Chapter Eight

Jack's Vital Rum

"Captain, ma'am." Dee, one of my crew mates, startled me out of my stupor as I steered. "We're out of rum."

"So?" I sneered.

"Jack insists we get more, Cap'n."

"Tell him that alcohol is literally poison and it will kill him one of these days, and that I will gladly watch his flailing body take its last few breaths if he insists upon making port."

"Okay. I'll tell him you said yes," Dee decided, and I groaned as she walked away.

"Orders, Cap'n?" Karissa had been swinging freely on the rope that led to the crow's nest.

"Yeah. Check out a map and tell me where the nearest port is." I rolled my eyes. "Jack just had to bother us about his rum supply."

"I told him yes!" called Dee, running back.

"Great. Did you tell him that alcohol is poison and that I will gladly watch…?"

"No, but you meant yes, right?" Dee skipped away to take her break.

Suzette, Oakley, and Tomas brought Karissa the map, and she hopped down from the rope and spread it out on the floor.

"Go for Port Royal," she said. "That's the nearest."

Zia, Zola, and Kurtis, who had just been passing by, paused. "Not there," said Zia.

"Why?" asked Karissa, surprised.

"Mr. Gibbs is wanted there," she explained, and they passed by.

"They're famous for catching pirates and hanging them," I explained.

Tiberius, Zoe, Logan, Jay, and Jane had gathered around us.

"Should we risk it?" asked Karissa.

"When have we ever backed down?" I returned. "Anyway, it's only Gibbs, we just won't put him ashore. It can't hurt."

"If you're sure, Captain…" Karissa's voice trailed off as she stared at the map like she expected it to speak to us. "I guess that'll work. Go north."

"Actually…" Jay messed with his long dark brown hair and lowered his eyes sheepishly. "I think I'm wanted there, too."

"I know I am," Tiberius put in.

"And I think Jack is," Jane winced.

I closed my eyes. "Fine. I'll take only my crew aboard. But we have to get there… not only are we out of rum we're also out of dried pineapple."

"Of course," sighed Zoe.

I glowered at her, then turned to Logan, the only one who hadn't annoyed me so far. "Logan. Go get a group together. Only girls. Include yourself if you wish."

She nodded, and scampered off to do the task.

A few minutes later, I, Karissa, Logan, Gwendolyn, Farah, Mariah, and Jack stood ready to leave the ship.

"You really shouldn't do this, Jack," I chided him as we stepped out onto the dock. "You could get caught and hung."

"Nonsense," the pirate declared. "My love, you seem to have forgotten one very important factor."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he responded, and we made to leave the dock.

"Excuse me," said a man behind a table. "A shilling and the Captain's name, please."

Jack and I glanced at each other.

"How about three shillings…" Jack dumped them on the table. "And forget the name."

The man glanced up, startled, but after a few seconds smiled. "Welcome to Port Royal, Captain Smithy."

"Smithy?" grumbled Jack as we paraded off.

"Just go with it," I whispered to him.

"Ah, Sade!" I heard a voice say.

"That's Lord Cutler Beckett," I explained to Jack. "He's part of the military, and in charge of pirate hangings. Be careful."

I turned and saw my friend behind me. "Miss River, how long it's been since you last came! And Miss Norman, too- hello, Karissa! - and the rest of your girls."

"Not all," I corrected.

"And who is this?" Lord Beckett turned to Jack. He frowned for a minute. "Face seems familiar…"

"This is a homeless man we picked up in town," I said hurriedly. "His name is Smithy."

"How kind of you, Miss River!"

I had known Lord Beckett for a while. He had helped me escape my parents once when they came to look for me here. Karissa and I had lived with him for about a month, and he had been very good to us.

"Yes, well," I glanced at Jack, who was glaring at me and trying to hide it from Lord Beckett. "He's a bit of a scoundrel, but he can be brave and loyal if he puts his mind to it."

"Come to my house and have tea with me," Lord Beckett said cheerfully. "I hope you don't mind it green?"

"Of course not," answered Karissa eagerly. Oh, God, can that girl drink green tea.

"Very well then, come on." Lord Beckett led the way to his house, the house Karissa and I knew like the back of our hands. My crew followed happily, Jack reluctantly.

"How is the Ocean Song doing?" asked Lord Beckett, getting the teakettle ready.

"Oh, the Ocean Pearl is doing great!" exclaimed Mariah. Then she realized her mistake as Karissa shot her a look. I glanced at Jack to see how he was taking it, and he was just observing calmly, looking a little amused.

"The Ocean Pearl?" Lord Beckett didn't seem to suspect anything. "So you've changed the name?"

"Uh, yeah!" I said, playing along. "Same crew, same ship, new name!" The rest of the crew nodded when I said this.

"It's to throw Sade's and my parents off track," explained Karissa, and I sent her a thankful look.

"Your parents?" Lord Beckett glanced up from the teakettle. "You two might want to be warned, I heard they're looking for you again."

"Where?" I asked calmly. "They never found us before."

"Miss River, you might want to know…" Lord Beckett's cold gray eyes took on a worried tinge. "They're looking in Tortuga."