Jack: Book 3 in the Trilogy

Captain Who? Part 3

America and Mauricia took control of the domestic needs of the ship, assigning every person a job. There were lookouts fore and aft, starboard and port; cooks; dish washers; general cleaners; deck swabbers who washed the deck; painters; meal distributors; sail menders to repair rips that might occur in the canvas sails; carpenters; coopers; those who maintained weapons whose job primarily was to keep the two cannons free of salt, and oiled; laundry workers to heat up hot salt water to clean clothing; those responsible for dumping garbage into the sea; those who cleaned the privies and dumped the waste several times each day; and fishermen who cast nets and used hooks and sinkers in the more traditional way. Everyone had something to do. Everyone worked. It rapidly became a self-sufficient community.

Even Captain Pendleton contributed without complaint as he had by then accepted that his fate for the time being was to "wallop the pots and make them shine" - just as Jack had ordered.

But after a week at sea, Jack ordered Pendleton to the forecastle.

"Morning there Captain Pendleton. How ye be doin' today?" said Jack.

"Well mister, let's say I've seen better days before the mast!" Pendleton replied.

"How's the pot-wallopin' coming along there captain?" asked Jack.

"It's coming and I'm doing what I need to do right now," said Pendleton.

"Fine, fine!" Jack said. "Nothing like some good old hands'on work to make a body 'ppreciate things," Jack said. "Hey captain, ya makin' any friends down below in the kitchen with the darkies?"

"Friends, hell no! But I like Morris and Andrew, they actually look out for me and keep me safe – you never know, ya know, on a ship like this who might be an enemy. And they also help me to finish my chores. I'm not as young as I used to be and after seven or eight hours washing dishes and pots and pans, I get tired. I must say that I really appreciate the help that they give me then. It's very surprising to me. Me a slaver sea captain and they former slaves who are kind to their former enslaver."

"Well, life's 'bout learnin', ain't it sir?" Jack said. "Glad to hear you're gettin' along so well."

"Ya know where we are a'goin'?" Jack asked.

"Course I do! Do you think I don't know what I'm about here in the mid-Atlantic? Why I've sailed these waters many times. This ship is going back to Africa as sure as the sun'll come up in the east tomorrow morning! You are going to send the darkies back home to their countries of origin."

"What do ya think 'bout that?" asked Jack.

"It's a fool's errand. You'll never make it. The pirates by now are on to ya plans and there'll be more than one ship a'coming after you once they have figured out that you tricked them and doubled back behind them, which they no doubt have done by now. You won't be able to pull the wool over their eyes again! That's for sure. That's for damn sure! You have no-one on this ship experienced enough to evade the pirates and other slavers – especially as you approach the African coast, they'll be a'hunting you down sonny. You've done amazingly well so far for a young whipper-snapper, but you're luck's going to run out there lad! You have no-one experienced enough to captain the ship through all of the adversities that this ocean will throw at you!"

"Well, that's not quite true thar Captain Pendleton, sir! We've got you!" said Jack.