Wild Waters (8 page)

C
aptain Teague was most satisfyingly astonished when the
Ranger
sailed back into Libertalia later that day carrying Jack, his crew, and Gentleman Jocard, the new Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean. The only dark cloud over Jack’s triumph was that when he’d returned to Samuel’s kitchens, Benedict had vanished. Which not only meant that the Huntingtons were probably still out there looking for him, but also that he had no proof that he’d been having his own sword fight while everyone else was upstairs doing battle.

“All right,” Teague said, tilting his bicorne hat back to look up at Jack, who was balancing along the rail of the
Ranger
while Jocard’s pirates dropped anchor. “I’m a little impressed.”

“They couldn’t have done it without me,” Grandmama smirked, popping up behind Jack and nearly startling him enough to send him toppling into the water. Luckily he windmilled his arms and caught his balance at the last moment.

“Or without me,” Marcella added, wearing a matching pleased-with-herself expression.

Jack sighed. “Don’t encourage them,” he warned Teague.

Jocard came up to shake Jack’s hand as the pirates began climbing off the
Ranger
. His new gold earrings shone in the sun.

“Carolina has been talking my ear off about this Shadow Lord,” Jocard said, patting the dark-haired girl on the shoulder. “It sounds like a great battle may be coming.”

“That’s what we hear,” Jack said with a shrug.

“Well, my crew will be prepared to fight if necessary,” said Jocard. Carolina beamed. “And now our debt is settled, Jack. I appreciate your help—such as it was—taking down King Samuel, but you have your Shadow Gold, and we are even.”

“Fine by me,” said Jack.

“So you understand,” Jocard said with a smile, “that if I catch you in my waters again, I will have to blow you out of them.”

“What?” Carolina cried.

“Of course!” Jack said, nodding as if this were obvious. He waved to Billy, who was trotting up the
Ranger
’s gangplank toward them.

“I am a Lord of the Brethren Court now,” Jocard explained to Carolina. “And as the newest Pirate Lord, I have a reputation to establish. From what I hear, hobnobbing with Jack Sparrow isn’t going to win me any friends.”

Jack laughed. “Unfortunately, that is true.” He tugged on his beard, looking sly. “But I have another proposition for you. Before you get all piratey on me, would you consider one more joint venture? One that would ensure 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 asked Jocard worriedly. “She’s a little unusual. Sometimes she likes to shred things when she’s really angry. But a glass of milk and some fish should calm her down…um…she really hates getting wet…”

“Don’t fret,” Jocard laughed, steering Jean off his ship. “I can handle Marcella.”

“I don’t need handling!” she shouted, flouncing around the deck. “And I haven’t shredded anything in weeks! You’re such a liar, Jean!”

“It’ll be fun,” Jocard reassured Jean. At the look on Jean’s face, he amended, “Well, it won’t be boring.”

C
arolina found Diego standing at the prow of the
Black Pearl
, staring off into the bay.

“Did you hear all that?” she asked, linking her arm through his.

“How could I not?” he said, smiling at her.

“Marcella’s voice really…carries. I’m not sure I understand it, though. I didn’t know she hated the food here
that
much.”

Carolina started laughing. “It’s not really about the food. You’re such a boy.” When he looked blank, she shoved his shoulder. “Marcella
likes
Jocard. That’s why she’s always complaining about him. And that’s why she was so intent on tormenting Sarah.”

“
Oh
,” Diego said, comprehension dawning on his face. “Does that—does that mean she’s forgotten about me?”

“Well, I’m not sure she
knows
how much she likes Jocard yet,” Carolina said. “So you might not be off the hook…but the good news is, I’m not sure how much she really liked you in the first place.”

Diego looked earnestly into her dark eyes. “Carolina,” he said, “you must believe me. I have never had feelings for Marcella. I never meant to kiss her. There is only one girl for me in the whole world and it’s—”

“Oh, enough talking,” Carolina said, and kissed him.

“G
ood-bye, Jackie,” Teague said down on the dock, shaking Jack’s hand.

“And good riddance,” Grandmama added, stomping away with her cane.

“Come back again for the holidays,” Teague suggested. “Auntie ‘Quick Draw’ McFleming will be visiting with all your little cousins.”

Jack shuddered. “I’d rather be eaten by turtles,” he admitted.

“I’m here if you ever need your hide saved again!” Grandmama shouted from the end of the dock. “I love a nice, gory battle! Anytime!”

“How old
is
she?” Jack asked, trying to do the math in his head.

“Safer not to ask,” said Teague. “Now Jackie, you will take care of yourself, won’t you? Don’t be a hero. Be a pirate. If there’s a Shadow Lord after you, do what a pirate would, you hear?”

“You mean survive?” Jack said. “Yeah, I’m pretty good at that.”

“Not just surviving,” Teague said with a dark expression. “Make sure that whatever you choose…you can still live with yourself at the end.”

Jack watched Teague stroll back to the streets of Libertalia. He thought again of Jean’s ominous visions of the future. Jack didn’t like hard choices. Better not to think about it until he had to.

U
p on the deck of the
Ranger
, Marcella was leaning against the rail and staring into her mirror, admiring the way the wind blew through her hair. She glanced around to make sure the pirates were busy at the other end of the ship, and then she grimaced into the mirror to check that there was nothing in her teeth.

“This will be much nicer,” she said conversationally to the mirror, running her fingers through her hair. “The
Ranger
is
so
much cleaner than the
Pearl
. I won’t have to share hammock space with Carolina. And I won’t have to listen to Jack capering around being a lunatic all day long.”

Marcella heard a strange noise, almost like a muffled shriek of rage, come from the mirror. She shook her head, wiggled her finger in her ear, and then peered closer at the glassy surface.

All of a sudden, a face appeared in the mirror—and it wasn’t Marcella’s!

She came very close to screaming and throwing the mirror overboard. But then she recognized the face.

“Barbara!” she cried with delight. It was her elegant friend, the one that Marcella had helped stow away on the
Pearl
on the voyage from Hong Kong to India. The last time Marcella had seen her, right before the battle at Suvarnadurg, Barbara had given her the mirror as a memento of their friendship (or so Marcella thought).

“Marcella!” Barbara said in a sugary sweet voice. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“This is crazy.” Marcella gasped. She turned the mirror over and checked the other side. “How are you doing this?” She shook the mirror as if she expected Barbara to come tumbling out. The well-dressed redhead looked queasy when Marcella peered into the mirror again. “Is it magic?” Marcella bubbled on. “I didn’t know there was anything like this in the world!” She poked at Barbara’s face with her fingers.

“Stop that!” Barbara snapped. “Marcella, my patience is wearing thin. Did I just hear you say you’re leaving the
Pearl
?”

“I am!” Marcella said. “Isn’t it terrific? I’m going to sail on the
Ranger
instead. It’s
so
much nicer, you wouldn’t believe.” She paused, blinking, as she registered what Barbara had said. “Hey, wait a second. You were listening to me?”

“You
cannot
leave the
Pearl
!” Barbara shouted. “You must stay with Jack Sparrow!”

“But we are staying with Jack!” Marcella protested. “We’re all going to France together.”

“France,” Barbara said icily. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. “Write that down.”

“I think I can remember bloody
France
,” said a male voice in the background.

“Who’s that?” Marcella asked, squinting. “Are you with someone? Is that a ship you’re on?”

As Barbara turned back to Marcella, she jostled the mirror on her end. For a moment, the room behind her spun, and Marcella caught a glimpse of the man standing beside Barbara. She gasped.

“That’s Benedict Huntington!” Marcella cried. “Diego warned me about him! He’s the one that’s been chasing us! He’s totally evil!”

“On the contrary,” Benedict said, leaning over to stare coolly into Marcella’s eyes. “I serve the Company, whatever they need me to do.”

“You were working together this whole time,” Marcella realized, her eyes starting to fill with tears. Everything Barbara had told her—all their whispered conversations on the trip to India—all of it was fake! “Barbara, you
lied
to me. You said you were my
friend
.”

“Oh, spare me the histrionics,” Barbara said, rolling her eyes. “Listen, Marcella, we can be very good friends to you. Keep telling us where Jack is and what he’s planning, and we can save you from this revolting pirate life you hate so much. If you help us catch him, we can guarantee your safety, and probably a big reward as well. Just think of all the pretty dresses and fans and gloves you’ll be able to buy! Just like mine! And you’ll never have to set foot on a ship again. You’ll be able to live wherever you want to. Maybe France? I think you’d quite like it there.”

“A life of ease and luxury,” Benedict said smarmily. “All in exchange for a little information. What could be easier than that?”

Marcella bit her lip. “But…what about Jean? Will he be safe, too?”

Benedict’s eyes turned cold. “There will be no leniency for the other pirates,” he snapped.

“They’re all wanted men,” Barbara agreed. “You understand, Marcella. This deal is for you alone.”

“I will see every pirate punished,” Benedict growled. “Especially the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court. And most especially
Jack Sparrow
.”

Marcella was sorely tempted. She’d never really been rich, but she could imagine how wonderful it would be. Having everything she wanted…being treated like a real lady…going to balls and living in a big house…