Greetings, all, and a big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter of this little work of mine. I won't be updating this one as often as I'd like, probably only about once a week, mainly because this one is a little harder to write. I try to be as accurate as possible, so bear with me…

P.S. Mlle. Fox---you are correct that Miranda is mentally the equivalent of a child of approximately 10 years of age. That's what makes what her Uncle is demanding so wicked……hmmm…perhaps a certain Captain will intervene?

P.S. Estelle Tiniwiel---- This story will have a rather interesting twist regarding Miranda in the end……and I want to say thank you to you for your kind and generous comments regarding my other currently running story! It is reviewers like you who make the time and effort we put into our "babies" worth while! 

Chapter 2: A Missing Bird

It wasn't long after Linnet had crawled into her hiding space when the menacing barrage of cannon fire ended, making the screams and shouts of her fellow passengers all that much louder. She could hear the thud of booted feet on the decks overhead, but it was what she didn't hear that really surprised her…..no sound of pistols or the clash of swords, something that she had expected to hear entirely too much of. In fact, it was much too quiet, which was in itself unnerving.

She held her breath as she heard voices in the hall, and forced herself not to flinch as the doorknob was rattled and when denied entry, whoever was on the other side suddenly kicked it in. 'Damn it, I forgot to unlock the blasted door…' she mentally cursed herself for her oversight, and closed her eyes, praying silently that whoever was in their cabin wouldn't be clever enough to figure out that these particular cabins locked only from the inside.

Lady luck must have been looking down on her with favor, since the two men in her room seemed more focused on looking for valuables than on finding the occupants of the room. Linnet couldn't help but wince when she heard them tearing through their cupboards and trunks, and her heart sank when she heard the thump of her precious books being cast aside as if they were garbage, not treasured works of literature that they were. The men seemed to be discouraged when they didn't find anything of value.

"Nothin' o' much value here, chum……although the Cap'n might want a look-see at these books. Let's 'ope our mates had better luck in the other cabins and 'old, or it'll be a cold night in Tortuga for us, ay?" He nudged his fellow pirate in the ribs as they gathered up the books and headed out the open door. They were almost to the stairs and Linnet had begun to believe that they were going to survive their ordeal relatively unscathed when the one thing she had been praying wouldn't happen happened.

"Linnie, I think they're gone now…..is it my turn yet?"

Linnet winced as the footsteps returned.

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Captain Jack Sparrow stood casually on the deck of the Goliath, looking rather smug, and to his way of thinking he had every reason to be. Not only had he just carried out his 9th successful raid of the month that left he and his crew with plenty of trade goods and supplies, but he had also managed to carry it out with only minor injuries to those aboard the Goliath, and no loss of life on either ship. Resting his pistol casually on his shoulder, he turned to address the crew and passengers of the captured vessel, his other hand resting gracefully, as would a foppish aristocrat's, just below the sash tied at his hip.

"Now then, gents and gentle ladies, let's get down to business, shall we? You 'ave the honor of being addressed by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, and yonder ship is the Black Pearl." He paused dramatically here for a moment for their response, usually gasps and groans of dismay, and as always, he was not disappointed. He flashed them a golden toothed grin and nodded graciously in acknowledgement before continuing.

"I see that some of you 'ave knowledge of me. For those of you who don't, a bit of advice." His manner went from slurring, half-drunken good-natured thief to deadly, stone sober killer in a heartbeat. "As long as you cooperate and don't raise arms against me crew, they'll not raise a hand against you…..kind of me own version of what the good book says…" (at this point observers would see Jack's hands held piously as if in prayer for all of about a half second…) "do unto others, etc. which I try to abide by, with the exception bein' the robbing part, o'course. So if you'll hand over any valuables you may be carryin' on your person, we'll finish transferring the goods from the hold, Robert's your Uncle, Fanny's your Aunt, we'll go our way, you'll go yours," At that moment a strange commotion on the deck behind him drew his attention.

He glanced over his shoulder to see a couple of his crew men escorting an extraordinarily pretty young woman out from the cabin area….from the look on his men's faces he knew that something wasn't quite right with the situation, and he motioned them over. The woman was keening almost hysterically and dragging her feet, saying the same phrase over and over again.. "I want Linnie..I want my Linnie" as she clutched a porcelain doll.

The men looked uncomfortable as they stood there holding her up.

"We found her hiding in one of the cabins, Cap'n….can't seem to get much sense out of 'er, an she went plum mad when we found her. We diddn' harm her, not one hair, Cap'n, but she won't stop callin' for her Linnie!"

The captain of the Black Pearl had a hunch, and quickly tucked his pistol into his sash. Crouching down before the girl as she hung sobbing in the men's arms, he snapped his fingers in her face, and she looked up at him, sniffling, her attention momentarily taken by his strange appearance. Once he had her attention, he whistled a couple of familiar bird calls, which made her smile with delight. Looking down at her open face with it's childlike curiosity, he realized that she was not a woman in any way other than the mere physical, and that the situation called for a different Captain Jack Sparrow than was usually present on these type of raids.

He clucked in distress, lifting her chin up with one jewel ringed finger. "Now then missy, what's all the to-do about, ay? Can't have you watering down the deck of the ship with all these tears, luv…makes 'em slippery." To the amazement of his crew and the passengers he produced a handkerchief seemingly from out of thin air and proceeded to mop up her face. He turned back to the assembled passengers and searched the crowd for anyone who could be a concerned relative of hers. "Which of you fine folks is in charge of this young lady?" When no one responded, he grimaced and mumbled under his breath… "Well, that's bloody wonderful." He glanced down to see the young woman's face crumble again when she didn't see who she was looking for. "Linnie…."

Rolling his eyes and looking extremely frustrated, he handed the girl his handkerchief and shook her shoulders slightly to get her attention…. "Missy, have you a name?" Between sobs, the girl nodded….and said nothing.

"Well, what is it then, sweetheart?"

"M-Miranda Everton.." she managed to stutter out, giving a great shuddering sigh as she did so.

"Miranda….that's a pretty name. Now Miranda, are you traveling alone or is someone with you?" When her eyes scrunched up again and the tears began to stream again, Jack made a comical face and tried desperately to shush her. "I take it you're looking for your Linnie…..now, tell me, darlin', where did you last see your Linnie, hmmm?"

"In the cabin, when she made me play hide and seek. But I was bad…I broke the rules ..she told me to be very quiet so the pirates wouldn't find me and we'd have butter cookies for tea , but I wasn't …and now I can't find her…" The girl clutched her doll and howled in despair.

Wincing and covering his ears, Jack grabbed the young woman and gently turned her, pushing her back into the arms of the two men who had discovered her. "Take her over there with the other passengers and find someone to mind her….and search the lower decks again to see if you can find this Linnie person.." 'Probably an older, pox-scarred shriveled up old maid hired to act as this innocent chit's warden…she's probably better off without the nag….' He thought to himself as he turned back to the passengers. "Now, as I was saying before, mind your manners and you'll all walk away from this with a fine story to tell your future generations. Unless, of course, one of you has a suicide wish and attempts to do something…" The click of a pistol hammer being cocked behind his right ear made him tense up… "incredibly stupid."

"Linnie!"