Title: In Living Colour
Author: Oneiriad
Disclaimer: Neither PotC nor Good Omens belongs to me - all I've got is a paperback and some dvds.
Notes: concertigrossi asked for "Good Omens / Pirates of the Caribbean, James Norrington". This is the result.

At first James is relieved - at least this slaver isn't a smuggler going to do his level best to get rid of the evidence before the navy ship catches up with him. At least this is a perfectly legitimate vessel that just happens to be French and therefore also a legitimate prize. His relief is gone by the time he enters the cargo hold. Monsieur Jaune, the ship's physician, wrings his hands as he describes the usual course of the illness - and later James will remember the strange gleam in the man's eyes, as his own ship lies at anchor outside of Port Royal, waiting while his men die around him, waiting for the end of the quarantine.

***

Frau Karmesin does not at first seem like a particularly memorable passenger, even if James wonders why the Admiral insisted on him sailing her to Hispaniola instead of simply paying for her passage on the next post boat. Later he'll remember only too well how she laughed in the middle of the pitched three-way battle - and the taste of his own blood as she bit into his lips, the strength of her as she pushed him down on his cot, impaling herself and laughing as she rode him, laughing as he tried to push her off. Later he'll try to forget.

***

Johann van Zwart might be a succesful merchant, but listening to him talk about his business ventures is making this dinner party unbearably long - and the usually so very good food at the Governor's table tastes bland today - well, the better parts of it, anyway. James is a sailor, so he soldiers on, defiantly chewing and swallowing, while around the table gentlemen and ladies are trying to discreetly not eat. And next to him, van Zwart drones on and on about his latest deal, a favourable monopoly on the selling of supplies for the slaves on some of the Windward Islands.

***

He never actually sees the man on the horse. He barely even sees the horse. He's fairly sure it's white. Reasonably sure. Maybe. Perhaps more yellow than white. But he'll stand before the gallows as the hangman opens the hatch or by the market as a rolling barrel crashes into a child or at the beach as the man whose second he was slowly collapses in a growing red pool - and he'll hear the sound of hooves and turn around one moment too late. Always too late. He's starts to hear it aboard ship and thinks perhaps he's gowing crazy, then later in Tortuga and tries to drown it with rum, as the hooves sound as the echo of fired shots and angry shouts. Then he hears it aboard the Flying Dutchman and this time he finally manages to turn around in time, but he's still not entirely sure what colour the horse is.