"Well?  Mrs. Turner, is that or is that not the pirate known as Jack Sparrow?"  Norrington demanded.

Elizabeth looked him over.  "It is," she answered, but her eyes never left Jack's.  "I just hope you've searched him well, gentlemen, because tied up or not, I'm sure he could find a way to escape."

"Oh, we searched him, ma'am," one of the soldiers assured her.  "Very, very well."

"Did you?"  she asked politely, while Norrington prayed that nobody else could see the strange intensity in her eyes.  "Because I've been told that these pirates are very resourceful…that they can hide lock picks in the most…unlikely places."

She'd put a very strange emphasis on the word, and Jack suddenly seemed a bit more alert.  "She's right, you know," the pirate said with his most theatrical deadpan.  "There've been times when I've hidden…oh, I don't know…a rudder and a lot of sails right on my person."  He studied her with narrowed eyes.

Elizabeth smiled.  "Precisely." 

Jack swallowed convulsively.  "Um.  Elizabeth.  Darling, if I'm really to be hanged, could I possibly beg one last favor of you?"  She nodded, ignoring the disapproving huffs that came from all corners of the room.  "Well, it's only that...as you heard, my woman is apparently...well, I...I'm going to be a father, and as I won't ever get a chance to...to see the poor little thing, I wondered if I might give you a few words you could pass on to Ana Maria for me?"  He turned to the soldier next to him.  "It's delicate stuff, mate.  Womanly things.  If you wouldn't mind stuffing up your ears for a bit...?"

Elizabeth turned to Norrington.  "Well?  Commodore, do you think it's safe for me to approach?"

"Well, I don't see why not - he's tied to high heaven.  Gentlemen, please step back to give Mr. Sparrow a bit of privacy so that he can reveal his secrets."  Norrington's tone was condescending and amused, and the soldiers obeyed with a little chuckle.  As Elizabeth approached the prisoner, her back to the rest of the room, Norrington called for everyone's attention and began giving various wordy and obscure orders. 

When Elizabeth finally stepped away, both she and Jack looked satisfied.

The Commodore very carefully did not breathe a sigh of relief.

*********************

TBC

I'm going away for the weekend, but the next bit will be up soon after I get back.  Review for me, ok?  Sorry this bit was so short, but I wanted to post what I had before I left, so as not to leave anybody hanging for too long.