Chapter Three:
Thinking Too Much
It was, Sofia decided, not a very impressive destination. The ruddy island didn't even have a proper harbor to dock in.
"Why would the Cap'n be bringin' us here?" she asked Tuck, one of the crewman she'd gotten to know over the past two and a half weeks. Tuck looked up from the rope he was coiling and gave her a sarcastic smile.
"Ain't you heard nothin', lass? This be our place o' safe keepin'."
"For what?"
"Whatever booty we scrapes up," Tuck replied. "Back to work with ye."
Over the next half-hour, the ship was maneuvered into a position as close to the island as possible. Several of the lifeboats were loaded with excess booty—chests of coins, a box or two of silks—and all but Gibbs and Ana Maria and the cook, Joseph, were conscripted as rowers.
Sofia found herself in the same boat as Jack Sparrow, who seemed positively giddy with boyish excitement. He pulled an oar just like Sofia and the two other crewmen, Tuck and Miguel, but he was practically vibrating with anticipation.
"It's only an island, Cap'n," Sofia said, glancing at Jack with a dubious expression. "Can't be that much to get all excited about."
Miguel snickered. Jack looked surprised at Sofia's words.
"My dear Sofia, I expected more from you," he said, waggling his eyebrows slightly. "Don't you listen to gossip, love?"
"Too busy workin'," Sofia said blithely. "Ain't one for idle tales, neither."
Jack chuckled and shook his head, but said nothing more. She'd soon realize the foolishness of such a position, especially upon the Black Pearl.
Along with the two other boats, they rowed into the mouth of what looked to be a sea-cave of inconsequential proportions. Further examination, however, showed it to be a winding cavern that probably took up a good deal of the island, should anyone care to explore.
Despite herself, Sofia's breath caught at the sight of gold coins lying like so much debris at the bottom of the narrow channel of water. She found herself wondering just how much swag there was here, and how she could find the island again after her stay aboard the Pearl.
"Here we are," said Jack cheerfully as they crunched to a stop. He stepped out onto dry rock. "Unload the boats," he barked to the crew, then grinned and sauntered down the passage and out of view.
Sofia shook her head and helped Miguel and Tuck carry the first chest over the lip of stone. Then she started and nearly dropped it on her own feet.
"That," she said breathlessly, "is a bloody big pile o' gold."
"Aye, lass," Tuck said, amused at Sofia's reaction. "It certainly is."
They carried the chest to a likely looking bit of rock, and then dumped the contents onto it. The two men went back for the other chest, but Sofia lingered.
Jack was off somewhere in the gloom, talking to himself and messing about in the piles of booty. Sofia couldn't really see him- there were holes in the ceiling, allowing natural light, but it was a heavily overcast day and the cavern was dimly lit. She could hear him perfectly, however. He was singing some pirate drinking song.
"The horde to end all others, it seems," Sofia breathed to herself. She picked up a few coins and tested their weight in her hand- they clinked richly against each other.
"Ain't it lovely?"
Sofia jumped and shrieked. Jack grinned at her reaction. She'd been off in her own world, and the hyperactive little boy in him couldn't resist the opportunity to startle her.
Sofia calmed herself and nodded. "Aye. Where'd it come from?"
Jack shrugged and flopped onto the pile of coins. "Here an' there. No clue for most o' it, Barbossa's to thank fur it."
"Who?"
Jack waved off the question. "No one o' consequence, at least anymore." He chuckled softly, as if at an unheard joke. "Commodore Barbossa… gullible ol' dog…"
Sofia shook her head and went back to the boats. She'd rather haul gold around than listen to Jack's ramblings. Her captain he might be, but he unsettled her. She refused to think of any reasons why, beyond his slightly mad countenance.
They stayed at Isla de Muerta only that one day, during which Jack ordered them not only to deposit their newest winnings, but also to haul a large stone chest back to the ship. He refused to explain himself, or even allow anyone to open it in a fit of benign curiosity. When it was actually on the ship, Gibbs refused to go anywhere near it.
The night was a merry one- Joseph, the teenage cook, assembled a tasty supper and then Jack, in a fit of unusual generosity, handed out enough rum to make everyone on board quite thoroughly drunk. Once this was so, Duncan started sawing away on his salt-crusted fiddle. To any sober man it was an inhospitable racket, but as no one present was completely sober (not even Sofia) it was greatly appreciated. Tuck went into an enthusiastic jig, but then tripped on an empty bottle and nearly fell overboard.
All in all, an uneventful party. As such things went.
Well, at least for pirates.
* * *
Three days out of the Isla de Muerta, Jack had apparently decided Sofia had proven herself a worthy crewmember. As such, she suddenly found herself with free time. Of course, said free time was only to be had when everyone she could actually hold a conversation with was otherwise occupied.
So it was that she found herself up on the quarterdeck (the only empty space large enough for such things) swinging her cutlass at imaginary opponents. In her imagination, she killed Jeremiah Jordan multiple times and then sailed away with the Blackbird, yet again, to steal the fortunes of the Isla de Muerta and retire in piratical splendor.
Unlike Sofia, who was giggling to herself and slashing at the air, Jack was bored. Standing at the wheel for hours at a time tends to breed such feelings. He watched Sofia's antics for a short time, but then ran out of what little patience he had. He put Gibbs at the wheel and approached her.
"You're a bit rusty, aren't ye lass?"
Startled, Sofia spun around and very nearly took off Jack's beard braids. She slid the cutlass inside its sheath at her belt and grinned sheepishly.
"Pardon me, Cap'n, ye startled me," she said while Jack was tugging at his beard, ensuring it was still intact.
"I can tell," Jack said dryly. "How long is it since ye practiced, love?"
Sofia shrugged. "Too long, probably. Haven't had the wherewithal. Why do ye ask?"
Jack took the cutlass from Sofia's waist, ignoring her scowl, and inspected the blade absently. "If you really do have the Blackbird's crew after yur mangy hide, then ye'd best be preparin' for 'em, and swingin' at dust isn't going to help." He stepped back and took a few experimental swings with Sofia's blade, testing its balance, and then tossed it hilt first to Sofia. She caught it easily.
"So, lass, let's have a go of it." And without any further warning, Jack drew his own blade and lunged at Sofia. She ducked his first wild swing, and then the pair set to it in earnest.
Of course, a scuffle of any sort is a spectator sport among pirates, but a sword fight between the captain and the lowest-rung tar is something to see. Before long the mizzenmast and the main mast had crew dangling off in hopes of seeing the fight well. Most cheered for Jack, valuing their hides, but Tuck and Joseph were firmly on Sofia's side.
They ranged over the quarterdeck, the main deck, and then back up to circle the wheel, ducking behind stairs and twisting around ropes like a pair of over-trained acrobats caught in an elaborate dance. Which, in effect, they were.
Sofia growled in frustration. Jack was very good, but she wasn't going to concede defeat yet. She slashed right, then threw a punch. She hit Jack in the jaw, and he stumbled back slightly. A shout rose up from the men and Ana Maria let out a whoop of pure feministic glee. Dislike Sofia or not, it was extremely entertaining to see Jack get hit (yet again) by a woman.
Of course, such cheering only goaded Jack on further. Thirty seconds later, he had Sofia pinned against the outside wall of his cabin.
"Now what'll ye do?" he asked, smirking. Sofia scowled.
"I ain't done yet," she snarled. And then she stomped as hard as she possibly could on Jack's toe and shoved him.
For such a small creature, Sofia was deceptively strong. Caught unawares, Jack fell hard on his rump. Sofia's cutlass tip hovered at his throat.
"Ha," she said softly, smirking at Jack's expression of mingled surprise and amusement. "I know ye let me win, Cap'n Sparrow," she said. "But I still won." And with that she put her cutlass away and offered Jack a hand. He grunted slightly and ignored it, standing up by himself.
"I'll be sure to never underestimate you again, then," he said. "I'll swab the deck with you."
Sofia raised her eyebrows, a smile toying with the corners of her mouth. "Will ye now?" And she walked away, knowing full well that everyone on the ship was watching her as she disappeared below decks.
Gibbs chuckled. "The lass has spunk, right enough."
Jack tossed him a glare, which he then sent at the rest of the crew. "Back to yer duties, ye scurvy dogs!"
The crew did as they were told, but not without several snickers at Jack's expense. He ignored them and went back to the wheel. Gibbs left him to it, laughing under his breath as he went.
Ana Maria walked up onto the quarterdeck, chuckling softly. "You always did let women get the best o' ye," she said. "Sofia isn't any different."
Jack scowled at Ana Maria's double entendre. "She's just another member o' my crew, same as you or Crimp or anyone else."
"Mmm hmm. And Scarlett was your younger sister." Ana Maria shook her head and wandered away, leaving Jack to stew in his own thoughts.
* * *
"How did you end up as cook on the Sea Jewel?" Sofia asked absently, keeping her eyes on her task- it's never a good idea to peel potatoes while looking the other way. Joseph put a lid on the pot he had been stirring and shrugged.
"My father was an officer in the British Navy, and I joined on principle," he said. He had a strong British accent, somewhere between Gibbs' inflection and a street-rat Cockney. He was tall and wiry and walked with a bad limp, the reason for which he'd never told anyone. "I can't fight, or sail, really, so they chucked me below decks with a wooden spoon an' told me to make myself useful." He grinned crookedly and shrugged again. "So I did."
Sofia nodded, echoing Joseph's smile with one of her own. "Interesting. But why did you let Jack haul ye to the Pearl?"
Joseph's smile vanished, replaced by a carefully neutral expression. "I was dreadfully bored, miss…"
"And?" Sofia pressed. She was an expert at half answers, and knew that Joseph himself was using one. Joseph shrugged.
"No one here treats me odd because I'm no bloody use topside," he said. "Frying pan or no," he added, grinning crookedly. Sofia laughed, recalling Gibbs' expression of shock when he was hit over the head with a pan. He hadn't been knocked out, Joseph hadn't the strength to do so in one hit, but the situation had offered up a great deal of humor.
"The cap'n's an odd sort," Sofia said, tossing a peeled potato into the pot at her elbow. "Th' only reason I'm here is that he thought I was interestin'."
Joseph reached for the pot of potatoes, giving Sofia an amused glance. She returned it with a mildly scandalized one.
"Ye bloody… man! Not like tha'," she said furiously. "I out-drank Gibbs and passed out the next night on the deck o' the Pearl, after a pack o' scurvy tars chased me through Tortuga on an ancient grudge. He thought I was an interestin' character, is all I can say about it."
"Beggin' yur pardon, miss," said Joseph, still grinning cheekily. "Didn't mean to offend you."
Sofia huffed indignantly, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. "'Nuff o' that 'miss' tosh," she said. "No one's called me by my bloody name for over a week. It's Sofia, you hear?"
"Yes, miss."
"Why, you-" Sofia threw a half-peeled potato at Joseph, who laughed and ducked. Sofia shook her head, laughing under her breath, and returned to her task.
Ana Maria stuck her head in the galley, scowling. "What's the racket about?" she asked grumpily.
"Joseph's being cheeky," said Sofia airily. "Scrawny whelp that he is. Did ya want anythin'?"
Ana Maria scowled again and disappeared. Joseph shook his head.
"You an' I, we're the only sane ones on this boat," said Joseph wonderingly. Sofia laughed.
"I wouldn't say tha' just yet. You don't know me well enough."
