreciate
a bottle o� rum if ye please, much obliged if ye got the spiced from New
Orlawns, do ye luv?�
�Rum�s local,
everything�s local.�
�Well then I�ll have
to make do, wo�n I?� he spoke over his shoulder to Gibbs, never taking his
suggestive eyes from the blonde barmaid, �Gibbs? What for ye?�
�Whiskey, please
lass,� Gibbs tried to smile charmingly, resembling a filthy jack-o-lantern.
She scrutinized them
for a few moments, glowering at Jack, then Gibbs, to the three by the door,
back to Jack again, �Show me the money up front o� ye no get a sip!�
�Ye wounds me deep,
lass, ye wounds me deep,� Jack grumbled while he snatched a leather sack from
the depths of his weather beaten jacket, loosened it, and spilled the coins,
clattering on the counter.
Her eyes flickered
over the shiny circles of metal and nodded gruffly. She made to turn, but Jack cleared his throat, �I also be in the
market for a medium, much obliged if ye got any of them lying abouts,� Jack
smirked.
The barmaid stared
blankly at him for the briefest moment, before realization lit her pretty face,
�Aaaah! Yer want that mad loony do�n
ye? I was wonderin� what brings the
likes o� ye here,� she took the money from the counter and added quickly, �No
offense meant o� course.�
�O� course,� conceded
Jack.
�Crazy Bianca lives
upstairs, I�ll go fetch her. Ye sirs
take a seat, yer drinks and yer,� she stifled a giggle, �medium will be �round
soon.�
Pleased with himself,
Jack took in a greedy eyeful of the barmaid�s generous rump while she retreated
to the back door that led upstairs.
Gibbs already found a stained table and unceremoniously flopped down in
a noisy chair. Jack gave him a daft
grin, which Gibbs knew was pure hogwash, Sparrow�s eyes remained clever as
ever, �See? No need to be makin� an
exampl� out o� Old Buckman, man made good.� Jack sat next to Gibbs.
�Doesn�t mean she�s
the real thing Jack,� they were alone enough to be chummy, �the wench there
call�d her crazy.�
�I�m crazy mate,� Jack set a graceful hand upon his
chest, �And I�m real enough.� Of course, Jack considered both these
statements to be compliments.
The barmaid reentered,
and bustled about the pirate�s order of drinks. It seemed she deliberately brought the beer to Jack�s men by the
door, which was a nautical breech of protocol, but seeing how they were on
land, Jack decided to keep this to himself.
�Yer whiskey sir,� she
served Gibbs next. Jack felt his pride
bristle, �And yer rum sir.� The bottle
was lowered dangling in front of Jack�s face, but he didn�t reach for it.
�That would be Cap�n,
luv.�
Rolling her eyes, she
sighed heavily, �Yer rum then, Captain.�
Jack still made no
move to remove it from her grasp, instead smiling as genuine as a gold-toothed
smile can be, �That would be Cap�n Sparrow,
luv.�
He was immensely
flattered with the little gasp she made, �Cap�n Jack Sparrow?�
Ignoring her question,
Jack waved grandly at the bottle she held, �Still cork�d woman,� Jack propped
his hand to cup is chin, stroking his beard thoughtfully, �What am I paying ye
for?�
Promptly, the barmaid
took the cork in her white teeth, tugged roughly, and with a satisfying pop,
opened the bottle. She spat the cork
out several feet before it fell to the floor.
�Yer rum, Cap�n Sparrow,� she spoke sweetly this time.
Jack couldn�t help
himself, he began to chuckle and Gibbs joined in. �Oh I�m liking this one, Mister Gibbs!� Finally, he took the bottle and wasted no time gulping a few
mouthfuls of cheap rum, followed by an audible groan of appreciation, �That�ll
put hair on yer chest, eh?�
�Madam Bianca,� the
barmaid bit her tongue on commenting further, settling on rolling her eyes
again, �will be with you shortly.�
�Wait a second now me
dear,� his hand shot out, wrapping itself around her shapely waist. She jumped in surprise when she was pulled
closer to the pirate captain.
Endearingly, Jack rested his whiskered chin against her corseted
stomach, tilting his head back to peer innocently up at her from his seat. �I�m also in the market for some friendly
company tonight, ye bonnie gel. What�s
ye say after, me meeting with this spook woman, ye and me have a right tumble,
eh? How�s that sound now?�
Her eyes widened and
mouth gaped, but Jack interrupted her, �I know, I know, show the money up
front.� The leather pouch was in Jack�s
free hand again and he shook it, letting the coins jingle musically, then
pushed it into her hand, raised above his head, awkwardly avoiding touching
him. Jack realized this wasn�t very
flattering for a lady-killer such as himself.
�Stands to reason lass, that since I show�d ye mine up front, ye makes
things even �tween us and show me some o� yers�� those talented fingers of his
danced en route up her arm, crawling to a halt where strap became sleeve upon
her enticing shoulder. Jack hooked one
finger under the fabric, gradually pulling it down, leisurely exposing the rosy
skin underneath.
His leather sack of
coins was quite a shock when she spiked it with all her might right between his
eyes. �Get off me, ye bloomin� pirate!�
the barmaid shoved him away, nearly knocking Jack out of his chair. �This is a PUB, me good Cap�n, not a
brothel!� she spat at him, her face bright red, several of the regulars peered
up from their sorrows to see a familiar show.
�Ye want a drink?! Ye�s come to
me. Ye want a fuck?! Ye�s goes out into the street and spits,
there�ll be a whore! The cities thick
with �em! Go be groping �em harlots,
not the likes o� me, ye pig! I�m a
decent gel I am, savvy?!� she shouted, storming off through the back door, her
angry footsteps stomping upstairs.
�Did ye hear that?�
Jack moped, lip pouting out childishly, �She �savvy�-ed me! ME!� A few muted snickers came from the first
mate by his side, �Ah for Christ�s sake Gibbs, quit holdin� it in! Yer always sound�d like a littl� git when
you giggl�d.�
At his captain�s
request, Gibbs guffawed, loud and obnoxious fits of laughter, �Well, at least
she did�n slap ye!�
�Almost wish she had,
mate,� rubbing the red mark upon his forehead, Jack pocketed his pouch. �It figures, ye know? The only wench in Tortuga that�s no whore
and I gets randy on her.�
�No worries,� Gibbs
patted Jack on the arm, still chuckling under his breath, �Plenty o� others to
choose from.�
�Why Mister Gibbs, how
kind o� ye to offer, but I�m in the mood for a blonde tonight, thank ye all the
same,� tapping at the first mate�s palm still on his forearm, he sounded as
serious as the grave.
Jack and Gibbs stared
at each other silently for a few moments, before both cackled gleefully. �A pirate�s life for me!� they sang,
clanking Gibbs whiskey glass and Jack�s rum bottle together, slurping a mighty
gulp, and thudding their drinks upon the table, always careful not to spill.
It was about five
minutes before Madam Bianca made her grand entrance. By that time, the barmaid had returned, somewhat subdued,
continuing her cleaning. Gibbs was
nursing from his whiskey, while Jack was attempting to become the first singer
to harmonize with his own voice. He
admitted it wasn�t working out too well.
The tiny jingle of
bells got their attention. Their faces
turned to the trilling, seeing a tall pale woman in the doorway, the ringing
coming from little trinkets that decorated her neck, ears, wrist, and ankles. Her hair was thin and black, stirring and
floating at the slight movement of her footfalls. It was unbound, free to spill over her bony frame and down her
back. She wore a simple black dress
that only slimmed her depleting figure further. A stiff wind could�ve carried the poor girl over and away. In the soft lamp light her skin glowed
sickly white.
Her eyes were large
and sorrowful and very, very black. It
was almost impossible to tell her pupil from her iris. The effect made Jack shiver under his skin
and not a lot of things made Jack uncomfortable. �You vish to see Madame Bianca, no?� her voice was breathy as her
eyes were unblinking. An accent of
eastern European cropped her vowels, but something about it made Jack�s nose
itch.
�That�s right,� Jack
nudged Gibbs to rise with him as the lady took her seat.
�You vish to contact
someone from zee beyond, no?�
�Er, that�s right,� a
quick glance to his first mate, confirmed that Gibbs wasn�t buying it. Honestly, Jack hadn�t decided yet, �But me
pal here, is�n what ye might call a believer.
So I was hopin� ye could give us a littl� demonstration, ye know, to
sooth the savage skeptic, sort-a-speak?�
�You vish to test me? Ze Great
Madam Bianca herself?� she clucked her tongue, when Jack nodded
enthusiastically, �Very well.�
�Do�n ye mean vell?� Gibbs spoke to his whiskey, ignoring Bianca�s
glare.
She gave a dramatic
sigh that made her body shudder. �I see
something,� Jack appreciated the irony that she shut her eyes when she said
this, �I see black.�
��Cause yer eyes are
closed,� Jack stated helpfully, Gibbs just snickered.
Without changing her
expression, Bianca cleared her throat, �I see black sails.� Both Jack
and Gibbs immediately shut their mouths, this earned a tiny smirk if triumph
from the gypsy. �Yes, black sails upon
a black ship. Vhat iz dis?� The two
pirates glanced about in case this wasn�t a rhetorical question, �I see a bird
of some sort flying free over ze ocean, yes?
I vonder vhat kind of bird it iz.
Perhaps a sparrow?�
Jack hazarded a quick
peek at the barmaid, who had been deliberately not looking at them.
�Vell, Captain Jack
Sparrow?� Bianca boastfully stuck up her nose,
�Did I pass?�
�Depends,� Jack said
thoughtfully, expression blank. �How
much this goin� to cost me, madam?�
Gibbs started coughing, completely aghast.
�Three pence to start
transcendence,� Bianca didn�t miss a beat.
�Just to start, ye
say?�
�Captain Sparrow, ze
spirit world is a place of mystery.
Many things can fog ze second sight.
Emotion, doubt, unnecessary and selfish attachments to earthly and temporary
materials�� she ended waving her wispy arms about vaguely and the tingles that
followed were beginning to grate on Gibbs� nerves.
�Ah, I gets it! Every time this pesky fog shows up, I lay
more o� me money down, and poof,� Jack snapped his fingers in front of her
face, she gave the slightest jump, �the mist clears out like a whore on rent
day?�
�Something like zat,�
tracing her fingers along Jack�s hand, which still rested upon the table,
Bianca fidgeted with a particularly impressive diamond ring around his thumb,
�Remember Captain, money iz not ze only earthly material.�
�Oh I�m startin� to
like this one now!� another sip o� rum, then, �Mister Gibbs, give Madam Bianca
three pence, if ye please.�
Opening his mouth to argue, Gibbs thought
better of it. Instead, settling on an
obvious snort and tossing the copper onto the table, �Aye Cap�n.�
Bianca swept the
coins away and into her skirts, �Very good. Now, who vill ve be communicating
vith tonight?�
�Me dear sweet
mother,� dutifully, Jack removed his hat and kissed his hand mournfully before
blowing it heavenward. From across the
pub, the barmaid stifled a laugh.
�I ze,� Madam Bianca
clasped her fingers in prayer, lowering her head, the bells twanging around her
neck and wrists. The black eyes shut,
�Spirits of the underworld,� she spoke grandly, �hear the plea of zis
grief-stricken son for hiz beloved mother.
Ve beseech you, souls of ze dead to conjure ze one who gave him life! I, Madam Bianca ze Great, hereby order
it!� There was a theatrical pause
ending in Bianca trembling, �You are in luck Captain Sparrow, ze spirits have
blessed you this evening. Your departed
mother iz here.�
Another grand
flourish of her jingling arms and Bianca sat entranced, �I see�I see�� Bianca
moaned, �She vishes to tell you something�something important�a terrible
secret! Oh ze shame! Oh ze dishonor! Oh ze guilt which eats at her very soul from beyond ze
grave! She must purge herself of her
sin, oh that she might find respite!�
Suddenly Bianca�s entire demeanor changed, her voice became as oily as
an eels, �Tell me Jack, iz zere, perhaps, a mystery as pertains to your
paternal legitimacy?�
�Most definitely!�
Jack beamed with pride.
�Yes, of course, the
spirits have enlightened me!� the grandeur returned like lightening, �Your
mother begs to impart ze identity of your father, ze only man she has ever
truly loved! You must find him and make
peace vith him, for ze sake of your mother�s eternal soul. Zis is her last request�do not fail her
Jack�help her rest in peace! Your
father is�your father is�� yelping, Bianca clutched her heart, panting
roughly. �I cannot! Zere is too much worldly influence in ze
way,� two black eyes fell upon Jack�s shining rings.
�This be amazin�!�
Jack drawled, grinning vacantly. �Mister
Gibbs, is�n this amazin�?�
�Bloody spectacular,
�tis,� Gibbs returned the wry smile.
Madam Bianca, not totally void of the powers of intuition, suppressed a
shiver, noticing the conspicuous change in the atmosphere.
�Particularly
spectacular� leaning forward, Jack crept closer to Bianca, his nose an inch
from hers, �considerin� me dear, sweet
mother�s not dead.� He rapped on the
table so loudly, a stressed squeak escaped Bianca�s thin lips in surprise,
�Knock on wood.�
�What are ye sayin�
Jack?� Gibbs gasped sarcastically, �You�re not suggesting� that �ze Great Madam
Bianca� be a fraud are ye?�
�Faker than her
accent Mister Gibbs!�
�Fancy that.�
A few panic stutters
answered them, �Well, I mean vell�maybe�um�she�s been sick? And�no, no, I�ve got it! She�s not your real mother!� Desperation tinged her white face pink as
she held up her palms hopefully. �The
spirits have enlightened me?� she said uncertainly.
�Oh come on luv,�
Jack eased back in his seat, creaking loudly, and crossing his feet atop the
table, �At first �twas cute, now ye just bein� pathetic. It�s time to-,� sticking a finger in Gibbs�
side, Jack exaggerated a wink, �give up the ghost!� Jack exploded in voluminous
laughter, �Get it?!�
�Jesus, Jack where
ye get yer puns?� Gibbs swiped his finger inside his empty glass and licked the
stray whiskey off. �That was bloody
awful!�
�Bah, what do ye
know, ye drunk?�
�Look who�s
talkin�!�
The banter ceased
when clanging jewelry signaled Bianca�s sorry attempt at a stealthy escape, she
was only halfway out of her chair. She
froze like a wild animal and meekly asked, �How �bout ye mates give me a �ead
start, eh?�
�How �bout ye give
Mister Gibbs two o� his pence back, keep one for the fine entertainment, and
get the hell out of me sight �fore I change me mind?� Jacked cocked his head to
the side, beads and trinkets making noises of their own in his hair.
Not needing to be
told twice, Bianca cast the coins at Gibbs, hitched up her skirt, and executed
a hasty, if somewhat musical, retreat, her little bells jingling all the way
down the alley and fading into the Tortuga nightlife. One of Jack�s men moved to follow her, but Jack waved him back
into his seat.
�Damn I�m a softy,�
heaving a great sigh, Jack let his head flop back, gazing at the damp ceiling.
�Captain Jack the Merciful, I can hear
it now,� he spat moodily.
�Merciful me arse!�
Gibbs collected the two pence, �That �twas me money, Jack, ye owe me a copper.�
�How �bouts a drink
insteady?�
�That�ll work.�
�Ahoy, me buxom
beauty!� hollering across the room, Jack waved merrily at the barmaid, who gave
a huff. �Another whiskey here,� Jack
examined his bottle of rum carefully, then added, �And beer for me!�
�Gets yer feet off
that table and I�ll gets ye yer drinks,� she hollered back, hands on hips.
�Oooh, I�m in
troubl� now,� Jack told Gibbs, leisurely lowering his feet to the floor, never
breaking eye contact with the barmaid.
The moment his boots touched ground, she twirled around and fetched
their order. �Supposin� we should go
huntin� for Old Buckman tonight, eh?
Get me money back �fore he drinks it all, that daft old bugger.�
Every ounce of
restraint kept Gibbs from commenting, �I told ye so!� after all, a captain was
still a captain, friend or no. He
settled on comforting Jack�s pride as a proper substitute for gloating, �Did�n
figure Buckman for gullible though.
Who�s to know he�d be takin� in by a con with a pretty face?�
�That�s if he was,
Gibbs,� Jack debated, �maybe he�s hopin I get fool�d. And if that�s how the winds blowin�, we got to rough him up a
bit. Nothin� too drastic, mind ye, just
�nough so peoples can point and say, �Dumb bloke cross�d Captain Jack, that�ll
teach him.��
�Him thinkin� ye�ll
fall for a con, be gullible in me book and bloomin� stupid to boot. Anyway, Old Buckman drinks here, mounts the
cheap wenches under the peer, and sleeps in the church that be all he
does. He�ll be �round soon �nough,�
Gibbs stretched, slow and lazy. �No sense
trudgin� �bout the streets, Buckman�ll be comin� here any moment to spend some
o� that fifteen crowns ye paid him, bet me life on it.�
�Here ye go boys,�
the barmaid approached, glass and mug in tow.
�Ye owes me for the whiskey,� she set it down before Gibbs, �but this be
a free beer for the good Cap�n what done what he was told and kept his boots
off the table.� Patting the hat atop
his head, she slid the mug in front of Jack.
He couldn�t be sure which set his blood boiling more, the ample amount of
bosom that was presented when she bent slightly to tap him, or the words �free
beer�. �Sees ye scared �way that riff
raff Bianca,� the barmaid said conversationally as Jack dug around his pockets
for exact change.
�Was�n all that bad,
me dear,� Jack flourished the money towards her and she seized it, keeping a
keen eye on his other hand, �Ye told her did�n ye? Me name, that is?�
Daintily she blushed
and Jack felt lust course through his veins like the alcohol he was
consuming. Heaven knew he loved a
blushing woman. It was so ladylike, so deliciously feminine, but still hinted
at very naughty thoughts. Especially,
this charming example before him, the color was so strong upon her rosy cheeks,
it could have been bright rouge. The
pink tinge spilled down her swan neck, spreading to the shoulders he had sought
to uncover only ten minutes prior. But
what fashioned this pretty picture into eroticism for Jack was the beautiful
flush spanned the expanse of her glorious breasts, coloring the porcelain
cleavage that made his mouth water.
Such a sight inspired his fantasies to fathom how far that blush must
creep along her body, and how his questing hands and mouth intended to follow
it. How much of that creamy skin turned
pink when excited? There was a telltale
tightening in his trousers and Jack had to bite his tongue to assuage the thoughts
running rampant in his mind, indebted to the table covering his lap.
�Aye, I told her,�
the barmaid shrugged, dispersing the blush, for which Jack was sorrowful and
grateful at the same time. �Figur�d
Bianca could use all the help she can get.
She�s not a bad gel, not malicious anyways. Sweet Mary though, the predictions that comes from her mouth,
craziest things ye ever heard, hardly ever right.� She twiddled her fingers in a friendly gesture of farewell and
abandoned them to their drinks and musings.
�Gots to give Madam
Bianca a littl� bit o� credit though,� Jack heartily cracked his knuckles. �She did guess that I�m a bastard.�
�Beggin� ye pardon
Cap�n,� Gibbs testified, matter-a-fact, �but blind beggars in the gutter and
wee babies at their momma�s tit can tell yer a bastard. Ye practically have �questionable parentage�
tattooed on yer head!� To emphasize his
point, Gibbs tapped Jack�s temple twice.
�Bah, send me
regards to yer mother,� Jack retorted, distracted by the barmaid who was
presently checking the pulse of an inebriated old sailor who hadn�t moved in a
long while. �Ye do know me offer still
stands, sweetheart?� Jack bellowed to her, flailing his exaggerating arms like
she was a league away. �So if ye
happens to discover yerself cold and lonely sleeping by yer onesies tonight, ye
skip yer way over to the Black Pearl,� several of the inhabitants of the bar
stirred at the mention of the infamous ship, �and asks for me. Be all too happy to accommodate ye ands I
swears by Poseidon hiself, ye�ll always �member this night as the night ye
sport�d with Cap�n Jack Sparrow!� like a gentleman from Sussex, Jack spread his
arms and bowed gracefully, albeit still in his chair.
She ground her
teeth, readying a scathing insult, but she caught Jack�s genuine smile, lacking
in its lewdness and mockery. It
occurred to the barmaid that somewhere in his intoxicated brain, he truly
considered this proposition to be the sincerest sort of flattery to give a
woman. Instead, she returned the smile,
huffing theatrically and waving her hands about, as if shooing away a simple
child. Quite pleased with himself, Jack
chuckled then downed his free beer in one impressive gulp.
The front door swung
open, �Maren, ye blessed gel, fetch me a round and a round and a round, then
another round!� an elderly man, squinting through milky cataracts, cackled and
strode into the bar. At once, Gibbs and
Jack recognized the raspy voice, eyes swiveling upon Old Buckman.
�No, no, no!� the
barmaid hustled at the old man. �Out
this instance! Ye tab is bigger then a
whale�s wanker, Buck, and no beggin� and no puppy dog eyes this time! That last drank I gave ye out o� the
compassion of me heart nearly got me sack�d and a good right smack too!� She placed one hand on hip and the other
waggled a finger at the door, �Out now, Buckman, comes back when ye pays the
money ye owe.�
�But Maren me angel,
I gots money! And plenty of it, me
ship�s sailed in finally! Lookie here,
luv!� Old Buckman presented one gold coin proudly. �Now come sit and drink with Old Buckman and let him thank ye for
all the kindness ye ever showed this poor old man. Who knows, I might even give ye all them tips I always promis�d
ye!�
A snap surprised the
two. It came from Jack, grinning like a
cat. Instantly, the three pirates still
seated soundly by the door pounced. One
grabbed Buckman�s collar, the other two pinned his arms.
Pitifully, Old
Buckman blinked confused, before his bleary eyes identified Jack stepping
closer followed by Gibbs. �Cap�n
Sparrow? Bless me heart, what a
relief!� he gibbered, �Mistook ye for common criminals I did, almost gave me a
heart attack.� He timidly tested
pulling against the grasps that held him, but they wouldn�t budge. �What�s this now Cap�n? Did�n I make good? I said-I did-I said, �Goes to the Siren�s Drink,� that�s what I
said.�
�Aye that�s what ye
said,� Jack blew out an exasperated breath, itching his whiskered cheek, �But
no, ye did�n make good, Buckman. Madam
Bianca�s a phony and a frivolous waste o� me time. And me time is valuable-,� His voice faded to silence when Old
Buckman howled in laughter so loudly it ended in fits of violent coughs.
�Bianca?!� he
quipped, �That loony tart? No, no,
Cap�n Jack, why she�s dafter then I am!�
Buckman grinned, some teeth black and others missing, in relief.
�No argument there,�
Gibbs said.
�Old Buck, me thinks
ye best be elaboratin�,� pinching the bridge of his nose, Jack signaled his
crewmembers to let the elder go.
�She�s the one ye
want,� a crooked finger, arched from arthritis, pointed directly at the
barmaid, �a genuine medium!�

Years of Cheers

Thanks a Lot,
Citadel
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The Haunting Place

Years of Cheers