Silver
Silver (Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow #6)
Rob Kidd
CHAPTER ONE
It should have been the end of his latest grand adventure. But things were never easy for Jack Sparrow, the wily teenaged captain of the mighty Barnacle.Jack fumed. Wasn't he--and his crew-- entitled to a little rest and relaxation? They had definitely earned it. After a precious item--the SunandStars medallion--was stolen from the native village of one of Jack's sailors, named Tumen, the crew of the Barnacle went and got it back. Just like they said they would. Along the way, they'd had a showdown with a notorious black-arts practitioner, Madame Minuit. And defeated a whole bunch of possessed partygoers. And added another member to their crew. Oh, yes, and accidentally turned the entire city of New Orleans into bronze.And now they should have been sailing back to the Yucatan with the horrible medallion that turned everything into bronze-- including Jack's tooth. Instead, they had been stopped by a pirate ship. And not just any pirate ship. One captained by a lady-- and not just any lady. The mother of Jack's first mate, Arabella. Who was supposed to be dead. And Mom--otherwise known as Captain Laura Smith--had a first mate. And it wasn't just any first mate, either. It was the feared pirate Left-Foot Louis. In other words, it was all bad. And very, very confusing.Most of all for Arabella."I thought ye were dead," she said quietly, staring at her long-lost mother."Oh. Well, I wasn't," Arabella's mother, the pirate captain Laura Smith, responded.Arabella didn't know what to say. The last memories she had of her mother were of her being dragged out of her family's pub--the Faithful Bride--by Left-Foot Louis.
People dragged anywhere by pirates usually didn't show up again. Ever.Arabella was shocked to see her mom alive--and also confused. And a little angry. She grew up serving pirates their ale while her dad passed out in his drink every night. All without the comfort or wisdom of a mother. And now here was her mom, suddenly back in her life again. Alive and captain o f her own ship. Wanting to make nice like everything was all right again. Just like that.Arabella opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to think of something to say, and failing--something she was completely unused to."A-hem!" Jack said, sidling up to Arabella, hands clasped casually behind his back. For once she was grateful for his interruptions. "Just a reminder here, mates. As captain of this here vessel, all extra vessel communications--that is, from us to you, 'Mommy'-- must be authorized, sanctioned, and made by me. No members of either crew are to engage in communication except through the captain. Which is me. Because . . . well, there doesn't need to be a because.' That's just the way things is""Arabella," Captain Smith said, completely ignoring Jack. The pirate bit her lip—almost exactly like a certain first mate aboard the Barnacle, Jack noticed. She was having a hard time fighting the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her.Apparently, motherly annoyance won out."Arabella!" her mother said again, now with a sternness in her voice and a frown on her face. "What are you doing on a boat . . . a barely seaworthy one at that . . .""Hey!" Jack protested, offended on behalf of the mighty Barnacle.". . . in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with . . . sailors who are barely older than hoys ...""Hey!" Jean, Tumen, and Tim, all crew members, said, also offended."And a bloody aristocrat . . ." Captain Smith continued.
"And what is wrong with aris tocracy?" Fitzwilliam demanded. "... a mangy catlike thing . . .Constance, the Barnacle's resident girlturned-cat, hissed at this insult.". . . and a captain who is clearly mad?"
"Well, thank you, mam," Jack said smiling.Arabella found her own voice. "I might ask you, mother," she said indignantly, "what ye are doing alive?"
“ Whoever said I was dead dear?" Captain Smith
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