pirates everywhere know the name of Gentleman Jocard?”
“Go on,” Jocard said, looking intrigued.
“Oh, no,” moaned Billy. “Jack, what are you dragging us into now?”
“Nothing terrible,” Jack said blithely. “It’s just that our next stop is Europe, savvy? We have two more vials to recover—one from Chevalle and one from the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea, whoever that is at the moment.”
Carolina counted on her fingers. “You, Sao Feng, Mistress Ching, Villanueva, Sri Sumbhajee, and Gentleman Jocard, plus those two. Wait,” she said, “that’s only eight. Aren’t there nine lords of the Brethren Court?”
“Oh, yes,” Jack said, “but the last one is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. Ever heard of it?” Carolina started to nod, but he barreled on. “No, of course not, because it’s an absolutely useless sea. I mean, it’s completely landlocked. Really just a big lake. So whoever he is, he’s not much of a pirate threat, eh? Sailing from one side to the other, going: ‘I wonder where all the other pirates are!’ Ha-ha!”
Jack and Jocard roared with laughter.
Nobody noticed Barbossa glowering furiously in the shadows.
“Anyway,” Jack said, wiping away tears of laughter, “there’s no chance he was counted strong enough to get a vial. No, I’m sure these guys have the last two. But it’s going to be a lot harder to avoid the East India Trading Company up there, now that they are looking for us. Not to mention the fact that the entire Spanish navy is probably out searching for a certain princess.”
Carolina lowered her head.
“Plus it’s possible the Shadow Lord will be there waiting for us,” Jack said in a rush. “So—”
“Wait, what ?” Billy demanded. “The Shadow Lord? How?”
“Well,” Jack said, “he may have poked around in one of my nightmares. Just a bit. So he might know the Pirate Lords have the Shadow Gold. But he may not! He didn’t seem like the brightest candle in the barrel, if you catch my drift.”
“We’re dead,” Billy said, burying his head in his hands. “So, so, so, so, so dead.”
“What I’m saying is a little extra firepower wouldn’t go amiss,” Jack finished with one of his charming grins.
“Sounds dangerous,” Jocard said with a gleam in his eyes. “Why not? The whole Atlantic is mine now. All right, Jack Sparrow. The Ranger will accompany you to Europe.”
“Oh, no ,” Marcella said loudly, elbowing her way into the conversation with Jean close behind her. “You mean we’re stuck with your ugly mug? Please. You’ll probably just abandon us out of nowhere without saying good-bye again, like a stupid pirate.”
“Marcella, my savior,” Jocard said gallantly. “How would you like to sail on the Ranger instead of the Pearl as we make our way north?”
Everyone goggled at him.
“You can’t be serious,” said Carolina.
“Best idea I’ve ever heard!” Jack burst out. “Take her! TAKE HER!”
“That’s very kind of you,” Jean said to Jocard, “but I’m afraid Marcella…well, she kind of hates you.”
Marcella tossed her hair and stuck her nose in the air. “That’s true,” she said belligerently. “But—”
“But!” Jean cried, gaping at her.
“How’s the food on this ghastly vessel?” Marcella asked, ignoring her cousin. “I mean, I never liked you …but I was okay with your jambalaya.”
Jocard laughed. “Well, I must admit I don’t cook it anymore,” he said. “But I trained our cook myself, so…I’d say it’s not too bad.”
Marcella harrumphed. “I’m sure it’s better than the nastiness they make us eat on his horrible ship,” she said, shooting Jack a malevolent look. She tossed her hair again and flounced her skirts, and then finally she said, “Well, all right. But just for the food.”
“I don’t believe it,” Jean sputtered.
“Quick! Make sail before she changes her mind!” Jack yelled, sprinting toward the gangplank.
“Are you sure about this?” Jean
“Go on,” Jocard said, looking intrigued.
“Oh, no,” moaned Billy. “Jack, what are you dragging us into now?”
“Nothing terrible,” Jack said blithely. “It’s just that our next stop is Europe, savvy? We have two more vials to recover—one from Chevalle and one from the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea, whoever that is at the moment.”
Carolina counted on her fingers. “You, Sao Feng, Mistress Ching, Villanueva, Sri Sumbhajee, and Gentleman Jocard, plus those two. Wait,” she said, “that’s only eight. Aren’t there nine lords of the Brethren Court?”
“Oh, yes,” Jack said, “but the last one is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. Ever heard of it?” Carolina started to nod, but he barreled on. “No, of course not, because it’s an absolutely useless sea. I mean, it’s completely landlocked. Really just a big lake. So whoever he is, he’s not much of a pirate threat, eh? Sailing from one side to the other, going: ‘I wonder where all the other pirates are!’ Ha-ha!”
Jack and Jocard roared with laughter.
Nobody noticed Barbossa glowering furiously in the shadows.
“Anyway,” Jack said, wiping away tears of laughter, “there’s no chance he was counted strong enough to get a vial. No, I’m sure these guys have the last two. But it’s going to be a lot harder to avoid the East India Trading Company up there, now that they are looking for us. Not to mention the fact that the entire Spanish navy is probably out searching for a certain princess.”
Carolina lowered her head.
“Plus it’s possible the Shadow Lord will be there waiting for us,” Jack said in a rush. “So—”
“Wait, what ?” Billy demanded. “The Shadow Lord? How?”
“Well,” Jack said, “he may have poked around in one of my nightmares. Just a bit. So he might know the Pirate Lords have the Shadow Gold. But he may not! He didn’t seem like the brightest candle in the barrel, if you catch my drift.”
“We’re dead,” Billy said, burying his head in his hands. “So, so, so, so, so dead.”
“What I’m saying is a little extra firepower wouldn’t go amiss,” Jack finished with one of his charming grins.
“Sounds dangerous,” Jocard said with a gleam in his eyes. “Why not? The whole Atlantic is mine now. All right, Jack Sparrow. The Ranger will accompany you to Europe.”
“Oh, no ,” Marcella said loudly, elbowing her way into the conversation with Jean close behind her. “You mean we’re stuck with your ugly mug? Please. You’ll probably just abandon us out of nowhere without saying good-bye again, like a stupid pirate.”
“Marcella, my savior,” Jocard said gallantly. “How would you like to sail on the Ranger instead of the Pearl as we make our way north?”
Everyone goggled at him.
“You can’t be serious,” said Carolina.
“Best idea I’ve ever heard!” Jack burst out. “Take her! TAKE HER!”
“That’s very kind of you,” Jean said to Jocard, “but I’m afraid Marcella…well, she kind of hates you.”
Marcella tossed her hair and stuck her nose in the air. “That’s true,” she said belligerently. “But—”
“But!” Jean cried, gaping at her.
“How’s the food on this ghastly vessel?” Marcella asked, ignoring her cousin. “I mean, I never liked you …but I was okay with your jambalaya.”
Jocard laughed. “Well, I must admit I don’t cook it anymore,” he said. “But I trained our cook myself, so…I’d say it’s not too bad.”
Marcella harrumphed. “I’m sure it’s better than the nastiness they make us eat on his horrible ship,” she said, shooting Jack a malevolent look. She tossed her hair again and flounced her skirts, and then finally she said, “Well, all right. But just for the food.”
“I don’t believe it,” Jean sputtered.
“Quick! Make sail before she changes her mind!” Jack yelled, sprinting toward the gangplank.
“Are you sure about this?” Jean
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