Pirate Jenny’s audience was on tenterhooks
as Jenny’s eyes hardened and she took another deep draught of rum. She
looked around her audience but Wabsworth couldn’t restrain himself. "What happened
next?" he breathed. "I will tell you," smiled Pirate Jenny – and she did. "Rabbit
Jenny stood and looked at the harbour she had watched for so long. Behind her, voices grew louder and louder
until she could hear every word. They were bringing the prisoners in, bringing them to her. And they wanted to know what to do with them. She heard one ask if
they should kill them now or later and all the sailors took up the cry. “Now or
later, now or later?” Their voices echoed through the shabby alleyways and the shattered
buildings of that ratty town. Rabbit Jenny stared and stared until she realised they
were asking the question of her. So she took
the second package from her bag, unwrapped it and using the hook on her injured paw, extracted a blood-stained towel. Then she lifted it high above her head and waited - waited as only Jenny
could. Everything became quiet - even the splashing of waves on the dock. The
sailors watched Jenny’s paw and it was unnaturally still for what seemed like
an age. Then way up in the air a seagull screeched. With a sudden movement
Jenny brought the towel down and breathed ... “Right now.”