Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

ight enough,” the captain concluded. “But it were a regular iron ninepounder,
painted black.”
Jack watched Borya as he sat on the opposite side of the dais,
between the two guards. The undernourished little pirate appeared the
same as always, with his wispy gray hair and beard, spectacles
hanging around his neck, and his odd clothing. He listened to what was
being said with interest, but he did not appear in the least worried or
concerned. He looked so normal that Jack found himself wondering
whether it was all just coincidence. Maybe Borya was innocent?
When Barbossa had finished with his testimony, Teague nodded
to him, and he returned to his seat. “I call as second witness—Jack
Sparrow.”
Jack was relieved to know that Teague wasn’t going to just
dismiss Old Tommy’s death as unrelated. Still, it was strange to mount
that dais in front of all those eyes. When he reached the spot opposite
Teague, the Keeper of the Code nodded at him to begin.
Looking out over the crowd would only add to his unease, and
Jack didn’t want to look at Teague, of course. Or Borya, either. He
couldn’t help remembering all the times he’d spent with the Russian
pirate aboard his assorted Koldunyas, picking up pocket money by
doing chores. Borya would always ruffle his hair and praise him for
being a smart boy. Jack hadn’t received much in the way of approval
while he was a lad, and those words had stayed with him.
Taking a deep breath, Jack fixed his eyes on Esmeralda. Looking
at her made him feel as though he could get through this, and that he’d
be fine. He launched into his account of running into Old One Tooth
Tommy, realizing who he was, then actually listening to what the
drunken old pirate was ranting on about.
Then he told of how he’d looked for Tommy the next day—and the
next—without finding him, or finding anyone who had seen him. Finally,
he finished by recounting how he’d seen the body floating in the black
water of the cove—and of the conclusions he’d reached after pulling
the corpse out and examining it.
When he’d finished, Teague said, “Can anyone confirm your
account that you met and spoke with One Tooth Tommy?”
“Yes,” Jack responded, steadily. “Captain Christophe de Rapièr