This time, Jack sputtered awake from a bucket of salt water being poured over his head. Jumping up out of sheer instinct, he gasped in pain and settled immediately back down. "Careful," a mocking voice said, and he turned his head only to see his loving, caring sister standing by him, a bucket held loosely in one hand, the other hand balanced on the hilt of her sword. "I barely stopped the bleeding the first time. Wouldn't want to open it back up again."
"Why, thank you for the concern luv. It's touching."
Jill smiled icily, leaned in close. "Is it now?" she breathed. He shrugged, sharply took in a breath from the pain that caused, and cursed himself for his own stupidity in moving the shoulder that was obviously hurt in such a way.
She smirked, backed away again. "You know what I want Jack."
"A hobby?" he offered.
"Mmm…" smiling, she smacked him across the face. Bloody magnet for female hands that bloody side of his face was. Flinching, he brought his hand to the stinging cheek, then brought the hand before his eyes, moving his fingers around as if examining it deeply for signs of some abnormality, or simply just very interested in the creases of it… very interested. When he heard a cleared throat, his eyes were drawn away from this spectacle, and beheld his darling sister as if she had just been noticed. She sighed.
"Just tell me what I want to know, Jack. Then… you won't be hurt. No one has to get hurt here, don't ye see?"
"Except of course for me, my crew, and my ship, correct?"
She smiled, and it would have seemed sincere but for something lurking behind her eyes, and tilted her head to the side. "Well, no one has to get hurt again, savvy?"
"Again, you say? Hmmm… Well, sounds fine to me, but then, you do have me at a bit of a disadvantage. Why not loosen these bonds, and then we can talk, eh?"
"Not likely." She didn't appear quite so jovial any longer. "Now, tell me where the Isla de Muerta is, or, give me the compass. Then, we'll see what to do next."
"The what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in what appeared to be actual puzzlement.
She was glowering now. "Just give me the damn compass, or, if you were so bloody stupid as to lose it, then tell me where the island is!"
"An island, is it? Can't help you much there. Only know one to perfection, and that one was burned to the ground. Bloody hate that island…" As usual, very passionate hand motions and facial expressions followed every word.
Jill, not having the least bit of an idea what he was talking about, decided to ignore that comment and move things along. "Oh, not even you can be that dumb, Jack! Bloody imbecile, yes, but not that bad!" Her composure seemed to come together again with a deep breath, or perhaps two or three, and another faked smile just oozing sugar and no spice magically appeared. "So I suggest you start telling your twin the truth, or your twin will stick your 'ead on a pike for all to see and enjoy!" Perhaps this time, the smile was sincere.
The image flashed through Jack's mind, and his eyes widened. No, definitely not good, so, making as if he'd just deduced what it was that she was going on about, he spoke up with something a bit more helpful to her cause. "Oh, that compass! That Isla de Muerta!" She nodded her head in encouragement, smile stretching so far now that it barely fit the confines of her face anymore. Scary, really. "You do know there's a curse, right?"
At this, Jill let out a laugh of pure unadulterated mirth. "Oh, ye still manage to amuse me with your foolish tricks! I believe in curses, Jack, like I believe in an 'onest livin'."
"That'd be none at all then, eh?" he said, not really expecting a response to his favor.
"Just about, yes."
"You haven't heard the stories?" he tried, although it was as good as hopeless.
She shrugged. "Been off lootin' the Americas, Jack. Some good stuff there, but not nearly as nice as back here at home. Got bored. Remembered the compass ye stole from me on top of all of that, and, well, to put it bluntly… I want it back."
"Darling, I pilfered that compass square, and all by me onesies, savvy? 'S not my thought you somehow got the thought in yer head that I stole the bloody thing from you."
"'Twas my plunder, you theavin' scoundrel!" He looked at her in disbelief.
"Pirate here, Jill!" She slapped him again. Harder this time. If luck weren't on his side, as it hadn't been for the past 10 years or so, he'd probably get a nasty bruise there. And things had been going so well for him this past one year too!
"All right, if you refuse to cooperate, then p'raps the Code's way of dealin' with a washed out captain would be right and fitting, don't you think? A nice maroonin' should put things into perspective for you."
Oh, not that again! He was about to voice his opinion on the matter, but had no chance to, as at that moment, Jill decided it was the perfect moment for the having of his head collide with the butt of a pistol lying off to the side. Wonderful day he was having!