a deep breath, and the salt air filled him with a happy feeling of adventure. This was much better than traveling as a stowaway, as he had before. And far nicer to be at sea than scrambling for a crust in the rough-and-tumble town of Tortuga. Jack surveyed the Barnacle. Arabella had settled onto the deck, sitting cross-legged with her back against the foremast. Her tangled auburn hair fell in front of her face as she studied Tumen's astrolabe, a navigational device that used the s tars as a way to determine a ship's position. She seemed deeply engrossed, and for Jack that was a good thing: the more crew members who knew how to navigate, the better. Fitzwilliam, calmer now, secured the lines and watched the horizon while Jean and Tumen went about their duties. And best of all-- Constance, the foul-tempered cat that Jean claimed was really his sister under a mystic's curse, was nowhere to be seen.
Yes, Jack thought proudly, this is a right trim ship. No matter that it was full of splinters, the sails were tattered, and a few spots in the galley below and over the berths leaked when it rained.Jack jumped back down onto the deck and clapped his hands. "Back to my story," he said. The crew moaned, but Jack rolled his eyes and continued des pite the protest. "Upon discovering the error Silver had made, Louis quickly had the cook-cum surgeon-cum-pirate tossed overboard. But Silver was under the protection of Sirens, who attacked Louis and used their power to fuse his botched job into place forever. He was clawed across the face by a Siren's talons, which is why he now has three scars running from his right eye over his nose to his left jawbone."Oh, ye will believe anything," Arabella said dismissively.Jack swiveled all the way around to face her. "Then, pray tell, why do you think the man in question has two left feet?"Arabella did not take her attention away from the astrolabe. "Accident of birth," she said flatly."We are obsessing over the wrong details," Fitzwilliam put in. "Louis is a dangerous pirate, and we should be concerned with how we will defeat him and secure the Sword. It will not, rest assured, be easy.""You're not frightened, are you, boyo?" Jack asked with a smirk. "I warned you this was no mission for the lily-livered and pampered.""I should think I have already proven I am neither," Fitzwilliam snapped, turning his head sharply to glare at Jack."No need to get huffy," Jack said. "Any sane man would be afraid of going up against Louis. So perhaps you're saying you're crazy. Hmm. That's a bit worrisome."Fitzwilliam sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to take Jack's bait this time.Despite his arguing, Jack knew Fitzwilliam was right. Louis would not give up the Sword. N ot when it was rumored to grant great power to whomsoever wields it--and omnipotence when it is united with its sheath. Of course, Jack badly wanted the freedom that having the Sword would provide. But equally important, he needed to keep the sword out of the hands of dangerous pirates, like Louis and Torrents--and especially out of the hands of the evil Davy Jones, who was said to rule the seas.A gust of wind billowed the mainsail, and the heavy boom swung around. Jack quickly jumped out of the way, toppling into Fitzwilliam. They both went sprawling on the deck, and a wave washed over the railing, soaking them. Jack smoothed his long dark hair and scrambled to his feet."Big wave," Jack said.Fitzwilliam got up from the now-slippery deck more slowly and carefully. "Why is the water ge tting so rough? It was not calm earlier, but it was also certainly not this violent. And there is nary a cloud in the sky, so it cannot be that Torrents has escaped and is stirring up the sea with his storms."*"Perhaps not Torrents, but it could be Louis," Jean said. "Who knows what power the Sword wields, even without the scabbard? And in the hands of Louis, a little bit of power will go a long way."Jean continued. "He is certainly a vicious man, diabolical
Yes, Jack thought proudly, this is a right trim ship. No matter that it was full of splinters, the sails were tattered, and a few spots in the galley below and over the berths leaked when it rained.Jack jumped back down onto the deck and clapped his hands. "Back to my story," he said. The crew moaned, but Jack rolled his eyes and continued des pite the protest. "Upon discovering the error Silver had made, Louis quickly had the cook-cum surgeon-cum-pirate tossed overboard. But Silver was under the protection of Sirens, who attacked Louis and used their power to fuse his botched job into place forever. He was clawed across the face by a Siren's talons, which is why he now has three scars running from his right eye over his nose to his left jawbone."Oh, ye will believe anything," Arabella said dismissively.Jack swiveled all the way around to face her. "Then, pray tell, why do you think the man in question has two left feet?"Arabella did not take her attention away from the astrolabe. "Accident of birth," she said flatly."We are obsessing over the wrong details," Fitzwilliam put in. "Louis is a dangerous pirate, and we should be concerned with how we will defeat him and secure the Sword. It will not, rest assured, be easy.""You're not frightened, are you, boyo?" Jack asked with a smirk. "I warned you this was no mission for the lily-livered and pampered.""I should think I have already proven I am neither," Fitzwilliam snapped, turning his head sharply to glare at Jack."No need to get huffy," Jack said. "Any sane man would be afraid of going up against Louis. So perhaps you're saying you're crazy. Hmm. That's a bit worrisome."Fitzwilliam sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to take Jack's bait this time.Despite his arguing, Jack knew Fitzwilliam was right. Louis would not give up the Sword. N ot when it was rumored to grant great power to whomsoever wields it--and omnipotence when it is united with its sheath. Of course, Jack badly wanted the freedom that having the Sword would provide. But equally important, he needed to keep the sword out of the hands of dangerous pirates, like Louis and Torrents--and especially out of the hands of the evil Davy Jones, who was said to rule the seas.A gust of wind billowed the mainsail, and the heavy boom swung around. Jack quickly jumped out of the way, toppling into Fitzwilliam. They both went sprawling on the deck, and a wave washed over the railing, soaking them. Jack smoothed his long dark hair and scrambled to his feet."Big wave," Jack said.Fitzwilliam got up from the now-slippery deck more slowly and carefully. "Why is the water ge tting so rough? It was not calm earlier, but it was also certainly not this violent. And there is nary a cloud in the sky, so it cannot be that Torrents has escaped and is stirring up the sea with his storms."*"Perhaps not Torrents, but it could be Louis," Jean said. "Who knows what power the Sword wields, even without the scabbard? And in the hands of Louis, a little bit of power will go a long way."Jean continued. "He is certainly a vicious man, diabolical
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