Pirate, Extraordinaire // Sequel to Take Off Your Dress, Pick Up A Sword

an escape

Jack's nonsense speak evidently translated to: put the fresh meat into the spherical cages made of people.

Even under the horrendous circumstances, Joanna felt tentative joy to see her fellow Pearls. As the macabre prison was lowered into the gorge, she accepted friendly, painful slaps to her back with an abashed smile.

"It is good to see you." Lejon's smile was warm.

Marty interrogated her with a grin. "How's civvie life, J'ana?"

Joanna was almost dizzy with relief at the positive reception. Upon leaving the Pearl, she had been near positive the crew would welcome a reprieve from her womanly presence -- apparently, they had missed her at least a little bit.

"They" meaning "some". Risking a glance toward the other cage revealed a handful of male pirates glaring spitefully.

"It was certainly better than whatever the hell this is." Joanna forced her attention to her companions, answering Marty's question with a shaky smile. She knocked her fist against a dry, yellow femur. "What're the odds this snaps and we fall to our deaths, d'you think?"

Gibbs winced. "Best not to calculate."

Joanna grinned at the Pearl's lionized quartermaster. He returned it. "It's good to see you, Gibbs."

"Why would he do this to us?" The question burst out of an incensed Will. "He's the chief, isn't he?"

"Aye." Gibbs nodded gravely. "The Pelegostos've made Jack their chief. But he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief."

"So he's no choice," Joanna murmured. It was a confirmation of her own assumptions.

"He's a prisoner as much as we are," Will tacked on, his spirits visibly sinking.

"Worse, as it turns out." Gibbs stared gloomily into the ravine. Despite his melancholia, he delivered the explanation with some relish -- Gibbs loved nothing more than to wind and spin stories. "Y'see, the Pelegostos believe Jack is a god in human form. An' they intend to do 'im the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison."

Joanna bit her lip and cast her eyes to the top of the cliff. Somewhere beyond it, Jack was sitting atop a throne and thinking very, very quickly.

"Ouch!" Gibbs exclaimed angrily. Joanna looked back and was surprised to see Cotton's teeth buried in Gibbs' hand. "Cotton, they don't need a demonstration."

"I appreciate it," Joanna said distractedly, still worrying over Jack's unusual situation.

"I don't," Gibbs groused. He shook his hand irritably and cast a loathful glance in the direction of the Pelegostos' village. "When the drumming ends, so will Jack's life. They'll roast 'im and eat 'im."

"Let's hope the drums don't stop," Will murmured.

Joanna nodded her sincere concurrence. She spared a curious look for Gibbs. "According to Jack, he was but a lowly chief last time he visited the Pelegostos. How'd he graduate to god?"

"You'll have to ask him." Gibbs rolled his eyes long-sufferingly. "Assumin' we ever get out o' these blasted things."

The cages. As Joanna flexed her hand around a sinewy shin bone, sudden foreboding sent a shiver down her spine. "...Where's the rest of the crew? I don't see Anamaria."

Gibbs nodded forlornly. "These cages weren't built 'till after we got here."

Joanna's heart sunk. Anamaria, gone. She struggled to imagine the Black Pearl without Anamaria's ferocious and passionate flyaway insults. I'll have the cabin to myself, she realized miserably, thinking of the room she shared with the Pearl's fiery first mate.