Disclaimer: I do not have permission to be writing this, sorry.

AN (3/31): Well, I didn't die at the stupid Sterling Scholar thing last night. I am brain dead, though. No worries. I usually write my best stuff when I can't think.
(4/2): I had a hard time typing this chapter up, actually. I'm no good at making this occult stuff up... Therefore, not a single word about this whole ritual is true. Though, I did find some interesting information on calling Beelzebub...
Oh...and as for the rename on the story...well, I realized why that title seemed so familiar. But I added stuff on to it to make it my own title. -nods-
Anyone interested in learning more about the redhead should read in From Anonymity to Infamy: Jack Sparrow's Tale. The chapters that deal with her start with the one labeled with her name, obviously...

Chapter Two: A Ritual and a Redhead

"Jack, may I 'ave a word with you?" Captain Swarthy asked as the Albatross pulled into the harbor in the Straits of Singapore near the small trading post of the British East India Company known as Singapore. It was an exotic island where all sorts of trade took place between the Western influences of Britain, France, Spain, and other European countries and the Eastern countries of India, China, Singapore, and all the other countries under the rule of the dreaded British East India Company. Gigantic East Indiamen roamed the seas around Singapore, protecting British interests against pirates and warships of other nations.

Swarthy had no intention of meeting up with any of those ships. No...he was busy trying to stay mostly anonymous. Under Jack's urging in the Caribbean, Swarthy had actually resorted to piracy and had plundered a lugger that was carrying contraband material. Now he was carrying the illegal opium. Not that it was illegal to sell and trade opium. No...the British enjoyed giving opium to people in China to help them decide the British weren't so bad. But it was illegal for Swarthy to be carrying it since he had no license. That was why they were in Singapore. Swarthy had a few friends that had come out this way that would help him disguise the fact he shouldn't be selling the drug.

Jack slowly nodded, tying a quick knot into the rope he'd been working with before turning to go to speak to his captain. Jack had a feeling he was going to get in trouble for convincing Swarthy to go after that ship...but he had missed piracy. And he'd proved to himself that he could still manage it, even though it had been a month since Barbossa had left him on that island to die. Now that Jack was sure of that, he was more than happy to continue his contract under Swarthy for the next year or so, since, in fact, it had been a two year contract. Being a rumrunner wasn't too bad. It was only unfortunate that he couldn't taste the wares very often...

Swarthy smiled very faintly, opening the door with his right hand. That made Jack feel an uncomfortable twinge of guilt. Why? Well, Swarthy had lost his left hand during their epic battle with that lugger. Now he had to wear a hook so he could still function as captain. Jack really thought it added to Swarthy's overall image of being a tough captain that wouldn't let you say no to one of his orders. And Swarthy apparently thought the same thing himself. One of his new favorite pastimes was to clean his hook until it shined. It'd taken him a while to get used to using the hook...but Swarthy was a fast learner and hadn't bothered reprimanding Jack for his foolish decision that had made him lose a hand.

Apparently Jack's time was at hand, though. The smile on Swarthy's face had been very serious indeed. Jack didn't like having serious discussions with people anymore. They hardly ever turned out favorable. At least in his opinion. Jack smiled very faintly in response and stepped into the captain's quarters. This wasn't the first time he'd been in the room where Swarthy lived...but it was certainly the first time he'd been apprehensive, upon entering the almost cheerful room.

Swarthy liked showing off how much money he had. As a result, everything was so blatantly ostentatious that it gave the appearance of being anything but ostentatious. Just funny. And relaxing. Jack could see why Swarthy enjoyed entertaining his most trusted crew members inside. Maybe he'd have to do something similar, if he ever got the Pearl back. He probably wouldn't...but it was an idea.

Swarthy motioned Jack over to one of his robin egg blue armchairs sitting next to a small table across from his comfortable-looking bed. "Take a seat, boy. I've got a few things t' discuss wiv ye."

Jack nodded and walked over to one of the indicated chair, slowly taking a seat as he watched Swarthy close the door and sit across from him. Great. The door was closed. Another bad sign. Swarthy hardly ever closed the door unless he was discussing something of particular importance he didn't want his crew to overhear. Generally that included his ranting and raving at his crew at their poor performances. Swarthy wasn't one to reprimand in front of others. It seemed...well, rude. "So...wha' is it?" Jack asked as Swarthy sat there, apparently thinking.

Swarthy jumped slightly, gripping his armrest with his right hand so much his knuckles were quite white. "D' you remember what happened on that island, son?"

Jack slowly shook his head, slightly annoyed still at Swarthy's persistent insistence on calling him 'son'. They really were practically the same age, after all. "No' really, Captain. All pretty much a blur, af'er the drink o' tha' vile concoction ye thought would be funny t' make me drink."

Swarthy sighed slightly, tapping his left foot against the rug on his floor. The boot normally would've made a tapping noise to accompany the movement, but the rug absorbed all of the sound. It was only a light tap, after all. "Well...more happened there...I think I should tell you about it."

More happened there? Jack's eyebrows quirked slightly as he asked, "Wha' happened?" He was instantly suspicious for good reason. All he could remember was passing out and then could briefly remember seeing the men sitting around him in a pentagon...or maybe it had been a circle. He wasn't sure. Swarthy had been drawing something in the sand, regardless.

Swarthy looked down at his hook for a moment, clearly collecting his thoughts. This would be something difficult to follow, if it took someone like Swarthy a minute to gather thoughts. Or maybe he was just ashamed of what he'd done to Jack. "After...well, after ye 'ad the ceremonial pig blood an' whatnot, we drew a pentagon around ye. Ye see...well, in ancient Druid legend, there's a particular spell tha' gives men near invulnerability. Since you were t' be part of the crew, we thought it bes' t' give you the same gift we've all been given. It involves pig blood, fingernails, fish eyes, chum, paprika, parsley, yellow bile, an' rum. T' make it go down a bit easier. Anyway, once the person drinks tha'...they fall into a trance. As the person is in the trance, the other people who've already been initiated form a pentagon an' someone draws patterns in the sand. When ye wake up...well, presto! Yer nearly invincible."

"Nearly invincible? How can ye be nearly invincible?" Jack questioned, clearly slightly wounded that it had taken Swarthy this long to tell him. And why hadn't he realized it was a bloody ritual? He'd just thought it was some sort of initiation or something.

Jack was left waiting in that cabin for nearly an hour before someone else entered it. He was getting sick of staring at that obviously fake picture of the sea. The way it was painted made Jack think that the artist had never actually taken time to contemplate the sea and how vital she was to human survival. And how cruel she could be. Jack had been through a lot of storms in his life as the sea had tried to show him who was boss. He already knew that she reigned supreme. He regarded the islands that infested her perfect skins as horrible scars and scabs, actually. Tried to put himself in the sea's place. It was an impossible goal, to be certain, but Jack often accomplished the impossible if he set his mind to it. He had this uncanny knack to escape almost certain death...

"Well well well," a sultry voice said, stepping into the cabin. "Enjoying my cabin, are we, Captain Sparrow?" With the voice came the very beautiful redhead that had been entertaining Jack's friend, when he'd been abducted by that Kerri woman. Something about her voluptuous figure was very familiar to Jack. Her perfectly symmetrical face was one he'd seen even before the incident in the tavern, actually. Pity he couldn't remember those blue eyes that changed moods like the sea changed temperament during foul and fair weather. She shook her head lightly, her hair dancing in the faint light coming in through a window. "Well, dear Captain, it is quite dark in here. Perhaps I should light a few candles..."

Jack watched as she went around the cabin quickly and lit several candles. Obviously this was her cabin because she knew her way around. Plus, she had said it was her cabin. Was this the captain of the vessel? Was everyone aboard here women? Not that Jack was about to complain, mind you. A ship full of women would certainly be something to investigate. He'd have to have interviews with every woman...from captain to deck hand. "Who are you an' wha' d' ye want with me?" he asked finally as she finished with the last candle near the doorway.

"Why, Captain, I thought you would remember," she replied with a slight smile. "I mean...you did once know me. Maybe you've just been through so many women I have to spark your memory..." She smiled seductively, brushing her hair back behind her ears as she slowly started taking off her sensible dress that probably wouldn't get caught very often in the rigging. As she removed it and stood in her underdress, she stepped towards the bed where Jack was having a very hard time not falling off the sheets again. Undressing...for him? Boy. He'd be crazy not to get excited for such a well proportioned woman taking her clothes off for him.

It didn't spark any memories, though, and she stopped next to the far corner of her bed. Clearly she didn't intend on stripping off the underdress. Yet. Or so Jack hoped and prayed.

"No?" she questioned softly, sighing slightly. "Oh...that's right. You never did see me with my clothes off, did you?" She laughed almost bitterly and took a seat on the bed. "Not that I really wanted you to. Then."

"An' you do now?" Jack questioned, clearly not following what she was saying. Surely he'd seen every beautiful woman he'd ever met without her clothes on...he could...oh. Wait. Pâquerette. That bloody French pirate's daughter. He never had seen her undressed. If she'd really wanted to spark his memory, she really should've just spit. That girl had been very good at spitting, if Jack remembered correctly. And good with a sword. It was no wonder she was her own captain now.

Pâquerette must've been able to tell that he recognized her now, because she smiled lightly. "I do now, actually, Captain Sparrow." She slowly got up on the bed on her knees and then leaned over on top of him, giving him a kiss...

Well, it was a kiss that Jack certainly hadn't been expecting. "I want to get to know every inch of your body," she whispered in his ear. "I want you to please me. Because I think only you can save me."

What exactly did she mean by save her? Jack saw no possible way that spending quality time with her could save her...yet...that kiss. Wow. He hadn't been kissed like that ever. Especially not by a beautiful woman who'd rejected him before. Or...wait...hadn't he rejected her before? Why was he willing to do what she wanted? Jack couldn't resist, though, and therefore leaned up slightly to kiss her back. "Well, if only I can..."

Pâquerette smiled and kissed him back. "You'll be more than happy to oblige, right, Captain?" she asked, clearly relieved. Or maybe just impassioned. Jack was going to think she was merely impassioned, for she kissed him again and started taking his silk pajamas off. Something that Jack was glad happened because he was sick of sliding around...

Jack woke up the next morning, feeling completely content with the world. Who wouldn't? He'd just spent a very memorable night with a beautiful woman. It hadn't even bothered him, that her teeth were crooked. It had bothered him when he'd been younger, yes, but he'd since learned not to be so picky with his women. Hardly anyone was perfect, after all. He even had some bad habits.

Yawning and stretching, Jack looked over to where Pâquerette should've been. She wasn't there. He started to sit up when he felt a cold hard pistol pointed at his heart. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Sparrow," a voice hissed. "Lay back down, you miserable fool."

Jack willingly obliged. It wasn't as though he had a choice in the matter. Once he was laying back down, he glared up at this new woman. Probably a member of Pâquerette's crew. "What do you want from me?" he asked with an exasperated sigh.

The woman sighed slightly, still holding the gun to his chest. "You're an imbecile, Sparrow. Honestly." She was a very attractive woman as well. Dark hair and dark eyes made her seem that much more mysterious. She was dressed in men's clothes, though they seemed specially tailored to her body and were an uncharacteristic black color. She knew her place in life, that much Jack could tell. And she probably worked outside most of the time, for her face was tanned with both sun and hard work.

"I won' dispute that," Jack replied, staring at the gun and then back into her dark eyes. "Bu' I'd like t' know why you think I'm an imbecile, if possible." He smiled faintly, using his characteristic half grin to try and put her more at ease. He'd rather not die right now...

"What should I start with?" she asked with a sarcastic chuckle. "So many qualities make you an oaf." She smiled slightly and lowered the gun. From his heart, at least, down to his navel. He might be able to survive that. Probably would, knowing his luck.

"Well...I guess ye can start wiv why you're pointing that gun at me in the first place," Jack responded, desperately trying to keep her looking in his eyes rather than down at his navel. Which was bare, mind you. But...if she looked in his eyes, she'd be less likely to kill him. Which is always a good thing, not being killed. He wasn't ready to die. Or be shot at point blank range.

She sighed slightly, still clearly not sure as to what to start with. "Well, for starters, Sparrow, you've slept with your enemy."

"Isn' it good for me t' make her me friend?" Jack queried before she could continue. "I mean...I swear I've 'eard tha' you're supposed t' love your enemies."

"Not in that context, Sparrow," she replied with a disgusted look on her face. "Think about it, Jack. You killed her brother and made her father so depressed he committed suicide. She hates you, with good reason."

"But...she was the one.." Jack started lamely, clearly surprised that this woman knew so much information. Sure, he'd killed her brother, but her brother had tried to poison him. So it all worked out in the end, didn't it? And it wasn't his fault that the Pirate Jouer didn't have the heart to go after more gold.

"That started it?" she guessed. Laughing, she shook her head. "Goodness, Sparrow, you really are an oaf! I'd heard you were more intelligent than this. She's using you."

"For what?" Jack asked, clearly confused. As some sort of sexual toy? Well, Jack didn't exactly want to be used like that. Of course, it had been amazing...

She seemed to know what he was thinking because she rolled her dark eyes slightly and put her pistol back in its holster riding on her shapely hips. "I can't tell you that yet. She'll be back in a moment. Please try not to sleep with her again." She seemed to plead...which was very attractive, on her face. Her lower lip was particularly full when she was pleading. Her dark eyes were also full of warning and concern. It really was quite touching, actually, and Jack felt honored. He should've found this ship years ago...

"Well...maybe if ye tell me yer name, I'll trust you." For no reason whatsoever. Of course, Jack wasn't going to add that. She was probably just jealous that her captain was spending time with a man as infamous as Jack Sparrow. Jack couldn't afford to think she was right until he gathered more evidence from that red haired goddess with slightly crooked teeth.

"Diane," she responded quickly. "And don't you dare think I'm making this up. Captain hasn't talked to me about anything else...she's going to get revenge on you, Sparrow. Watch out." Bowing slightly, she left the cabin without another word.

Jack frowned slightly, glaring at the door as though it was the door's fault. Why did all these beautiful women think they had to leave so fast? He really would like to get to know most of them more. Sure, Diane had placed a slight grain of worry in his mind...but he might as well enjoy what he had while he had it, right?

His gaze turned back to that boring picture of the sea on the wall. That was strange...there seemed to be a ship appearing there. On the left side of the picture, Jack could almost actually see the bow of a ship approaching. He must've been imagining it, for it disappeared as soon as the door opened again. In stepped Pâquerette...and a repeat of last night ensued.

Raisin: Well, Barbossa did kind of decide to maroon Jack on that island as they neared it, actually. And it was on the way to the dreaded island that cannot be found unless you know where it is. Did I ever explain who gave those coordinates to Jack? And where they were from? I don't think I did...hmmm...maybe I never will.
Anyway...yeah, I know where Captain Swarthy is from, actually. That's why he has only one eye. And a hook. And two scars. My bit of humor. That Klaus fellow is Mort from Secret Window. And the whole crew is different reincarnations of Johnny's characters...just a bit of odd humor I threw into The Emerald Eyes: A Tale of Mutiny.
Chic is a very cool word! I'll have to use it sometime...chic and savvy wardrobe, there. Very snazzy ensemble.
I keep adding a lot of female characters, don't I? My favorite would have to be Diane, though. 'Cause she's so cool and gets to call Jack names... As for Pâquerette, well, you might want to read the aforementioned chapter in the Author's note. It won't let me post any stupid links, I guess...gah. Anyway...you don't have to if you don't want to.
Actually, the flashbacks are to when he was with Swarthy. The women and the ship thing is happening in the present. Or, rather, what I've decided is the present in Jack's past. -giggles-
He's getting the Pearl back when he's thirty-eight, actually. I've decided to be a bit lenient on his age...mostly because I'm making Will and Elizabeth 18, respectively. I might change that so that Will is older...but probably not. Will was born when Jack was 20, in my previous stories...so, yeah. And I've seen people who think he's only 25. Those goobers...
Anyway, I lurved the review! And thanks for the See's Candies certificate!
CrazyPirateGirl: Well, that stuff was nasty. The Dark Arts never are a good thing, after all... Death of a Blacksmith is very confusing. If I continued to work on it, it wouldn't be so confusing (because Death of a Salesman is confusing too)...but I got bored. And moved on. I'm glad that this new form of flashbacking isn't too confusing...because its going to be fairly consistent. There's a lot of things I have to cover. I actually have a time line. I think I've told you that before...anyway, thanks for the review!
sunkist3208 : Aye, someone drugs him...and carries him away. That's always been my goal, to drug Jack Sparrow and to drag him away...and keep him forever an' ever...
-giggles- Not really. But I have wanted to call him an imbecile once or twice.
You were right about the redhead. And Anamaria...yes, she was that little slave girl. But do you really expect her to stay in servitude her whole life? We won't run into her for quite a while, though...Thanks for the review!
Jack: Two copies is just as good. -nod- And thanks for the review! He didn't trust Kerri, of course, since she'd drugged him...
Daisy: I know you're not daft and I knew you'd get the reference to New Orleans. I'm actually going to put that in, believe you me. Once I get this whole thing settled with Swarthy. Anyway, thanks for the review! And good luck on your hectic week that's now over!
borne-shadow-childe: Yep, he remembered Paloma's name. That is rather cool. Wish he'd remember my name...thanks for the review!
Ravynette: I am too horrible. -nods- I hope to talk to you too. And I hope you stop getting grounded so much...
Mystic Moon Maiden: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter...it was quite fun to write, actually. As was this one. Imagine, Jack being on a ship with only women aboard...definitely his fantasy. If I get a chance, I'll check out yours. I'm a busy bee, so to speak...so I'm not going to promise anything (I'm a senior in High School with 4 AP classes)...but I will try.
Since you were the first to leave a review...you get a snazzy picture of a tree my brother Jeff painted for me! Yay!