"I really am sorry about this, mate."
His wrists bound in front of him and his hat stolen by a glowering woman, James glared at the pirate as he was pushed unceremoniously into one of the chairs at his own table.
"I expect you could claim quite a generous ransom on me," he said, kicking out at another pirate, who tried to claim his buckled shoes.
"Oi! Scribbs! Get back on deck!" To Norrington's surprise, the rotten-toothed pirate ambled off, his expression indicating that he'd be back and he'd have the shoes later. "S'a nice idea, Commodore, but blackmail? Ransom?" Sparrow made a face. "Nah. We're pirates, not kidnappers."
"What, then? You'll release me?" Norrington laughed cynically as he said it.
"Well... that was the idea," Sparrow shrugged. "Just wanted this little tugboat."
"Tugboat? One of the largest ships in the Naval fleet hardly classes as a tugboat, Mister Sparrow."
The pirate grinned, displaying an array of golden and yellowed teeth. "Yeah, but it's not her old boat, so she'll insult it anyway," he said. "She's like that."
"She?"
Kicking his boots up to rest on the table, the pirate's eyes glinted. "Aye," he said. "I'd never hear the end of it, if I didn't replace her boat."
Norrington's lips compressed together for a moment, his nostrils flaring angrily, but he couldn't help but ask, "Who is this she to whom you are giving one of our best ships?"
The pirate's brows lifted, as if he couldn't quite understand such a question. "Ana," he replied, hands splaying in a lazy shrug.
Norrington stared at him. "That hellcat?" he exclaimed, horrified. "The one who stole my hat?"
"That's the one," Sparrow said, grinning. "No getting it back from her, I'm telling you. 'Specially not when I picked it out for her. She likes her presents, does Ana."
Slumping a little in the seat, Norrington just groaned.