The Black Swan Page #4

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you with further information...

government information.

I'll send you back in a week,

Fenner, smothered...

in gold. Here you are, Mr. Ingram.

You're a dead man if you're fooling...

me and a rich man if you ain't.

It's the Prince Consort, all right.

Give her a blast and

we'll board her.

They were waiting for us on the

award side of Point Lobos...

three of them.

The Black Swan engaged us first.

We fought till we were

ripped to ribbons.

We lost a 130 dead,

15 of them women.

And the gold gone, every box of it!

Gentlemen, this crime is

fouler than you know.

There's not only murder here,

but treachery.

Go on with your tale,

Captain Blaine.

There are others who could tell

it better, Your Excellency.

And who are they, milord?

The friends of Pirate Leech who

supplied him with the news...

of where to fall upon the

Prince Consort.

Mr. Speaker, honorable members...

Leech has many old friends

in Jamaica...

friends in high position.

There they are. Morgan, Waring,

Graham, Blue...

the whole lot of them.

Who else makes the

charge that I and...

my captains are traitors

to the Crown?

I do. Milords and gentlemen...

I say that so long as Morgan

sits as governor...

so long will English ships be

fed to his pirate friends.

- I call for a vote of impeachment!

- I vote for that!

Quiet! You do not vote

pirates off the seas.

You engage them, rake

and scuttle them.

Milords and gentlemen,

we have ships,

brave captains and fine crews.

How do you stand on that, lads?

Are you ready to do a little

law-abiding killing for...

king and country?

- It's better than none!

- You sail tomorrow night...

with three ships.

- Captain Waring, take the Revenge.

- Aye, sir.

You're in command of the expedition.

Captain Graham.

- Aye, sir.

- You take the Reckless.

- Captain Higgs.

- Aye, sir.

Sail the Lady Bess. There's no

ship for you,

Tom Blue.

Aye, sir. I'll first-mate Jamie.

Good.

And now, my lads, will one of you

take a look in your crystal globe...

and tell these lords and

gentlemen where...

our old friend Leech is hiding?

Ha! I can see him as plain as the

nose on your face, Sir Henry.

- Tortuga!

- Right!

- And what do you think, Graham?

- I say Tortuga.

We are of a mind. That's where

he always went...

when he was shining with gold.

I can see him plain, standing head

down in a barrel of ale...

and hollering for more women.

Bottle him up in Tortuga Harbor.

Sink him, my lads!

And wipe Leech and the

black flag off the seas.

You can tell these lords

and gentlemen...

they can rest easy in their

plush chairs, Sir Henry.

I'll bring you back a necklace

made of his teeth.

I told you when I took office...

that I would clean the Caribbean.

And clean it I will. And if I fail,

you can start your voting then.

Get to your ships, my lads,

and hoist your sails!

- Aye, sir!

- Aye, sir!

Milords and gentlemen, this

sitting is adjourned.

- I sent for you two hours ago.

- I come as soon as I heard, sir.

They're sailing for Tortuga tonight...

three ships.

- Can you get there ahead of them?

- Easy.

I can take the tide out in an hour.

Tell Leech to get out of Tortuga...

and to wait for the Royal Treasurer

off St. Thomas.

She's sailing for England

in a few days.

And tell Leech I know just

how much she's...

carrying and not try skimping

my share.

- Aye, sir.

- No, thank you.

- Get on! Stretch all your canvas.

- Aye, sir.

Sorry I was so long, Roger.

Who's that? He's been bothering

you a great deal lately.

Nothing troublesome, I hope?

No. The fellow wants some

government work.

I told him to try Morgan.

He looks like his kind.

Finished your shopping?

Oh, there's nothing to buy

in all Jamaica.

Oh, Roger, that man can it be

that he's following you?

I'm certain I've seen him before.

He has the most amusing notion.

He wants to be my valet.

A valet with one ear?

- Oh, he must be a lunatic.

- He is.

Oh, it's nothing against him.

The most famous valet in

London was a lunatic.

- Oh, Roger, you jest.

- No jest. Lord Londonry's valet.

It's a good thing you're not

going to London.

Oh, it's a good thing I am.

Lady Margaret, I have melancholy

news for you.

The proverbial aunt whom

I've never seen...

has proverbially gone to her rest...

and left me a rich man,

a very rich man.

Can that be the reason why

you've been so gay lately?

Yes. I'm afraid it hasn't

grieved me properly...

to know that I can have

the finest estates...

I want anywhere I choose

in the Empire...

and all the fancy vests

in London and...

And all the crackpot servants

with one ear.

I was going to speak of someone

with two tiny little ears...

that aren't listening.

Tortuga.

Point and a half off the

starboard bow, sir.

Larboard a little.

Aye, sir.

Can you make out the harbor yet?

Not yet, sir.

Steady. Steady her up.

Steady it is, sir.

Leech will anchor his ships

well inshore.

Shorten sail until the other

ships come abreast.

Aye, sir.

- In gun sails!

- In gun sails! In gun sails!

Tortuga dead ahead!

- Powder on deck?

- Aye, sir.

We'll sail in until we sight them,

make a larboard tack...

and rake them with broadsides

as we cross the harbor.

- Them's happy words, Jamie.

- Deep six and rocky!

Deep six and rocky!

Stand by with your matches

ready to fire.

Stand by with your matches

ready to fire.

Stand by with your matches

ready to fire!

And a half seven!

And a half seven!

A quarter less eight and rocky!

A quarter less eight and rocky.

Harbor clear! Not a ship in sight!

Not a ship in sight?

Where are they?

- Slid out on us. Thomas!

- Aye, sir.

Signal the captains to drop anchor

and join me aboard.

- And Thomas!

- Aye, sir.

Get ashore and do some prowling

through Tortuga.

Find out what frightened

Brother Leech off.

Aye, sir.

Milords and gentlemen

of the assembly...

three weeks ago, our

governor told us...

that actions speak louder

than votes.

He vowed to clear the Caribbean

of its sea butchers.

And what are his actions? How has

he kept his vow? I'll tell you!

Another British ship has

been ravaged...

and sent to the bottom by the

brotherhood of the black flag.

The Royal Treasury, with 100

passengers to England...

and a cargo of gold and silver

valued at $1,000,000...

has been destroyed, murdered

and gutted!

I call again for a vote

of impeachment!

And gentlemen, Morgan

has proved himself...

unable to meet the menace of

his old friends, the pirates.

As I have suggested from

the beginning...

perhaps he loves them too

well to bring them harm.

Who seconds Lord Denby's motion?

- I do.

I second the motion for an

impeachment vote.

Your fulminations, milords

and gentlemen...

are full of bilge and blather.

You can vote yourselves purple

in the face, look you...

but you'll not impeach me.

Before you can take me

off this seat,

I hold you need a letter

from the king...

and before you can get a

letter from the king,

I'll have Leech's head for you.

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