Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

know.”
“All right.” Jack searched for the best place to begin. “Five years
ago I was on board a ship,” he said. “Not my ship. It wasn’t my choice
to be there. I’d been impressed. Taken aboard by force.”
“Kidnapped?”
“Yes. It happens in the maritime world. I love the sea, but anyone
can see it’s not an easy life. To get enough men to serve aboard
vessels, sometimes they send out gangs to look for some poor lubber
—man or even boy—who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, often
in his cups—” Seeing her puzzlement, he hastily amended, “Drunk, you
know. Then they just grab him and hale him off. Or cosh him over the
head and he wakes up fifty miles offshore.”
Ayisha nodded. “I understand. It is like being made a slave.”
Jack blinked. “Yes, I suppose so. Except that they don’t actually
own you. A press-ganged man can usually leave and go home…
eventually.”
“I see.”
“My case was a little different than most, in that I knew the gang
that ’pressed me.” He rolled his eyes as it all came back, shaking his
head, and heard a bitter edge creep into his voice. “I was so young.
And stupid. Got myself involved in something bad because I trusted a
man I thought was me friend. He betrayed me.”
Reminiscently, Jack rubbed the spot behind his right ear, feeling
the faint ridge there. “But the cracking over the head part and waking
up far out to sea was the same. The ship was a brigantine, name of La
Vipère.” He shrugged and grimaced. “Means ‘snake’ in French, and
the name was appropriate. She was a pirate vessel.”
Jack took a deep breath. It was strange, talking about this, being
honest about his past. She was listening so intently. Most people didn’t
listen like this…they wanted to hear a little bit, and then they wanted to
talk, too. Usually about themselves. But this woman was so focused;
she knew how to listen. And, for someone who had lied so much up
until today, there was a straightforward air about her that compelled
honesty.
“La Vipère’s captain was named Christophe. Until the night he
and his mates grabbed me, I thought he was my best friend.” He gave