Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

with cold steel.
This is why I’ve been practicing, Jack realized, suddenly. Ever
since the Wicked Wench had sailed west, across the Atlantic, he’d
been driven to fence, to practice swordplay with anyone that would
give him a match, but he hadn’t known why until just now. The moment
he’d resolved to find Christophe and get the pharaoh’s bracelet back,
something inside him had known that this fight would happen.
Jack made his decision. For good or ill, this would end now,
tonight. After tonight, Christophe would never bother him again—one
way or another.
Tia Dalma would call it destiny…
“Mr. Greene!” Jack shouted. “Don’t interfere unless he kills or
disables me. Savvy?”
“Yes, Captain,” Robby said, grimly.
Neither opponent saluted the other. This was not a match. This
was a duel—to the death.
Jack attacked. He moved forward, stamping his bare foot on the
deck, a movement called an appel designed to startle an opponent,
cause his guard to falter. It didn’t work. Christophe thrust at him, and
Jack parried. Christophe pressed his attack, thrusting, parrying Jack’s
thrusts, all with lightning speed. It was all Jack could do to parry the
rogue’s attacks. Jack retreated, parrying, defending himself. For the
moment it was all he could manage, to track Christophe’s blade in the
moonlight, and defend, defend…
Jack was being pushed back, back, across the deck. The blades
rang against each other, a song of metal. Jack could see and smell
sparks as they struck, steel sliding against steel.
Jack knew every inch of the Wench’s deck. He could have found
his way around it blindfolded. He let Christophe back him down the
narrow strip of deck between the main hatch grating and the
amidships ladder, thankful he didn’t take a misstep. Christophe
managed to catch him, once, high on his left arm, when he was just a
bit too late in his parry. Though it was barely more than a nick, it stung.
“You’re…bleeding now…Jacques,” Christophe gasped.
Jack knew when he’d passed the opening to the amidships
ladder without looking. He’d soon be up against the starboard railing if