I woke up the next morning (or was it the next week?) lying on a feather mattress surrounded by the most amazing hoard of treasure I had ever seen. Was I dead? I sat up quickly, but my head throbbed so terribly I had to lie back down. The memory of the pirate and The Dress and the kidnapping suddenly rushed back to me. I wasn't dead, but I was a hostage on a pirate ship. Not much better off.

Sitting up slowly this time, still painfully aware of the large lump the gun left, I looked around the hold. Some of the treasure was familiar, but most of it I had never seen before. I got up and started looking through the mountains of silver and gold. I found the most exquisite pearl and ruby bracelet just lying on a pile of other equally priceless jewels. I couldn't resist trying it on. I picked up something useful as well, a small pistol I found in a chest of weapons. It seemed like a good idea to have it with me, should something go wrong, so I slid it into a pocket in The Dress. Just then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs to the hold. I whirled around and tried to look innocent.

"Well, well, look who's finally awake!" The voice sneered. "I see you're admiring me hoard! Well, I'm sure it's nothing compared to what your father has lying around his palace!"

I recognized that voice! It belonged to the pirate who kidnapped me! I stared at the man who had so recently threatened my life. I had to admit, he was a lot more handsome than I thought he would be. I wasn't quite sure how to reply to him, so I simply glared at him through narrowed eyes.

He laughed, and spoke mockingly, "What's the matter, princess? Are the accommodations on the Pearl not up to royal standards? Just name whatever it is ye want, princess! We are but yer humble servants!"

My eyes widened with shock. I was on the Black Pearl! I've heard stories about this ship! I've heard it was crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out! I've never heard anything about taking hostages, though. The Pearl has never left any survivors.

"This...This ship is the Black Pearl?" I asked.

The pirate grinned, proudly. "So you've 'eard of it, aye?"

"But...I thought it wasn't in the policy of the Pearl to take hostages?"

"She's under new management."

"So you're not the infamous captain in all the legends, are you?"

"M'lady, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! I've enough of me own legends, with or without the Pearl. Savvy?"

"Well, Mr. Sparrow--"

"That's Captain Sparrow!" He interrupted.

I rolled my eyes and continued in an imperious tone. "Well, Captain Sparrow, I demand that I be served something to eat. I am quite famished."

"Very well princess," Captain Sparrow replied sarcastically. "If you would follow me to the dining hall our chef shall serve you the finest gourmet cooking in the Caribbean."

He turned and started up the stairs, and I hurried after him. I followed him into the Captain's cabin. The first thing I noticed was a table with all manner of delicious-looking foods set on it. I sat down and began to eat ravenously. Jack sat down across from me and poured himself a pint.

After watching me wolf down half of a fish, several helpings of potatoes, three pieces of pork, two glasses of wine, and a slice of bread, he asked, "I suppose table etiquette was not of high priority at the palace, eh princess?"

I reached for another slice of bread as I replied coldly, "But you were quite the gentlemen when you threatened to kill me."

"Believe me, princess, you could have been a lot worse off than me," he said darkly. I chose not to think about how much worse off I could have been. I suddenly remembered a mysterious detail about the kidnapping.

"Captain Sparrow," I asked, "How did you know Sir—My fathers—name?"

He smiled mirthlessly. "I know a lot more about yer father than you do, princess." He said that in such a way that I knew the subject was closed, and I had to hold back the hundreds of new questions his answer brought up. "Ye know, princess, I never learned yer name." He said, changing the subject.

"I didn't have much of a chance to give it, between having a gun to my head then being unconscious and all," I retorted. "It's Jaquelene. Lady Jaquelene."

"It's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lady Jaquelene, but now I must take my leave. I have a ship to captain, ye know." He rose from his chair, bowed dramatically, and started toward the door.

"You know, it's frightfully rude to rise from the table before a lady does."

Jack stopped and turned towards me again, frowning slightly, as if pondering some serious dilemma. "No, I do believe 'tis the other way around. It's frightfully rude not to rise from the table when a lady does."

Perhaps he was right. I always found the etiquette of high society to be a bit confusing. But I wasn't going to let Jack know that. As far as he knew, I was high society. "I believe I have a bit more authority on the subject than you do, captain," I said haughtily.

"Very well then, princess," he replied in a mock-serious tone. "And just what is the proper etiquette for a situation like this?"

I pretended to take his question into deep consideration. "I suppose you may startgiving me the grand tour ofthe rest of your little boat."

"Ship!" He corrected. I waved my hand, as if brushing away such trivialities. Jack smiled slightly as he bowed again, this time extending his hand toward me. "If you please, Princess Jaquelene."

With exagerrated daintiness I placed my hand onto his and stood up. Unfortunatly, I had unthinkingly given him the arm wearing his bracelet. My prayers he wouldn't notice went unanswered.

"This looks familiar," he mused, looking at me with that same slight smile playing beneath his moustache.

He turned my hand over, inspecting the bracelet. "Decided to help yourself to a bit of---" he stopped abruptly, staring at my hand in shock, his smile entirely gone.

With a growing feeling of dread, I started to pull my hand back but he grabbed it and pulled it toward him roughly, and stared at my palm, eyes wide with disbelief. I knew what he was seeing.

"What...? Where...?" Jack sputtered. He was speechless, and I knew exactly why. Seared into the flesh just beneath my thumb was a "T", not grotesquely large but big enough to be noticed. It was the brand of a thief who had been caught.

"What is this?" Jack finally asked. He said it quietly and ominously, and I was much more afraid than I would have been if he had shouted it.

"Umm, a birthmark?"

"Who are you?" he demanded, completely ignoring my pathetic attempt at a ruse.

I stammered a bit, before settling on the truth. "I'm Maggie. Maggie Elden. I'm a servant of Lady Jaquelene."

Jack looked at me in disbelief, staring at my dress, then at the brand, then at the dress again. I decided to explain the brand first.

"Before I was hired by Sir Dunnmore, I made my way as a theif on the streets of London. Until I got caught, that is, and had to find honest employment." I felt this to be a bit of an unfair understatement. I wasn't just any poor hungry urchin who stole their living; I was notorious among the London underworld, reputed to be able to steal anything from anyone. I near believed it, too, until I was arrested. But I couldn't tell Jack any of that yet. He looked too bewildered as it was.

"And Sir Dunnmore dresses all of his servants this fine, I wonder?"

I winced. Never in my life had I felt so incredibly stupid. "Erm...I was...trying it on. Just to see how it looked," I replied, somewhat lamely.

Jack dropped my hand, and started to pace. Ever so often he would look up at me, then would go back to pacing. Finally, he looked up at me and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Elden, but I can see no other solution to this situation of ours but to kill you."

I felt a sharp drop in my stomach. "Kill me! But...But couldn't you just leave me off somewhere? Next civilized port you stop at?" I pleaded, desperately bargaining for my life.

"But how can I trust ye not to scurry over to the nearest authorities at that civilized port? Believe me, Miss Elden, I am terribly sorry. But I have to look out for the best interests of the Pearl, savvy?"

I racked my brain for some way out of this, and suddenly remembered the pistol I had stowed in my dress pocket. If there was ever a good time to use it, now was it. I pulled it out and, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I pointed it toward Jack.

"What about your own best interests, Captain Sparrow?" I said, hoping that I sounded far more sure than I felt. He looked startled, to say the least, to be staring down the barrel of him own gun.

"Where did you get that?" He demanded.

"The T on my hand doesn't stand for trustworthy," I said. "Now I don't intend on shooting, but if and only if you swear on pain of death not to harm me."

"You wouldn't shoot," Jack scoffed. "Do you intend on taking over the whole ship after you've done me in?"

I pulled back the hammer. "What difference would that make to you?" Now I knew I sounded far more confident than I felt. To be honest, I had no idea if I would have shot him or not.

Fortunately, Jack didn't seem very keen to find out if I was bluffing or not, for he said, "Very well, Miss Elden. I swear, on me honor as a pirate, that I will not harm a hair on your head. You're free to leave whenever you would like."

I lowered the gun, very, very relieved. "Agreed," I said, "Now, if you'd be very kind as to move out of my way, I should like to go above deck and get some fresh air." I stood up, and Jack moved to let me pass.

"You know," Jack called after me, "you may dive off the side of the ship right now if you'd like! Far be it from me to stop you!"

I responded by slamming the door on my way out.