Chapter 6

An hour had passed since the Black Pearl had escaped from the combined forces of McGivens and Mercer. Already, Jack was walking about the deck, shouting out orders left and right to his crew to make their voyage move along more smoothly. Jack eyed Pintel and Ragetti, who were busy fussing over how to properly execute their duties. Rolling his eyes, Jack walked over to them and was able to better hear their latest argument.

"No, no, no," Ragetti was saying, "you have to tie it like this...two knots."

"Two knots?" Pintel said as he surveyed the tethered line his wooden-eyed friend had in his hands. "Why would you tie it with two knots? That ain't tight enough!"

"How would you know, anyways? Since when did you start payin' attention to how to properly tie tethered lines?'

"Since I've been helpin' out more around here! All you do is laze around all day and let the rest of the crew do all the work!"

"Well, I have a frail build," Ragetti argued indignantly, indicating his thin arms and legs. "Can't do anythin' stressful, otherwise I may injure meself seriously!"

"How many times have I heard that excuse before?" Pintel mumbled.

"Is that a rhetorical question or do you really want me to answer?"

Pintel rolled his eyes. "I think that wooden eye of yours is startin' to affect your brain."

Ragetti glared at Pintel and shoved him on the shoulder. "Take that back!"

Pintel shoved him in turn. "No! Not until you start workin'!"

The small shoves soon escalated into a shoving match between the two, which Jack watched with an expression on his face that mixed amusement with annoyance. Finally, after Jack could not take any more of it, he held up his hands and shouted.

"Oy! Oy! OY! Would you two stop act like pestering little maggots and carry on with your duties?"

Ragetti pointed a finger at Pintel. "He started it."

"Do I look like I care? Now, who's the captain of this ship?"

"You are," chorused Pintel and Ragetti as they both stared down at their feet miserably.

"That's right! Now, as Captain, I will not tolerate idiotic behavior as was just displayed, savvy?"

"But...," Ragetti started to say, but was cut off.

"If I want your opinion, Mr. Ragetti, I shall ask for it!"

"See, that's exactly what I'm talkin' about!" Ragetti exclaimed in a heavy voice. "Everyone onboard this ships always disregards my feelings without any thought to my emotional state!"

Upon hearing those words, Jack and Pintel exchanged confused looks with each other. "'Emotional state'?" Jack asked uncertainly.

"That's right! I have one you know!"

"Do you, now? Well, you don't exactly go flaunting it about now, do you?" said Jack.

"It's just...I don't like it when people make fun of me." Ragetti rubbed his wooden eye, which caused it to creak slightly under the pressure of his hand.

"There, there," Pintel soothed him by patting his shoulder in a friendly manner, "people only make fun of you behind your back."

"That makes me feel loads better," Ragetti drawled sarcastically.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You know what I think might make you feel better? Hauling that tethered line, step to it!"

Aye, aye, Captain!" Pintel and Ragetti stupidly saluted Jack before going over to the rope. Both of them grabbed it and began to heave.

"Pull harder!" shouted Ragetti.

"I'm pullin' as hard as I can!" Pintel shouted back. "And who are you to complain about not properly doin' somethin' important?"

"That does it!"

Ragetti released his grip on the tethered line. This caused the rope to pull Pintel forward and slam him into the railing of the ship. As Ragetti started laughing, Pintel pulled himself to his feet, glaring at Ragetti viciously. The moment Ragetti saw Pintel's face, he abruptly ceased laughing, muttered a small "Sorry," and ran from his pudgy pirate ally as Pintel began to give chase. Jack watched the two and sighed deeply.

"It's not right to throw people overboard just out of frustration," he reminded himself under his breath.

Jack then headed toward his cabin. He swung the creaky wooden doors inward to find Will and Elizabeth, Bootstrap, and Smith crowded around his small desk. Jack walked past them all without acknowledging anybody and sat down his chair, propping both feet up on the desk.

"Care for anything?" he politely asked the people surrounding him. When they all shook their heads, Jack smirked and continued on. "Good. Now, you two," he motioned toward Will and Elizabeth, "I happened to notice that there was a second child in your company this time. Surely, you couldn't have become pregnant and given birth again in just one week's time, Lizzie?"

"What makes you so certain Jacquelyn is our own?"

"Am I to understand that you two kidnapped a young girl?"

"Don't be absurd, Jack!" said Elizabeth. "Why would we want to abduct a child in the first place? Will and I already have a son, whom we love dearly."

"But," Jack raised his forefinger, "you didn't have any reservations about stealing a ship belonging to the East India Company."

"Borrowed," Will spoke up, "nautical term. We borrowed a ship."

Jack grinned. "Spoken like a true pirate, mate. So, if you didn't kidnap this young girl, what is she doing on my ship?"

"Jacquelyn is a close friend of Michael's," Elizabeth started to explain. "She happened to be with Michael at the time when we had to leave Port Royal, and we couldn't leave her there seeing as her mother has been imprisoned for no apparent reason."

"Why was her mother put in jail?" Jack inquired. "Does this have anything to do with the East India Trading Company?"

Will and Elizabeth exchanged uneasy expressions, and they both silently decided to fill Jack in on their situation. Will cleared his throat.

"As a matter of fact, it does. It seems that Elizabeth and I have made a new enemy in the East India Trading Company."

"Would I know who it is?"

"Have you ever heard of a Captain Jonathan Barnet?"

Jack's eyes darkened considerably after he heard the name. He swung his feet back onto the floor and stood up, crossing over to the window that looked out upon the sea.

"I've had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the bloke in the past few years. Not directly, but in a manner of speaking." He paused, and during that moment of silence Jack turned around to face his fellow pirates. "Barnet's ship nearly decimated the Pearl when the East India Company was first sending out vessels of their own to police the seas, which they are still gradually doing. Anyway, Barnet's ship fired upon us and nearly sank my magnificent ship, but I was able to return the favor before it was too late."

"So you sank his ship?" Will asked.

"Aye. And I believe Barnet will not be too happy once he learns that I have once again done the same thing...basically. So, back to this girl, why is she here?'

"For her own protection," Elizabeth said quickly.

Her tone caused Jack to survey her with a suspicious eye. "Tell me, Lizzie, why do get the distinct impression that you're withholding certain information from me?"

"Maybe it's all those years of lying, cheating and stealing finally taking their toll on you," Elizabeth fired back.

Jack appeared to consider that for a moment, but shook his head. "Nah, that can't be it. Tell me, does this girl have anything to do with me?"

"That's not the more pressing matter," said Will, clearly avoiding the topic of discussion. "What we need to be discussing is how we'll be able to get into The Clan without trouble."

At that point, everyone in the room turned to Smith, who was standing in the corner. Noticing that the attention was now focused upon him, Smith stepped closer to the group. "Well," he began, "there is only one way anyone can get into the meeting."

"Which is?"

"Every member must present their coin which they were given when The Clan first formed. Now, in the case of the secret-keeper, since your father's coin was more likely stolen by his assassin, Mrs. Turner, I need to have my coin with me seeing as I'm technically a member."

"And do you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Unfortunately, no. My coin happened to be stolen by an old enemy of mine within The Clan itself in order to ensure that I would never return."

"And who is this enemy of yours?"

"A man named Quen Monterro. He's of Spanish descent and resides on an island not far from The Clan's headquarters. If we hope to go any further in our quest, then we must find Monterro and get the coin back."

"So, we're to understand that Monterro would never hand over the coin willingly?" said Jack.

"I'm afraid not. He'll have to be...persuaded."

Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Bootstrap all exchanged dark looks with one another. Finally, Will voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.

"How far away is Monterro?"

Smith walked over to the desk, where the map now lay fully open upon its surface. "Judging from where we currently stand, it may take us three days to reach the vicinity in which both Monterro and The Clan Of Cortez are located."

Elizabeth nodded. "Then that's the best we can do."

"So that leaves us with three days in which to form a plan to delude Monterro and obtain Smith's coin." Jack turned to Smith. "Now, what can you tell us about this bloke?"

And with that, Smith launched into an explanation that contained all the necessary facts needed to come up with the proper plan.