Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

that he, too, had once been a slave, but that he’d managed to escape,
with Captain Sparrow’s help. Chamba would then add that all the
slaves hereabouts knew his history, but they kept it from the whites,
because they didn’t want the one decent white man, Captain Sparrow,
to suffer because he’d helped a slave.
When Chamba fell silent, Ayisha did not respond. Jack glanced
down at her, thinking this was going to be more difficult than he’d
envisioned. This woman certainly wasn’t half-witted; her remark
differentiating “masters” from “owners” proved that. But it was possible
that she was so set against those who had enslaved her that she
wouldn’t believe anything anyone told her, even if they were offering her
what had to be her most cherished desire.
Just as Jack reached this point in his musings, Ayisha spoke to
Chamba, the longest speech he’d heard her make. As before, she
spoke softly, but her tone was cynical, dismissive. “What did she say?”
he asked Chamba.
“She say that you only help me escape because you set out to
spite Portmaster Blount because he tried to give you bad supplies.
She tell me no white man would help a slave unless there be
something in it for him.”
Jack was stung. “She’s wrong. I helped you because I wanted to
help you. I admit that I enjoyed foxing Blount, but that’s not why I pulled
you through that window.”
“I be knowing that, Cap’n, you think I don’t? Only reason I jump in
that river with that log was to get to you, because I be knowing in me
heart you wouldn’t be taking me to spite Blount, then selling me to
fatten your purse.”
Surprised, Jack glanced quickly at his crewman. “The idea of
selling you never crossed my mind, Chamba,” he said, truthfully, then
added, “though I admit that I did think about just closing the window
and walking away.” After a moment, Jack flashed a grin at his
crewman. “It’s a bloody good thing I didn’t know just how much trouble
you’d cause me.”
“I did cause you a fair bit of trouble, eh?” Chamba returned the
grin.
“Well, I’d appreciate it if you’d attempt to make the truth clear to