Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

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a couple of ancient shirts. Then he stuffed the coins and jewelry into his best pair of stockings. Slamming it all back into his sea chest, Jack realized that he had no way to lock it. Hastily, he grabbed his baldric, discarding his cutlass—not without a pang—and put the heavy leather strap around it, tightening it as much as he could. The Wicked Wench screamed, then groaned. His ship’s cry sounded almost human. Jack dashed tears from his eyes, then grabbed the chest, and stood up with it in his arms. Heading over to the wrecked door, Jack put out a hand to touch it, then jumped back. It was hot to the touch. Smoke trickled in beneath the doors. He coughed. Coughing, Jack retreated, back to the stern windows. Could he get out that way? Those windows weren’t very big. Chamba had been a skinny, halfstarved kid when he’d pulled him through. Jack was a grown man. If I smash them all out, he thought, I can jump.... Jack put down the chest and ran over to pick up his sword. He began smashing out the glass in his windows with the hilt, hammering at it. The ship lurched, and rolled, and suddenly Jack realized the surface of the water looked a lot closer. The Wicked Wench was going down. Jack looked around his cabin, realizing he was trapped. There was no way out. His ship lurched violently, and everything in the cabin started to slide, first one way, then another. Jack crawled toward the window, dragging the chest. Somehow, he’d force himself through it. Just as he reached the windows, Jack realized that he’d been incredibly stupid. If he jumped, holding the chest, the gold was heavy enough to carry it—and him—to the bottom. He’d have to abandon the chest. The entire cabin was thick with smoke, now. The ship heaved and rolled again, knocking Jack off his feet. He slid across the deck. Jack tried to crawl toward the window, but he was disoriented, his lungs screaming for air. And somehow, he was still dragging the bloody chest with him. He couldn’t seem to make his fingers let go of it. Where were the windows? He couldn’t see them.…
The deck jumped and lurched. Everything slid around again, including Jack. He fetched up against the door, and the chest slammed into him. A tongue of flame erupted through the door, and suddenly his left sleeve was on fire. Yelling, gasping, Jack tried to beat out the flames with his right hand. He heard another hideous groan, and glanced up, just in time to see the overhead skylight collapsing, coming down on top of him. Mercifully, Jack blacked out for a little while. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer aboard the burning ship. He seemed to be somewhere else…somewhere as featureless as his smoke-filled cabin had been, but…elsewhere. He could tell because there were no flames, and he could breathe fine. If indeed he was breathing.… Jack wasn’t sure of anything, right now. He could feel his body, feel the pain from his burned left arm and his branded right arm, but it was distant, muffled, as though he’d gulped half a flask of rum. The really good stuff. Jack sat up, then managed to get to his feet. He was able to stand, but that was strange, because there didn’t seem to be a solid surface beneath him. Where the devil am I? Jack wondered, turning his head. His sea chest was there, with him. Somehow he must have managed to hang onto it. The word “devil” resounded in his mind. And then, suddenly, he knew where he was. He was wherever Davy Jones met up with dead or dying mariners. Any moment now, Old Squid Face himself was bound to appear. He’d call Jack’s name…and that meant it was all over. But it can’t be, he thought. There are so many things I want to do! Jack stood there. After a moment he shifted his weight and looked around again. It’s bloody rude to keep a chap waiting, he thought. But maybe he didn’t have to wait. Maybe he could summon Jones? He’d seen the Pirate Lords do it, after all. And there were whispers…rumors…that Jones would sometimes negotiate, make deals, with mariners brave or brazen enough to confront him, then
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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
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summon a handmaiden to help you dre
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Her people did not have mirrors lik
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After Jack reached the Wicked Wench
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Beckett rather rubbed me the wrong
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a merchant who saw a perfect pearl,
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After a long, uncomfortable minute,
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chattering away since they’d firs
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homeland. For one thing, I believe
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his people. Chamba stood beside him
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and I know what I need to do. So ye
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN The Heart of Zerzur
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had all of this venture planned out
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Christophe rolled his eyes. “Why
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when I was standing on the edge of
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Then, moments later, she was on the
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cutlass penetrated the creature’s
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“This is his temple, after all.
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“Jack, are you all right?” the
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Jacques.” Christophe took his han
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his head on the floor, and that his
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hard she nearly drove the breath fr
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time to sail away. How long will th
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forth in the sunlight, admiring it,
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added to it.” “What is that?”
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this herbal drink, sweetened with h
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Looks like the last act of Hamlet.
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The next quarter of an hour was a r
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gold. “What each man here chooses
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Slowly, the Wicked Wench turned and
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instincts, and his own sword, a col
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at the throat and wrists, Christoph
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he continued to retreat. “Strateg
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eath…” “Hah!” Jack exclaime
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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.
Page 627 and 628: to pull away, then added, hastily,
Page 629 and 630: Sullen muttering greeted his declar
Page 631 and 632: pallet, Jack leaned his head in his
Page 633 and 634: when suddenly he’d had to switch
Page 635 and 636: I wouldn’t eat anything but fresh
Page 637 and 638: Beckett decided to simply drop them
Page 639 and 640: again, this time with the back of h
Page 641 and 642: punishment.” He smiled as if he w
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Page 647 and 648: “Captain Jones,” Jack said, mar
Page 649 and 650: Tortuga’s best tradition, they we
Page 651 and 652: eeze tugged at his loose hair. It w
Page 653 and 654: gotten a new baldric for his cutlas
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

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