Sophie swung her sword first. Jack countered and Sophie parried, and then she swung her sword viciously again. Jack simply blocked once more. Becoming agitated, the girl fought back harder. Jack smiled and sliced at her, cutting a slice in her shirt that just barely centered on her breastbone. She looked down, gasped, then looked back up, glaring at Jack and clutching her shirt closed.

"I'm impressed," He said patronizingly. He didn't make it clear what he was impressed about.

"Do not flatter me, sir." She lunged, and Jack jumped back, just barely avoiding the shining blade.

"Then I suppose I should embarrass you."

Sophie looked at him in confusion, her sword still up. Jack immediately hooked the tip of his sword under the hilt of hers and flung it across the room, where it landed perfectly stabbed in the cabin door's woodwork. Her jaw dropped.

Jack smiled again, and put the tip of his sword under her chin, pressing her jaw up and her mouth closed. Sophie gulped.

"Don't worry, lass, I'm not going to off you."

Sophie was not convinced. "Then why is your sword still at my throat?"

"Well," Jack said slowly, "I would hate for ye to run over and try to get yer sword again, because while I won't kill you, ye'd kill me."

Jack neared her, changing the angle of his sword as not to cut her, but to still be placed menacingly at her throat. "Now, will ye calm down? You are going to help me, little missy."

Sophie shook her head, slightly intoxicated by the closeness of Captain Jack Sparrow. "I'm no wench."

Sparrow let out a belching laugh. "Wench? I don't need a wench, you dolt. I can get a wench anytime."In his head, he surprised himself by thinking, 'I need a lover.' He shook his head and got rid of the thought. Instead, he said, "I need a Parisian, as it were." He rocked back and forth on his heels.

Sophie furrowed her brow in confusion. Jack was still very near her. "For what?" She mumbled out.

Jack grinned. "Navigational purposes. You see, mademoiselle, I need to find a maid. Since you're, supposedly, in the business, you can help me all the more."

Sophie glared at him. "What's her name?" She asked, pushing his sword to the floor.

"Who?" Jack leaned his forearm against the wall and got closer to the girl.

"Uh," She stumbled, "The, uh, maid." Her heart began to race.

Jack used his nose to push Sophie's hair aside. She felt his warm breath as he whispered, "Jeanette Fasset."

Sophie choked on her own breath. "Jeanette!" She stumbled sideways, unintentionally releasing her clutch on her shirt, and said breathlessly, "What do you want with her?"

"Ah, the little strumpet knows Miss Fasset. Good," He said. "Very good." He looked Sophie up and down, including where her shirt hung open to reveal the center sides of her generous breasts. Jack cleared his throat.

"Answer me!" demanded Sophie. She picked up his sword and shoved him against the wall.

Jack sputtered. She held the sword to his throat. "Tables have turned, haven't they, laddie?" She asked in a mocking tone. "Now talk."

"Jeanette Fasset," He gurgled, "Was the maid of a man named Quicompuex, who had a map that he. . . sold to me. I need to find out where the map came from."

Sophie's eyes widened at the name, and she pondered for a moment. "Why don't you just ask him?"

"He, uh. . . Well, he didn't really sell it to me, savvy?"

"Pirate! You stole from my. . ." Sophie stopped.

Jack's eyes turned to slits and he said, "Your what?" He leaned his head towards her.

Sophie faltered. "My, my friend's father."

"Hm. I had heard Quixcompuex had a son, but I wasn't reassured. This is getting more interesting by the second. The maid may be able to lead me to the boy," He paused. "Or maybe you will." His smile was sinister. He pulled a roll of parchment out of its place tucked safely beneath his shirt. "What do you know about this map?"

Sophie snatched the parchment out of his hands and unrolled it, eyes still on the Captain, revealing a delicately articulated contour of Japan with an X in the north end and a complex set of directions written in Japanese. Sophie's eyes widened as she recognized the characters at the bottom; fish, snake, dolphin, dragon, raven, butterfly, ivy, flower, chameleon, firefly, stars, clouds, seahorse.

"Ah, so you know it," Jack said, then paused. "How close were you to the Quixcompuex family?" Sophie glared at Jack. He challenged her with his own glare. "Tell me."

"Not at all. I barely knew them."

Jack laughed out loud. "You are such a bad liar!"

"I am no such thing, and seeing as you're the pirate, I believe it will be my word we'll be trusting."

Jack's grin was wiped off his face. "You will take me to Jeanette Fasset, Mademoiselle Sophie," He said dryly. "We land in Calais in four hours."

He dragged himself away from his close proximity to her and began to go to the door. Desperate, Sophie interjected, "Wait!"

Jack removed the triumphant smile from his face before turning to face the girl. She spoke. "What do you want with the boy?"

"Well, little missy, someone has to read the map."

The door slammed, and Sophie was left with her mouth ajar and heart aching sorely for her cousin.

"What have I started?"