Pirates of Ile de Torture Part 2
Aug. 14th, 2003 12:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
niankhsekhmetMore Ile de Torture fun...
Boarded by the Enemy
By Aisha
He swept into the room as if he himself were a sheikh. Far different from the way that barbarian infidels had been described to her, or the ones that she had seen, he carried himself differently. The way that he moved and the clothes that he wore were those of the buccaneers that she had heard tales of. But this one was still perceptibly different than any description that had reached her ears. Beneath his leathern hat that he wore, he had wrapped a red scarf about his head like the men of the upper desert. Did he know of the Barbary tribes that dwelled along the coast? Truly, she thought, this man was puzzlement. The women around her huddled and cowered as he advanced, ululating nervously.
"Come on now! Shut up! Shut it!" he barked to them. The barbarian looked straight at Aisha, who had not moved or made a sound since the barbarian had unceremoniously kicked in the door of her quarters.
"Enti tip tiff ham Ingileezi?" he said, the sound of her own language coming from him startled her. Perhaps he was not so barbaric after all, she thought.
"Aiwa. Ana buf ham Ingileezi," she replied, not able to keep her astonishment out of her voice. He had used the female dialect to address them. Perhaps they had been discovered she thought in a moment of panic. She silently made thanks to the education her father had seen fit to give her to learn the language of the British. Dependence upon translators, he had always said, was mostly detrimental.
"Well then bloody make them to quit making that gawdawful sound!" he barked at her.
In Arabic, Aisha shouted over the din of women fretting and uulating,"Quiet!"she said, then thinking she needed to do something to keep them calm added, "I do not think they mean to harm any of us."
"What's your name, boy? " the barbarian leaned forward and sniffed at her. Aisha quickly thought of a name that would be consistent with her own, one to which she would know to respond to in order to keep up her carefully crafted deception.
" Ali... My name is Ali ", she said, looking him directly in the eye. She was deterimined not to be afraid, but felt her a pinprick cut across her heart in the single instant that their eyes met. The pirate narrowed his eyes and hardened his gaze at Aisha. Then the barbarian did something quite unexpected. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek. His fingers were calloused and rough, but not unpleasant against her skin. She felt a strong tug of electricity jolt through her belly and into her thighs. She prayed that she would not blush. It was important that the pirate think that she was merely an immature boy whose facial hair was not yet apparent.
Breaking away suddenly, the captain of the enemy vessel straightened his spine with a snort and bellowed loudly, " Tell them all to get up on deck, now! Savvy? "
Aisha nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the barbarian infidel captain even as she mounted the stairs leading the women topside. Amid the grisly and bloody chaos, she kept looking in order to capture a glimpse of him again. When he did at last appear among the men who clapped him and each on the shoulders and raised their bloodied cutlasses in enthusiastic triumph at their good fortune, she sought his eyes again, as if trying to figure out what it was about him that held her so transfixed.
Even as the other members of his crew made lewd gestures and remarks with the women on deck. Aisha, who was now called Ali, remained calm, even as the other women around her huddled around her nervously at the new and unwanted attention by the barbarian infidel crew. One of them even tried to pick up Sunjali, one of the youngest of Aisha's serving women by her waist. Her pathetic mewling in high-pitched Arabic at being manhandled produced loud gaffaws of laughter among the pirate crew.
"Put her down, you scabbarous dog!" the dark eyed barbarian called out over the crew, "Don't be manhandling the merchandise or they won't even fetch a wooden dinar if they're damaged! Savvy?"
"Aw, come on, Cap'n! It's been since we were last in Tortuga!" the man who held Sunjali put her down. Immediately she scurried away, falling to the feet of Aisha and trying to hide from the leering gazes of the strange men.
"Aye, " the dark one quipped, "and it will be a whole lot longer still if you lay a hand on a one of them again! I know you all need girls, mate, but you'll have to wait till we put into port and these desert flowers will fetch a fine price in the bazaar once we get to the slave markets."
The men nodded their agreement, and went about seeing to the captured men and treasure that lay beneath the decks of the ship. Most of the other men of the crew of the Rajah's vessel had been bound or were lying bleeding upon the decks in pools of their own or their crewmates blood. Surprisingly there were few dead members of the crew of the pirate vessel.
The pirates began gathering the men and throwing them over the side of the ship. The heavy robes of those who were dressed in the Raja's honor guard were of such heavy brocaded silk that they instantly became heavy with sea water and pulled the wearer beneath the waves, others were thrown flailing or screaming into the water. The sight of dorsal fins off the starboard bow made it all to clear what the chance of survival of the Raja's men would be.
As Aisha watched the carnage in the water, she felt two pairs of hands lift her up and pass her along toward the edge of the railing. Her heart flooded with panic. They meant to throw her overboard with all the other men! Wildly her eyes searched those of the women who some reached up to hold her to them, while others shrank in horror. Just as the two men were ready to heave her over the side, a familiar English voice called out.
"Wait! " The dark barbarian captain shouted, "I've got a better idea."
Sometime's It Just Isn't A Pirate's Day
Author: Captain Jack Sparrow
Date: 07-25-03 13:37
Jack stood up in the rigging surpervising the clean up . He and the lads had plenty of experience with the aftermath of battle and set to their grueling tasks with surprisingly light hearts and willing hands. And why not? A plunder of such magnitude would set each and every man jack of them up for the rest of their natural lives and then some. The added bonus of a gaggle of women to sell was especially appealing as each one of the fresh faced ones would bring in a hefty price. Even the venerable one among them would bring profit as there were buyers who prefered an experienced wench. All was right with his world and Jack quietly pat himself on the back for a successful raid.
Yawning and stretching his battle tense muscles, he observed the enemy guard being tossed over the side. It was only when he saw Duncan and Crimp lift the boy Ali high over their heads, did a thought strike him.
"Wait! " Sparrow shouted, "I've got a better idea."
The men set the young boy on his feet while Jack slid gracefully down the mastline, his boots making no sound as he landed on deck. " I've never had a cabin boy. I think I should like to have a cabin boy...." The crew within earshot nodded and murmured their approval. " You there, Ali was it? Ali, I give you a choice. Join my crew of your own free will and serve as me cabin boy, or over the side you go to join your mates as fish food. Savvy? What say you boy? "
Once again, as their eyes met and locked, Jack felt a certain pull. His reputation as a blood thristy pirate was known from Port Royal to Madagascar. Men trembled at the name of Captain Jack Sparrow, yet this boy, this slight man child, met his gaze, locking eyes without flinching, no fear and something else. Sparrow couldn't quite put a name to it yet, but there was something, and he meant to discover just what that something was.
Finally after a moments consideration the boy nodded, " Good. Mr. Crimp... "
" Aye Sor "
" Take my new cabin boy below... " Jack grinned at the thought of having Ali in service, "...and have him put his mark to the articles. Then show him to my cabin. It can use a bit of a tidy.
" Aye Sor... Come along with me, lad... " And Jack watched Crimp escort the boy below decks.
" Mr. Duncan, see the wenchs below as well. Near the galley I would think... And post guards. I don't want any of the men ta be gettin' any ideas about spoiling the cargo. "
Jack didn't envy Mr. Duncan his task, herding these women was a bit more difficult than it sounded, but before long the last of them disappeared down the hatchway.
" We're ready ta be bringing the booty aboard, Jack. " Mr. Gibbs could hardly conceal his glee.
" Right then Mr. Gibbs, away with the plunder party and bring our booty home! "
" Aye Captain Jack, " He nodded excitedly and shouted, " Awwwright Tearlock, Cotton, Ladbrock, Smith, Smith, Smtth, Smith and Jones. PLUNDER PARTY AWAY! "
While mastlines were grabbed by the men who would swing over to the barge, the remainder of the crew whooped, hollared, and shouted their joy and happiness. In a few moments, they would all be very rich men. Very rich indeed. Jack poised himself on the rail, smiling and twirling one side of his thin mustdash mentally spending every gold piece that would soon be in his possession. " I think I should like to buy an island, " he mused, " Perhaps Jamaica! " When suddenly BOOM, a massive explosion rent the air, it's concussion knocking his weasley black arse to the deck. Immediatly he heard yet another BOOM followed by a KABOOM and finally a BADA BOOM!
Sparrow leapt to his feet bellowing, " MORGAN'S POXED LIVER!!! NO, NO, NO, NO! " as he watched shards of wood explode from the Barge's hull. Tearlock and Cotton, each laden with heavy chests, scurried upon the deck as the enemy ship took on water and began to disappear below the surface.
" CUT THE LINES!!! " Jack ordered so as not to have the Pearl pulled down as well.
With great efficiency, the men cut the lines while their crewmates tossed the booty and themselves back to the safety of their ship.
With fists planted on his hips, Jack stood over the returning men, " What the bloody hell happened? "
Tearlock spoke, as Mr. Cotton had no tongue and Mr. Cotton's parrot had stayed behind on the Viper, " Near as I can tell, Black Jimmy had a bit of an accident..."
Jack livid, his tanned skin darkening with rage, " An accident? You call that an accident? He blew up the bloody ship! Blew it up before we could get the treasure! "
" We got some..."
" SOME!!! " Jack raged on stomping about on deck, the intensity of his ire increasing with each beat of his heart. " THERE WAS A BLOODY KING'S RANSOM DOWN THERE AND NOW IT'S GONE!!!!! " Taking a deep breath, Jack grit his teeth watching the barge go down and muttered, " If Black Jimmy isn't dead, I'm gonna kill him myself! " As he calmed, Jack removed his hat, as did the rest of the crew, and mourned the loss of their prize.
It was sometime before anyone of the Pearl's crew moved, " Mr. Gibbs, I'll be in my cabin, you've got the watch... "
He heard him reply " Aye Captain ", while climbing down the stairs to his cabin. There he found the Ali, sitting crosslegged on the deck and his cabin still a bloody awful mess. For Jack that was the last straw. Grabbing his pistol from his belt, he leveled it at the boys head with the intention of spending all his fury and frustration with one pull of the trigger, " Tell me boy, tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here and now? "
The Seven Voyages of Captain Sparrow - Prologue:
Author: Aisha
Date: 07-26-03 14:31
Aisha followed the one that the dark barbarian called ‘Mr. Crimp’ below the decks of the Viper. The explosions from her own barge still rollicked the ship. It was surprisingly clean for being a pirate vessel, she thought. Perhaps if they had spent any time on the Barbary coast the influence of the meticulous Arabs rubbed off. When they reached a cabin, Crimp swung the door open and rooted into a sea chest, retrieving a leather bound book that was marked with a dingy red ribbon and parchament scroll. It was obvious the book and the scroll had seen many years of service, and many men signing into it. Crimp read off each of the laws of the ship and the penalties of any transgression against each of them. She listened numbly until Crimp reached the end.
“Do ye understand and agree?” Crimp barked, his grizzled face was only inches away, and his eyes reminded her of her father’s.
“Yes.” she nodded.
“Then affix yer mark ‘ere, Lad.” Crimp laid the book out on the table before her and uncapped the inkwell dipping the tip of the quill in the dark liquid, “Captain’s orders. You can make an ‘X’ if’n ye don’t know how to write.”
Aisha picked up the writing instrument and without thinking began to write out the familiar flourishes of her own name in Arabic, rather than the name of Ali. Before she could correct her mistake Crimp grabbed the booklet from her and snaped it shut, replacing it to its rightful place within the sea chest.
Crimp then ushered the Aisha/Ali back to the captain’s quarters in the stern of the ship. The room was an utter mess. Books, clothing, plates and silverware has been pitched everywhere as a result of the tumultuous battle. Aisha/Ali looked back at Crimp who stood behind her in the doorway and sneered.
“You’d best not touch anything you shouldn’t touch, boy. I will see to getting you a mop and a bucket so you can get to work. Now don’t be moving about or doing anything without the Cap’n’s permission!” and with a throaty choking laugh he left Ali alone in the chamber slamming the door behind him.
A great rumbling roar and black billowing smoke trailed cross the windows of the captain's quarters, Aisha hurried to them to look out at the commotion to see her own barge sinking into the waves, that were covered with soot and smoke and the debris of her lost dowry.
Aisha/Ali let out a long deep sigh. In the space of a few hours, she had gone to being a princess of a Sultan in one of the richest kingdoms of all of Arabia, to being a Sikh footman turned cabin boy of a barbarian pirate captain. At least she was safe, and neither pitched over the side of the ship or enslaved with her serving women, bound for the slave market in the hold. Yasmina had been clever to think of the ruse that allowed them to deceive the barbarians. She reached out to begin stacking the books that had spilled from a bookshelf onto the table, when she remembered Crimp’s sharp words. Seeing nothing that would be something that she could touch, since nothing there was hers, she sat down in the middle of the floor of the cabin and awaited Crimp or the dark barbarian to return and make their wishes known.
She heard booted footsteps approaching the door and in swept the dark captain. Rather than being pleased at his new acquisition, the barbarian pulled Aisha/Ali to her feet roughly and grabbed his pistol from his belt. Levelling it at the Ali’s head, he growled," Tell me boy, tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here and now? "
Aisha/Ali turned her head enough to make eye contact, “ I am more than happy to do my work, ya Qu’ab tan, but Mr. Crimp was going to bring me cleaning supplies. I was just waiting. He told me not to touch anything that wasn’t mine.”
“Bloody hell!” Sparrow growled, “I wanted you to tidy up, boy! My orders were specific. Damn, that Crimp! I took you on as a cabin boy for that reason, “ he said, reluctantly replacing the pistol in his belt, ”I still think I should kill you..”
" Then your cabin would be even more of a mess, and you would not have a cabin boy. “ Aisha/Ali said simply.
“Watch it, boy...” Sparrow rolled his jaws as if he were considering taking a bite out of his new charge,”That’s not enough incentive - not for a pirate.”
‘What if I were to buy my life this night with a story, ya Qua'b tan? " Aisha asked him in a flash of insight, "And if I amuse you, you could let me live another day. I am told seamen love good stories.."
“A storyteller are you?" Sparrow, stroked his moustache and the corner of his lips curled in what appeared to be the beginnings of a smile, “Alright...I've never had a cabin boy before, and fair enough , I'll give you a try but I'll most likely kill you in the morning - especially if I don’t like your story.”
"Within the Kingdom from which I come," she began to tell the tale as they worked, "there lived a poor and destitute porter named Hindbad, who sent out on the hottest of days to carry a heavy load of wood from one end of the city to the other. He was not even halfway across the great city when he became so tired he had to stop for a rest. Hinbad looked around and found himself on a quiet, beautiful street where the pavement was sprinkled with rose water, and a cool breeze was blowing, through the date palms. The exhausted porter set down his burden upon the ground, and seated himself beside his goods so that he could rest in the shade of a grand house. From the house's open windows there came many wonderul scents of spices, of cedar and myrrh. Also on the wind was mingled the scent of the rose water which rose up as steam from the hot pavement of the street. From inside the house, which was no less than a grand palace, the porter heard the music of many instruments being played masterfully. There was also the singing of nightingales and other birds in the trees, and the air also contained the scents of many wonderful foods. The man found himself wondering who could possibly live in so magnificent a house So in order to satisfy his curiosity, the porter went up a magnificently dressed servant who guarded the door and inquired about who would own so splendid a house."
"What?" replied the guard at the door, "Do you mean to tell me that you live in our great kingdom, and not know that here lives the noble Sindbad the Sailor? Why he is only the most famous traveler who has ever sailed over every sea that the sun shines upon!"
"Yes, well I bet even old Sindbad has heard of Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack sniffed, "Go on, boy, I'm still listening." He took the stack of books that Aisha had retreived from the floor as she was telling the story and proceeded to put them on the shelf arranging other of his personal effects around them, fussing like a parlour maid.
Aisha smiled and resumed her tale, as she watched the dark captain fuss with the exact arrangement of the tomes, "Of course, the porter had indeed heard people speak of the immense wealth of Sindbad, and the poor destitute fellow began to feel quite envious. Hinbad looked heavenward and cried,
"Almighty Allah, Creator of all things, consider the differences between Sindbad's life and mine. Every day I suffer a thousand hardships and misfortunes, and toil until I am weary just to get even enough poorly made bread to keep myself and my family alive. See here the lucky Sindbad, who spends money right and left and lives more abundantly than any in the land, save the Sultan himself!! What has he done that you should give him this pleasant life-, and pray Great and All Merciful Lord, what have I done to deserve such a miserable life?" and with that he flopped upon the ground in his grief. Just at that moment, another servant came out of the grand house and took the porter by the arm said, "Come with me, ya Ustez, for the noble Sindbad, our master, wishes to speak to you."
"Hindbad the porter was astonished at this summons, and he feared that his rash words may have drawn upon him the displeasure of Sindbad. So vexxed was he that the porter tried to excuse himself upon the pretext that he could not leave the burden which had been entrusted to him in the street and that he must return to his family who were probably quite hungry by now. But the servant promised him that all would be seen to, and urged him to accept the summons of Sinbad. At last he agreed, following the servant into the house and into an immense and richly appointed room. A great company of noble sheikhs were seated around a large table that was covered with all sorts of delicacies. At the head of the table, in the place reserved for the Master of the house, there was tall, serious looking man with a long white beard. Behind his chair stood a large number of attendants eager to minister to his every need. This man was none other than the famous Sindbad himself. The porter was amazed at the sight of such wealth and magnificence, that he tremblingly saluted the noble company. Sindbad, caused the porter to be seated at his right hand. The Master himself heaped choice morsels upon Hinbad's plate, and poured out for him a draught of excellent wine, and presently, when the banquet drew to a close, spoke to him familiarly, asking his name and occupation."
"I thought you Muslims didn't partake of wine." Sparrow was rolling his mustache thoughtfully now, sure that he had caught his newly-acquired cabin boy in a careless slub within the spin of the yarn that he was telling.
"There was a time in our history, when we did - and we had the finest vintners in the world." Aisha explained, handing him a stack of clothing which she had been folding as she told the tale. Immediately Jack Sparrow turned and placed them neatly into chests and drawers.
"Helluva thing to have to give up for Lent, mate," Sparrow said looking up closing the last of the garments into a drawer, "Go on..."
Sinbad turned the porter and said I will answer for the rest of the company as well as myself and say that we are all pleased that you have decided to join us. However, I wish you to tell me what it was that you said just now in the street." For Sindbad, had heard as he was passing by an open window just before the feast began, the complaint of the porter, and it was this that impressed Sindbad to send for him. " Aisha continued, "Hindbad was then quite embarrassed in remembering what he had prayed so loudly in the streets like a Pharisee, and hung his head, "My lord, I confess that I was overcome by weariness, and I indeed uttered those indiscreet words. By your grace I beg for your forgiveness."
"Begging is good....we like to hear them beg" Sparrow sniffed, amused.
"Dear fellow," said Sindbad, "do not distress yourself. I am not such a vain and unjust man as to blame you. Quite the contrary, I understand your situation and I am very well able to have pity upon you. However, you are mistaken about me, and I wish to set you right. I know that you imagine that I have accumulated all of the wealth and luxury that you see without difficulty or danger to myself, but this is far indeed from being the case. I have only reached this happy state after having for years suffered every possible kind of toil and danger."
"That sounds a lot like a bloody pirate logic!" Sparrow quipped.
"Yes, my noble friends," Sindbad, said to the entire company in attendance, "l assure you that my adventures have been strange enough to deter even the most avaricious men from seeking wealth by traversing the seas. Since you have, perhaps, heard but confused accounts of all of my voyages, and there are seven in all, and the dangers and wonders that I have met with by sea and land, I will now give you a full and true account of them, which I think you will be well pleased to hear."
"Oh, so now you get around to telling the tale...about bloody time. I was getting a bit impatient. Keep talking and get on with your work, boy!"
"By your grace, ya Qua'btan, I will continue," she said with what appeared to be feigned intimidation at Sparrow's displeasure, she knew that she had his rapt attention and fought to keep from smiling as she continued,
"Sindbad had inherited considerable wealth from his parents, and being young and foolish, he first squandered it recklessly upon every kind of pleasure, but presently, finding that riches speedily take to themselves wings if managed as badly as he was managing his, Sindbad remembered that being old and poor is a grave misfortune indeed. He pondered how he could make the best of what he still had left. So he sold everything and joined a company of merchants who traded by sea, embarking with them in a ship which they had fitted out between them."
"AHH HAA!!! I knew it! What did I say, Ali?" Sparrow chuckled gleefully, "that fellow Sindbad is a pirate! With a name like Sindbad...you would think!"
"Sindbad set sail and took their course towards the East Indies by way of the Gulf of Persia, having the coast of Persia upon their left hand and upon their right the shores of Arabia."
"From time to time they landed at various islands, where they sold or exchanged their merchandise. One day, when the wind dropped suddenly, Sindbad and his companions found themselves close to a small island which only rose slightly above the surface of the water. The captain of the ship gave permission to all who wished to land for a while and amuse themselves. Sindbad was among their company, but when after strolling about for a space of time, they lit a fire and sat down to enjoy when all at once they were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island. Those who had been left upon the ship set up an outcry for Sindbad and his companions to come back on board because what they believed to have been an island was the great back of a sleeping whale. Those who were nearest to the boat threw themselves into it, others sprang into the sea, but before Sinbad could save himself, the whale plunged into the deepest depths of the ocean, leaving Sindbad clinging to a piece of the wood which was still smoldering from the fire that they had just made. Meanwhile, a breeze came, and in the confusion that ensued on board the ship, they hoisted the sails to move away from the place of their misfortune. No one seems to have missed poor Sindbad, and he was left there at the mercy of the sea"
"All that day and a night he clung to the wood, weary from his struggle, until at last he spotted an island in the fog and the morning light, just a short distance before him."
"The cliffs were high and steep, but luckily some tree-roots protruded in places, grasping on to them he climbed up at last, and upon reaching the top, Sindbad lay there, more dead than alive, even until the sun was at its zenith in the sky. By that time he had become very hungry, after a short bit of searching he came upon some herbs and berries that he could eat alongside a spring of clear, cold water. After he was refreshed, Sindbad decided to set out to explore the island. In a grassy field, I saw a horse tethered and grazing. As he stood looking at the magnificent Arabian charger, he heard voices talking apparently underground, and in a moment a man appeared who asked Sindbad how he came to be on the island. Sindbad told him of his adventures, and the man confessed that he was one of the grooms of the king who owned the island. Each year they would come to feed their master's horses on this plain. The servant then took Sindbad to a cave where his companions were assembled, and when he had eaten of the food they set beforehim, they exclaimed how fortunate Sindbad was to have come upon them when he did, for soon they were going back to their master.?
"Early the next morning they all accordingly set out, and when we reached the capital Sindbad was graciously received by the king, to whom he related his adventures. The king ordered that he should be well cared for and gave him provisions and all manner of things that he needed.. Being a merchant, Sindbad again sought out men of his own profession. "
" Professional pirates, you mean, " Sparrow interjected, "Walks like a pirate, talks like a pirate, drinks like a pirate, goes for every bloody thing like a pirate...the man's a pirate. Trust me."
" Sindbad wanted to find out some means of returning home. He heard of many curious things, and answered many questions concerning his own country, for he talked willingly with all who came to him"
"One day after his return, as Sindbad went down to the quay, he saw a ship which had just cast anchor, and was unloading her cargo. While the merchants to whom it belonged were busily directing the removal of it to their warehouses, he noticed that his own name was marked upon some of the parcels after carefully examined them, he was certain that they were indeed those which he had put upon the ship that had abandoned him to the whale. He recognised the captain of the vessel, but as Sindbad was certain that he believed him to be dead, he went up to him and asked who owned the packages that I was looking at."
"There was one on board my ship," he replied, "a merchant named Sindbad..."
"Pirate," Sparrow insisted.
"One day he and several of my other passengers landed upon what we supposed to be an island, but which was really an enormous whale floating asleep upon the waves. No sooner did it feel upon its back the heat of the fire which had been kindled, than it plunged into the depths of the sea. Several of the people who were upon it perished in the waters, and among others this unlucky Sindbad. This merchandise is his, but I have resolved to dispose of it for the benefit of his family if I should ever chance to meet with them."
"Captain," said I, "I am that Sindbad whom you believe to be dead, and these are my possessions!"
"When the captain heard these words he cried out in amazement, "Liar! What is the world coming to? In these days there is not an honest man to be met with anywhere! Did I not with my own eyes see Sindbad drown, and now you have the temerity to tell me that you are he! I should have taken you to be a just man, and yet for the sake of obtaining that which does not belong to you, you are ready to invent these terrible lies!"
"That captain is a bit thick, isn't he?" Sparrow fidgeted, yet listening intently still.
"Have patience, and do me the favour to hear my story," Sinbad replied.
"Speak then," said the captain, "I'm all attention."
And so Sindbad recounted the tale of his adventures once more to this captain and after a space of some moments, Sindbad had made impression upon him, and after the arrival of some of the other merchants, who showed great joy at once more seeing me alive, he declared that they indeed recognized Sindbad."
"Allah be praised that you have escaped from such a danger! As to your goods, I pray you take them, and dispose of them as you please." Sindbad thanked him, and praised his honesty, begging him to accept several bales of merchandise in token of his gratitude, but he would have none of it. Instead, Sindbad assembled the choicest of his goods and prepared a present for King Mihrage, who was at first amazed, having known that Sindbad had lost all. However, when hehad explained to the King how his goods had been miraculously restored to him, the king graciously accepted the gifts. In return, the King gave to Sindbad many valuable things which he exchanged for sandal and aloes wood, camphor, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger root. Sindbad embarked upon the same vessel and traded so successfully upon his homeward voyage that he arrived at his home destination with no less than one hundred thousand talents."
"Bloody 'ell!" Sparrow bellowed, "no less than a hundred thousand talents? Tell me he wasn't a bloody buccaneer!"
"He bought land and slaves, and built a great house in which he resolved to live happily, and in the enjoyment of all the pleasures of life to forget his past sufferings.?
Here the great Sindbad paused from his tale, and commanded the musicians to play again, while the feasting continued until evening. When the time came for the porter to depart, Sindbad gave him a purse containing one hundred talents, saying, "Take this, Hindbad, and go home, but to-morrow come again and you shall hear more of my adventures. The porter retired quite overcome by so much generosity, and you may imagine that he was well received at home, where his wife and children thanked their lucky stars that he had found such a generous man as a benefactor.?
"WOT!? he gave something back?! Maybe he isn't so good at this after all!"
"That is the end of my tale, ya Qua'btan, for this night." the youth said, bowing his head, "I hope that it pleased you."
"Well, Ali, that was a fine tale, and you've done an excellent job tidying up my cabin. I like that. Alright, you can have your life for today. Now go off to the mess, get yourself something to eat, and see that Mr Gibbs gets you a hammock. You can put it up in here. Mind you, don't get too comfortable. I'll still most likely kill you in the morning."
Aisha/Ali was given a hammock, which the two of them secured. As Captain Sparrow drifted off, she listened to his breathing deepen. Only when she was certain that her new master slumbered, did she allow herself to close her eyes toward the arms of sleep, the ship rocking and swaying gently upon the waves.
TBC
**This installment is an adaptation of the Andrew Lang version of the first of the Seven Voyages of Sinbad, which in turn comes from the epic (17 volume) work originally translated from the Arabic by Sir Richard Burton, "The Tales of the Arabian Nights": or "A Thousand Nights and A Night". It is here that the story is recounted for the pleasure of Captain Jack Sparrow and the readers of Ile de Torture.
Boarded by the Enemy
By Aisha
He swept into the room as if he himself were a sheikh. Far different from the way that barbarian infidels had been described to her, or the ones that she had seen, he carried himself differently. The way that he moved and the clothes that he wore were those of the buccaneers that she had heard tales of. But this one was still perceptibly different than any description that had reached her ears. Beneath his leathern hat that he wore, he had wrapped a red scarf about his head like the men of the upper desert. Did he know of the Barbary tribes that dwelled along the coast? Truly, she thought, this man was puzzlement. The women around her huddled and cowered as he advanced, ululating nervously.
"Come on now! Shut up! Shut it!" he barked to them. The barbarian looked straight at Aisha, who had not moved or made a sound since the barbarian had unceremoniously kicked in the door of her quarters.
"Enti tip tiff ham Ingileezi?" he said, the sound of her own language coming from him startled her. Perhaps he was not so barbaric after all, she thought.
"Aiwa. Ana buf ham Ingileezi," she replied, not able to keep her astonishment out of her voice. He had used the female dialect to address them. Perhaps they had been discovered she thought in a moment of panic. She silently made thanks to the education her father had seen fit to give her to learn the language of the British. Dependence upon translators, he had always said, was mostly detrimental.
"Well then bloody make them to quit making that gawdawful sound!" he barked at her.
In Arabic, Aisha shouted over the din of women fretting and uulating,"Quiet!"she said, then thinking she needed to do something to keep them calm added, "I do not think they mean to harm any of us."
"What's your name, boy? " the barbarian leaned forward and sniffed at her. Aisha quickly thought of a name that would be consistent with her own, one to which she would know to respond to in order to keep up her carefully crafted deception.
" Ali... My name is Ali ", she said, looking him directly in the eye. She was deterimined not to be afraid, but felt her a pinprick cut across her heart in the single instant that their eyes met. The pirate narrowed his eyes and hardened his gaze at Aisha. Then the barbarian did something quite unexpected. He raised his hand and stroked her cheek. His fingers were calloused and rough, but not unpleasant against her skin. She felt a strong tug of electricity jolt through her belly and into her thighs. She prayed that she would not blush. It was important that the pirate think that she was merely an immature boy whose facial hair was not yet apparent.
Breaking away suddenly, the captain of the enemy vessel straightened his spine with a snort and bellowed loudly, " Tell them all to get up on deck, now! Savvy? "
Aisha nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the barbarian infidel captain even as she mounted the stairs leading the women topside. Amid the grisly and bloody chaos, she kept looking in order to capture a glimpse of him again. When he did at last appear among the men who clapped him and each on the shoulders and raised their bloodied cutlasses in enthusiastic triumph at their good fortune, she sought his eyes again, as if trying to figure out what it was about him that held her so transfixed.
Even as the other members of his crew made lewd gestures and remarks with the women on deck. Aisha, who was now called Ali, remained calm, even as the other women around her huddled around her nervously at the new and unwanted attention by the barbarian infidel crew. One of them even tried to pick up Sunjali, one of the youngest of Aisha's serving women by her waist. Her pathetic mewling in high-pitched Arabic at being manhandled produced loud gaffaws of laughter among the pirate crew.
"Put her down, you scabbarous dog!" the dark eyed barbarian called out over the crew, "Don't be manhandling the merchandise or they won't even fetch a wooden dinar if they're damaged! Savvy?"
"Aw, come on, Cap'n! It's been since we were last in Tortuga!" the man who held Sunjali put her down. Immediately she scurried away, falling to the feet of Aisha and trying to hide from the leering gazes of the strange men.
"Aye, " the dark one quipped, "and it will be a whole lot longer still if you lay a hand on a one of them again! I know you all need girls, mate, but you'll have to wait till we put into port and these desert flowers will fetch a fine price in the bazaar once we get to the slave markets."
The men nodded their agreement, and went about seeing to the captured men and treasure that lay beneath the decks of the ship. Most of the other men of the crew of the Rajah's vessel had been bound or were lying bleeding upon the decks in pools of their own or their crewmates blood. Surprisingly there were few dead members of the crew of the pirate vessel.
The pirates began gathering the men and throwing them over the side of the ship. The heavy robes of those who were dressed in the Raja's honor guard were of such heavy brocaded silk that they instantly became heavy with sea water and pulled the wearer beneath the waves, others were thrown flailing or screaming into the water. The sight of dorsal fins off the starboard bow made it all to clear what the chance of survival of the Raja's men would be.
As Aisha watched the carnage in the water, she felt two pairs of hands lift her up and pass her along toward the edge of the railing. Her heart flooded with panic. They meant to throw her overboard with all the other men! Wildly her eyes searched those of the women who some reached up to hold her to them, while others shrank in horror. Just as the two men were ready to heave her over the side, a familiar English voice called out.
"Wait! " The dark barbarian captain shouted, "I've got a better idea."
Sometime's It Just Isn't A Pirate's Day
Author: Captain Jack Sparrow
Date: 07-25-03 13:37
Jack stood up in the rigging surpervising the clean up . He and the lads had plenty of experience with the aftermath of battle and set to their grueling tasks with surprisingly light hearts and willing hands. And why not? A plunder of such magnitude would set each and every man jack of them up for the rest of their natural lives and then some. The added bonus of a gaggle of women to sell was especially appealing as each one of the fresh faced ones would bring in a hefty price. Even the venerable one among them would bring profit as there were buyers who prefered an experienced wench. All was right with his world and Jack quietly pat himself on the back for a successful raid.
Yawning and stretching his battle tense muscles, he observed the enemy guard being tossed over the side. It was only when he saw Duncan and Crimp lift the boy Ali high over their heads, did a thought strike him.
"Wait! " Sparrow shouted, "I've got a better idea."
The men set the young boy on his feet while Jack slid gracefully down the mastline, his boots making no sound as he landed on deck. " I've never had a cabin boy. I think I should like to have a cabin boy...." The crew within earshot nodded and murmured their approval. " You there, Ali was it? Ali, I give you a choice. Join my crew of your own free will and serve as me cabin boy, or over the side you go to join your mates as fish food. Savvy? What say you boy? "
Once again, as their eyes met and locked, Jack felt a certain pull. His reputation as a blood thristy pirate was known from Port Royal to Madagascar. Men trembled at the name of Captain Jack Sparrow, yet this boy, this slight man child, met his gaze, locking eyes without flinching, no fear and something else. Sparrow couldn't quite put a name to it yet, but there was something, and he meant to discover just what that something was.
Finally after a moments consideration the boy nodded, " Good. Mr. Crimp... "
" Aye Sor "
" Take my new cabin boy below... " Jack grinned at the thought of having Ali in service, "...and have him put his mark to the articles. Then show him to my cabin. It can use a bit of a tidy.
" Aye Sor... Come along with me, lad... " And Jack watched Crimp escort the boy below decks.
" Mr. Duncan, see the wenchs below as well. Near the galley I would think... And post guards. I don't want any of the men ta be gettin' any ideas about spoiling the cargo. "
Jack didn't envy Mr. Duncan his task, herding these women was a bit more difficult than it sounded, but before long the last of them disappeared down the hatchway.
" We're ready ta be bringing the booty aboard, Jack. " Mr. Gibbs could hardly conceal his glee.
" Right then Mr. Gibbs, away with the plunder party and bring our booty home! "
" Aye Captain Jack, " He nodded excitedly and shouted, " Awwwright Tearlock, Cotton, Ladbrock, Smith, Smith, Smtth, Smith and Jones. PLUNDER PARTY AWAY! "
While mastlines were grabbed by the men who would swing over to the barge, the remainder of the crew whooped, hollared, and shouted their joy and happiness. In a few moments, they would all be very rich men. Very rich indeed. Jack poised himself on the rail, smiling and twirling one side of his thin mustdash mentally spending every gold piece that would soon be in his possession. " I think I should like to buy an island, " he mused, " Perhaps Jamaica! " When suddenly BOOM, a massive explosion rent the air, it's concussion knocking his weasley black arse to the deck. Immediatly he heard yet another BOOM followed by a KABOOM and finally a BADA BOOM!
Sparrow leapt to his feet bellowing, " MORGAN'S POXED LIVER!!! NO, NO, NO, NO! " as he watched shards of wood explode from the Barge's hull. Tearlock and Cotton, each laden with heavy chests, scurried upon the deck as the enemy ship took on water and began to disappear below the surface.
" CUT THE LINES!!! " Jack ordered so as not to have the Pearl pulled down as well.
With great efficiency, the men cut the lines while their crewmates tossed the booty and themselves back to the safety of their ship.
With fists planted on his hips, Jack stood over the returning men, " What the bloody hell happened? "
Tearlock spoke, as Mr. Cotton had no tongue and Mr. Cotton's parrot had stayed behind on the Viper, " Near as I can tell, Black Jimmy had a bit of an accident..."
Jack livid, his tanned skin darkening with rage, " An accident? You call that an accident? He blew up the bloody ship! Blew it up before we could get the treasure! "
" We got some..."
" SOME!!! " Jack raged on stomping about on deck, the intensity of his ire increasing with each beat of his heart. " THERE WAS A BLOODY KING'S RANSOM DOWN THERE AND NOW IT'S GONE!!!!! " Taking a deep breath, Jack grit his teeth watching the barge go down and muttered, " If Black Jimmy isn't dead, I'm gonna kill him myself! " As he calmed, Jack removed his hat, as did the rest of the crew, and mourned the loss of their prize.
It was sometime before anyone of the Pearl's crew moved, " Mr. Gibbs, I'll be in my cabin, you've got the watch... "
He heard him reply " Aye Captain ", while climbing down the stairs to his cabin. There he found the Ali, sitting crosslegged on the deck and his cabin still a bloody awful mess. For Jack that was the last straw. Grabbing his pistol from his belt, he leveled it at the boys head with the intention of spending all his fury and frustration with one pull of the trigger, " Tell me boy, tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here and now? "
The Seven Voyages of Captain Sparrow - Prologue:
Author: Aisha
Date: 07-26-03 14:31
Aisha followed the one that the dark barbarian called ‘Mr. Crimp’ below the decks of the Viper. The explosions from her own barge still rollicked the ship. It was surprisingly clean for being a pirate vessel, she thought. Perhaps if they had spent any time on the Barbary coast the influence of the meticulous Arabs rubbed off. When they reached a cabin, Crimp swung the door open and rooted into a sea chest, retrieving a leather bound book that was marked with a dingy red ribbon and parchament scroll. It was obvious the book and the scroll had seen many years of service, and many men signing into it. Crimp read off each of the laws of the ship and the penalties of any transgression against each of them. She listened numbly until Crimp reached the end.
“Do ye understand and agree?” Crimp barked, his grizzled face was only inches away, and his eyes reminded her of her father’s.
“Yes.” she nodded.
“Then affix yer mark ‘ere, Lad.” Crimp laid the book out on the table before her and uncapped the inkwell dipping the tip of the quill in the dark liquid, “Captain’s orders. You can make an ‘X’ if’n ye don’t know how to write.”
Aisha picked up the writing instrument and without thinking began to write out the familiar flourishes of her own name in Arabic, rather than the name of Ali. Before she could correct her mistake Crimp grabbed the booklet from her and snaped it shut, replacing it to its rightful place within the sea chest.
Crimp then ushered the Aisha/Ali back to the captain’s quarters in the stern of the ship. The room was an utter mess. Books, clothing, plates and silverware has been pitched everywhere as a result of the tumultuous battle. Aisha/Ali looked back at Crimp who stood behind her in the doorway and sneered.
“You’d best not touch anything you shouldn’t touch, boy. I will see to getting you a mop and a bucket so you can get to work. Now don’t be moving about or doing anything without the Cap’n’s permission!” and with a throaty choking laugh he left Ali alone in the chamber slamming the door behind him.
A great rumbling roar and black billowing smoke trailed cross the windows of the captain's quarters, Aisha hurried to them to look out at the commotion to see her own barge sinking into the waves, that were covered with soot and smoke and the debris of her lost dowry.
Aisha/Ali let out a long deep sigh. In the space of a few hours, she had gone to being a princess of a Sultan in one of the richest kingdoms of all of Arabia, to being a Sikh footman turned cabin boy of a barbarian pirate captain. At least she was safe, and neither pitched over the side of the ship or enslaved with her serving women, bound for the slave market in the hold. Yasmina had been clever to think of the ruse that allowed them to deceive the barbarians. She reached out to begin stacking the books that had spilled from a bookshelf onto the table, when she remembered Crimp’s sharp words. Seeing nothing that would be something that she could touch, since nothing there was hers, she sat down in the middle of the floor of the cabin and awaited Crimp or the dark barbarian to return and make their wishes known.
She heard booted footsteps approaching the door and in swept the dark captain. Rather than being pleased at his new acquisition, the barbarian pulled Aisha/Ali to her feet roughly and grabbed his pistol from his belt. Levelling it at the Ali’s head, he growled," Tell me boy, tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here and now? "
Aisha/Ali turned her head enough to make eye contact, “ I am more than happy to do my work, ya Qu’ab tan, but Mr. Crimp was going to bring me cleaning supplies. I was just waiting. He told me not to touch anything that wasn’t mine.”
“Bloody hell!” Sparrow growled, “I wanted you to tidy up, boy! My orders were specific. Damn, that Crimp! I took you on as a cabin boy for that reason, “ he said, reluctantly replacing the pistol in his belt, ”I still think I should kill you..”
" Then your cabin would be even more of a mess, and you would not have a cabin boy. “ Aisha/Ali said simply.
“Watch it, boy...” Sparrow rolled his jaws as if he were considering taking a bite out of his new charge,”That’s not enough incentive - not for a pirate.”
‘What if I were to buy my life this night with a story, ya Qua'b tan? " Aisha asked him in a flash of insight, "And if I amuse you, you could let me live another day. I am told seamen love good stories.."
“A storyteller are you?" Sparrow, stroked his moustache and the corner of his lips curled in what appeared to be the beginnings of a smile, “Alright...I've never had a cabin boy before, and fair enough , I'll give you a try but I'll most likely kill you in the morning - especially if I don’t like your story.”
"Within the Kingdom from which I come," she began to tell the tale as they worked, "there lived a poor and destitute porter named Hindbad, who sent out on the hottest of days to carry a heavy load of wood from one end of the city to the other. He was not even halfway across the great city when he became so tired he had to stop for a rest. Hinbad looked around and found himself on a quiet, beautiful street where the pavement was sprinkled with rose water, and a cool breeze was blowing, through the date palms. The exhausted porter set down his burden upon the ground, and seated himself beside his goods so that he could rest in the shade of a grand house. From the house's open windows there came many wonderul scents of spices, of cedar and myrrh. Also on the wind was mingled the scent of the rose water which rose up as steam from the hot pavement of the street. From inside the house, which was no less than a grand palace, the porter heard the music of many instruments being played masterfully. There was also the singing of nightingales and other birds in the trees, and the air also contained the scents of many wonderful foods. The man found himself wondering who could possibly live in so magnificent a house So in order to satisfy his curiosity, the porter went up a magnificently dressed servant who guarded the door and inquired about who would own so splendid a house."
"What?" replied the guard at the door, "Do you mean to tell me that you live in our great kingdom, and not know that here lives the noble Sindbad the Sailor? Why he is only the most famous traveler who has ever sailed over every sea that the sun shines upon!"
"Yes, well I bet even old Sindbad has heard of Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack sniffed, "Go on, boy, I'm still listening." He took the stack of books that Aisha had retreived from the floor as she was telling the story and proceeded to put them on the shelf arranging other of his personal effects around them, fussing like a parlour maid.
Aisha smiled and resumed her tale, as she watched the dark captain fuss with the exact arrangement of the tomes, "Of course, the porter had indeed heard people speak of the immense wealth of Sindbad, and the poor destitute fellow began to feel quite envious. Hinbad looked heavenward and cried,
"Almighty Allah, Creator of all things, consider the differences between Sindbad's life and mine. Every day I suffer a thousand hardships and misfortunes, and toil until I am weary just to get even enough poorly made bread to keep myself and my family alive. See here the lucky Sindbad, who spends money right and left and lives more abundantly than any in the land, save the Sultan himself!! What has he done that you should give him this pleasant life-, and pray Great and All Merciful Lord, what have I done to deserve such a miserable life?" and with that he flopped upon the ground in his grief. Just at that moment, another servant came out of the grand house and took the porter by the arm said, "Come with me, ya Ustez, for the noble Sindbad, our master, wishes to speak to you."
"Hindbad the porter was astonished at this summons, and he feared that his rash words may have drawn upon him the displeasure of Sindbad. So vexxed was he that the porter tried to excuse himself upon the pretext that he could not leave the burden which had been entrusted to him in the street and that he must return to his family who were probably quite hungry by now. But the servant promised him that all would be seen to, and urged him to accept the summons of Sinbad. At last he agreed, following the servant into the house and into an immense and richly appointed room. A great company of noble sheikhs were seated around a large table that was covered with all sorts of delicacies. At the head of the table, in the place reserved for the Master of the house, there was tall, serious looking man with a long white beard. Behind his chair stood a large number of attendants eager to minister to his every need. This man was none other than the famous Sindbad himself. The porter was amazed at the sight of such wealth and magnificence, that he tremblingly saluted the noble company. Sindbad, caused the porter to be seated at his right hand. The Master himself heaped choice morsels upon Hinbad's plate, and poured out for him a draught of excellent wine, and presently, when the banquet drew to a close, spoke to him familiarly, asking his name and occupation."
"I thought you Muslims didn't partake of wine." Sparrow was rolling his mustache thoughtfully now, sure that he had caught his newly-acquired cabin boy in a careless slub within the spin of the yarn that he was telling.
"There was a time in our history, when we did - and we had the finest vintners in the world." Aisha explained, handing him a stack of clothing which she had been folding as she told the tale. Immediately Jack Sparrow turned and placed them neatly into chests and drawers.
"Helluva thing to have to give up for Lent, mate," Sparrow said looking up closing the last of the garments into a drawer, "Go on..."
Sinbad turned the porter and said I will answer for the rest of the company as well as myself and say that we are all pleased that you have decided to join us. However, I wish you to tell me what it was that you said just now in the street." For Sindbad, had heard as he was passing by an open window just before the feast began, the complaint of the porter, and it was this that impressed Sindbad to send for him. " Aisha continued, "Hindbad was then quite embarrassed in remembering what he had prayed so loudly in the streets like a Pharisee, and hung his head, "My lord, I confess that I was overcome by weariness, and I indeed uttered those indiscreet words. By your grace I beg for your forgiveness."
"Begging is good....we like to hear them beg" Sparrow sniffed, amused.
"Dear fellow," said Sindbad, "do not distress yourself. I am not such a vain and unjust man as to blame you. Quite the contrary, I understand your situation and I am very well able to have pity upon you. However, you are mistaken about me, and I wish to set you right. I know that you imagine that I have accumulated all of the wealth and luxury that you see without difficulty or danger to myself, but this is far indeed from being the case. I have only reached this happy state after having for years suffered every possible kind of toil and danger."
"That sounds a lot like a bloody pirate logic!" Sparrow quipped.
"Yes, my noble friends," Sindbad, said to the entire company in attendance, "l assure you that my adventures have been strange enough to deter even the most avaricious men from seeking wealth by traversing the seas. Since you have, perhaps, heard but confused accounts of all of my voyages, and there are seven in all, and the dangers and wonders that I have met with by sea and land, I will now give you a full and true account of them, which I think you will be well pleased to hear."
"Oh, so now you get around to telling the tale...about bloody time. I was getting a bit impatient. Keep talking and get on with your work, boy!"
"By your grace, ya Qua'btan, I will continue," she said with what appeared to be feigned intimidation at Sparrow's displeasure, she knew that she had his rapt attention and fought to keep from smiling as she continued,
"Sindbad had inherited considerable wealth from his parents, and being young and foolish, he first squandered it recklessly upon every kind of pleasure, but presently, finding that riches speedily take to themselves wings if managed as badly as he was managing his, Sindbad remembered that being old and poor is a grave misfortune indeed. He pondered how he could make the best of what he still had left. So he sold everything and joined a company of merchants who traded by sea, embarking with them in a ship which they had fitted out between them."
"AHH HAA!!! I knew it! What did I say, Ali?" Sparrow chuckled gleefully, "that fellow Sindbad is a pirate! With a name like Sindbad...you would think!"
"Sindbad set sail and took their course towards the East Indies by way of the Gulf of Persia, having the coast of Persia upon their left hand and upon their right the shores of Arabia."
"From time to time they landed at various islands, where they sold or exchanged their merchandise. One day, when the wind dropped suddenly, Sindbad and his companions found themselves close to a small island which only rose slightly above the surface of the water. The captain of the ship gave permission to all who wished to land for a while and amuse themselves. Sindbad was among their company, but when after strolling about for a space of time, they lit a fire and sat down to enjoy when all at once they were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island. Those who had been left upon the ship set up an outcry for Sindbad and his companions to come back on board because what they believed to have been an island was the great back of a sleeping whale. Those who were nearest to the boat threw themselves into it, others sprang into the sea, but before Sinbad could save himself, the whale plunged into the deepest depths of the ocean, leaving Sindbad clinging to a piece of the wood which was still smoldering from the fire that they had just made. Meanwhile, a breeze came, and in the confusion that ensued on board the ship, they hoisted the sails to move away from the place of their misfortune. No one seems to have missed poor Sindbad, and he was left there at the mercy of the sea"
"All that day and a night he clung to the wood, weary from his struggle, until at last he spotted an island in the fog and the morning light, just a short distance before him."
"The cliffs were high and steep, but luckily some tree-roots protruded in places, grasping on to them he climbed up at last, and upon reaching the top, Sindbad lay there, more dead than alive, even until the sun was at its zenith in the sky. By that time he had become very hungry, after a short bit of searching he came upon some herbs and berries that he could eat alongside a spring of clear, cold water. After he was refreshed, Sindbad decided to set out to explore the island. In a grassy field, I saw a horse tethered and grazing. As he stood looking at the magnificent Arabian charger, he heard voices talking apparently underground, and in a moment a man appeared who asked Sindbad how he came to be on the island. Sindbad told him of his adventures, and the man confessed that he was one of the grooms of the king who owned the island. Each year they would come to feed their master's horses on this plain. The servant then took Sindbad to a cave where his companions were assembled, and when he had eaten of the food they set beforehim, they exclaimed how fortunate Sindbad was to have come upon them when he did, for soon they were going back to their master.?
"Early the next morning they all accordingly set out, and when we reached the capital Sindbad was graciously received by the king, to whom he related his adventures. The king ordered that he should be well cared for and gave him provisions and all manner of things that he needed.. Being a merchant, Sindbad again sought out men of his own profession. "
" Professional pirates, you mean, " Sparrow interjected, "Walks like a pirate, talks like a pirate, drinks like a pirate, goes for every bloody thing like a pirate...the man's a pirate. Trust me."
" Sindbad wanted to find out some means of returning home. He heard of many curious things, and answered many questions concerning his own country, for he talked willingly with all who came to him"
"One day after his return, as Sindbad went down to the quay, he saw a ship which had just cast anchor, and was unloading her cargo. While the merchants to whom it belonged were busily directing the removal of it to their warehouses, he noticed that his own name was marked upon some of the parcels after carefully examined them, he was certain that they were indeed those which he had put upon the ship that had abandoned him to the whale. He recognised the captain of the vessel, but as Sindbad was certain that he believed him to be dead, he went up to him and asked who owned the packages that I was looking at."
"There was one on board my ship," he replied, "a merchant named Sindbad..."
"Pirate," Sparrow insisted.
"One day he and several of my other passengers landed upon what we supposed to be an island, but which was really an enormous whale floating asleep upon the waves. No sooner did it feel upon its back the heat of the fire which had been kindled, than it plunged into the depths of the sea. Several of the people who were upon it perished in the waters, and among others this unlucky Sindbad. This merchandise is his, but I have resolved to dispose of it for the benefit of his family if I should ever chance to meet with them."
"Captain," said I, "I am that Sindbad whom you believe to be dead, and these are my possessions!"
"When the captain heard these words he cried out in amazement, "Liar! What is the world coming to? In these days there is not an honest man to be met with anywhere! Did I not with my own eyes see Sindbad drown, and now you have the temerity to tell me that you are he! I should have taken you to be a just man, and yet for the sake of obtaining that which does not belong to you, you are ready to invent these terrible lies!"
"That captain is a bit thick, isn't he?" Sparrow fidgeted, yet listening intently still.
"Have patience, and do me the favour to hear my story," Sinbad replied.
"Speak then," said the captain, "I'm all attention."
And so Sindbad recounted the tale of his adventures once more to this captain and after a space of some moments, Sindbad had made impression upon him, and after the arrival of some of the other merchants, who showed great joy at once more seeing me alive, he declared that they indeed recognized Sindbad."
"Allah be praised that you have escaped from such a danger! As to your goods, I pray you take them, and dispose of them as you please." Sindbad thanked him, and praised his honesty, begging him to accept several bales of merchandise in token of his gratitude, but he would have none of it. Instead, Sindbad assembled the choicest of his goods and prepared a present for King Mihrage, who was at first amazed, having known that Sindbad had lost all. However, when hehad explained to the King how his goods had been miraculously restored to him, the king graciously accepted the gifts. In return, the King gave to Sindbad many valuable things which he exchanged for sandal and aloes wood, camphor, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger root. Sindbad embarked upon the same vessel and traded so successfully upon his homeward voyage that he arrived at his home destination with no less than one hundred thousand talents."
"Bloody 'ell!" Sparrow bellowed, "no less than a hundred thousand talents? Tell me he wasn't a bloody buccaneer!"
"He bought land and slaves, and built a great house in which he resolved to live happily, and in the enjoyment of all the pleasures of life to forget his past sufferings.?
Here the great Sindbad paused from his tale, and commanded the musicians to play again, while the feasting continued until evening. When the time came for the porter to depart, Sindbad gave him a purse containing one hundred talents, saying, "Take this, Hindbad, and go home, but to-morrow come again and you shall hear more of my adventures. The porter retired quite overcome by so much generosity, and you may imagine that he was well received at home, where his wife and children thanked their lucky stars that he had found such a generous man as a benefactor.?
"WOT!? he gave something back?! Maybe he isn't so good at this after all!"
"That is the end of my tale, ya Qua'btan, for this night." the youth said, bowing his head, "I hope that it pleased you."
"Well, Ali, that was a fine tale, and you've done an excellent job tidying up my cabin. I like that. Alright, you can have your life for today. Now go off to the mess, get yourself something to eat, and see that Mr Gibbs gets you a hammock. You can put it up in here. Mind you, don't get too comfortable. I'll still most likely kill you in the morning."
Aisha/Ali was given a hammock, which the two of them secured. As Captain Sparrow drifted off, she listened to his breathing deepen. Only when she was certain that her new master slumbered, did she allow herself to close her eyes toward the arms of sleep, the ship rocking and swaying gently upon the waves.
TBC
**This installment is an adaptation of the Andrew Lang version of the first of the Seven Voyages of Sinbad, which in turn comes from the epic (17 volume) work originally translated from the Arabic by Sir Richard Burton, "The Tales of the Arabian Nights": or "A Thousand Nights and A Night". It is here that the story is recounted for the pleasure of Captain Jack Sparrow and the readers of Ile de Torture.
