barber-surgeon, once. Perhaps him could be useful.”
Jack raised his eyebrows at the big, rotting hands hanging loosely at the ends of Alex’s arms. “No offense, mate, but you’re not shaving me!” he said.
“Go now, Jack,” Tia Dalma said. “Find the Shadow Gold among your Brethren. Then return, strong, to stop the Shadow Lord and his Shadow Army.”
“No problem with part one,” Jack said. “I’ll get back to you about part two.” Despite what Tia Dalma had told him, he was pretty sure there had to be some part of the world where he could stay out of the Shadow Lord’s way. Let someone else stop his “Shadow Army.” Jack just wanted to drink the gold and get well. It was a clever plan, really, if he did say so himself.
“Well, thanks for your ‘help,’ such as it is,” Jack said, and then realized that he was talking to empty air. Tia Dalma had vanished. He was alone in the graveyard with only a blankly staring zombie for company.
Jack tilted his head, looking Alex up and down. He waved a hand in front of the zombie’s face. No reaction. Not even a blink.
Casually Jack took a big step back, and then back again. Alex shuffled forward two steps.
“Hmm,” Jack said. He turned and walked around the edge of the graveyard back to the path. When he glanced over his shoulder, Alex was obediently lumbering along behind him.
Jack sighed. “No chance I can ditch you here, is there, mate?” he asked.
“No chance you can ditch me here, mate,” Alex agreed in a monotone.
Jack shrugged. “Think you can remember to call me Captain Jack Sparrow?” he tried.
“Think I can remember to call you Captain Jack Sparrow,” Alex agreed in the same dull tone.
“Splendid,” Jack said happily. At least there was a bright side. “We’re going to have to think of a more fearsome pirate name for you, mate. Alex…that’s a tough one. Angry Alex? Aye-aye Alex. Annoying Alex? Not very piratical, is it?” He sauntered along the trail, testing out names, with Alex close behind him.
As he came closer to the pier, he saw Barbossa crouching by the post, trying to untie Jack’s elaborate knots. Luckily, Jack didn’t exactly follow the knot-tying rules of most sailors. Or any rules, really. No reason to be predictable, he always said.
“It’s all right. Not to worry, mate. I survived,” Jack said cheerfully, stumbling up to Barbossa. He reached down and with one quick tug, all of the knots came undone. Barbossa looked angry enough to strangle an alligator. Then he saw Alex shuffling along a few steps behind Jack and he let out a most un-piratelike screech.
“It’s—it’s right there—” he gibbered.
“Who, him?” Jack said, enjoying the look on Barbossa’s face. He pointed over his shoulder at the zombie. “That’s just Alex. He’s joining the crew. Not so bad, really, once you get to know him. Shame about the smell, though.”
Barbossa recovered his poise quickly. “Joining the crew ?” he snapped. “Well, of course he is. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. If we’re a-taking on stowaways and girls now, why not zombies?”
“Why not, indeed?” Jack said, hopping into the boat. “Alex, I hope you know how to row.”
Alex tilted unsteadily as he climbed into the boat, but they managed to avoid a watery debacle. He sat between the oars as Barbossa climbed into the stern, staying well away from the somewhat odorous reanimated corpse.
“I know how to row, Captain Jack Sparrow,” Alex said. Jack beamed. Perhaps having a zombie on board wouldn’t be so bad after all.
D awn began to light the edges of the sky as they rowed steadily downriver, and soon they were back in the regular world, surrounded by farmland and fields of tobacco. Jack leaned back with his hands behind his head, basking in the warmth of the Shadow Gold inside him and trying to keep his nose as far away from Alex as possible.
Six more vials of Shadow Gold, and one of them in South America. Perhaps it would be best not
Jack raised his eyebrows at the big, rotting hands hanging loosely at the ends of Alex’s arms. “No offense, mate, but you’re not shaving me!” he said.
“Go now, Jack,” Tia Dalma said. “Find the Shadow Gold among your Brethren. Then return, strong, to stop the Shadow Lord and his Shadow Army.”
“No problem with part one,” Jack said. “I’ll get back to you about part two.” Despite what Tia Dalma had told him, he was pretty sure there had to be some part of the world where he could stay out of the Shadow Lord’s way. Let someone else stop his “Shadow Army.” Jack just wanted to drink the gold and get well. It was a clever plan, really, if he did say so himself.
“Well, thanks for your ‘help,’ such as it is,” Jack said, and then realized that he was talking to empty air. Tia Dalma had vanished. He was alone in the graveyard with only a blankly staring zombie for company.
Jack tilted his head, looking Alex up and down. He waved a hand in front of the zombie’s face. No reaction. Not even a blink.
Casually Jack took a big step back, and then back again. Alex shuffled forward two steps.
“Hmm,” Jack said. He turned and walked around the edge of the graveyard back to the path. When he glanced over his shoulder, Alex was obediently lumbering along behind him.
Jack sighed. “No chance I can ditch you here, is there, mate?” he asked.
“No chance you can ditch me here, mate,” Alex agreed in a monotone.
Jack shrugged. “Think you can remember to call me Captain Jack Sparrow?” he tried.
“Think I can remember to call you Captain Jack Sparrow,” Alex agreed in the same dull tone.
“Splendid,” Jack said happily. At least there was a bright side. “We’re going to have to think of a more fearsome pirate name for you, mate. Alex…that’s a tough one. Angry Alex? Aye-aye Alex. Annoying Alex? Not very piratical, is it?” He sauntered along the trail, testing out names, with Alex close behind him.
As he came closer to the pier, he saw Barbossa crouching by the post, trying to untie Jack’s elaborate knots. Luckily, Jack didn’t exactly follow the knot-tying rules of most sailors. Or any rules, really. No reason to be predictable, he always said.
“It’s all right. Not to worry, mate. I survived,” Jack said cheerfully, stumbling up to Barbossa. He reached down and with one quick tug, all of the knots came undone. Barbossa looked angry enough to strangle an alligator. Then he saw Alex shuffling along a few steps behind Jack and he let out a most un-piratelike screech.
“It’s—it’s right there—” he gibbered.
“Who, him?” Jack said, enjoying the look on Barbossa’s face. He pointed over his shoulder at the zombie. “That’s just Alex. He’s joining the crew. Not so bad, really, once you get to know him. Shame about the smell, though.”
Barbossa recovered his poise quickly. “Joining the crew ?” he snapped. “Well, of course he is. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. If we’re a-taking on stowaways and girls now, why not zombies?”
“Why not, indeed?” Jack said, hopping into the boat. “Alex, I hope you know how to row.”
Alex tilted unsteadily as he climbed into the boat, but they managed to avoid a watery debacle. He sat between the oars as Barbossa climbed into the stern, staying well away from the somewhat odorous reanimated corpse.
“I know how to row, Captain Jack Sparrow,” Alex said. Jack beamed. Perhaps having a zombie on board wouldn’t be so bad after all.
D awn began to light the edges of the sky as they rowed steadily downriver, and soon they were back in the regular world, surrounded by farmland and fields of tobacco. Jack leaned back with his hands behind his head, basking in the warmth of the Shadow Gold inside him and trying to keep his nose as far away from Alex as possible.
Six more vials of Shadow Gold, and one of them in South America. Perhaps it would be best not
Similar Books
