"This is unbelievable," Elizabeth groaned quite loudly. "I cannot believe that I actually woke up this morning in belief that I would be spending this day in a gloriously lazy manner. Instead, I am here in the wet, searching for some illegitimate child."
"Aye, quite so," Jack said cheerily, "but remember, it's my illegitimate child. That must tally to something."
"Where should we look first?" Will looked around him hopelessly. The possibilities of finding a toddler on the streets on a bustling Saturday afternoon were relatively slight.
"Well, I think the question at hand, mate, is this: if you were a Sparrowling, where would you roost?" Jack's eyes shone with pride.
Will, contemplating for a moment, replied, "Simple. On the Black Pearl."
"Aye. But she's not on the Pearl, now is she?" Jack said shortly. "Where else?"
Elizabeth stepped forward. "I am not going to waste the remainder of my afternoon. Let's just start walking."
When they reached the main streets of Port Royal, the fishy smell was soon replaced with the odour of wet garbage and horse manure. Elizabeth made sure she let Jack know just how terribly thrilled she was to be taking a stroll in a nice dress while it dragged in mud and droppings, in the company of a swashbuckler, and searching for an infant menace.
When they reached a street corner, and were about to cross, Jack happened to step on the heel of a swiftly travelling man in an exquisite powdered wig. After stumbling to his knees, the man stood up muttering, and whirled to face the ignorant fellow. "Jack Sparrow!" He spluttered angrily.
"Ah, Commodore Norrington," Jack greeted the man with a gracious smile, "so sorry about that trip, my good sir. Quite by accident, I assure you."
"I'm sure," Norrington said angrily. But with a sudden look at Elizabeth, he straightened himself and pasted a smile on his lips.
"Lovely day for a stroll, eh?" Jack bowed.
"Actually, I was headed for the ale house, yonder, to meet a few friends," Norrington nodded his head down the street.
Jack's eyes lit up, as if suddenly remembering something. "The ale house! Now that is the place to look."
"Jack, why on earth would a toddler girl wish to trot into a bar?" Will asked incredulously.
"Dearest William," Jack said slowly and patiently, "she is the daughter of Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"
"Say no more," Elizabeth nodded.
The Commodore looked highly averse at the idea of them accompanying him. "Your child or not, she still was not raised by you, therefore still holds the nature of a little girl."
This statement was highly displeasing to Elizabeth. "How do you know about this child?"
Norrington snapped his head in her direction in a very startled method. "Of course I was only basing it on mere assumption, as I have the knowledge that Captain Sparrow was not burdened by a child when I was first acquainted with him."
Jack nodded in remembrance. It was true that of late he had a great deal more to worry about than he did at any other point in time, not including the previous adventure with Will and Elizabeth Turner.
They reached the ale house.
Bloody Sam was chugging back a very large swig of rum, when in her peripheral vision she spied a tiny, dark-haired lass toddle into the bar. Her eyes were widened before she even drew the mug from her lips. "Mercedes!"
Felix glanced up at the child. "You've finally decided on a name then?"
"It was that bloody Sparrow. I had no say in the matter," Sam forced a bitter tone, yet as the girl climbed into her lap, she couldn't help but smile tenderly and even appreciate the name, no matter what she led Felix to believe.
"Come here darling," Felix said to Mercedes and patted his lap, but Sam held her tightly. "What's wrong, Samantha? May I not hold my own daughter?"
"It's not that," Sam said, "Sparrow will be looking for her by now. He will surely come here first. He does believe her to be his daughter, do not forget. He would think of the first place he would go if he were free in a town, and the ale house would be it. You must leave."
"Then I shall set sail," Felix said, and then handed her a crumbling map. "Give this to Captain Sparrow. He won't be able to resist, me beauty. And I'll be waiting for him."
Jack stepped into the bar and surveyed his surroundings carefully until he spied a lonely woman with red curls who was cuddling a baby girl in the back corner. He sauntered over to her table and sat down on the crude chair across from her. "Hello, luv. What brings you to the Python?"
Sam held up her mug. "I was just having a bit of rum. A sailor needs rum, woman or not."
Jack nodded happily. She was quite right about that, if you asked him. Perhaps he should go and get a drink… But then he remembered the situation. "Bloody Sam, on my ship there is one simple rule, and that rule goes by what a man can do, and what a man can't do. And that includes you, even if you are a woman. You cannot leave my ship without my consent, savvy?"
Sam nodded with averted eyes. "Aye aye, cap'n."