Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

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But finally, he made it all the way to the bow and placed his sack next to Pharaoh Shabako’s. “There you go,” he said. Sometime in the past half hour he’d begun talking to himself—the quiet was getting on his nerves. “Now, to find a bit of shade...” In the end, Jack wound up dragging a few crewmembers, including Frank Connery, half a foot this way or that, so he’d have room to lie down. He plopped down onto the deck in the nice little patch of shade cast by the capstan, sitting down rather harder than he’d originally intended, because he lost his balance on the way down. Carefully, Jack stretched himself out on his side— —only to find himself looking at a pair of large, calloused, and remarkably filthy male feet, approximately six inches from his nose. That wouldn’t do, not at all. Sitting up with a muffled grunt, he maneuvered himself around, then stretched out the other way so he was looking at nothing worse than the wood of the capstan. That was all right. Jack closed his eyes. Must make this look good, he thought. Don’t want anyone suspecting I wasn’t really asleep. He wondered what Amenirdis was doing right now. Was she thinking of him? He remembered the way her skin felt, and her scent, and the way she… “Captain! Captain Sparrow!” Someone was shaking him frantically and bellowing in his ear. “Hmm…wuzzat? Hmmmm?” Jack said, opening one eye. It was his lee helmsman, William Banks, who was shaking him. “Wake up, Captain Sparrow!” Jack opened the other eye. “Take your hands off me, Mr. Banks,” he snapped. “That’s an order.” Banks hastily let go, and sat back on his heels. “Captain Sparrow, thank the Lord! I thought everyone was dead!” Jack sat up. “By Jove!” he said, putting just the right amount of surprise and dismay into his voice. “What the devil happened, Banks?” “I don’t know, Cap’n!” Banks almost wailed. “I woke up and it looked like this!” Other bodies were beginning to stir.
The next quarter of an hour was a repetition of that same scene, more or less, as the remainder of the crew woke up. Finally they were all standing on the weather deck, expostulating. Several sailors scurried off to search for Chamba and the passengers, then reported them missing. Jack leaned against the mainmast and let them discover things for themselves, for the most part. Inevitably, someone discovered the missing longboat, the sacks of loot, and the letter. Since it was marked “Captain Sparrow” on the outside, they brought it to Jack to open and read. He did so, first skimming it silently, then reading it aloud to the assembled men: Dear Captain Sparrow, This is not an easy letter to write. I will miss you, and my shipmates aboard the Wicked Wench, but I am sure I am doing the right thing. I have decided to accept Miss Ayisha’s invitation to go live with their tribe. They are good people, and she says I will be welcome and find a home there. You see, I was once a slave, Captain. I ran away. The slavers burned my village, and took everyone. So I have nothing to go back to. Even for a sailor, it is hard to have no place you can call home. Sometimes I lie awake at night after dreaming they have caught me and are taking me back to be a slave again. It tires a man out to live afraid that he’ll lose his freedom. By the time you read this, we will be gone. As I write this, you and all my shipmates are lying here, asleep. It was Miss Ayisha who did it. When she is this close to her home, she has powerful magic. Not long after you all fell asleep, a boat from an island where some of her people dwell came sailing through the fog, and hove-to beside us. People from the boat came aboard with this gold and silver. Miss Ayisha said it is to reward you and the crew for bringing them home. Please read this letter to the crew, so my
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Copyright © 2011 Disney Enterprise
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ALSO BY A. C. CRISPIN The Han Solo
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Acknowledgments Few authors can wri
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The reenactors, docents, and staff
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Prologue Zerzura: The Lost City THE
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acelet that he never removed, the b
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east. “What then?” she asked.
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only a slim strip of woven grass en
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CHAPTER ONE Fair Winds and Black Sh
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the crew, who were mumbling and shu
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eaction, while Farmer was dunked a
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“Aye, Mr. Sparrow,” Robby said.
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she was no naval vessel. Jack Sparr
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um!” The barkeep, an enormous, hu
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“You got it from a Spanish vessel
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thought for a moment. “They say t
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Several onlookers hastily volunteer
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Hastily, Jack beckoned Christophe t
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Baldy, “you’ll have to wait. I
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Jack sighed. “I fear she’s a Bl
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CHAPTER TWO Lady Esmeralda JACK TUR
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another long look, then handed it b
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ing of truth about it, sir.” Jack
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intending to head back into Shipwre
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neck. His name meant “little butc
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upon you to provide an introduction
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as a dagger in a fight.” “So wh
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She laughed softly. “Not directly
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usually good at that kind of thing.
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for certain that he was another pir
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Teague.” Jack glanced at the litt
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that the Fair Wind was more or less
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harmed. I recommend we strike our c
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these elements were fairly standard
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Jack pursed his lips and shook his
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e wise to remember that. And so, la
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to cross freely back and forth betw
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across the weather deck. As he ran,
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as smoothly as a dolphin’s leap,
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positioning himself so he was parti
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“Dare I hope that you won’t tak
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as soft as he remembered. He bowed
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ichly furnished. On the left there
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desperately hiding, forced into clo
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her; he sensed that would be a majo
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She nodded, and half turned away.
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higher and leaned over to peer at i
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treasure was enough to make Jack’
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Jack looked around to see that the
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logbook for review. The manager of
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of his new assignment. Angrily, he
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making himself very useful to them.
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son, Bartholomew, served as Directo
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now. A brutal hand grabbed his hair
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to know what happened today?” Cut
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important stylistic differences. Th
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frequently. Even though they’d ne
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suite prepared.” “Thank you, th
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to a title. It was clear from every
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snuff-colored britches were worn gr
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undeniably made sense, and held the
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Greene was up off his chair in a mo
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Sparrow’s dark eyes. “So…how
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actually own. It’s an older ship.
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mounting a search for Zerzura hasn
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was seeing. Forcing himself to move
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some ancient tomb in the land that
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Apedemak’s most ancient temple an
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landing. The eunuch rested his huge
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crawl between two of her guardsmen.
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searched further, and pulled out a
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“Yes,” Tarek said. “And that
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out the outlines of her surrounding
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shoulder. She never let it out of h
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the sun. Ayisha would spin the tan
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Not long before noon, Mistress Dalt
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with graceful, gilded lilies and sc
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other berths and shipped out, but t
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As Robby escorted the new crew away
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and eating all them unnatural vermi
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or two after being stored in a carg
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moment his eyes met those of the yo
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even counting that the coins in his
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indeed. In view of this, Jack was p
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On the starboard side of the quarte
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eally am. But there’s nothing to
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was stained. Tomorrow he’d check
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For the first time, a light sparked
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here thinks we might have a stowawa
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Jack’s cabin, “what in the name
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Jack relaxed, enjoying the colors o
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and reefed the sails. Jack, seeing
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there is.” “Aye, Cap’n!” As
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age, he’d spit you like a sucklin
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With a little laugh at his sillines
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he mouthed. Christophe gave him a h
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Esmeralda, and watching Christophe
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immediately. “And then go straigh
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etrieve his effects. “I think he
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them, Jack went to the railing, and
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CHAPTER SEVEN Lost and Found JACK B
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having your bath. Hurry up, it’s
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Jack halted. “I don’t think so,
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appreciatively—but carefully. Aga
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sounds as though you’re building
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who tended to get into one of their
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“Well, sure, Cap’n. I was just
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from under Blount’s nose required
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the handwriting on the envelope as
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that I would enjoy, that I seem to
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won’t come into London with us, t
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what’s wrong with her, after what
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will be ending soon.” “As you s
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god, begging him to help by stoppin
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She sagged in her chair, finally al
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fingers. The door to his cabin swun
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mooring post, feet dangling over th
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carefully, and untied the painter f
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“I’ve missed you, too. You have
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finally I gave up searching, and we
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on that side. “That’s half of t
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Esmeralda bit her lip and rowed ste
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surprise, then began fumbling to pu
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eneath the seat, and, beneath it wa
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“But then he announced that he’
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Ancient benches and chairs filled t
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ight enough,” the captain conclud
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Esmeralda, looking for evidence tha
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and waved them in the air. A murmur
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“I’ve never seen him, but he’
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treason in our numbers. You are lor
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the Brethren. The Code is the law.
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“maybe this will save me from hav
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Put on those nice ones Mr. Beckett
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Cutler Beckett was sitting behind h
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“I doubt anyone is that charming,
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Ward doesn’t say anything about w
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“Yes, I believe she could manage
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economy and administration of every
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skeins of fine thread. For the embr
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mother, Queen Tiyy. Envisioning thi
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crowded, noisy enclave consisted of
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Jack and Ayisha waited for his retu
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Miss Ayisha,” Jack said. He looke
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away without notice, drove his crew
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island where there’s a lot of gol
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Chamba translated. The woman’s he
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on? Jack was skeptical. Could it be
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“Oh, he’s just a little stiff o
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ut he supposed it couldn’t do any
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was in the saddle, her skirts tucke
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CHAPTER TEN Revelations THE DAY THE
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“He does, Cap’n,” Robby agree
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“Aye, Cap’n!” chorused three
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Lucius passed the lines out, and th
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light below them, coming up the lad
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um—ordinary EITC-issued rum. Ther
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Jack stared at the barman in some a
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and nose with a handkerchief. “Lo
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silent, staring at him, Barbossa ga
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“Borya gave up the second rogue t
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Jack almost spat in disgust, but re
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They hurried through the twilight,
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growled. The prison dog’s ears pr
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gritted his teeth, remembering that
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“Now,” he said, and pulled her
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along the docks, Jack wondered what
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Captain Teague’s orders.” Jack
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care if you’re present, Roger, bu
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“You’ll be free of the bonds of
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It creaked, but not too loudly. Pus
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All around him Christophe’s crew,
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The rabble of rogues headed for the
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Jack rolled over, and immediately f
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She gave him a cool glance, but rep
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you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go
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Ayisha opened her mouth, then shut
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CHAPTER ELEVEN Pirates and Rogues J
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his cabin. Seeing Lucius Feathersto
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know.” “All right.” Jack sear
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steadily alongside the rogues, not
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aiting me, trying to get me to do s
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of the hapless flute. Automatically
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When the mast came down…I knew th
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lion’s head, beautifully formed b
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ungrapple La Vipère. I cannot risk
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not spit it in Christophe’s face.
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sometimes when we boarded, I had to
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Jack watched her, wondering if he
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Jack nodded slowly. “I take your
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the Arts of keeping a Civilized Hou
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“Doesn’t seem likely, sir.”
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had boarded the Lindesfarne in Lond
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new employee. The official who had
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CHAPTER TWELVE Shabako AS THOUGH TO
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spun exactly the right tale to ensu
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had the eunuch demonstrate his favo
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Jack laughed. “That’s a refresh
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est to fulfill his promise to the d
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As they reached the fourth dock alo
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Chamba never took his eyes off Ayis
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Lord Spar—” Breaking off, Jack
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the raw sugarcane were still under
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get her alone. But after a moment,
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fields, with Jack chattering away,
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“Thank you,” Fenwick said. “I
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eached into the bodice of her dress
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Shabako would move closer and close
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nonsense about her wearing a “mas
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN “Red Flag…Ho!
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most notable rider to hounds in all
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neckcloth and put his coat back on.
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Christophe and how much he needed t
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Jack yelled up to the Irishman, “
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to see what the sloop would do. Thi
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He knew his plan was risky. If he d
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the cargo hold.” Jack fixed Tarek
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on Great Abaco. It wasn’t long be
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the end of the trough, and run into
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ising. “Nearly took a purler down
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leading up from the cargo hold. Ayi
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Tarek shrugged, helplessly. “The
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of those, either. Soon the sun woul
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leeding. “Now help me up,” Jack
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e on his way. He be old, can’t mo
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“Borya…Koldunya. Borya…Koldun
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sure none of those hits came anywhe
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“She appears to be asleep,” Tar
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whole, not wounded. He wasn’t sur
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN Hard Bargains AN H
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hadn’t been fancy fare, but the b
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efore him, then, with a wet rag, sh
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ones.” Reaching over with his rig
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speed up. “Like you, Jack.” Jac
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“Boy or girl?” “She had a lit
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illusions. But it seems she can do
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his guilt about not being honest wi
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yesterday, if you recall.” She sm
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of sleep if you didn’t, mi coraz
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Footsteps approached, and she heard
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He smiled. “That’s a lot of que
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ladder, but she’d gotten the hang
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“You are not used to wearing colo
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tend to be very long. One can grow
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Ayisha giggled. “That was clever,
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“Oh, we certainly did!” Ayisha
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little craft’s bow. Then he began
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way. Savvy?” “I confess I am su
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live. The moment the Wicked Wench b
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her own voice. A hungry fierceness.
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“But when I called your name, the
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know. It doesn’t really matter. H
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like quartz, but it gave off light.
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cheek, searching until she found hi
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death for those who do not know the
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less than a mile away. Up close, it
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Jack was standing on the port side
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and making her way down the ladder.
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“‘The Shining City.’” “Pr
Page 525 and 526: summon a handmaiden to help you dre
Page 527 and 528: Her people did not have mirrors lik
Page 529 and 530: After Jack reached the Wicked Wench
Page 531 and 532: Beckett rather rubbed me the wrong
Page 533 and 534: a merchant who saw a perfect pearl,
Page 535 and 536: After a long, uncomfortable minute,
Page 537 and 538: chattering away since they’d firs
Page 539 and 540: homeland. For one thing, I believe
Page 541 and 542: his people. Chamba stood beside him
Page 543 and 544: and I know what I need to do. So ye
Page 545 and 546: CHAPTER SIXTEEN The Heart of Zerzur
Page 547 and 548: had all of this venture planned out
Page 549 and 550: Christophe rolled his eyes. “Why
Page 551 and 552: when I was standing on the edge of
Page 553 and 554: Then, moments later, she was on the
Page 555 and 556: cutlass penetrated the creature’s
Page 557 and 558: “This is his temple, after all.
Page 559 and 560: “Jack, are you all right?” the
Page 561 and 562: Jacques.” Christophe took his han
Page 563 and 564: his head on the floor, and that his
Page 565 and 566: hard she nearly drove the breath fr
Page 567 and 568: time to sail away. How long will th
Page 569 and 570: forth in the sunlight, admiring it,
Page 571 and 572: added to it.” “What is that?”
Page 573 and 574: this herbal drink, sweetened with h
Page 575: Looks like the last act of Hamlet.
Page 579 and 580: gold. “What each man here chooses
Page 581 and 582: Slowly, the Wicked Wench turned and
Page 583 and 584: instincts, and his own sword, a col
Page 585 and 586: at the throat and wrists, Christoph
Page 587 and 588: he continued to retreat. “Strateg
Page 589 and 590: eath…” “Hah!” Jack exclaime
Page 591 and 592: his sword at him—throw it, to hit
Page 593 and 594: Jack looked at Robby, who had stuck
Page 595 and 596: wouldn’t need protection when he
Page 597 and 598: merely nodded. “And, finally,”
Page 599 and 600: elected to put up a fight.” “Ye
Page 601 and 602: Beckett,” and left. Cutler Becket
Page 603 and 604: voyage that don’t seem to add up,
Page 605 and 606: together on the top of the table in
Page 607 and 608: spoken to some members of your crew
Page 609 and 610: was walking down by the docks one e
Page 611 and 612: there were two scars, fairly close
Page 613 and 614: going to back down this time. The c
Page 615 and 616: “That’s all right,” Beckett s
Page 617 and 618: of hushed, fearful conversations in
Page 619 and 620: Finally, he spat a last time, then
Page 621 and 622: dead, and at my hand. Well, I had h
Page 623 and 624: Amenirdis must be on her way, Jack
Page 625 and 626: “Yes, Jack. All good suggestions.
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to pull away, then added, hastily,
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Sullen muttering greeted his declar
Page 631 and 632:
pallet, Jack leaned his head in his
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when suddenly he’d had to switch
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I wouldn’t eat anything but fresh
Page 637 and 638:
Beckett decided to simply drop them
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again, this time with the back of h
Page 641 and 642:
punishment.” He smiled as if he w
Page 643 and 644:
“I don’t have time to argue!”
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The deck jumped and lurched. Everyt
Page 647 and 648:
“Captain Jones,” Jack said, mar
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Tortuga’s best tradition, they we
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eeze tugged at his loose hair. It w
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gotten a new baldric for his cutlas
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