Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

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angel’s wing. He straightened up. “Gentlemen, I find meself incapable of smashing—and thus wasting—a bottle of perfectly good rum. That would be a sin, gents, now wouldn’t it?” Grinning, his men indicated their complete agreement. Jack raised the rum bottle to his lips, grabbed the cork in his teeth, and pulled. The cork came free. He spat it out. “That’s better! Mates, I now libate—if there indeed be such a word, which I rather doubt—our lovely angel here. May she watch out for us, keep us safe, and guide us on our journeys!” Leaning over, Jack splashed a generous dollop of rum over the angel’s head. Then, raising the rum high, he shouted, “I christen thee… the Black Pearl!” He took a large gulp of the rum, feeling the lovely burn as it coursed its way down his gullet. “Here’s to me lovely Black Pearl, gents. Please toast our beautiful lady with me!” The crew erupted into assorted cheers. “Huzzah! Hurray for Captain Sparrow! Cheers for the Black Pearl! Huzzah for the Black Pearl!” Climbing back up out of the forecastle, Jack passed the open bottle to his new quartermaster, a villainous-looking Dutchman named Jan van der Groote. Then he pulled the cork on the other bottle, took another drink, and started that one making the rounds, too. He hadn’t managed to find a first mate yet. Maybe there’d be someone in Shipwreck Cove.… Even though he’d promised himself that he’d focus on the future, not the past, Jack found himself thinking of Robby for a moment. He hoped his friend had reached shore safely, dug up his share of the pharaoh’s reward, then used the gold to go back to England and buy himself a snug little farm. Maybe Robby would actually pursue that whole seminary and taking orders notion. The lad really would make a good minister. He was probably the only Englishman Jack had ever met that really tried to live his beliefs—yet managed not to be a prig about it. He deserved that farm and that vicar’s collar, and a rosycheeked girl who was plump in all the right places.… The cheering was dying down now. Both bottles of rum were empty, which was no surprise. Jack wet his finger and held it up, as a
eeze tugged at his loose hair. It was long now, past his shoulders. He nodded. The winds were favorable. Time to go. Cupping his hands around his mouth, Jack bellowed, “All hands! Make sail! Prepare to cast off on my order! Helm, stand by to set course! Cheerily, lads!” Jack strode back and forth, watching, evaluating the response of his crew. The great black sails rose, as the sweating men heaved on the lines. Jack wasn’t satisfied with the effort they were putting into it. “You call that heaving?” he sneered. “I’ve seen grandmothers that could do better! Try it again, with a will, and lively, you barnacle-encrusted lummoxes! Heave!” “Cast off all lines!” The tempo of work increased. Jack looked up, shading his eyes against the sun. I must get myself a bloody hat. As the Black Pearl got under way, gliding out of the harbor, Jack headed up to the quarterdeck. His helmsman, a young Spaniard named Domingo Velasquez, who had proudly told Jack that his father had sailed aboard Venganza under command of Don Rafael, looked at him expectantly. Jack gave him his course. It was odd to be up here, on the quarterdeck, with everything painted black, instead of the chestnut color of the Wicked Wench. But he’d known that black paint would hide the burn marks most effectively. And besides…a black ship with black sails, a fast black ship with black sails, was the stuff on which legends were built, here in the Caribbean. “You will be pleased when we clear the harbor and put up the t’gallants and royals,” Jack told Domingo. “I believe that with the wind, the Pearl will be the fastest ship you’ve ever sailed on. Uncatchable, savvy?” Jack felt confident that his boast would prove true. So far, Davy Jones had fulfilled his side of the bargain admirably. Jack had been very careful when he’d negotiated, making his terms very precise. Captain of the fastest pirate vessel in the Caribbean, Jack thought. Faster than Venganza. Esmeralda is going to lose that red hat of hers.… Jack took a deep breath of the sea air, and felt his soul sing within
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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
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Jack looked at Robby, who had stuck
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wouldn’t need protection when he
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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
Page 643 and 644: “I don’t have time to argue!”
Page 645 and 646: The deck jumped and lurched. Everyt
Page 647 and 648: “Captain Jones,” Jack said, mar
Page 649: Tortuga’s best tradition, they we
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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