A Spot of Blackmail
folder
Pirates of the Caribbean (All) › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
1,830
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Pirates of the Caribbean (All) › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
1,830
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 7
Anna woke up the next day actually looking forward to dealing with the tavern’s business. Peter and his delivery wagon were due again that day, and she needed to borrow Peter to set up her plan. She left Jack asleep and went off to the tavern early, because sitting at home twitching wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Besides which, she was hoping nature had provided her a solution to the problem with her plan. It hadn’t, and she was thinking about how to solve it when Peter showed up.
“Miz Anna, got yer delivery here.”
“Ah, just the man I want to see. Listen, Peter, do you know anyone who has a cat?”
“A cat? There’s one in our storehouse to keep the mice out of the grain. Y’need one?”
“Well, not exactly. What I need is a rat or a couple of mice or something like that.” Peter looked like she had said she wanted a slice of the moon sprinkled with stardust, but he liked Anna, so he didn’t actually say to her face that he thought she was crazy. She grinned. “No, I haven’t lost my mind. I’m trying to persuade somebody to leave me alone.”
“With mice? What y’goin’ do, put ‘em down his shirt?”
“Better than that. Remember last month when you got that snake out of the chimney?” Peter shuddered.
“’Course. Hard to forget that.”
“Snakes eat mice. If I want to catch a snake, I need mice to catch it with.”
“If y’want mice, I can get ‘em. But why on earth d’y’want a snake?” Anna grinned.
“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise. I was hoping the one we got in the chimney would come back again, or send one of his cousins or something, but I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.” Peter was looking half disgusted and half curious, and Anna decided it was probably best to change the subject. “Never mind the mice. What have you got for me today? I hope there’s a fair amount of rum.”
There was a fair amount of rum, and somewhat less brandy and porter and gin. In the process of swapping barrels, the mouse problem actually solved itself, because there was a nest of mice behind one of the empty barrels. Fortunately, Anna saw it before Peter moved the barrel, and managed to end up a frantic chase with three mice in a sack. She stashed the sack in an empty apple barrel in case the mice chewed through the sack. It would take them quite a while to chew through the barrel, and she put a lid on it so they wouldn’t be able to climb out. Peter couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.
“Miz Anna, y’really goin’ feed those mice to a snake?”
“Unless you want to catch a snake for me, I don’t think I’ve got much of a choice.”
“Couldn’t y’just use the mice, an’ forget the snake?”
“Unfortunately not, and I’m afraid the mice have to be alive. If it makes you feel any better, though, it’ll all be over before you come back next week, and I’ll never mention snakes to you again.”
“I’d be grateful, Miz Anna.” Peter shuddered again. “Snakes give me the blue creevles.” He left with his wagon, and Anna sat down to figure out how to use the mice to catch a snake. After a couple of hours of thinking, building, swearing, rebuilding, and swearing some more, she had a decent trap built and baited, and proceeded to forget about it for the rest of the night.
Either Jack had passed orders to keep Alfred away from Anna, or Alfred found somewhere else to be that night. In any case, Anna never saw him, and didn’t miss him at all. She sang, and heard a couple of new songs from new people, and served drinks, and had a good night in general. By the time she had poured the last customer out the front door, she felt as if she could deal with Alfred without Jack. “Bad idea, though. I’m not really all that intimidating.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, luv.” Jack appeared from the corner he’d hidden himself in. “I’ve seen you be intimidating.”
“Well, it doesn’t work on you.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice. Believe me, luv, when you want to be intimidating, you’re good at it.”
“Well, be that as it may, I still think having you behind me when I’m dealing with cousin Alfred is a better idea than doing it alone.”
“True. How’s the brilliant plan coming along?”
“Not sure. I should go find out, though.” Anna disappeared into the back, and Jack heard a triumphant “HA!” a minute later. About five minutes after that, Anna reappeared, carrying a bag (it was the bag she’d had the mice in, but Jack didn’t know that).
“What’s that?”
“A necessary part of the plan. If you must know, it’s a fairly large snake.” Jack looked startled, and then grinned.
“If your cousin doesn’t find you intimidating, luv, it’s definitely not your fault.”
“Miz Anna, got yer delivery here.”
“Ah, just the man I want to see. Listen, Peter, do you know anyone who has a cat?”
“A cat? There’s one in our storehouse to keep the mice out of the grain. Y’need one?”
“Well, not exactly. What I need is a rat or a couple of mice or something like that.” Peter looked like she had said she wanted a slice of the moon sprinkled with stardust, but he liked Anna, so he didn’t actually say to her face that he thought she was crazy. She grinned. “No, I haven’t lost my mind. I’m trying to persuade somebody to leave me alone.”
“With mice? What y’goin’ do, put ‘em down his shirt?”
“Better than that. Remember last month when you got that snake out of the chimney?” Peter shuddered.
“’Course. Hard to forget that.”
“Snakes eat mice. If I want to catch a snake, I need mice to catch it with.”
“If y’want mice, I can get ‘em. But why on earth d’y’want a snake?” Anna grinned.
“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise. I was hoping the one we got in the chimney would come back again, or send one of his cousins or something, but I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.” Peter was looking half disgusted and half curious, and Anna decided it was probably best to change the subject. “Never mind the mice. What have you got for me today? I hope there’s a fair amount of rum.”
There was a fair amount of rum, and somewhat less brandy and porter and gin. In the process of swapping barrels, the mouse problem actually solved itself, because there was a nest of mice behind one of the empty barrels. Fortunately, Anna saw it before Peter moved the barrel, and managed to end up a frantic chase with three mice in a sack. She stashed the sack in an empty apple barrel in case the mice chewed through the sack. It would take them quite a while to chew through the barrel, and she put a lid on it so they wouldn’t be able to climb out. Peter couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.
“Miz Anna, y’really goin’ feed those mice to a snake?”
“Unless you want to catch a snake for me, I don’t think I’ve got much of a choice.”
“Couldn’t y’just use the mice, an’ forget the snake?”
“Unfortunately not, and I’m afraid the mice have to be alive. If it makes you feel any better, though, it’ll all be over before you come back next week, and I’ll never mention snakes to you again.”
“I’d be grateful, Miz Anna.” Peter shuddered again. “Snakes give me the blue creevles.” He left with his wagon, and Anna sat down to figure out how to use the mice to catch a snake. After a couple of hours of thinking, building, swearing, rebuilding, and swearing some more, she had a decent trap built and baited, and proceeded to forget about it for the rest of the night.
Either Jack had passed orders to keep Alfred away from Anna, or Alfred found somewhere else to be that night. In any case, Anna never saw him, and didn’t miss him at all. She sang, and heard a couple of new songs from new people, and served drinks, and had a good night in general. By the time she had poured the last customer out the front door, she felt as if she could deal with Alfred without Jack. “Bad idea, though. I’m not really all that intimidating.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that, luv.” Jack appeared from the corner he’d hidden himself in. “I’ve seen you be intimidating.”
“Well, it doesn’t work on you.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice. Believe me, luv, when you want to be intimidating, you’re good at it.”
“Well, be that as it may, I still think having you behind me when I’m dealing with cousin Alfred is a better idea than doing it alone.”
“True. How’s the brilliant plan coming along?”
“Not sure. I should go find out, though.” Anna disappeared into the back, and Jack heard a triumphant “HA!” a minute later. About five minutes after that, Anna reappeared, carrying a bag (it was the bag she’d had the mice in, but Jack didn’t know that).
“What’s that?”
“A necessary part of the plan. If you must know, it’s a fairly large snake.” Jack looked startled, and then grinned.
“If your cousin doesn’t find you intimidating, luv, it’s definitely not your fault.”