Captain Blood Page #8

-Lord Willoughby, he mustn't.

My uncle is a hard, unforgiving man.

He lives in the hope of one day

taking and hanging Capt. Blood.

Capt. Blood probably doesn't know that,

of course.

I doubt if it'd make any difference if he did.

He's chivalrous to the point of idiocy.

Chivalrous?

And yet he's been what he's been

these last three years...

and done what he's done.

Lord Willoughby, help me.

I see your point, my child...

but that's something

you must decide for yourself.

Life can be infernally complex.

lt's hard to lay tongue to the right words.

I'll lay tongue to them.

We won't sail to Jamaica.

Them's the words.

Aye, Bishop's entire fleet's at Jamaica.

When you risked your neck in a duel

over that petticoat...

that was your business.

But it's our necks you're risking now,

and I say no.

Not for her, nor a dozen like her.

I got a great affection for my neck.

I have no wish to hear it cracked

by a hangman's knot.

This is what comes from sailing the seas

with a lovesick madman.

We've been with you since the first, Peter.

We have a right.

You, too, Jeremy?

All right, lads.

What do you mean, Peter?

You told me we're not sailing to Jamaica.

There's nothing more to be said.

-Hurrah for our side!

-Quiet. You sound like a rooster.

Good night, lads.

Wait a minute, Peter.

Where are we sailing for?

That's for you to tell me...

since I'm no longer running this ship.

We didn't say that, Peter.

As Jeremy says, you've got the right.

You've been with me from the first,

and you've been loyal and true...

followed me into every tight corner

men could follow another.

-But you always got us out.

-And none the poorer for it.

Yes, but on this occasion,

there's no gold to be got.

Do you think it was

for gold we followed you?

No, but I can see now I've not got

the right to ask you to follow me.

The girl is my concern, not yours.

Are we gonna stand by and see

this little snip laugh at our captain?

There's Bishop's fleet.

That might be paying a high price

to keep from being laughed at.

We're not yet such lily-livered scum

as to be afraid of Col. Bishop.

No. That is, not very afraid.

Fie on you deserting our captain

in this way...

you scurvy traitors, you Judas Iscariots,

you snakes in the grass...

you wolves in sheep's clothing!

I was only with them to spy on them.

You'd better think carefully, lads.

Yonder lies Jamaica,

and straight we sail for it.

-Aye. And straight we sail for it.

-Aye!

-Ahoy, the deck!

-Ahoy!

I have sighted Port Royal!

Aye! Port Royal, you say?

Aye, sir!

There's something amiss!

I see flashes of gunfire

from ships in the harbor!

-Fetch the Captain.

-Aye, sir.

Bugler, all hands on deck!

lt's terrible to wake up at dawn

dreaming of thunder.

That's gunfire if I ever heard any.

-There's a battle in Port Royal harbor.

-How many ships do you make out?

lt's hard to see clearly in the early

morning light. I think there are two.

lt's an attack on Port Royal, but who?

Pirate craft, perhaps.

Wish I could make out their flags.

-Perhaps I can supply you the answer.

-You can?

Yes, if I may speak to

so inaccessible a person.

lf Port Royal is being attacked,

they are likely French ships.

French?

You say Port RoyaI's attacked

by the French? Why?

When two countries are at war

and one is attacked...

who would it be but the enemy?

What's this? France and England at war?

You mean you don't know? Where have

you been the past few months?

At sea, out of touch with the world.

The fire from the fortress is weakening!

One ship is already firing on the town!

That's strange.

Where is the English fleet

that's supposed to protect the town?

lt's my turn to supply the answer.

lt's out chasing pirates.

Bishop would never let his fleet leave its

post in time of war. He wouldn't dare.

Col. Bishop, if I may say,

is a very old and dear friend of mine.

-lt's probably me he's after.

-That fool! Blunder!

And me in his own front yard.

Shorten sail there, Wolf.

Lend a hand forward, Andy.

Stand by helm and keep her headed

two points to larboard of the fort.

Aye, aye, sir.

Get your men to their stations, Chester.

Port watch to stations!

Speed there, lads!

-Reef the fore topsail!

-Aye, aye, sir!

Take in the topgallant sail.

May I ask, Captain,

what are your intentions?

Lord Willoughby, I set out to land you

at Port Royal, but now....

Miss Bishop,

an unlooked-for circumstance...

prevents my landing you

on your own dock.

But I trust that if I put you ashore

on the beach nearby...

that would be equally satisfactory?

-l--

-Thank you.

Only please understand, this is a bargain...

your freedom for my freedom.

From now on,

I no longer regard myself as a slave.

My life's my own...

even though I'm a thief and pirate.

Capt. Blood, are you,

an Englishman, thinking of leaving...

when yonder,

an English town is being taken?

Hagthorpe,

clear my deck and keep it cleared.

-Aye, Peter, we'll take care of him.

-Take your hands off!

-Wait, lads.

-Capt. Blood, I must talk to you.

Very well then, Lord Willoughby.

Myself, I've the honor to be Irish,

but part of my crew's English.

I was myself once, too, in loyalty.

Of what should we be thinking?

Of the chance to fight for your king.

To fight for my king?

Yes. He was loyal enough

to send me to seek you out...

to offer you pardon for your past crimes...

freedom from your slavery

and more than that...

a commission in his own navy

for you and your men.

You hear that, Chester?

The King wants us to join his navy!

Read it for yourself.

Lord Willoughby,

you're a guest aboard my ship...

and I've still some notion left me

from better days of decent behavior...

so I'll not be telling you

what I think of this offer.

All I'll say is,

I wouldn't soil my hands with it...

even though they're the hands

of a thief and a pirate.

But this concerns you, too, my lads.

What do you say to serving the King?

No!

I'd like to serve him with a rope necktie.

I'd rot before I'd serve him.

I'd sink this ship with all hands

before I'd serve him.

lt would appear then

that my crew is still a little dubious...

as to the merits of His Majesty's offer.

However you hate the King,

England is still England.

And a bad king is bad king,

and worse one if he's James.

James?

This commission is sent by King William.

King William? Who may King William be

and what's he king of?

I'm alluding to His Majesty,

King William III, William of Orange...

who, with Queen Mary,

has come over from the Netherlands...

and has been ruling England

the past two months or more.

They've roused themselves at home

and kicked out that pimple James?

Yes, and he's fled to France

and he's in hiding there...

and England and France are at war.

The English people will go so far,

Capt. Blood...

and then they get up

on their stubborn hind legs.

-And William sent us this commission?

-Yes.

He knows you're good men,

wrongfully sold into slavery.

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