Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

another long look, then handed it back. “Correct me if I am wrong, but
she looks to be a British ship. A Blackwall frigate, to be exact. Am I
correct?”
“Aye, sir.” Jack was glad they were alone.
“And who owns the majority of the frigates produced by the Blackwall
shipyard, Mr. Sparrow?”
“The Royal Navy procures them, Captain,” Jack said, his cheeks
hot.
“Exactly. So…pirates in pursuit, you say? I think not!” Bainbridge
gave a short bark of unamused laughter. “The very idea!”
Jack turned his spyglass over in his hands, thinking hard. He knew
the idea of a pirate having a Blackwall frigate as a vessel was indeed
far-fetched. Most pirates used smaller vessels—fast, agile schooners
and sloops, well-armed and heavily crewed. They were deadly against
merchant vessels, but they weren’t ships that could attack and capture
a frigate. Frigates were warships, and no sane pirate would tackle a
twenty-eight gun frigate. Even the crazy ones—and there were more
than a few—would hesitate before trying it.
Bainbridge evidently realized he’d made his point, because he
cleared his throat and moderated his tone. “Mr. Sparrow, you’ve
served well on this voyage, so I’m prepared to overlook your…
misplaced zeal today. That ship…” he swept an arm at the frigate, “is
an English vessel! She’s almost certainly Royal Navy. We should
heave to, not make her chase us! She may have news from home, or
she may have a crucial message to send on to England with us. She
might be in need of supplies. It’s our duty as Englishmen to find out
what she wants.”
Jack took a deep breath. “I know it sounds unlikely, sir, but this is
the Caribbean. I believe, Captain, that this frigate is a pirate vessel.
We need to think about what to do when she catches us, in an hour or
so.”
Bainbridge rolled his eyes. “Mr. Sparrow, you’re not listening. That
ship is almost certainly a Royal Navy vessel, purchased from Blackwall
shipyard. Whoever has heard of a pirate possessing such a ship?”
Jack thought fast, and decided to answer the Captain’s question
with the truth. Though of course he couldn’t be candid about how he’d