"12:00!" "12:00 and all is well!" "The night is fair!" "The wind is down!" "And the commander's daughter has recovered from the sickness!" "12:00!" "12:00." "And the people of Guadela are grateful for a night of peace!" "God be thanked in his heaven." "That midnight strikes and all is well!" "12:00!" "12:00 and all is well!" "12:00!" "A poor haul, but an easy one." "We'll do ourselves better in Maracaibo." "What are you moping about?" "Here." "Drink this." "No?" "It was an easy scuffle, Jamie-Boy." "Aye, it was." "Hey, what are you rubbing your nose for?" " I'm thinking on something." " Out with it!" "They're hanging Captain Morgan this week... hanging him on the docks in London." " That's what I'm thinking on." " Anybody lets himself get... caught and hung is nobody to drink to." "To Captain Morgan, I say!" "Hanging or walking, he's a better man than the pack of us." "Give me that comb." "Let go of that, you!" "Blast it!" "I must drink to this occasion, Captain Waring." "We are not often honored by such a distinguished visitor." "What a magnificent record." "Second in command to Henry Morgan... in the raid on Panama... the sack of Maracaibo, Portobelo, Trujillo!" "Quite a busy little cutthroat we have here." "But there is no mention of you at the attack on Granada." "I was there... killing Spaniards." "The English dog still barks!" "Is your memory improving?" "Have you remembered where..." " Captain Morgan is?" " Perfectly." " Where is he?" " In England." "You lie." "I grant you England is where he should be... hanging from a gibbet with the rest of you scum of the sea!" "But I have word from our ambassador... that he escaped." "Your news delights me, Don Miguel." "Oh." "And perhaps this will delight you too." "A quarter of a turn!" "Where were you planning to meet Morgan?" "On the far side of the moon." "Where is his ship?" "Hull down and sailing through your whiskers, Don Miguel." "A full turn!" "Speak, you devil spawn, before I quarter you!" " What is that?" " The devil looking after his own." "Easy, my brave bag of wind!" "Tommy Blue!" "Welcome to Corrientes!" "Be with you in a minute, Captain Jamie." "Hand over that sticker while I'm... in this loving mood." "March!" "Ho-ho!" "You're outnumbered." "Me and Jamie... could outnumber your whole empire!" "Take those stickers away before they hurt themselves!" "Came into the harbor to get a barrel of water... and says to a fellow, says I..." ""How's me old friend Don Miguel?"" ""Well," says he, "the noble Spaniard is entertaining people."" ""Who?" says I."Well, among his guests,"" "says he, "is Jamie Waring."" ""Well," says I, "that's a party I've got to attend."" " So up we came." " Ah." "I'll thank you later." "But tell me, Tommy, who's with you?" " How many ships have you got?" " Oh, two pretties, Jamie." "The second one's tacking in, but let me tell you the good news first!" "Never mind the news." "Get me that bottle of wine." " Huh?" "Oh." " Quick." "There's nothing like a stretch on the rack to raise a thirst." "Would you want to be laying down a minute, Jamie?" "No." "Keep a clear head, Tommy." "We've got work to do..." "Nice, pleasant work." "I'm a better man drunk than sober for any kind of work!" "You were admiring my bark, Don Miguel." " We'll see how you like my bite." " But I'm unarmed." "It's lucky you are." "If you had a sword in your hand... you'd be dead by now and stiffer than the devil's tail." "Give me a hand!" "Put him on the rack!" " Here." " Move!" "Get a move on!" "Go on!" "Have mercy, senor!" "What are you going to do now?" "I'm eager to return your hospitality, Don Miguel." " On the rack!" " Oh, no, no." "Please, no." "You'll hang for this!" "You'll hang for this, all of you." "Your English governor..." "In the name of God, let me go!" "Let me go!" " Lord Denby!" "Lord Denby!" " A musical fellow, ain't he?" "Your bark, Don Miguel, is a little louder than mine." "Turn the wheel, my lads." "What say the poets? "One good turn deserves another."" "Stop that, you bloody thieves!" "Unchain this man!" "I command you in the name of King Charles." "And who may you be, you bellowing rabbit?" "I'm Lord Denby, governor of Jamaica." "Oh, Lord Denby." "You're the gentleman who brought Captain Morgan to trial." "I'm delighted to meet you." "And I'll see you hanging on Wapping Executional Dock beside him." " I'm laughing me sides out!" " March out, you renegade louts!" "Renegade!" "You yellow turncoat!" "Befriending the Spanish and hanging your own countrymen!" "Lay down your arms!" "England and Spain... are at peace." "A treaty has been signed." "Where was it signed, Lord Denby, on that rack?" "Men, here's a rope-maker for your necks... the little English hangman from Jamaica." "Up the rope he goes!" "Up he goes." "Oh, I'm glad to see Jamie is here." " Give me a rope, somebody!" " No, no, Tommy." " No rope for him." " Oh, let me hang him, Jamie." "No." "The rope's for gentlemen with brave hearts." "The vault's the place for this English traitor." "Lock him away with all his Spanish friends." "You'll hang, all of you!" "March him off!" "Chain him to the wall!" "Let him rot in the Spanish damp." "You sea rats!" "I command you in His Majesty's name!" "Your commanding days are over, my lord." "I'm laughing me sides out!" "Put away that bottle, Tommy." "There's treasure to load." "This is a ripe and juicy castle." "Here, you guzzler!" "Take this!" "Make yourself a pretty pair of drawers!" "Two ships, you said, huh?" "We can load 'em both from this castle... and sail for Maracaibo!" "Gut the whole Spanish Main strip it and leave it like a... horse's skull on the desert." "Look at him." "Look at him." "He's fainted." "Or is he just bored with our presence?" " Close your eyes, Don Miguel." " Father!" " The devil's asking for you." " Father?" "Where's my father?" "The captain's share, gentlemen." "I bespeak it." "Where is he?" "Stay away or I'll shoot!" "I'm Lord Denby's daughter." "Ohhh." "This is a windfall." "Lady Margaret, eh?" " Who are you?" " A sea rat... a bit of ocean scum doing His Majesty's dirty work... killing the Spaniards to make room for... fat Englishmen and their nasty daughters." "Waring is my name, but those who... love me call me Jamie-Boy." "I'm not afraid of you gallows dancers." ""Gallows dancers"?" "A pretty phrase, milady." "Yes." "I've seen your kind dancing in the wind... with their necks stretched like a lot of geese flying." "And I'll see you that way too!" "Where's my father?" "Tell me or I'll shoot." "Your father is ornamenting a dungeon wall, milady." "But you'll forget about him as soon as you learn to... call me Jamie-Boy." "Let go of me, you brute!" "I always sample a bottle of wine before I buy it." "Let's have a sip, see if you're worth taking along." "Oh!" "You wench!" "Bite me, will you?" "Strike me blind!" "It's a ghost." " Hello, Jamie-Boy." " Captain Morgan!" "Don't stand there gaping like a halibut on a pier." "Henry!" "What in the name of thunder?" " So you weren't hanged!" " Not successfully." "You escaped!" "No." "A king's pardon and more." "I'm swooning like a bride." "I was telling you," "Jamie, I had news for you." "Aye, a packet of news it is, me boy." "Now put your shirt on." "You look much too naked for a decent Englishman." "And now find me my great admirer... the so-called governor of Jamaica." "And if this sad little wench be his daughter, fetch her... some smelling salts." "And you, Tom Blue, tell all me old captains... to meet me tonight at the Porker's Sterne." "Aye." " But I..." " Jamie-Boy, I got a lot to tell you." "Silence!" "Now listen to me." "If there's anybody wants to tell me different... let him stand up and get his head broke in." "I say Captain Morgan's a king's spy." "He bought his life by offering to put all... his old cronies on the end of a rope." "I say Morgan's a yellow dog!" "Now, wait there, Captain Leech." "We ought to hear what..." "Morgan's got to say." "Are you calling me a liar?" "No, but I'm saying we oughta hear Morgan out." "And nobody's calling me a liar." "Now, then, anybody else want their head broke in?" "I say Captain Morgan's a two-faced cur with the king's brand on him." "And I say Captain Leech is a gibbering ape... fit only for the company of baboons." "Ah, gentlemen, Captain Leech is in a temper." "Aha!" "Morgan's fetch-and-carry." "Don't cross with him, Jamie." "You're too drunk to do yourself justice." " A little room, please." " I always wanted to cut that... oily tongue out of you." "Leech!" "Jamie!" "Stop it!" "Stop it, you lubbers!" "Stop or I'll blast the both of you!" "I told you he was coming!" "Sit down, you two." "Over there, Captain Leech." "Your seat, Captain Waring." "Ale for all hands, Barney... and keep it pouring till we're all drowned." "Gentlemen, I am delighted to see you all still alive and kicking." "You were all my captains once... and I have called you together to know if you will still follow me." "Where to?" "The gallows at 100 guineas a head?" "Your head, Captain Leech... were it filled with gold instead of slops, wouldn't fetch that." "Gentlemen..." "I have come from England with an offer from..." "His Majesty King Charles." "A king's pardon and a hundred acres of land... to each of you who will settle down ashore... or take your ships into peaceful trade." "Oh, they'll clap us in jail the minute we dump... our cannon." "It's a trick." "And who's going to give us the hundred acres of land?" " The new governor of Jamaica." " The new governor?" " And who is the new governor?" " Henry Morgan..." "Sir Henry Morgan... knighted by His Majesty and assigned the island of Jamaica for his ruling." "I said it before and I say it again." "A king's spy." "No, Captain Leech." "A king's right arm in the Caribbean... and a strong one." "Gentlemen, England has signed a peace with Spain..." "The long fight is over." "It's a trick." "Spain wants a breathing spell from our attacks... so she can strengthen her forces here." " Quiet, Jamie." " It's a scurvy trick, I say!" "Sit down!" "They'll bring over armies and ships to murder us if we... give them peace." " Aye, they will." " Quiet, you bubbleheads!" "The privateers are done for." "They're in the past." "They must give way now to progress and the making of... law-abiding colonies." "England wants peace and time to build her empire." "Will you join me for that, Brother Leech?" "I sailed the Main with you, Morgan... and if you're crawling under the king's flag..." "I'll keep sailing it without you!" " Who's coming along to Maracaibo?" " There's a lot of gold in Maracaibo." "As governor of Jamaica, I make my first pronouncement." "I'll run every pirate and privateer into the bottom of the Caribbean." "I give those of you who don't join me... a month to clear out of English waters." "My ship, the Black Swan, don't drop... her sails for any king's spy." "That's my answer to you, Captain Morgan." "And if any of you yellow-livers get the blood... back in you, I'll lead you against Maracaibo!" "Who's coming with me?" " I, sir!" " And I, sir!" "Jamie Waring." "Come on, Jamie-Boy." "He's got the king, but we've got the wind on our side." "And a captain's share of Maracaibo." "Get down, you drunken fool." "You're my second in command." "Hey, Barney." "More ale for Captain Waring." " Aye, sir." " Gentlemen, to Captain Waring... my loyal right hand at Government House." "Come on, Jamie." "You were never meant to suck your thumb in a king's collar." " We'll get you a new ship." " To Jamie Waring!" "May his neck never grow longer!" "The occasion seems a little lacking in enthusiasm, Henry." "I imagined we'd meet with some slight disapproval." "At least we don't have to shoot our way in." "Whom do you wish to see?" "We are waiting upon Lord Denby." "His lordship is busy, sir." "He'll be busier in a few minutes." "Mr. Ingram, these gentlemen are waiting upon his lordship." " Gentlemen?" " I am Sir Henry Morgan." "From the looks of you, it could be nothing else." "Your Excellency, there are some gentlemen here... with muddy boots." "I have removed all my effects." "The premises are at your disposal for looting or burning." "I can appreciate your discomfort, milord." "It's not pleasant having a man you tried... to hang return as your superior." "But for the sake of the empire we both serve..." "I am willing to forget your distaste of me." "The ceremony making you official governor will take place tomorrow." "I shall perform all duties required... of me as an officer of the Crown." "But my personal life is my own, sir." "It does not include associating with blackguards." "Well, Sir Henry, do we run him through hang him... from the yardarm... or start dancing the minuet?" "Being governor is going to require some restraint." "There's always Maracaibo." "Get to your quarters, you blockheads!" "Both of you!" " What quarters, sir?" " How do I know?" "Find them!" "Take any rooms you want." " No, you don't!" "That's mine!" " I saw it first!" "Oh, no, sir!" "No, sir!" "Don't kill me!" "Don't kill me." "Is going." "Is going." " Pick that up." " Yes, massa." "Yes, sir." " Pick it up!" " Yes, sir." "Oh, you..." "You is one of them pirates, is you?" "Or..." "Or ain't you?" " What do I look like?" " Yes." "I mean, no, sir." " What are you doing here?" " Oh, nothing, sir." "Just going... going fast." " Stealing, eh?" " Oh, no, sir." "I was just looking for a locket that belonged to Miss Margaret." " But it ain't here, sir." "It ain't here." " This is Lady Margaret's room?" "Yes, sir." "How's her bed?" "Soft enough for me?" "Yes, sir!" "Yes, sir!" ""And 10th, we do hereby give and grant unto Sir Henry Morgan..." ""full power and authority to..." ""levy, arm, muster..." ""command and employ all persons whatsoever..." ""residing within our said colony of Jamaica," ""to march from one place to another or to embark them..." ""for the resisting and withstanding of all enemies..." ""pirates and rebels, both at sea and land." ""Given at our court at Whitehall..." ""the sixth day of November, 1674..." ""in the 16th year of our reign." " "God save the king."" " God save the king." ""We, duly elected to the Assembly..." ""by all the peoples of Jamaica..." ""renew our pledge of fealty to his most gracious..." ""Majesty King Charles II..." ""through the person of his appointed representative..." ""His Excellency, the governor of Jamaica, Sir Henry Morgan."" ""Almighty and everlasting God..." ""creator and governor of all the world..." ""by whom kings do bear rule..." ""and under whose providence they are wonderfully..." ""and mightily..." ""often times protected from many fearful dangers..." ""by which the malice of Satan and his..." ""imps do seek to entrap them." ""We give unto thy heavenly majesty most..." ""humble and hearty thanks." ""For that it hath pleased thee of thine infinite..." ""mercy and goodness in Jesus Christ..." ""so wonderfully to uphold" '..." "Whew." "That was the longest, dullest ceremony I ever heard." "I don't blame you for walking out." "You can lower your pistols, Lady Margaret." "Unfortunately, I have no pistols." "Your eyes I've looked into pistol barrels that are kinder." " Get out of my way." " Please, do me a favor and... don't make me angry." "I'm trying my hardest to behave like a gentleman." " A gentleman?" " Well, perhaps not entirely." "I only meant that my new character keeps me from seizing women... and hugging and squeezing them into submission." "Instead, I..." "I woo them with politeness... and with gifts." "Here." "Where did you get this?" "I found it in your bed." " You have my room?" " Yes." "And you haunt it sweetly each night." "Not an evening passes but I find some... new and fascinating souvenir of you... a stocking, a garter, a bit of lace." "In Tortuga, when a woman slaps a man's face... it means she wants him to grab her... overpower her and smother her with kisses." "I understand in Jamaica a gentleman must refuse such overtures." " Out of my way." " You're much too angry for... public appearance." "Give me your arm." "A turn around the garden will cool you off." "I promise not to kiss you unless you ask for it like a lady." "Roger." "Roger." "Oh." "The idiot whose face I took the liberty of removing... from your locket." "Darling, I've been hunting everywhere for you." "Take me home, please." " Has this fellow been insulting you?" " Yes." "Oh, the hero to the rescue." "It's time one of you lackeys was taught a lesson." "No, I'm under oath as a gentleman not to kill any tame rabbits." " I'll have you for that." " Leave the coward alone, Roger." "No, I'm going to make an example of him." "I'll run him through as a common thief." "Oath or no oath, you'll have to learn... not to offend your betters, Ingram." "Now, tell me, what the devil do you see in this weasel?" "Oh, darling are you hurt?" "I'm sorry." "It was all my fault." "If you're in love with him, you're too big a fool for a... man like me." "You black-hearted bully." "What do you know about men or women or anything human?" "All you can do is shoot and kill and prey on women... with your beastly senses slobbering at the sight of anything fine." "I repeat, my lass, you'll have to choose... between us and very soon too." "There you are, my beauty." "Seeing is believing." "Made for a queen, it was." "And easy to accommodate five... if you'll sleep them crosswise." "Come on." "Get that albatross out of here." "Now, hold your fire, Jamie-Boy." "I promised her she could spend the night... in the governor's daughter's bed." "Get back to your trough, both of you." "I never thought I'd live to see Jamie Waring play the snob." " Get out." " Why, Jamie..." "It's a heart of stone you got!" "Jamie, open the door!" "She's crying her head off." "Jamie, she's crying like a baby." "Massa, does you want to put your head on this?" " What's that?" " It's a pillow, massa." "Lady Margaret's own little pillow." "She always sleeps on it." "Then take it out and burn it up." " Yes, massa." " Wait a minute." "Never mind." " That's all." " Yes, massa." "Sweet dreams, massa." " Good morning, milady." " You're trespassing here." "This is my land." "I set my mind on having a friendly little talk with you this morning." "Are you all right?" "Why didn't you fall on the horse instead of letting the... horse fall on you?" "You'd think anybody's have sense enough for that." " Let me down." " Well, good morning." "You've put on a little weight, as I remember." "Put me down!" " Think you can stand?" " Yes." "I'm quite all right." "Easy now." "You'll only start a convulsion." "There's a cozy little spot." "There you are." "Oh!" "Oh, you see?" "You're scuttled fore and aft." "I think I'll have to put you to bed." "What?" "I suggest that you lie down for a spell." "Ah." "There." " You may go now." " Oh, nonsense." "If the eyes fill with blood, it's a sign... the head's broken." "No, they're clear." "Although they seem a little brighter than usual." "Don't touch me." "Now, my gal, I'm an expert on broken heads." "I've seen thousands of them." "Couldn't have picked a better doctor in all Jamaica." "Oh, a fine, hard skull." "Couldn't crack it with a bung-starter." "Let's have a look at your ankle." "Go find my horse!" "No gentleman would think of leaving a lady at a... moment like this." "Just lie still, please, and behave yourself." "This oughta teach you to be more sociable in the future." "No bones broken." "A muscle twisted." " Does that hurt there?" " No." "Fetch me some water, please." "I feel faint." "You may have thrown your knee out." "I ought to investigate." "No!" "Go fetch me some water, please!" "Well, that proves what I've always said... a woman's place is not on a horse." "There." "Now, my gal, I suggest that you stay like that... until your color comes back." "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to enjoy your society." "You seem much nicer than I thought." "Really, it occurs to me you probably have... a mother somewhere... a nice, gentle, old lady." " No, she died when I was a baby." " Possibly a sister?" "No, no, no." "No kith or kin." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "Is that why you..." "I mean, why you went to sea?" " Would you like to hear about me?" " Oh, of course I would." "Well, it's quite a story." "I haven't thought about it for a long time... but I'd like to tell it to you." "I was 14, living alone in London, when... the smell of the sea got a hold of me." "I was apprenticed to an old law firm." "You're sure I'm not boring you?" " Oh, no." "Not at all." " Well..." "Roger." "Roger!" "I give you my word on this, Captain Leech." "I'll get you news of every English treasure ship that sails... when it's leaving and the port it's making for." "It's a pretty offer, Mr. Ingram." "The nicest, prettiest offer I ever had... if you ain't lying or setting a trap for me." "Judge for yourself." "The Prince Consort is... due at Port Royal in three days... carrying English gold." "It'll layover first at Port Lobos to disembark passengers." "Prince Consort, eh?" "How many guns?" "Forty." " No escort?" " None." "We've got two ships and a hundred guns." "We could chop her into kindling." "What are you asking for this tidy piece of news?" "A captain's share." "You'll hand it over to Mr. Fenner here." "When I receive it, he'll return to 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." "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." "Stop your clacking and drive on." " Potatoes?" " No, thank you." " Meat?" " No." " How about a little bread and cheese?" " I'm not eating with you." " Oh, you'd rather starve, huh?" " Yes." "A little fasting wouldn't hurt you any." "Also, it might improve your manners." "My manners?" "Look at it calmly." "I kept you from marrying a fellow you hated." "That's a lie." "Don't argue with me while I'm eating." "I put you on a fine ship, give you the best cabin and stick... a bolt on your door." "Thanks for the bolt." "If you were really grateful, you'd tell me something." "Someone in Port Royal has been coming into a lot of money lately." " What do you mean?" " Someone who hates Morgan... and has been playing partners with Leech... giving him information and collecting a captain's... share of the booty, or I miss my guess." "I can tell by your change of color... that you know someone who's had a windfall lately." " Who is it?" "That fine father of yours?" " No, my f..." "Ingram then." "Well, why don't you answer?" "You're not after Leech." "You would like to make me believe... something foul against a decent man!" "You didn't answer me." "Come in." "What is it, Thomas?" "We just found a split in the main brace, Captain." "Will you have a look at it?" " A split in what main brace?" " We also located..." " a barnacle on the cathead." " What?" " Oh, uh, I'll be right up." " Aye, sir." "And, uh, if you want to eat behind... my back, I promise not to notice it." "There's two of them, Jamie." "It's Leech." "I knew it the minute I sighted the topmast." " The Black Swan." " And the Hawk, I make it." "They've sighted us, all right." "We're no match for the pair of them." "We may as well run for it." "We can't outrun the Black Swan." "We'd be pounded to splinters in a fight." "We can't fight with 100 guns against us." "We can't fight, and we can't run." "Nothing left to do but to disappear, which ain't practical." "Run up the black flag and head her around." "We're gonna join Leech." "But you can't fool Leech with a baby trick like that, Jamie." "Hoist the Jolly Roger." "It's a beggar's chance, but our only one." "By this time, our ships are at Maracaibo waiting for us." "We'll join Leech and lead him to Maracaibo." "He's not an easy man to lead, Jamie." "Main braces." "Back your main yards." "Come on." "Get back to your cabin and stay there." "Why?" "So I won't see that flag and know what you are?" "I'm captain of this ship, and you're taking my orders." "That's Leech and his cutthroats." "We can't fight and we can't run." "There's only one way to get out of this alive, and that's to tell Leech I've left Morgan." "That's exactly what I thought." "Mr. Ingram is right." "You are working with Leech." "You've got a head made of iron." "Get in there and think what you want." "Come aboard, Captain." "Come aboard." "And welcome." "We had a hard time finding you, Captain." "Don't try any fancy tricks on me, Waring." "You're under my cannon, and I can blast you out of the... water with a wink." "You chucklehead." "Do you see anything on this ship... that looks like we was planning to go into battle?" "If you're smart, you'll stop jabbering and talk sense." "All right." "Let's hear you make sense." "Why did you turn back?" "To join you, if you're still interested in Maracaibo." "Oh." "And I suppose the other ships are hunting me to join me too, eh?" "I never seen a man so suspicious." " What's your answer?" " My answer is they're after... your neck, Leech." "But I'm not with them." "I'm after gold." "Did you desert Morgan?" "The way I look at it, Morgan deserted me... taking up with that pack of jackanapes." "I'm not of a mind to end up playing government... with a quill stuck behind my ear." "I stood it as long as I could." "But Morgan or no Morgan, I'm here." "You're lying, Waring, you were with him yesterday." "You told the assembly you were sailing off to capture us." "You get your tidings quickly, don't you?" "Yes." "And they've always been right." "You've a skull for thinking, Captain." "What else could I tell the assembly?" "I've no hankering to grow on a gallows tree." "Enough of jawing." "Do we sign articles or not?" "There's a hole in it, Waring." "If you deserted Morgan and left... the other ships to join me... why did you go back to Port Royal at all?" "Well, come on." "Out with it." "Why?" "To get my wife." "Oh, here you are, my dove." "These good gentlemen seem to doubt that..." "I have a pretty wife aboard." "Will you come out, my sweet, and give them a look at you?" "My love, may I present Captain Leech." "Madame Waring, daughter of the former..." "Governor of Jamaica, Lord Denby." "Now you know why I'm not too welcome back in Port Royal." " Captain Waring..." " Yes, my dear." "What is it?" "I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am." "My apologies, Captain." "I'd go back to Port Royal myself to pick up a lady of such caliber." "Then we'll forget the misunderstanding." "Do you want to join forces for profit, or shall we be on our way?" "Aye, we'll sign articles." "And just to guarantee that your ship will come along to help us... you and the lady sail with me on the Swan, eh?" "It'll make the trip jollier." "That's a fair bid." "But I don't fancy subjecting my wife, who is a delicate creature, as you can see... to that riffraff crew you have aboard." "Madame, you'll be treated like the queen ya are." "I promise you I'll slit the throat of the... first dog that brings a blush to you." "You can't ask for more than that, Captain." "Are you agreed or not?" "Agreed." " Mr. Blue!" " Aye, sir." "Take over." "And to assure Captain Leech... that you're an honest man... sail abreast of the Swan at all times." "Aye, Captain." ""All other officers to get one share." ""Article eight." "Each captain has a right..." ""to value all spoils before they are divvied up."" "That's what we all agreed to at Tortuga." "Stick your name on it if you're favorable." "I'm considering..." "There's no denying that you know the..." "Gold Coast better than anybody on the Main." "It'd be a shame for you to waste your talents up at Port Royal." " My share's always been 10." " There's no arguing." "Five you'll get." "You'll nip enough out of the first 2 prizes to set you up for a year." "What's the sense of waiting around for some lumbering merchantman?" "Why not hit straight for Maracaibo?" "It's still the richest spot on the Spanish Main." "Maracaibo is the plum we're after picking, my lad." "Oh." "I'll sign." "Stick you name right there." "Have a drink." "I'll do my drinking in Maracaibo." "Good night, gentlemen." "He's got some articles in his cabin what need signing." "Get out!" "Get out!" "You can't come in here!" "With so beautiful a wife, they'd think it strange if I didn't." "I want to congratulate you for showing a spark of reason." "You saved both our hides, for the time being anyway." "All you got to do is keep on looking... at me with adoring eyes... and maybe we'll get out of this in one piece." " You monster!" " Shh!" "No love spats, my gal." "Our friends may be listening." "Did you find out who the traitor is who warned these men?" "Oh, you're not so certain anymore it's me, hmm?" "I'm certain of nothing except that I'll be murdered... before I get out of this, thanks to you." "We're not dead yet, my gal." " You can't sleep here." " I'm afraid I'll have to." "Are you very lonesome for Jamaica?" "Don't shout when you answer me." "Yes." "And you still regard me as a beast unfit for human society?" "Yes." "And you're still in love with Mr. Ingram?" "I said, are you still in love with that darling man?" "Don't you dare come near me." "Don't worry, my gal." "I won't." "Not until you call me Jamie-Boy... and ask me three times." "Be careful how you wake me up." "I'm ready to repel all boarders." "Sweet dreams." "Shh!" "Keep still." "You'll get your throat cut." "Lie down." "What do you want?" "I have come to offer me apologies." "Me oldest friend gets married, and I forget... to give him a wedding present." "It's off the Royal Treasurer." "She was on her honeymoon." "Thanks for the gift, Leech." "As pretty a sight as I ever seen." "Lawful wedlock." "There's nothing like it." "Now, that's a strange place to stick a sword right over... the bride's head." "Are you trying to make her uneasy?" "Your presence is more disturbing... to Madame Waring, I assure you." "Now, Jamie, you're talking different than you used to." "I recall your trading me a gal in Portobelo... for two barrels of rum." "Of course, this one's better and worth more." "She's all in one piece." "She's got two ears, no fingers missing." "Worth three barrels of rum." "Why don't you offer him five?" "Don't tempt him, darling." "I might take it." "That's teaching her, Jamie." "You seem to enjoy subjecting me to... every kind of embarrassment possible." "No, my sweet." "Now, don't be a snob." "We're pulling close to Maracaibo, Leech." "You're gonna be little good to us if you keep laying your head in a... bottle every night." "I'm beginning to think you're right, Jamie-Boy." "I'm gonna need my head more than I figured." " Get out of this bed." " Do you think it's safe?" "You didn't have to get in here." "You're very ungrateful, madame." "I'm sleeping with a pistol after this... and if you come near me, I'll shoot you." "Here you are." "I give you permission to blast my head off... if I'm ever idiot enough to come within a foot of you." "Hey, Captain, where'd you go hiding?" " We opened another keg." " Aw, get away!" "I'm thinking." "Thinking?" "Thinking what, Captain?" "I don't know." "I won't know until the wind's blown my head clear." " Where is he?" " Oh, Sir Henry!" "Jamie Waring!" "Where is that toad of a man?" " How did you come here?" " Don't mince around!" "Fetch the deserter out of his hiding." "Captain Jamie dropped off to Port Royal for supplies." " We've had no word of him." " Well, I will give you word of him." "He left Port Royal with Denby's puling child in a sack." "Stole her out from her home, look you, like a red Indian." "What, Captain Henry?" "I am sitting in me new wig as lord of Jamaica... when 100 foaming parents come clattering... and howling for me life's blood." " They scuttled you?" " No, I cracked a dozen skulls... and fought me way to the waterfront with the whole... of Jamaica heaving stones at me... and hid myself in a stinking load of trout." "Hoisted sail that night, and for three days..." "I've been chewing raw fish." "Well, don't gape at me." "Fetch me some ale before I blow away to dust!" "Get out of the way there, make room for Sir Henry." "Uh, sit down, Sir Henry." "Do you think Captain Jamie has deserted, or do you... count on him coming to Maracaibo?" "I am only praying that Lady Margaret does not stab him in his sleep." "For I have my own plans for him." "Aye, I've dreamed them... all the way from Port Royal." "The minute that drooling traitor sets his nose into Maracaibo..." "I am taking his innards out and stringing... them to the tops of his masts." "What about Leech, Sir Henry?" "Do not call me Sir Henry." "Jamaica is lost, and 'my title with it." "Our only chance of getting them back and keeping off... the king's gibbet... is to bring in the heads of Jamie Waring and Billy Leech... with Lady Margaret in good enough repair to bespeak us... as her saviors." "Post your lookouts around the waterfront." "And wake me up at the first sign of that wench-fancier." " Are you awake?" " Yes." " Can you swim?" " No." "That's too bad." " Have you ever seen a sea battle?" " No." "Well, you're gonna see one pretty soon." "A battle?" "Then I'd better get dressed." "Don't look." "Me gal, I have other things on my mind for the moment." " Who will be in the battle?" " We will." "My ships, the Reckless and the Lady Bess... are waiting for me in Maracaibo now." "Why didn't you tell me?" "You've been a little critical of me ever since we started." "English ships." "Yes." "Leech and his crew are sailing into Maracaibo... expecting to find a few cannon and an old stone wall." " Instead, they're finding 100 cannon..." " Stay as you are." "Don't move or I'll blast you!" "Tie them up." "Have you gone mad, you scurvy idiots?" "Quiet!" " We're an hour from battle." " I'll crack your head for you." "Put 'em down..." "You lied to me about having a bride." "What else did you lie to me about?" "Are your friends... waiting for me in Maracaibo?" "Friends?" "What friends?" "I've signed with you." "Aye, signed and bound, foxy Jamie." "I'm sailing the Revenge into Maracaibo myself... under English colors, with my own crew aboard... and I'm blowing whoever's waiting out of the water... while they're still whistling and waving handkerchiefs at you." "And what's more, I'm taking the gal with me." " I'll not go with you." " You'll fare better with me... than with Jamie." "I promise you." "I'll marry you fair and... stick no sword over your head." "He's safer out of the way now." "No, not yet." "We may be doing him an injustice... and if we are, I shall want to beg his pardon." "But if we aren't, I'll wanna do more things... to him than stick him clean with a sword." "Come along, my gal." "No!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Now, be quiet." "You'll have to wait till after the battle for your wooing." "I promise you." "If you start screaming... you'll get the flat of a sword across ya." "It's the Revenge, sir." "What are your orders?" "Let her come in and moor." "But if there's a gentleman called Jamie Waring aboard..." " bring him to me, alive if possible." " Aye, sir." "Look at him, bringing her in like a fumbling lubber." "Forgot all he ever knew about sailing a ship." "I can't make it out." "He's sailing queer." "He is love-crazy." "That's very obliging of them..." "coming down... to the shore to bid us welcome." "Steady." "Steady her up." "Well, you may lock me up in a hole, you varmints, but you can't sit on me." "Here's to you." "Bottoms up." "You bloody jackanapes!" " They ought to be taking in sail." " Blue must be drunk." "Roast me alive!" "He's coming in like he was going to blast us!" "Ready!" "Fire!" "Jamie Waring, that black-livered turncoat!" "He's handed his soul back to the devil!" "Get to the ships and blow the traitor to dust!" "Get to the fort guns!" "A broadside!" "Fire!" " Hard over!" " She don't answer." "The tiller's gone." "She's gone." "Lose your sheets!" "Lose your sheets!" "Turn loose your braces!" "Lively there!" "Graham!" " Aye, sir." " Keep pouring your fire... into the Revenge." "And get me 20 men, I'm going to board her, and with... me own hands... pull the gullet out of the mouth of that traitor," " Jamie Waring." " Aye, sir." "Tommy Blue!" " Tommy!" " Jamie." "All hands stand by... and when I tell you, heave the hatch cover, come out fighting." "Get ready, boys." "Here, what are you d..." "Captain Leech, look!" "Heave!" "You blasted king's spy!" " Where is she?" " Down in my cabin." "Jamie, we finished that bunch of sea li..." "I warned you myself about crossing swords with Leech." "Here." "Let me see, Jamie." "Missed your gizzard by an inch." "Rather a neat hole and squirting blood like a bilge pump." "Is he done for?" "Leaking a little, but on even keel, Captain." "Good." "I was afraid he would be thwarting me... by giving up the ghost prematurely." "Lady Margaret, my humble apologies to you... for the foul antics of this gentleman who was once my friend." "I assure you that every indignity you have suffered... at his hands will be avenged." "I'm taking him back to Port Royal and hanging him on the... dock in chains... and there he'll dangle to brood on his crimes till he's stoned to death." " Permit me to unfasten you." " I don't understand you, Henry... or what you've got against poor Jamie." "I've been with him constant, glued to his side... and I've never seen him commit anything in the way of a crime... except maybe a little weak-mindedness." "He stole this innocent child from her parents' home, look you... and forced his will on her like a mad savage." "That, sir, is striking at the roots of civilization." "And he'll speak his apologies from the gibbet... to this unfortunate girl and all her kin." " He did not steal me, Sir Henry." " What did you say?" "I came with him of my own will." " You'll swear to that?" " Yes, on a bible." "He said he would like my company on a sea trip... and I told him I would be delighted to go with him." "I feel exceedingly grateful to Captain Waring for... his hospitality." "The girl is mad." "Captain, we've just finished the count." "The pirates have suffered 200 killed, 70 wounded... and we've taken 130 prisoners." " What are your orders?" " Hoist sail." "I'm going to take this mad woman back to Jamaica." "Aye, sir." "Well, we've had a nice taste of fun, Tom Blue." "Aye." "That we have, Henry." "Nothing like it to keep your ears pink." "Look you, it wouldn't take much arguing... to talk me out of Jamaica." "Who wants to be sitting around stuffed with lace... and a wig shutting the wind from your head?" "Look at that sea." "And the world stretched around you like... a barrel of gold ready to drop in your lap." "It's the only life, Henry." "Say the word and the Caribbean is yours." "Captain Waring!" "Captain Waring!" "Clear the deck for action, Henry." "Here comes the last broadside." "Jamie-Boy, you shouldn't be out of bed." "Haven't you caused me enough trouble already?" "Get back to your bunk." "Oh, Jamie-Boy." "That's only twice." "Once more." "I said, three times." "Jamie-Boy." "You're not going to leave me in Jamaica?" "Oh, that I don't know." "I always sample a bottle of wine before I buy it." "Come on." "Let's have a sip to see if you're worth taking along." "What, no bites?" "There he goes." "It's the end of the Spanish Main."