his newest crew member curiously. "But not the ugliest thin g I've seen on the high seas."
"Please, invite our guests over," Captain Smith said, grinning."Would be nothin' but my pleasure, Captain," Silverback said, smiling nastily back.He held his hand out towards the Barnacle. Not sure what the pirate with the weird leg was doing, but getting a general threatening' feel from the gesture, Jack moved in front of Arabella, protecting her. Normally he would never dare to do such a thing, but her mother looked pretty determined--and a mad mother is not someone you want to play around with.With a quick sweep of Silverbacks hand, Jack and his crew felt a tingling in their limbs. Then they disappeared.
CHAPTER TWO
A moment later, the six crewmates--and the cat--found themselves dizzy and disoriented. And no longer on the Barnacle.Jack looked around, confused by the sudden shift in perspective. They were higher up off the sea. And aboard a different deck. And surrounded by a number of pirates.They had somehow been transported to the other ship!Jack groped f or his sword. Whatever magic was used, the effect was extremely disorienting. No one else was doing any better--Fitzwilliam was staggering around, trying to keep from falling.The pirate Silverback's crystal leg was flashing a clear, sky blue, which wasn't helping the situation any. It gave Jack a headache. The sailor smiled nastily at him . . . and revealed a matching crystal tooth. Which also flashed blue."I have one of those," Jack said with interest, pointing at his recently bronzed incisor* Of course, it's not as fancy as yours. It's just metal, and it doesn't blink and kidnap perfectly innocent adventurers. . . ."
"Now, who do we have here, Mr. Silverback?" Captain Smith inquired, once again ignoring Jack. She g rinned smugly. Kind of like Arabella when she was going on about some subject that no one else knew anything about."Well," the crystal-legged pirate began with relish. He leaned on a cane--which had a crystal pommel--and hobbled back and forth in front of the crew, lecturing like a school teacher. He spoke very clearly and snootily, not like a normal pirate in sea-slang. "I recognize one of the lads--a fellow by the name of Tim Hawk, whom I've encountered before."The crew of the Barnacle turned and looked questioningly at their newest addition.Tim shook his head, scared. This obviously wasn't the best time to tell his side of the story."Of course, your daughter, Arabella Smith," Silverback continued, waving his hand in the air. "Tortugan barmaid formerly of the Faithfu l Bride. Finally reunited with her loving mother." He smiled in what was probably supposed to be an approving fashion, but it came out sickly. "For the others I am going to need some help."Silverback closed his eyes tightly. His hand fell down and brushed his crystal leg. His lip lifted a little in concentration, and the crew of the Barnacle could see that his tooth now flashed yellow.
The light danced off the pommel on his cane in a rhythmic, hypnotic fashion. His leg also began to pulse eerily, with the same yellow light."Ah, yes . . . your young captain, Jack Sparrow, also recently of Tortuga."Jack jumped involuntarily. Silverback's eyes were still closed, but he pointed directly at the captain of the Barnacle. It was creepy. Somehow far creepier than all the weird mystics and things back in New Orleans. What else could he find out about Jack? Not the whole truth, he hoped. . . ."... and also briefly in possession of the fabled Sword of Cortes," the pirate continued.Left Foot Louis snarled. Jack stuck his tongue out at him.Silverback continued, ignoring both of them."Fitzwilliam P. Dalton the Third, runaway heir to the Dal ton fortune.
Such a pretty boy and worth just as pretty a ransom, I'd wager."The aristocrat snarled defiantly."I don't suppose you can figure out his middle name?" Jack asked hopefully. "It's been stumping us."Silverback ignored Jack, then continued"... and Tumen, a
"Please, invite our guests over," Captain Smith said, grinning."Would be nothin' but my pleasure, Captain," Silverback said, smiling nastily back.He held his hand out towards the Barnacle. Not sure what the pirate with the weird leg was doing, but getting a general threatening' feel from the gesture, Jack moved in front of Arabella, protecting her. Normally he would never dare to do such a thing, but her mother looked pretty determined--and a mad mother is not someone you want to play around with.With a quick sweep of Silverbacks hand, Jack and his crew felt a tingling in their limbs. Then they disappeared.
CHAPTER TWO
A moment later, the six crewmates--and the cat--found themselves dizzy and disoriented. And no longer on the Barnacle.Jack looked around, confused by the sudden shift in perspective. They were higher up off the sea. And aboard a different deck. And surrounded by a number of pirates.They had somehow been transported to the other ship!Jack groped f or his sword. Whatever magic was used, the effect was extremely disorienting. No one else was doing any better--Fitzwilliam was staggering around, trying to keep from falling.The pirate Silverback's crystal leg was flashing a clear, sky blue, which wasn't helping the situation any. It gave Jack a headache. The sailor smiled nastily at him . . . and revealed a matching crystal tooth. Which also flashed blue."I have one of those," Jack said with interest, pointing at his recently bronzed incisor* Of course, it's not as fancy as yours. It's just metal, and it doesn't blink and kidnap perfectly innocent adventurers. . . ."
"Now, who do we have here, Mr. Silverback?" Captain Smith inquired, once again ignoring Jack. She g rinned smugly. Kind of like Arabella when she was going on about some subject that no one else knew anything about."Well," the crystal-legged pirate began with relish. He leaned on a cane--which had a crystal pommel--and hobbled back and forth in front of the crew, lecturing like a school teacher. He spoke very clearly and snootily, not like a normal pirate in sea-slang. "I recognize one of the lads--a fellow by the name of Tim Hawk, whom I've encountered before."The crew of the Barnacle turned and looked questioningly at their newest addition.Tim shook his head, scared. This obviously wasn't the best time to tell his side of the story."Of course, your daughter, Arabella Smith," Silverback continued, waving his hand in the air. "Tortugan barmaid formerly of the Faithfu l Bride. Finally reunited with her loving mother." He smiled in what was probably supposed to be an approving fashion, but it came out sickly. "For the others I am going to need some help."Silverback closed his eyes tightly. His hand fell down and brushed his crystal leg. His lip lifted a little in concentration, and the crew of the Barnacle could see that his tooth now flashed yellow.
The light danced off the pommel on his cane in a rhythmic, hypnotic fashion. His leg also began to pulse eerily, with the same yellow light."Ah, yes . . . your young captain, Jack Sparrow, also recently of Tortuga."Jack jumped involuntarily. Silverback's eyes were still closed, but he pointed directly at the captain of the Barnacle. It was creepy. Somehow far creepier than all the weird mystics and things back in New Orleans. What else could he find out about Jack? Not the whole truth, he hoped. . . ."... and also briefly in possession of the fabled Sword of Cortes," the pirate continued.Left Foot Louis snarled. Jack stuck his tongue out at him.Silverback continued, ignoring both of them."Fitzwilliam P. Dalton the Third, runaway heir to the Dal ton fortune.
Such a pretty boy and worth just as pretty a ransom, I'd wager."The aristocrat snarled defiantly."I don't suppose you can figure out his middle name?" Jack asked hopefully. "It's been stumping us."Silverback ignored Jack, then continued"... and Tumen, a
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