"I'm not too happy about this." Jack Sparrow was eyeing the small rowboat warily, one eyebrow raised.
"Well, mate, take it or leave it." The other man standing on the beach frowned menacingly at him. "I've got me own problems and I ain't bothered about yours. But now I'm here and I know where the rum is so I can get it whether you give it to me or not. You're the only one who's got somethin' to lose – and that's a safe ride to Tortuga." He smirked and folded his arms, waiting for Jack's reply.
"Bloody pirates," Jack grumbled. Then he waved his arms and moved toward the boat. "Well, then, seeing as you've made some excellent points, I do believe I'll be joining you on your trip." He stepped into the boat and sat down, looking at the other man expectantly waiting for him to get in as well. "Comin', mate?"
With a glare, the other man replied, "I'm comin' when I'm good and ready." He looked back toward the charred trees near where the rum was stashed. "'ow much rum did you say was left in there?"
"Enough to hold you over for years to come," Jack replied earnestly, swiftly crossing his fingers behind his back. There was only enough to hold him for years to come if the man only wanted one sip each year – but he didn't need to know that. "More than this boat could carry." Jack tilted his head to the side and shot a glance out at the ship drifted offshore. "Is your crew trustworthy?" He narrowed his eyes. "You'll be wanting a trustworthy crew to get the rum for you, otherwise all of Tortuga will know where the stash is."
The other pirate grunted. "Aye, ye make a good point." He sighed and returned to the rowboat. "I'll be returnin' here afore long and it'll be worth the wait to keep the secret."
Jack nodded sagely and folded his arms. "That be a wise choice."
As the other pirate began to row back toward the ship from which he had come, he eyed Jack a little more closely than before. "What's your name, then? 'ave I seen you before?"
"No, I think not," Jack answered quickly with a jerk of his head. "Smith, or Smithy, is the name. Not many people know who I am," he added quickly, for good luck. He didn't want it to get around just yet that Jack Sparrow was still alive and kicking.
Or, well, alive and sitting in a rowboat anyway.
"Ye look a mite familiar," the pirate mused, then shrugged. "No matter. The name's Jack."
It took Jack a few very tense seconds to realize that the other pirate was talking about himself, not Jack Sparrow. He relaxed. Of course the other pirate couldn't possibly know who he really was. Jack Sparrow carefully, slowly pulled the sleeve of his shirt down on his right arm to cover his sparrow tattoo. It wouldn't do to have anyone see that right now. He'd had a hard enough time convincing the man not to go exploring around the island – he couldn't chance the other pirate finding the black ship sitting on the beach directly opposite from where he had landed in his rowboat.
"It'll take us a few days to reach Tortuga," Other Jack said conversationally.
"Aye, that it will," Jack Sparrow replied quietly, his thoughts far away and centering on a certain brown-haired woman that he would rather not be thinking about at the moment. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and looked at the other pirate. "What's the name of your captain?"
"Don't have a captain at the moment," Other Jack answered abruptly. "I be actin' captain. I was first mate. Captain was taken captive on the last boat we raided and we always stick strictly to the code." Other Jack gave an offhand shrug in between rows.
"He who falls behind is left behind," Jack said quietly with one side of his mouth turning up slightly. Other Jack didn't notice and continued to speak.
"I figure on getting' back to Tortuga, getting' rid of the crew what I 'ave now, findin' me a 'ole new one, an' comin' back for that rum." He grinned widely, exposing all his yellowed and rotting teeth. Jack Sparrow shuddered and stuck out his tongue. If that weren't the grossest thing he's ever seen.
Well except for the Kraken. And that one woman…
"Anyway, what's your story?"
"Nothing," Jack answered all too quickly and in a voice pitched somewhat higher than usual. He quickly cleared his throat and amended, "That is, it's not at all interesting. I was washed overboard from me last ship and swam three days 'til I found the island and the rum." He smiled and leaned back, relaxing on the bow of the rowboat. "And now all that rum is yours, mate."
With a greedy smile in return – which again exposed his nasty teeth and unhappily caused Jack's thoughts to turn back to that one woman – Other Jack answered, "Aye, an' I can't wait to come back an' get it!"
Jack smiled uneasily. "You'll be amazed." He didn't elaborate, thinking that would probably be an unwise decision. They had almost reached the pirate ship and Jack looked up to read the name painted on the side. "The 'Laughing Monkey'?" What the devil kind of name is that, mate?" he asked incredulously.
"That's the name the captain gave 'er. Don't like it much meself, but what'm I s'posed to do about it?" Other Jack shook his head with a wry smile.
"Just one question," Jack began, eying Other Jack warily.
"What's that?"
"You don't have any actual monkeys on board, do you?" Jack smiled weakly, trying to play it off as a joke.
Other Jack laughed. "We 'ave three!"
Jack groaned. He wasn't happy about this. He wasn't happy about this at all.