The Black Swan Page #5

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I'll serve it up to you on a platter

with an apple in its mouth.

My captains will bring Leech and

his buccaneers back...

to Port Royal.

And I promise you this.

I'll hang a pirate in each of

your bedrooms...

to dangle over your heads

and give you the lie.

Ah! There's your answer,

you popinjays!

Captain Waring, You come

in the nick of time.

Come up here, Jamie-Boy.

Now, give us the full news

of your victory.

My report is of a private nature,

Sir Henry.

- I landed only a half hour ago.

- This is no time for modesty!

Out with it! Your full report.

How many of the rats did

you send to the bottom...

and how many did you save up

to hang here at Port Royal?

We don't see any rat, neither catch

them, neither killer, Sir Henry.

And that's how you keep

your vow, Morgan?

Three weeks and not

a pirate touched...

and our fleet sailing around,

quacking at the...

wind like a line of ducks

in a mill pond.

My lords and gentlemen,

I charge treachery.

- Right you are, Lord Denby.

- Treachery's the word.

Leech was warned of our coming.

Someone from Port Royal sent

a sloop racing to Tortuga.

The same ship that brought

them news of the...

Prince Consort and the

Royal Treasurer.

This is the final insult.

The brave captain hides

his bungling...

behind accusation against us.

I demand proof of this

foul accusation.

I'll bring you proof

before I'm done.

I've come back for supplies.

I'm rejoining my ships, and then

we're going to search the Caribbean

until we find Leech.

Where are your ships hiding now,

Captain Waring?

That I'll not answer in this place.

My lords and gentlemen...

if you'll appoint me messenger,

I'll take this matter to the king.

Hear, hear.

I'm embarking for England

in two days with...

my bride the Lady Margaret.

They commissioned me to

present the case...

of Pirate Morgan, Pirate Waring and

Pirate Leech to His Majesty.

And I'll bring back the royal

signature upholding the impeachment.

I move we approve the impeachment

of Morgan.

I second the move.

The move for impeachment has been

made and been seconded.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to

call the members.

- Lord Jarnegan.

- I vote impeachment of...

Henry Morgan.

Mr. Geoffrey Clive.

Get back to your roosts,

you popinjays.

- Sir William Courtenay.

- I pronounce this sitting adjourned!

I vote impeachment of Sir Henry

Morgan, governor of Jamaica.

- Mr. Stuart Marshall.

- I vote impeachment of Sir...

Henry Morgan.

I wish my nature hadn't changed.

I'd have made that whole

assembly walk the plank.

You can't go wrong drowning

politicians, Henry.

No, no. We're just daydreaming,

Jamie.

How soon will you have your

ship loaded, Thomas?

Another 3 hours, sir.

- You can take the tide out tonight?

- Aye, sir.

Good. It's four days to Maracaibo.

Five.

And how do you make that out,

Jamie?

Because I'm not sailing tonight.

I'm sailing tomorrow night.

- And why?

- I have a call to make.

- Where?

- It's a personal matter.

You're on that tack, are you?

That idiot child of Denby's.

- Well, my lad, you leave her alone.

- I'm having a talk with her.

And getting your face slapped again!

No, Jamie-Boy, the girl's

a bride tomorrow.

- Good riddance for you.

- I'm staying in Port Royal tonight!

You'll get on your ship

tonight and sail...

her out, or you're no

captain of mine!

If I see the Revenge in port

when the tide's running.

I'll board her myself.

And you can stay behind

and get your...

face slapped pink and blue...

by as many hussies as you like!

Now, go on, Jamie-Boy.

You've got your orders.

I'll be watching your topsails.

And don't forget, it's not

Margaret with...

an apple in her mouth

I want, but Leech.

I never see you like

this before, Jamie.

Hanging your head like a

pelican over a wench.

And if you ask me, a flouncy wench...

with no more feeling than

a load of clams.

If you kick her in the heart,

she'll break your leg.

Aw, Jamie-Boy...

there's hundreds of wenches

prettier than her...

all ready to leap into your arms

if you give them a whistle.

- Church bells.

- Aye.

Some people likes to hear them.

I like trumpets better.

- I can see her now.

- Who?

The Lady Margaret standing

up in church...

tomorrow beside that

goose-faced Ingram.

Hey, you're going down the

wrong road, Jamie.

Will you lend a hand, Tommy?

Jamie, by land or sea, you

can always rely on...

Tom Blue for wrongdoing

of any nature.

What do you want?

I didn't know you were a thief and

a housebreaker too, Mr. Waring.

Oh. Still barking at me, eh?

I expected to find the

bride cooing,

and with a soft light in her eye.

But I suppose you're saving that

up for the ceremony tomorrow.

You suppose correctly.

It would be much better

for both of us,

me gal if I hated you as I should.

I am not interested in your

emotions, Mr. Waring.

Unfortunately, I have a

tender feeling for you.

Oh, I'm as annoyed with

the fact as you are.

I doubt that.

Why I'm spending time on you,

I don't know.

You're as arrogant and silly a wench

as ever I've run afoul of.

I don't know which I'd rather see

hanging from a yardarm,

you or Leech.

If you'll go now, I promise

to think...

over your tender declaration.

I didn't know a woman could

do this to a man...

make him itch to strangle

her one minute...

and marry her the next.

- Oh, so you want to marry me?

- We'll discuss that later.

I dislike having to call the

servants to throw you out.

Look at you... hating me...

and your eyes saying,

"Don't go away.

"I belong to you. Make me

belong to you.

"Keep me from marrying this oily

little jackanapes, Ingram."

- You're mad.

- No, I've read your eyes right.

I've known too many hellcats

not to know...

what's behind all that

blaze and bluster.

Confound it, you idiot, I'm telling

you that I love you.

And you'll call me "Jamie-Boy"

before...

you call that stick of

a man "husband."

Well, are you coming with me or not?

Your conceit, Mr. Waring, has

unhinged your mind.

I warn you. Don't make me angry.

I always knew you were a nasty,

vulgar rogue.

Don't touch me!

Be quiet! Lie still, I tell you!

Be quiet, or I'll crack that

iron skull of yours.

You make courtship a little more

strenuous than I like it.

Holy Moses! Jamie!

Grab her feet and help me

get her inside.

Stand by to cast off.

You're flirting with trouble, Jamie.

Cast off, I tell you!

- Lie still.

- Giddap.

Lie still, you...

- Where's that horse blanket, Thomas?

- I'm-a sittin' on it.

I can't understand why you give

her a second look.

- She's nothing to me, you fool.

- But she's mean, Jamie,

and she's ungrateful.

Morgan will bellow his brains out

when he hears of this.

It's for Morgan I'm doing it.

This'll keep Ingram anchored in

Jamaica and away from the king.

It'd be a lot prettier if you

could put Ingram...

in a sack and drown him.

I can see no good in drowning her.

I'm not drowning her, Thomas.

Not yet.

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