"On our list of assets," Jack announced, striding into his father's sitting room with Aunt Agatha that afternoon, "We have the Dutchman."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

Jack and Agatha exchanged glances. "I found a way to contact Will," Jack said slowly.

"When? How? Have you seen him? Spoken to him?" Elizabeth asked eagerly.

"Recently, monkey, yes, and yes," Jack replied quickly. "He sends greetings, but more to the point, he's fully prepared to lend a hand—and a ship—should we need his help against Angelica's attack."

"You contacted Will and didn't tell me?" Elizabeth asked, rising sharply. "How could you keep that from me?"

Agatha elbowed her gently in the ribs. "Sit down, Elizabeth. Don't you get after Jack for not telling you. I asked him to contact Mr Turner for me, and I asked him not to tell you." She sat on the divan, tugging her niece to sit back down beside her.

"But why, Aunt?"

"For reasons of my own, which I'll be happy to share with you after we get this Angelica problem solved. For now, I really think we ought to concentrate on that, don't you?"

"Well spoken, ma'am," Teague agreed. "With all due respect to the pirate king, the life-threatening problems come first."

"And Angelica has proven herself to be a life-threatening problem," Jack said. "Repeatedly."

Elizabeth gave him a hard look, but then sighed and let it go. "So we have the Black Pearl and the Dutchman," she said. "What else do we have?"

"We also have my Enforcer," Teague offered.

"The Enforcer? Dad, this isn't a Pirate Lord action. It's a vendetta," Jack protested. "It's personal."

Teague shook his head. "Shipwreck Cove is a pirate haven. It has always been so. If there is a pirate coming here for the sole purpose of attacking other pirates, well then, it's not much of a haven, is it?"

"But Dad, we're the ones setting her up to come here to attack us!"

"That doesn't matter, Jacky. If she's planning to come here to attack you, the reasons don't matter; she's betraying all of Shipwreck Cove. Then it does become an issue what involves the Code, the Keeper of the Code, and even the Enforcer of the Code. She stands ready, son, as does her captain."

Jack swallowed, moved. Teague had such a reverence for the Code that it was odd to see him manipulating it thusly for Jack's sake. "Thanks, Dad," he said. He cocked his head as a new thought struck him. "If it's an action against the Cove itself, we also have four long-nines on the hill," he said. "And a couple of swivel guns at the mouth of the cove, but they'd have to get pretty close for those. The long-nines would do better."

"Aye, we can round up some gunners without a problem," Teague agreed.

"Marty's my best gunner, but I'll need him on board," Jack said thoughtfully. Then he snapped his fingers suddenly. "Barbossa. He's sailing the Queen Anne's Revenge now. Her father's ship. Pity we couldn't get him in on it."

Teague shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I, er, I might possibly be able to get a message to Barbossa, if you're serious."

"Eh?" Jack was startled.

"He is a member of the brethren court," Teague explained. "As Keeper, I can summon him, and technically, as King, Captain Swann can command him. He is bound to obey, or lose his standing among the brethren."

Jack and Elizabeth exchanged significant looks, and then seemed to come to an agreement.

"Aye, call him," Jack said.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed. She looked back at Jack. "What's in it for him, though? I'd rather not just issue commands, but Barbossa never does anything without some gain for him."

Jack shrugged and addressed his father. "Can we simply request that he come, without making a formal summons? If we tell him who he's coming to fight, that might be enough for him. He wasn't best pleased with Angelica, either, as I recall. She was the one who led Blackbeard to the Pearl in the first place, thinking I was captaining her."

Teague nodded. "Aye, we can do that."

"So then we'll have the Queen Anne's Revenge and the Black Pearl and the Enforcer," Elizabeth said, counting them off on her fingers. "As well as the Dutchman if we need her. That ought to be more than enough, even against a warship. It only took two to take out the Endeavour, after all."

"Beckett wasn't fighting back, though," Jack pointed out. "Angelica will be. And I doubt she'll be alone. We could get into serious trouble if we underestimate her, 'Lizabeth."

"Hmm. Pity Tai Huang couldn't get here in time. I wouldn't mind having the Empress here for this, either," Elizabeth mused.

"We'll do well enough," Teague told her. "Don't worry about it, Captain Swann."

Elizabeth flashed Teague a quick smile at the title, which she hadn't heard for some time.