Twenty-one Bells: [ACTION/VOICE]

[simplestgift]

[Archie has barely been around town lately, but he does appear in town this afternoon, dashing about to various shops and stores and picking up various one-use items and lots and lots of groceries. He seems to have one thing on his mind.

Later, he'll sit at the fountain and send out the voice message:]

This is Mr. Kennedy. If anyone is in need of me, I shall be at the beach house for most of the week. You can reach me there or on the journals.

Moreover, Mr. Hornblower and I are wondering if anyone would be interested in helping to build a ship. A sloop-of-war, to be specific, with room and ports enough for eighteen or twenty-two guns. I cannot claim we have a practical use for itm besides exploration, but it would be something to do. We have the plans drawn up, and all we need is enough hands to make it possible. We would be grateful for any help at all.

[After this, he'll be walking back to the beach house, where he's been babysitting Jack Sparrow since yesterday.]

Comments

[all7seas]

"You know, Kennedy..." He picked up the glass of brandy and swirled it. "She told me, once, what she could never forgive me for."

[simplestgift]

"What was it?" asked, starting to serve out the salmagundy.

[all7seas]

Sparrow covered the precious golden locket with one hand. This...this would be information Archie Kennedy needed. Because when the time came, Jack might have to ask his help, and he would need to know what was at stake.

"This, here? This represents Buffy Summers's life, shall we say. And Buffy Summers has every intention of using it as leverage with a certain Third-Party bastard who will destroy her. And when that time comes, she will ask for it back, lieutenant. She will request it and go walking straight into death.

And I shall not give it to her. And that will be what she never, ever forgives."

[simplestgift]

"That's the general's locket." He hadn't seen it in a long time, though. "I don't understand, Jack. What is it, besides a locket?"

[all7seas]

"We don't know what properties it might possess." Archie might have noticed that Jack was not caressing the gold as he would any other bit of treasure. There was something there--a hint of dread, perhaps. He treated it as a man would a bit of cursed shine: very carefully, as though it might bite. Gently he opened it, revealing the face of the distinguished-looking older woman inside.

"She believes he will want it back badly enough to parley with her."

[simplestgift]

"And she won't forgive you if you refuse to let her throw herself to the wolves." Archie stared at the locket, but made no comment about it, only wondering to himself how very pirate-like it was to hold something precious for ransom.

[all7seas]

"It's Buffy," was the helpless reply. Jack's mouth was watering at the sight of this food. He continued holding his glass, waiting for Archie to seat himself. They could raise a toast together. There had to be something to toast to.

"I'll run. I'm good at running. But eventually, lad, she'll catch me up. She'll have to take it by force. After that..." He shook his head. It was one of the reasons being parted from her right now was so painful--one of the many reasons.

"Never thought she'd leave me before that day." And then he realized she'd left him with her life still hanging 'round his neck. It hit him, such an obvious thing, and such a little, tiny, inconspicuous thing, like a ton of bricks.

"God..."

[simplestgift]

"She hasn't left you, Jack. It's the last thing she wants to do." After dishing up the food, Archie sat and poured himself a glass of brandy, then picked it up, apparently having the same sort of idea as Jack.

[all7seas]

"This food, mate---feels like home." The pirate cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To the beautiful Summers women. Their health, their happiness, their...sublime sense of mercy and forgiveness."

[simplestgift]

That made him smile, remembering the dinner set for tomorrow night. Giving even a fraction of that to Jack gave him joy. "Hear, hear," he said, lifting his glass. Then he brought it to his lips and took a largeish sip.

[all7seas]

Sparrow did the same. That was certainly enough ceremony for two hungry men. Jack, who had not eaten much in the past forty-eight hours, was famished. And for the first time he was looking at food and eating food with great appreciation and gusto--wanting it.

[simplestgift]

Some time into the dinner, Archie remembered to mention, "I'm having dinner tomorrow night with Captain Aubrey and Captain Hornblower." The two titles rolled out with ease, without thought, as if it hadn't been so long since he'd been at home at all. "Just for a few hours, I imagine."

[all7seas]

"Aubrey, eh? How's the man settling?" It was a relief to have a distraction topic at hand. Aubrey had seemed alright, for a Navy man, but you never could tell.

[simplestgift]

"He's staying in...well, what used to be William's room. I doubt he'll remain there. Jolly fellow, he seems, and he claims he can cook."

Archie was unbelievably excited about this dinner, as evidenced by the stifled smile spreading over his face.

[all7seas]

"Funny, isn't it, how life gets more better when someone cooks good things for you?"

[simplestgift]

Archie's gaze ticked up to Sparrow, and the message clicked home a moment later. "You like the dinner?"

[all7seas]

"Aye. I like the dinner. This sort of dinner, Kennedy, is what we'd have at Christmas time on the Pearl. The officers. Oooor celebratory, after we'd taken a fair prize. Not day-to-day fare for us."

[simplestgift]

"Nor for us." Archie stabbed a bit of beef with his fork. "Fresh vegetables, as you know. The ship's cook had to make do with what kept, as always, and a few days in we were knocking the weevils off the biscuits. But on land, at my father's estate..."

He hadn't been back there in about three years.

[all7seas]

"We'd get the usual--flour, salted meat, anything what kept--chickens, too, for longer journeys--but our voyages were short-ish. Hopping between the islands, mostly, with the Pearl. Marauding from Venezuela to Florida. We'd stop for fruit and water and game along the way. We knew where all the women were what would bake us things, as well. We knew the ones to beg, steal, and borrow from.

We ate like kings, though, if we did make a good haul. Ha! After sacking Nassau port..." The pirate smiled as he remembered that sacking. Oh, but it had been a grand sacking, and not a single shot fired.

"On your father's estate...?" Jack prompted between bites. "Grand place, was it?"

[simplestgift]

"Not grand." Archie took a moment to think about this. Not grand, but classic and elegant, not vast, but still an estate and therefore grander than many are used to. Not grand, but home. He smiled.

"I suppose anyone might say that about where they grew up. But it isn't grand, as far as estates go. It's still a bit odd to think of it belonging to my father, although my grandfather died several years back. It's still his, if you take my meaning."

He took a sip of brandy. "Now. Tell me about the sacking of Nassau."

[all7seas]

"More estate than I've got," Jack showed his teeth in a real smile now, all ivory-and-gold. "Me dad's a sort of importantish type in the pirating world. A stay-at-home sort of pirate, in the end, but he did take quite a few prizes with the Troubadour, and even more with the Misty Lady. That were the ship I grew up on.

Ahhhh, Nassau..."

[simplestgift]

"What happened at Nassau?"

[all7seas]

"There were a large detachment of marines at Nassau, you understand. And we had our sights set on the shipment of silver they were meant to guard on its way to the king's coffers. Silly king! What's he want with more specie?

I had a man in their midst, as well. I ever mention Joshamee Gibbs to you, Kennedy?"

[simplestgift]

Archie shook his head.

[all7seas]

"My first mate, was old Joshamee! But before that, he were a Navy man. A warrant officer, and far too interested in rum to advance much. Capital sort of old bugger, is Joshamee Gibbs. A good man. Set my dad free from prison once.

And a way with a story, mind you. I got word to him and the next day he went about infecting the ears of those marines with the story of King Pachacuti."