Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

Tench, the carpenter, had just finished securing the last of the new
breeching tackle to the deck in Jack’s cabin when Jack heard the
voice of Parker calling. “Captain, we’re ready to shift this six-pounder!”
Jack flung open the doors to his cabin. Despite the extremity of
their situation, he didn’t think he could stand to watch them bash out his
lovely stern windows. He slipped outside as Parker and his men
moved the gun, on its wheeled carriage, into his cabin.
Heading over to the port side, he saw Koldunya gliding slowly
behind his ship. Two more minutes, three at the most, and she’d be in
perfect position for a broadside, at close range. He balled his hands
into fists, wishing that there were something he could do. If only he
were Zeus, and could hurl a thunderbolt down from heaven, or
Poseidon, able to suck a ship down into a maelstrom. If only.…
In the dimming light, a spark of orange-yellow flashed within the
square outlines of the sloop’s gun ports. Jack eyes had barely time to
register it, when, with a flash and a boom that knocked him off his feet
for the third time that day, Koldunya blew up.
This time, Jack had to crawl over to the portside rail, on his knees
and one hand, then claw his way up it to get to his feet. He hardly
noticed the pain, though. Clinging to the rail, he stared at the orangetinged
smoke billowing up against the eastern sky, his mouth agape. It
was real. He hadn’t imagined it. The sloop, and Borya with it, was
gone, vanished.
Jack was still standing there, staring, when Robby found him.
“Dear heaven,” Robby whispered, then, “Thank you, Lord.”
Jack swallowed, then found his voice, rough with smoke and
strained from all the shouting he’d done today. “You really must have
prayed hard, Robby.”
“I did, Jack.”
Jack laughed a little, then snorted. “Nothing divine about it, you
know. One of our shots must have started a fire aboard. Somehow,
nobody realized it, and it spread to the powder magazine. That’s got to
be it.”
“Jack,” Robby said, in tones of excessive patience, “how many
times have you had our powder magazine checked today, to make