Fic: 'Hero' (5/6)
The climactic chapter of 'Hero', with thanks, again, to the patient hereswith.
Chapter One: Caught Out
Chapter Two: Pirate Princeling
Chapter Three: A Disparity of Circumstances
Chapter Four: Vile Misfortune
Chapter Five: Hero's Choice
They got out, choking and coughing, covered in soot, but unharmed otherwise. But the fire was fierce inside, and smoke billowed from the door of the shed.
"Run and get your father and his men," Jamie yelled at Gil. "I'll get the Pearls!" He didn't wait for a reply, just lit out across the field, low cut at this time of year, fortunately, heading for the line of trees that topped the slope leading down to the bay, and the beach where the hooley was still no doubt in progress. Fear of what would happen if the fire spread to the other sheds, and fear of what consequences surely lay before them in any case, roiled his mind and stomach, and as he reached the trees he grabbed onto one, then fell to his hands and knees and vomited. It was half due to the illicit tobacco and brandy, he knew from the burn of it, and as he finished, he got to his feet, and wiped his mouth and streaming eyes, and swore he'd never touch the stuff again, no matter how piratey such habits were!
He slowed a little coming off the hill -- no use risking an ankle, that's all he needed! -- but as he hit the sand he broke into a run again, heading down the beach, straight for the bonfire, now burned quite low, but still surrounded by many of the Pearls. "Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!" To his relief, the familiar figure rose from the sand.
"Jamie! What the devil? What's happened?"
"Fire!" Jamie cried, stumbling to a halt. He bent forward, trying to catch his breath, but as his uncle strode toward him, he straightened and blurted, "Me and Gil and Paki were smoking in one of the sheds and the oil lamp got knocked over and the shed's on fire!"
"Are you hurt?" Uncle Jack demanded, looking him up and down.
"No, none of us were. But the fire -- we couldn't put it out. It might spread to the other sheds!"
"And the fields," said Mr. Gibbs, coming up beside Uncle Jack. He shook his head. "There'll be the devil to pay for this."
"He knows it," snapped Uncle Jack, and Jamie swallowed hard at his grim tone. Uncle Jack hesitated a moment, looking up the rise, and then made his decision. "Right. Let's go." He turned to the rest of the crew, who'd mostly wandered over by now. "Follow me, lads, we'll see what we can do to help put out this fire of Jamie's. Hop to it!"
The lot of them set out at a fast trot, some groaning about it but none of them hesitating to follow their captain. Jamie kept up with Uncle Jack easily, and was tempted to voice an objection to the assertion that the fire was his, but refrained. Time enough to clear that up, and it wasn't as though he was entirely blameless.
The Pearls were huffing and puffing by the time they got to the top of the hill, but when they saw the shed, flames leaping up high into the night sky, and the swarm of figures around it, their energy was renewed and they took off hell for leather across the field to help. Everyone on the plantation that was within shouting distance of the sheds was out, passing buckets of water in a long line, beating at the flames with whatever came to hand, clearing the ground between the burning shed and the adjacent one. The night was windless and there was a full moon, and both worked in their favor, but Mr.Pennistone sounded close to hysteria as he directed his people, and Jamie didn't see much hope.
Gil and Paki were standing just outside the fiercest action, and Jamie joined them.
"God's feet," muttered Gil.
"At least no one's hurt," said Jamie.
"Yet!" Gil looked miserable. "And it's a third of our harvest. Father'll murder me!"
"Maybe," Jamie couldn't help but agree, and briefly wondered what his own fate would be. Whatever it was, he just hoped his mother wouldn't find out about all this. She'd never let him sail on the Pearl again!
The fire wasn't spreading, but suddenly there was a terrible cracking sound and the crowd ran from the flaming shed as the walls collapsed and the fire reached its apex with a horrific roar.
"Damnation! Damnation!" Mr. Pennistone shrieked -- there was no other word for it. Sweating, filthy, his face beet red. He was ten feet away from them, and Jamie could see that he was completely losing control of himself, unprecedented behavior for an adult, in Jamie's experience. It was frightening, and certainly wouldn't help matters, either.
"Father!" exclaimed Gil, sounding scared, too, and then gasped as his father turned toward them, his eyes wild.
"Bloody insolent damnable spawn of Satan!" the man roared, and came at them.
The boys gave a collective yelp and backed away, but not fast enough. But it was not Gil who was the target of Mr. Pennistone's unreasoning wrath, it was Paki. He grabbed the boy by a skinny arm and began to beat him about the head and shoulders. Paki cried out, struggling, but a blow to the side of his head silenced him. Jamie shook off his horrified paralysis and yelled, "No!" and Gil grabbed his father's arm.
"It wasn't Paki! Father, it was me! I knocked the lamp over!"
But Mr. Pennistone brushed Gil aside and continued beating the slave, roaring, "You let him! You who had the care of him! Bastard brat, I'll..."
There was the scrape and ring of steel and quick as anything Uncle Jack had his sword at Pennistone's throat, his other hand gripping the man's arm. "Let the boy go!" said Uncle Jack, and Jamie shivered in awe at the sound of his uncle's voice, the feral look of him in the moonlight.
Pennistone had frozen, but took a moment to respond to the command.
"Now!" Uncle Jack hissed, tightening his hold, and there were other swords, and knives and boarding axes, drawn by the rest of the Pearls, who moved to support their captain. Pennistone's slaves and servants edged away.
Pennistone let go, and Paki fell, half fainting. Jamie went to him. The young slave was shaking, tears and terror in his wide eyes, and there was a long bruise forming on the side of his face. "It's all right, it's all right," murmured Jamie, laying a trembling hand on the boy's head.
In the background, Jamie could hear Gil weeping, "It was me, Da, not Paki! It was me!"
Mr. Pennistone ignored his son, and said in a voice that shook with rage, "Let me go, or by God I'll see you hanged by dawn, Sparrow."
Jamie froze, and looked up quickly, but his uncle only said scornfully, "Better men than you have lost at that game, believe me. Jamie! Is Paki fit to walk?"
"I don't think so," Jamie answered, and was surprised to find he, too, was weeping.
"Blount!" Uncle Jack snapped to one of his burliest crew members. "You'll carry the boy, and mind you be easy on him."
"What?" Pennistone barked.
Uncle Jack released him, sword at the ready as the man turned to face him. "We're takin' 'im," Uncle Jack stated.
"No!" cried a woman's voice. It was Subira, who'd been hanging back, terrified. She now rushed forward. "No! My son! You will not take him from me!" She fell to her knees beside Paki, sobbing.
Jamie said to her, desperately, "He'll be killed, ma'am. Please let us!"
But Uncle Jack spoke. "We'll take 'em both. Lads, see to it. Pennistone, I owe you for two house slaves. Here." He reached into an inner pocket of his coat and took out a bag -- the payment for the brandy -- and threw it at Pennistone's feet. "That should make us square."
"Not 'til I see you dead, Sparrow!" The man looked set to have an apoplexy, his face livid.
Uncle Jack gave an ironical bow. "I fear we've outstayed our welcome. Let's go lads."
Two men of Uncle Jack's men took Subira's arms and lifted her to her feet, and Blount bent and scooped up Paki as though he were no more than a babe. Jamie struggled up and found Gil's eyes. His friend nodded, once, his mouth firm though tears streaked his face. Heartsick, Jamie turned away from Gil and followed the rest of the Pearls.
As they retreated, they could hear Pennistone berating his people, ordering them to fetch weapons and follow, but the plantation workers would be no match for seasoned pirates and Jamie had a feeling the Pearls would get away, unmolested.
So it proved.
They attained the beach and the longboats were efficiently loaded, launched, and in short order were skimming across the bay toward the Black Pearl.
Jamie was sitting in the lead boat, next to his uncle. When they were well away from the shore, he touched Jack's sleeve. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jack," he said, quietly, though the words had never seemed so useless.
Uncle Jack glanced, unsmiling, down at him. "Scurvy brat," he said, his voice surprisingly mild.
Tears came to Jamie's eyes, and he couldn't speak for the lump in his throat. Perhaps it wasn't quite the end of the world.
Uncle Jack raised his eyes and grimaced at the gibbous orb that lighted their path away from Providence Bay. "Y'know, lad?" he said to Jamie, "Gibbs just might have a point about that moon."
Epilogue on Friday
Chapter One: Caught Out
Chapter Two: Pirate Princeling
Chapter Three: A Disparity of Circumstances
Chapter Four: Vile Misfortune
Chapter Five: Hero's Choice
They got out, choking and coughing, covered in soot, but unharmed otherwise. But the fire was fierce inside, and smoke billowed from the door of the shed.
"Run and get your father and his men," Jamie yelled at Gil. "I'll get the Pearls!" He didn't wait for a reply, just lit out across the field, low cut at this time of year, fortunately, heading for the line of trees that topped the slope leading down to the bay, and the beach where the hooley was still no doubt in progress. Fear of what would happen if the fire spread to the other sheds, and fear of what consequences surely lay before them in any case, roiled his mind and stomach, and as he reached the trees he grabbed onto one, then fell to his hands and knees and vomited. It was half due to the illicit tobacco and brandy, he knew from the burn of it, and as he finished, he got to his feet, and wiped his mouth and streaming eyes, and swore he'd never touch the stuff again, no matter how piratey such habits were!
He slowed a little coming off the hill -- no use risking an ankle, that's all he needed! -- but as he hit the sand he broke into a run again, heading down the beach, straight for the bonfire, now burned quite low, but still surrounded by many of the Pearls. "Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!" To his relief, the familiar figure rose from the sand.
"Jamie! What the devil? What's happened?"
"Fire!" Jamie cried, stumbling to a halt. He bent forward, trying to catch his breath, but as his uncle strode toward him, he straightened and blurted, "Me and Gil and Paki were smoking in one of the sheds and the oil lamp got knocked over and the shed's on fire!"
"Are you hurt?" Uncle Jack demanded, looking him up and down.
"No, none of us were. But the fire -- we couldn't put it out. It might spread to the other sheds!"
"And the fields," said Mr. Gibbs, coming up beside Uncle Jack. He shook his head. "There'll be the devil to pay for this."
"He knows it," snapped Uncle Jack, and Jamie swallowed hard at his grim tone. Uncle Jack hesitated a moment, looking up the rise, and then made his decision. "Right. Let's go." He turned to the rest of the crew, who'd mostly wandered over by now. "Follow me, lads, we'll see what we can do to help put out this fire of Jamie's. Hop to it!"
The lot of them set out at a fast trot, some groaning about it but none of them hesitating to follow their captain. Jamie kept up with Uncle Jack easily, and was tempted to voice an objection to the assertion that the fire was his, but refrained. Time enough to clear that up, and it wasn't as though he was entirely blameless.
The Pearls were huffing and puffing by the time they got to the top of the hill, but when they saw the shed, flames leaping up high into the night sky, and the swarm of figures around it, their energy was renewed and they took off hell for leather across the field to help. Everyone on the plantation that was within shouting distance of the sheds was out, passing buckets of water in a long line, beating at the flames with whatever came to hand, clearing the ground between the burning shed and the adjacent one. The night was windless and there was a full moon, and both worked in their favor, but Mr.Pennistone sounded close to hysteria as he directed his people, and Jamie didn't see much hope.
Gil and Paki were standing just outside the fiercest action, and Jamie joined them.
"God's feet," muttered Gil.
"At least no one's hurt," said Jamie.
"Yet!" Gil looked miserable. "And it's a third of our harvest. Father'll murder me!"
"Maybe," Jamie couldn't help but agree, and briefly wondered what his own fate would be. Whatever it was, he just hoped his mother wouldn't find out about all this. She'd never let him sail on the Pearl again!
The fire wasn't spreading, but suddenly there was a terrible cracking sound and the crowd ran from the flaming shed as the walls collapsed and the fire reached its apex with a horrific roar.
"Damnation! Damnation!" Mr. Pennistone shrieked -- there was no other word for it. Sweating, filthy, his face beet red. He was ten feet away from them, and Jamie could see that he was completely losing control of himself, unprecedented behavior for an adult, in Jamie's experience. It was frightening, and certainly wouldn't help matters, either.
"Father!" exclaimed Gil, sounding scared, too, and then gasped as his father turned toward them, his eyes wild.
"Bloody insolent damnable spawn of Satan!" the man roared, and came at them.
The boys gave a collective yelp and backed away, but not fast enough. But it was not Gil who was the target of Mr. Pennistone's unreasoning wrath, it was Paki. He grabbed the boy by a skinny arm and began to beat him about the head and shoulders. Paki cried out, struggling, but a blow to the side of his head silenced him. Jamie shook off his horrified paralysis and yelled, "No!" and Gil grabbed his father's arm.
"It wasn't Paki! Father, it was me! I knocked the lamp over!"
But Mr. Pennistone brushed Gil aside and continued beating the slave, roaring, "You let him! You who had the care of him! Bastard brat, I'll..."
There was the scrape and ring of steel and quick as anything Uncle Jack had his sword at Pennistone's throat, his other hand gripping the man's arm. "Let the boy go!" said Uncle Jack, and Jamie shivered in awe at the sound of his uncle's voice, the feral look of him in the moonlight.
Pennistone had frozen, but took a moment to respond to the command.
"Now!" Uncle Jack hissed, tightening his hold, and there were other swords, and knives and boarding axes, drawn by the rest of the Pearls, who moved to support their captain. Pennistone's slaves and servants edged away.
Pennistone let go, and Paki fell, half fainting. Jamie went to him. The young slave was shaking, tears and terror in his wide eyes, and there was a long bruise forming on the side of his face. "It's all right, it's all right," murmured Jamie, laying a trembling hand on the boy's head.
In the background, Jamie could hear Gil weeping, "It was me, Da, not Paki! It was me!"
Mr. Pennistone ignored his son, and said in a voice that shook with rage, "Let me go, or by God I'll see you hanged by dawn, Sparrow."
Jamie froze, and looked up quickly, but his uncle only said scornfully, "Better men than you have lost at that game, believe me. Jamie! Is Paki fit to walk?"
"I don't think so," Jamie answered, and was surprised to find he, too, was weeping.
"Blount!" Uncle Jack snapped to one of his burliest crew members. "You'll carry the boy, and mind you be easy on him."
"What?" Pennistone barked.
Uncle Jack released him, sword at the ready as the man turned to face him. "We're takin' 'im," Uncle Jack stated.
"No!" cried a woman's voice. It was Subira, who'd been hanging back, terrified. She now rushed forward. "No! My son! You will not take him from me!" She fell to her knees beside Paki, sobbing.
Jamie said to her, desperately, "He'll be killed, ma'am. Please let us!"
But Uncle Jack spoke. "We'll take 'em both. Lads, see to it. Pennistone, I owe you for two house slaves. Here." He reached into an inner pocket of his coat and took out a bag -- the payment for the brandy -- and threw it at Pennistone's feet. "That should make us square."
"Not 'til I see you dead, Sparrow!" The man looked set to have an apoplexy, his face livid.
Uncle Jack gave an ironical bow. "I fear we've outstayed our welcome. Let's go lads."
Two men of Uncle Jack's men took Subira's arms and lifted her to her feet, and Blount bent and scooped up Paki as though he were no more than a babe. Jamie struggled up and found Gil's eyes. His friend nodded, once, his mouth firm though tears streaked his face. Heartsick, Jamie turned away from Gil and followed the rest of the Pearls.
As they retreated, they could hear Pennistone berating his people, ordering them to fetch weapons and follow, but the plantation workers would be no match for seasoned pirates and Jamie had a feeling the Pearls would get away, unmolested.
So it proved.
They attained the beach and the longboats were efficiently loaded, launched, and in short order were skimming across the bay toward the Black Pearl.
Jamie was sitting in the lead boat, next to his uncle. When they were well away from the shore, he touched Jack's sleeve. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jack," he said, quietly, though the words had never seemed so useless.
Uncle Jack glanced, unsmiling, down at him. "Scurvy brat," he said, his voice surprisingly mild.
Tears came to Jamie's eyes, and he couldn't speak for the lump in his throat. Perhaps it wasn't quite the end of the world.
Uncle Jack raised his eyes and grimaced at the gibbous orb that lighted their path away from Providence Bay. "Y'know, lad?" he said to Jamie, "Gibbs just might have a point about that moon."
Epilogue on Friday