is. Can we get on with the sword-fighting and swashbuckling, please?”
But Henry had been preparing this speech for decades, and he evidently wasn’t planning to shut up anytime soon. “So I hid myself away and worked on my alchemy. I found the orichalcum and made the Shadow Gold, and I learned the secret of everlasting life, and then—”
BOOM!
A shatteringly loud cannon blast split the air, causing several sailors and not a few pirates to throw themselves to the decks, covering their heads.
“What was that?” Jean shouted, his hands over his ears.
“Somebody fired a cannon!” Billy yelled.
“But—” Jack said. “But the shot came from the Pearl !”
Everyone turned to stare at the Black Pearl , which should have been deserted, as it had been empty when Henry stole it from Marseille.
Or so Henry had thought.
Slow footsteps climbed up from the cannon deck, and finally a shambling figure emerged into the bright light, shading his eyes.
It was Alex, Tia Dalma’s zombie. He had been hiding in the hold of the Pearl as Henry sailed off with it. Jack remembered that Alex had once sailed with Henry, back when he was Captain Morgan. Alex had told Jack that he’d written a book about the Shadow Lord, but he’d never told Jack the Shadow Lord’s real name.
“Well.” Jack sniffed. “I think he might have mentioned the whole being–Captain Morgan bit, don’t you?”
Jean shrugged. “You know zombies. He was probably waiting for you to ask.”
Most of the other watchers didn’t have any idea who the zombie was…but Henry Morgan clearly did. He was nearly apoplectic with rage. His face turned bright red and he shook his fists furiously.
“You!” he bellowed. “I hate you more than anyone!”
“Wow,” Jack said with a grin. “That must have been some book.”
“Look!” Billy said, pointing to the water.
Distracted by the appearance of his former barber, Captain Morgan’s grip on the shadow leashes had loosened. The ships were drifting together again—there was only about a handbreadth between the Centurion and the Seref .
On the far side of the Pearl , Benedict Huntington had noticed the same thing. In fact, he had only been half listening to Henry’s speech. From the second he spotted Jack on the deck of the Centurion , he’d been staring at the distances between the ships and waiting for his moment.
Both men leaped into action at the same time. Benedict vaulted over the rail of the Peacock and bolted across the deck of the Pearl . His gaze was focused on the bobbing decks beneath him, so he didn’t notice Jack hurling himself over the rail of the Centurion and sprinting across the deck of the Seref . They sailed right past each other as Benedict leaped onto the Seref and Jack leaped onto the Pearl .
It wasn’t until Benedict’s boots clattered to a stop on the Centurion that he looked up and realized Jack was not where he’d been a moment before. But by then he was surrounded by several unfriendly-looking pirates. With a shout of rage, Benedict drew his rapier and leaped into battle.
Muskets, bayonets, cutlasses, scimitars, daggers, and swords were coming out all across the bound-together ships. Spanish soldiers and Trading Company agents poured across the ships, wild with fury at the sight of Ammand and Villanueva, who had been tormenting and harassing their merchant traders for years. Some of them tried firing their cannons, in order to break their ships free from the shadow bonds.
On the Centurion , Villanueva bolted toward the brig to free his pirates. He wasn’t about to fight this battle alone!
Ammand strode around the deck of the Seref , shouting orders at his pirates and swinging his scimitar in swift, deadly arcs. Carolina looked around frantically. She had to get Diego out of here! The Seref was too dangerous to hide on.
Then she saw the gleam of the Shadow Gold flashing from Ammand’s sash. If Jack had that vial…maybe he’d be able to defeat the Shadow Lord.
But Henry had been preparing this speech for decades, and he evidently wasn’t planning to shut up anytime soon. “So I hid myself away and worked on my alchemy. I found the orichalcum and made the Shadow Gold, and I learned the secret of everlasting life, and then—”
BOOM!
A shatteringly loud cannon blast split the air, causing several sailors and not a few pirates to throw themselves to the decks, covering their heads.
“What was that?” Jean shouted, his hands over his ears.
“Somebody fired a cannon!” Billy yelled.
“But—” Jack said. “But the shot came from the Pearl !”
Everyone turned to stare at the Black Pearl , which should have been deserted, as it had been empty when Henry stole it from Marseille.
Or so Henry had thought.
Slow footsteps climbed up from the cannon deck, and finally a shambling figure emerged into the bright light, shading his eyes.
It was Alex, Tia Dalma’s zombie. He had been hiding in the hold of the Pearl as Henry sailed off with it. Jack remembered that Alex had once sailed with Henry, back when he was Captain Morgan. Alex had told Jack that he’d written a book about the Shadow Lord, but he’d never told Jack the Shadow Lord’s real name.
“Well.” Jack sniffed. “I think he might have mentioned the whole being–Captain Morgan bit, don’t you?”
Jean shrugged. “You know zombies. He was probably waiting for you to ask.”
Most of the other watchers didn’t have any idea who the zombie was…but Henry Morgan clearly did. He was nearly apoplectic with rage. His face turned bright red and he shook his fists furiously.
“You!” he bellowed. “I hate you more than anyone!”
“Wow,” Jack said with a grin. “That must have been some book.”
“Look!” Billy said, pointing to the water.
Distracted by the appearance of his former barber, Captain Morgan’s grip on the shadow leashes had loosened. The ships were drifting together again—there was only about a handbreadth between the Centurion and the Seref .
On the far side of the Pearl , Benedict Huntington had noticed the same thing. In fact, he had only been half listening to Henry’s speech. From the second he spotted Jack on the deck of the Centurion , he’d been staring at the distances between the ships and waiting for his moment.
Both men leaped into action at the same time. Benedict vaulted over the rail of the Peacock and bolted across the deck of the Pearl . His gaze was focused on the bobbing decks beneath him, so he didn’t notice Jack hurling himself over the rail of the Centurion and sprinting across the deck of the Seref . They sailed right past each other as Benedict leaped onto the Seref and Jack leaped onto the Pearl .
It wasn’t until Benedict’s boots clattered to a stop on the Centurion that he looked up and realized Jack was not where he’d been a moment before. But by then he was surrounded by several unfriendly-looking pirates. With a shout of rage, Benedict drew his rapier and leaped into battle.
Muskets, bayonets, cutlasses, scimitars, daggers, and swords were coming out all across the bound-together ships. Spanish soldiers and Trading Company agents poured across the ships, wild with fury at the sight of Ammand and Villanueva, who had been tormenting and harassing their merchant traders for years. Some of them tried firing their cannons, in order to break their ships free from the shadow bonds.
On the Centurion , Villanueva bolted toward the brig to free his pirates. He wasn’t about to fight this battle alone!
Ammand strode around the deck of the Seref , shouting orders at his pirates and swinging his scimitar in swift, deadly arcs. Carolina looked around frantically. She had to get Diego out of here! The Seref was too dangerous to hide on.
Then she saw the gleam of the Shadow Gold flashing from Ammand’s sash. If Jack had that vial…maybe he’d be able to defeat the Shadow Lord.
Similar Books
