Pirates of the Caribbean 06 Silver (4 page)

"The crew is planning a mutiny," she said, still
looking at her mother. "While
everyone is distracted with that, we're to head to the Barnacle and escape.""But your mother," Jean said with concern, will she be all right?"

"I ... don't know," Arabella said. As much as she had wished her ill--or thought she did--it really was different from seeing her forced to walk
the plank by her own crew.
Jack watched Arabella as he sneaked over to where his ship was tied to the Fleur. She was obviously worried about her mum, no matter how much she pretended she wasn't. He sighed. They would probably wind up having to figure out some way to rescue her, too.Louis and Silverback climbed out of the hatch, 'fighting as usual.Ye
r a yellow-bellied, scrawrl
y whelp of a man!" Louis bellowed wit
h
enthusiasm. Mr
. Ree
ce saw the two and frowned.

He
marched up to them, his bright blue eyes blazing. "May I remind you the Captain has ordered that you remain below deck for a time?"

Silverback turned to the first mate and grinned--a nasty, leering grin. His tooth flashed blue, and the first mate of the Fleur de la Mort disappeared.Jack was idly wondering where he had disappeared to, when Silverback turned to him. Like he knew he was watching all along. His tooth and leg were still flashing blue."And you're next," Silverback said t
hreateningly, smiling at Jack.

CHAPTER SIX

Jack thought fast.Silverback's crystal leg and tooth had flashed red when he made the sword fly from Left-Foot's right hand. It was yellow when he was somehow figuring out all the details of Jack and his friends' lives.And it was blue--just as it was now-- when they were magicked off the Barnacle and onto the Fleur.Silverback was going to
disappear him away somewhere!
On the upside, it would probably be off the ship. On the downside, it could be anywhere--including Davy Jones's Locker. Jack figured it would be best if he played it safe."You probably don't want to do that, mate," Jack said casually as the blue light strobed faster and faster.His tone caught Silverback's attention. The pirate frowned, and the blue light slowed. Jack pulled the Sun-and-Stars medallion out. The one the crew should have been on their way to returning to Tumen's people. The one that had them all off on this ridiculous, seemingly never-ending adventure. Jack dangled it enticingly from its cord."Judging by that pretty little charm you have hanging 'round your neck, it looks like you might be in need of this," Jack said, pointing at the silver 'bullet'
Silverback
wore--the one that matched the bronze gem already in the medallion.The pirate's face grew red with
fury. "My medallion!" he cried”

Well, now, that's sort of a complicated issue, isn't it?" Jack said calmly, swinging the medallion as carelessly as if it were a yo-yo. "The people of my friend's village claim it's theirs--they've been holding it for some other people for umpty-ump years. And then there's Madame Minuit, a f
earsome-- and often attractive magic
queen, who would also like to think it's her medallion. And now you're saying it's your medallion. But possession is nine-tenths of the law, as they say. And currently I'm possessing it."Silverback raked out his hand, trying to snatch the medallion away. With barely a twitch, Jack slid back a foot."You m
ay as well just hand it over,"
Silverback said with a sneer. "My powers are greater than you could possibly imagine.""Hmm," Jack said, unconcerned. He continued to play with the medallion, and wondered what the pirate would look like turned to bronze. Might make a nice hat rack. He slid back another foot."You have no idea what you're holding," Silverback pointed out, stepping forward again. "A mere child like you. You could never use the medallion to its full potential.""I'm a quick learner," Jack disagreed, with a grin.

"GIVE ME BACK MY MEDALLION!" Silverback screamed, completely losing his temper. He lunged. Jack leaped back.Silverback gritted his teeth. The crystal tooth and his leg began to glow red.Arabella, still feeling guilty about abandoning he
r mother and wondering what to
do, looked up and saw what was going on with Jack and the pirate. In that moment, her thoughts cleared and she knew exactly what course of action to take."You'll have to get through me first!" she cried, leaping in between Silverback and Jack. She drew her sword and flourished it in the pirate's face."Uh, Bell," Jack said in a stage whisper, "Not that I don't appreciate your enthusiasm, but methinks I can handle my own battles here. . . .""Mother!" Arabella called out.Captain Laura Smith looked up from where she was going over a chart with her navigator. "These men plan to mutiny aboard yer ship!" Arabella continued."Um, Bell, wait--remember?" Jack asked out the side of his mouth. "The
plan? They mutiny? We escape?"
Arabella's mother quickly surveyed the situation.

All of her crew had begun to draw their knives and swords. Even the navigator she was just talking to had his rapier out and a rotten-toothed grin on his face."Vermin! Traitorous thugs!" Captain Laura spat. She drew her cutlass. "En garde!"Jack sighed. Jean and Tumen and Tim and Fitzwilliam were paused, midsneak, on their way back to the Barnacle. They looked at their captain questioningly."All right, lads, come on," Jack said, waving at them. "
Its
pirates this time, not a creepy, beau
tiful snake lady. Swords out!"

CHAPTER SEVEN

For a moment, all was still aboard the Fleur de la Mort. She quietly bobbed on a calm sea, the Barnacle tied closely to her side. White puffy clouds floated overhead.Then with an animal-like snarl, Left-Foot Louis charged Captain Laura Smith.

The entire deck broke out in fighting.Jack shoved the medallion back into his pocket and drew his bronzed cutlass on Silverback. "It's all right, lass, leave this
one to me," he told Arabella.
Arabella nodded, and with a loud cry, rushed over to the knot of pirates advancing on her mother.Silverback grinned at Jack and his tooth started to flash red----then Jack struck Silverback's crystal leg full-on with the blade of his sword. It rang like a bell. The vibrations traveled up his leg and through Silverback's body.Silverback shook himself free and prepared to concentrate again, his tooth beginning to glow----and Jack struck his leg again. Higher up, to see if it made a different sound.It did. Jack cleared his throat and hummed, trying to match the key."Blow high and blow low and so sailed we ..." he sang.

"Cut that out!" Silverback demanded.

"Then fight lik
e a man, not like a sorcerer,"
Jack growled, attacking him in earnest.

"Fine, I can beat you any way you want, you whelp!" Silverback promised, drawing his sword. The two dove at each other madly.Farther up the deck, the crew of the Barnacle joined the fray."I do not understand, who we are fighting." Fitzwilliam said, confused. "The pirates, or just the mutinous pirates? Or the people in charge of the mutinous pirates?"

"Anyone who raises a sword," Tim Hawk suggested helpfully, pulling out his own little knife and charging."It looks like there's about three of them for every one of us," Tumen observed, standing backtoback with Jean as they both fended off vicious pirates."Those are odds just the way I like them!" Jean said with a wolfish grin. "As M
adame Captain said--en garde!"

A pair of pirates, one with a sword and one with something that looked suspiciously like a scythe, advanced on Jean. With a grin the boy leapt and spun, holding his rapier out as far as it would go. The tip sliced through the pirates shirts and grazed their stomachs. They sucked in their guts to avoid being cut--and Jean dropped to the deck and rolled. He knocked into the legs of the one closest to him. The pirate toppled, falling onto his friend.Tumen had his long obsidian knife out. Its shiny black blade flashed wickedly in the sunlight. A frustrated pirate with a black eye patch and matching bandana kept lunging at him with a rusty old cutlass. But Tumen was too fast for him. And too short. He was able to duck and weave, avoiding every strike."Stay still, mouse!" the pirate roared."All right," Tumen agreed. He froze, then quick
ly brought his dagger up at an
unexpected angle. With barely a whisper of ripped cloth, it cut his opponent's hand. Howling and grabbing his bleeding arm, the pirate fell to the deck. His cutlass flew through the air. Tumen leapt nimbly on top of him, catching the sword as it fell."A mouse that roars" Tumen said.Fitzwilliam was using his famous fancy footwork to fight two pirates at once. He advanced, pushing them backward to the prow. His shiny sword glittered and clanged. He parried their every blow with ease.

"Yes! Retreat, you blackguards!" Fitzwilliam called out enthusiastically.It wasn't quite the glorious duel against villains that the nobleman's son had always imagined. Rather than rallying against him for a good fight, the cowards kept backing up, away from his blows.And when
they finally ran out of deck,
they went over the ship's rail, where they tumbled into the sea.Meanwhile, Tim Hawk ducked around a barrel, baiting a giant pirate into chasing him. He popped his head out the left side and made a face. The pirate slashed at him, but Tim quickly withdrew and then popped his head out the right side. The pirate missed again. Tim kept moving and the pirate kept slashing, always missing the boy by inches.Finally, the pirate brought his sword down too hard. It stuck in the barrel's wood. Tim ducked in between the pirate's legs while he was busy trying to free his blade--and pulled the pirate's pants down around his ankles. The giant pirate howled with frustration, unable to get his sword out and pull his pants up at the same time.Arabella was distracted fighting two pirates of
her own. Being a barmaid in a
dangerous tavern had taught her quite a few tactics over the years. But she couldn't help nervously keeping an eye on her mother and Left-Foot Louis as they sparred a few feet away from her. It was like reliving that horrible night in the Faithful Bride so many years before. Any moment she expected Louis to win, grabbing her mother and hauling her away . . . again. . . ."I've been waiting months for this," LeftFoot said with an evil grin. He wasn't as quick as he had been years ago, but he was definitely stronger. It took all of Captain Laura's energy and skill to avoid his sword each time he tried to swing it down on her. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," she growled. "A mutinous pirate. You're a real scoundrel, Left-Foot.""I like to think so,
Madam Captain," Louis replied.

Fitzwilliam slid past them back down the deck, fighting off three pirates this time. And the pirates were winning. There was a red gash across Fitzwilliams forehead, and his blue jacket and red vest were torn."How you doin there, mate?" Jack called out, parrying a blow from Silverback, who was a much better swordsman than Jack had guessed."Because you asked, I could use another sword at my side," Fitzwilliam admitted."Here, begging your pardon a moment," Jack said politely to Silverback. Then he spun and with the back of his pommel knocked another pirate in the head. As he toppled to the ground, his cutlass flew up. Jack caught it and tossed it to Fitzwilliam."How's that?" Jack asked, turning back to continue his fight with Silverback."Not exactly what I meant, bu
t it will do,"
Fitzwilliam said with a grin. He caught the sword in his left hand and renewed the attack on his assailants with both blades. And he was equally good with each.

"The gig's up," Jack told Silverback in between blows.

"Hardly," Silverback replied. But he looked nervous.The tide of fighting on the boat was definitely turning. Fitzwilliam, Jean, Tumen, and Tim Hawk made a team effort to herd the almost-defeated pirates to the center of the deck, conveniently near the hatch. The casualties were piling up, and the mutineers were quickly becoming dismayed.Laura and Left-Foot were still dueling.The captain's sword was broken in half, but she still managed to parry with the pommel.Louis was advancing on her with a crazed
look in his eyes.
Silverback turned his attention to them. "Left-Foot, forget the captain. We should make our escape. . . ."

"Not with this you don't!" Jack yelled. He seized the moment--Silverback was distracted. With a delicate move, Jack lashed out the very tip of his sword to the pirate's neck. He hooked the cord with the silver bullet on the end and yanked it over Silverbacks head. The necklace flew through the air, landing with a comforting thwack in Jack's hand.Silverback clutched his throat with his hands, dropping his sword. "The gem!" he screamed.Jack leveled his cutlass at Silverback's chest, pushing him up against a mast. "The gem's not all you have to worry about there, mate."Left-Foot L
ouis barely noticed his fellow
mutineer's defeat, so intent was he on overthrowing Arabella's mother. With a growl, he backed her up against the other side of the mast. Captain Smith gasped. Louis raised his sword above his head and brought it down with both his meaty hands----and Captain Smith drew a knife out. She crossed it over what was left of her own broken sword and caught Louis's blade between them.With a bloodcurdling cry she brought the blades apart, spinning the sword out of Louis's hands and over the side of the boat. Then she kicked him in the ribs. When he went down, she raised her knife, ready to cut his throat."NO!" Arabella and Silverback cried out at the same time.And then Left-Foot an
d Silverback disappeared.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Captain Smith threw her knife down on the deck in frustration."Where did they go?" Fitzwilliam asked curiously."Look." Tumen pointed. Off the port side of the ship, a little rowboat was speedily pulling away into the sea--with no one rowing it. Left-Foot Louis sat in the back. Silverback stood in the front, his leg glowing a dark, sickly red.