retorted.
"Oh, yes, it was crazy for me to think ye were dead all these years," Arabella snapped back, putting her hands on her hips. The tone in her voice made the rest of the Barnacles crew wince, just as it had countless pirates she had put in their place over the years at the Faithful Bride. "Considering you were forcibly taken out of my life by a pirate . . . and d idn't so much as send a card or letter saying you were sailing the high seas, having the time of your life!""And ye!" Arabella continued, turning to LeftFoot Louis, pointing both her finger and her rage at him. "Ye knew me mum were alive all along and didn't see fit to tell me. All that time. Even when I was about to kill ye!"
"It's implied in the code, love," Left-Foot Louis grumbled. "A pirate never gives away another.""A pirate never gives away a mother?" Jack asked, misunderstanding and squinting in confusion.Louis and Captain Smith just looked at one another, confused.Arabella bit her lip. She wanted to hit something. She felt like crying but didn't want to b reak down in front of everyone. And all these years, she had thought that Louis had killed her mother!"Pull up alongside us and drop anchor," Captain Smith ordered the crew of the Barnacle. "You all can come aboard and we'll talk this out.""Well, how about no . . ." Jack said.
” What?" Captain Smith demanded, outraged. It was obvious she wasn't used to being talked to in such a manner. She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder. She looked so much like Arabella it was a little creepy.
"We're not about to get cozy with a bunch of pirates Jack spat. "Even if some of said pirates are related to some perfectly good first mates and sailors. You're--still-- piratesArabella gave him a thankful look."I don't want to come aboard. Not until I have some time to t hink about things,"
Arabella told her mother, setting her jaw defiantly.Fitzwilliam stepped up next to Arabella. But if she thought he was coming to her support, she was badly mistaken."Arabella," Fitzwilliam began, "Laura--er, Captain Laura Smith is your mother" he admonished her. He took the tone of a particularly annoying, know-it-all big brother. Arabella bristled. "And one really must obey one's parents. It is the proper thing to do.""Oh, yes, just like ye properly obeyed yer dad and stayed on the family plantation to marry a rich girl and raise bananas, aye?" Arabella said sarcastically.
Tim Hawk, the Barnacles newest crew member piped up. "Actually, the whole 'armed pirates and shiny cannons thing weighs this situation in their favor. I'll go over."
"Do what ye will. I'm still not going over," Arabella said stubbornly.
"That's right. She's not. Because I order her not to," Jack added, just as stubbornly. "And none of you is going either," Jack said pointedly to Fitz and Tim.Tumen looked at Jean and sighed. "Whatever," he said bravely but a little tiredly. It was going to come to a fight no matter what. And it was all going to delay him going back home, returning the medallion, and clearing his name."Fine," Captain Smith said with a strange smile. "If you won't come to us, we'll simply need to bring you over ourselves."Jack smirked, hand to his now-b ronze cutlass. Jack's sword was turned to bronze in our previous adventure, Vol. 5, the Age of Bronze]11been waiting for a long time. . . .But Captain Laura Smith didn't order the cannons readied or muskets loaded. She even sheathed her own sword.
"Mr. Silverback," she called out. A squat, smart-looking sailor with a prosthetic--well, peg--leg came hobbling forward. His clothes were in slightly better condition than the rest of the crew's, and his smile was definitely superior. That wasn't what drew stares from the crew of the Barnacle, however. It was the peg leg.It was made of pure crystal. Sunlight danced over it and cast bright reflections all over the decks of both ships.Tim Hawk gasped in horror and recognition."I agree, the crystal leg thing's tacky, lad," Jack said, looking at
"Oh, yes, it was crazy for me to think ye were dead all these years," Arabella snapped back, putting her hands on her hips. The tone in her voice made the rest of the Barnacles crew wince, just as it had countless pirates she had put in their place over the years at the Faithful Bride. "Considering you were forcibly taken out of my life by a pirate . . . and d idn't so much as send a card or letter saying you were sailing the high seas, having the time of your life!""And ye!" Arabella continued, turning to LeftFoot Louis, pointing both her finger and her rage at him. "Ye knew me mum were alive all along and didn't see fit to tell me. All that time. Even when I was about to kill ye!"
"It's implied in the code, love," Left-Foot Louis grumbled. "A pirate never gives away another.""A pirate never gives away a mother?" Jack asked, misunderstanding and squinting in confusion.Louis and Captain Smith just looked at one another, confused.Arabella bit her lip. She wanted to hit something. She felt like crying but didn't want to b reak down in front of everyone. And all these years, she had thought that Louis had killed her mother!"Pull up alongside us and drop anchor," Captain Smith ordered the crew of the Barnacle. "You all can come aboard and we'll talk this out.""Well, how about no . . ." Jack said.
” What?" Captain Smith demanded, outraged. It was obvious she wasn't used to being talked to in such a manner. She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder. She looked so much like Arabella it was a little creepy.
"We're not about to get cozy with a bunch of pirates Jack spat. "Even if some of said pirates are related to some perfectly good first mates and sailors. You're--still-- piratesArabella gave him a thankful look."I don't want to come aboard. Not until I have some time to t hink about things,"
Arabella told her mother, setting her jaw defiantly.Fitzwilliam stepped up next to Arabella. But if she thought he was coming to her support, she was badly mistaken."Arabella," Fitzwilliam began, "Laura--er, Captain Laura Smith is your mother" he admonished her. He took the tone of a particularly annoying, know-it-all big brother. Arabella bristled. "And one really must obey one's parents. It is the proper thing to do.""Oh, yes, just like ye properly obeyed yer dad and stayed on the family plantation to marry a rich girl and raise bananas, aye?" Arabella said sarcastically.
Tim Hawk, the Barnacles newest crew member piped up. "Actually, the whole 'armed pirates and shiny cannons thing weighs this situation in their favor. I'll go over."
"Do what ye will. I'm still not going over," Arabella said stubbornly.
"That's right. She's not. Because I order her not to," Jack added, just as stubbornly. "And none of you is going either," Jack said pointedly to Fitz and Tim.Tumen looked at Jean and sighed. "Whatever," he said bravely but a little tiredly. It was going to come to a fight no matter what. And it was all going to delay him going back home, returning the medallion, and clearing his name."Fine," Captain Smith said with a strange smile. "If you won't come to us, we'll simply need to bring you over ourselves."Jack smirked, hand to his now-b ronze cutlass. Jack's sword was turned to bronze in our previous adventure, Vol. 5, the Age of Bronze]11been waiting for a long time. . . .But Captain Laura Smith didn't order the cannons readied or muskets loaded. She even sheathed her own sword.
"Mr. Silverback," she called out. A squat, smart-looking sailor with a prosthetic--well, peg--leg came hobbling forward. His clothes were in slightly better condition than the rest of the crew's, and his smile was definitely superior. That wasn't what drew stares from the crew of the Barnacle, however. It was the peg leg.It was made of pure crystal. Sunlight danced over it and cast bright reflections all over the decks of both ships.Tim Hawk gasped in horror and recognition."I agree, the crystal leg thing's tacky, lad," Jack said, looking at
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