For years she'd been in their centre, Tia and James only had their mother. Yet Tara felt like foreign matter when she entered the room. The children initially didn't notice her, they hung on his lips and seemed so effortlessly excited and interested …
Sparrow did as she asked. He taught them something useful. As though he'd always been here, as if they had known him all their lives and learned something new with him every other night.
Briefly, Jack glanced up to her. It wasn't that much unlike the looks Tia and James occasionally gave her whenever they doubted whether they were really allowed to proceed.
"Is your Papá showing you how to read charts?"
"For what destination shall we calculate your course?" James immediately asked. "The Isla de Muerta?"
It was only theory – she instantly forced herself to recall that. No need to scold Sparrow right away. Just theory …
She gave herself a jolt as she sat down opposite Jack between the children.
"But would an island of death be worth it for us?" she wanted to know.
"Well," Tia said, whispering like she was passing on forbidden knowledge, "you know, that's where the cursed treasure of Cortés lies …"
"¿El conquistador?"
"¡Sí!"
Tara sighed. "¿Y guarda una maldición?"
James nodded as quickly as his sister. "¡Papá, cuéntale!"
"What, what?"
"Tell her!" James translated. "It really is cursed, isn't it? The treasure!"
"Oh, indeed, and which one isn't, the devil wants his due …" Jack winked at Tara. "But your Mamá has long been told what can be found on the Isla de Muerta."
The latter's surprise at this, however, immediately cast quiet doubt on that claim. Jack held her gaze as he said, "I told her about it the very day we met." To James, he then whispered in mock-discretion, "You need to make yourself interesting with the ladies as soon as possible, boy – well-intentioned advice."
"Jack," Tara hummed with a raised eyebrow, "he's only six years old."
Sparrow's smirk was as smug as ever. "But he won't be forever …"
"Perhaps you'd rather refresh my memory of your ghost story?"
"You really can't remember? Darling, you even cared for my hand because you were afraid it'd fall off otherwise just because of that tiny little cut …"
"Oh, no, right!" On that cue, she actually recalled it. "In your palm, right? For the blood sacrifice!"
"A blood sacrifice?" James exclaimed.
Sparrow bit is lip until he couldn't help but grin. "I was actually planning on withholding that detail from you …" He winked at Tara. "They're only six years old, after all."
She had to admit that for once in their lifetime, he was damn right. "That would've been so prudent of you if I hadn't mentioned it."
"Happens to the best of us," Jack claimed, but the twins were already vehemently demanding to be told all the truth about it.
Tara noticed his questioning look and hence nodded at him in approval. "Teague often came up with some pretty dark stories, too, it's all right."
"Well, then, I confess, you two, the Isla de Muerta is notorious for its gold," he almost whispered. "882 identical pieces proud Aztecs delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. It was blood money, paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of the Conquistadores was insatiable. They had no respect for the ancient high culture and its gods, and so they continued their cruel agenda. Not least supposedly legitimised, as it were, in the name of …" He paused.
For Tara alone, and she knew it.
"In the name of faith," she added herself.
Sparrow immediately noticed the suspicion in her features. But for once it was not directed at Jack.
"Inexcusable," she then whispered. "The beliefs of the Church do not always coincide with those the Scriptures describe, I'm afraid."
"Makes it almost an act of rebellion to read the Scriptures on which the Church is founded …" Jack had already said it before he'd weighed the possible consequences. As he so often did.
But Tara just sighed, it almost sounded like agreement – something that would've been unthinkable seven years ago.
"Mamá, you said just the other day that not everyone can read," Tia commented. "Maybe the Church can't read the Scriptures?"
"Maybe they don't want to," James added without any bad intention.
Jack didn't want to either, but he was already beaming more than ever.
"Or," he now suggested himself, "Rome would secretly prefer your mother not to quote the Scriptures at all times because the Church itself wishes to be the sole authority."
"You know …" Tara was tired, still she tried to smile. "It didn't change my faith in scripture, but I've had questionable experiences with the church itself. So I certainly won't be defending it anymore."
"Who knew …" Jack didn't sound solemn at all, hearing that from her mouth was much more worrying. But with the children beside them, it was obviously not an appropriate moment to get into more details.
"On with your story, Captain," Tara said when she realised that he was worried about her.
What a feeling …
"Well, raging, due to Cortés of course," Jack promptly complied with her request, "the heathen gods placed a terrible curse upon the gold. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished."
"And how?" James asked under his breath, completely focused.
"For all eternity, as a dead man walking. Nothing but a skeleton in the moonlight."
Not even Tara thought about interrupting him anymore. She'd hardly bought what he was saying then because who believed in ghost stories … But Jack had found himself in the middle of one. And his report had remained identically the same. So maybe he wasn't lying for once.
"Unless," he began to continue much more flippantly, "you put the gold back in the chest after it's been used for a fencing match in which you would have hated to die, and pay for it with a little gratitude and blood. Like your father. Then the gods are appeased again and the moonlight no longer matters …"
"So you used to be a living dead man?" James asked. "A skeleton by moonlight?"
"Only for one night, couldn't pass that up."
"Did it hurt?" Tia wanted to know.
"Well, you know, little sea goddess …" Jack lowered his voice. "I think the pain of death is nothing compared to the price your Mamá paid for bringing you both to life."
Tara wanted to believe in those meek, understanding words, they would've brought some peace of mind to her. But she just knew how calculating Sparrow could be. He seized every opportune moment that presented itself for damage control …
"So we'd better not borrow nada de la Isla de Muerta," James concluded, his mind torn between languages, riches and treasures.
"Mejor que no, Jay, exactly."
"Earlier Papá also said," Tia whispered to her mother, "that it was a place that could only be found if you already knew where it was. And he knows where it is!"
"Well, lucky us!"
"Just for the record, this obviously forbidden destination," Jack began and cleared his throat, forever a dramatist while making both children beam, "was supposed to be our little secret, aye?"
"But Papá," Tia protested, "we never keep secrets from each other."
"Oh you don't?" Jack seemed genuinely surprised. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, as did James, and they had no idea how proud they were making Tara.
James let his gaze wander from his sister to his parents. Like in thought, he murmured, "We're a real family now."
"Yes," Tia agreed, smiling at him. "Finally."
Tara felt sick with worry at once – after all, she thought that Sparrow would disappear soon again, she only knew him that way.
And he swallowed hard at the growing awareness of the first true responsibility of his life. One he didn't even want to just sail away from.
As the two of them yawned at increasingly regular intervals, Tara sent them to bed – and Jack had to accompany them with a book in his hand.
He'd willingly proved that he could still read, despite his absurd consumption of rum. And as inconceivable as it seemed to Tara – the story he read to them in their room served its purpose faster than she would have bet.
Outrageous luck. Or more than that.
In the end, though, it didn't matter what it was.
As if everything was good now, as if there was nothing else in her children's world to keep them awake, they feel soundly asleep.
"That usually never happens that soon."
Jack winked – it was hopelessly presumptuous, Tara thought – but then he followed her back into the kitchen on quiet soles after all.
"Did Teague really do the dishes?" he marvelled as he let his eyes wander over the bowls and pots. "How did that happen? The man has never done anything alike in his entire life."
They could hear him and his guitar muffled from the terrace, occasionally Poochie would howl to the tune, but Tara shrugged her shoulders as she finally leaned against the sideboard.
"Happened for the first time today," she admitted, "today, apparently, some things in general happen for the first time." She looked up at Jack, suddenly thoroughly serious. "I owe Teague a lot. I get you've had your difficulties, but for me –"
"Is he like a father?" Jack suggested. "He's found quite similar words for you, darling. But clearly he's not only altruistic, if you cook for him daily, do his laundry –"
"One hand washes the other, Jack," she sternly replied. "Your father has been nothing but generous to me since I stood before him heavily pregnant. He never asked for anything in return. So just be happy and content that I washed your clothes under his roof, too, and –"
"He also introduced you to Mistress Ching, didn't he?"
"What?"
"The money for Antoine. Where did you get that?"
"The better question," she growled, "is why you didn't have it."
"I told you on the spot," he muttered. "There is no such a thing as a debt after three decades, legally speaking."
She just shook her head with a sigh. "Have I mentioned how embarrassing you continue to be?"
He simpered. "Once your reputation is ruined –"
"Oh and yet you always outdo yourself –"
"Pirate!" He nodded, pointing to his branded forearm. "How many more times, huh? It's not worth playing by the rules for me."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "As if you've ever even tried."
"Mistress Ching," he repeated, holding her gaze. "What do you do for her?" He almost seemed a little alarmed.
"None of your business."
"Tara … Tell me."
"She pays me to run her collection funds in the Cove and keep track of what's coming in and out."
He kept his eyes on her for a moment, even after she had said it. Until, somewhat relieved, he decided it was the truth.
"So she trusts you blindly?" He immediately corrected himself. "I mean, she is blind, so that was obviously just a phrase, but you know …"
"She trusts me. Yes. Integrity, Jack. That's the key to so many doors."
"But not to all of them." He bit his lower lip shrugging, then he became unusually serious again. "So let me summarize: A good little catholic like you working for the devil? You've mentioned that you question the Church nowadays, but that seems a tad much. How do you justify that to the Almighty, love?" Ever so innocently, he raised his hands in the face of her scowl. "Just asking …"
"You've got a lot of nerve, Sparrow, if I were a good little catholic I'd hardly have two illegitimate children of yours! And how dare you call her that? Is a woman not allowed to take piracy to extremes more effectively than you all?"
"Her fleet is legendary, I'm not even talking about that. But you haven't seen her brothels in Asia …"
She let that sink in for a moment and then began to understand what had been bothering him.
"You thought I was doing completely different things for her …"
She remained silent until he guessed, "You didn't know for sure that was part of her income, did you?"
A little tired, she looked past him. She had always hoped she was wrong, but there just were no saints on earth. "I suspected as much. It's a considerable general heading, but she never talks about it …"
"For good reason," he stated dismissively.
"There are brothels all over the world." Tara looked up at him and shrugged. "So have you only heard rumours about Ching's, or did you actually go there yourself to be so sure –"
"I was there." All lightness had vanished from his face. "And believe me, she's the devil."
"Well, and yet you were a guest in her establishment …"
"I wasn't, I had negotiated in the name of the Brethren Court years ago when some insane alchemist had megalomaniac plans for revenge –"
"You of all people negotiated, selflessly at that, for the Brethren Court?"
"Those sinister plans would have affected me personally, too, so yes," he replied. "If you're good at something, you'd better never do it for free, or not mainly for yourself. Anyway, I hold freedom dear in all its forms. And believe it or not, half-dead, shackled women in an opium frenzy therefore unsettle even my weaselly black guts."
Tara gulped. "That horrible?"
"It's just good business to her. How much does Ching know about you?"
She paused for a moment, then shook her head lost in thought. "Not much, we rarely ever talk about anything besides her figures. But Teague and her are in regular contact, I thought if he valued her that much then she could hardly –"
"Teague's only concern is the Code, he keeps out of everything else. Does she know the children?"
"Yes," Tara confirmed. "Of course she does. And she knows they're yours, too, but at least you don't owe her anything. That was one of the first things I cleared up …"
"She always liked me," Jack claimed. "My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature usually ensures that –"
"No self-congratulation please, I've had enough of that for today."
He gave her a weary smile. "Just be careful, yes? She's nefarious. Don't underestimate her just because she's a woman. Because no man does that either."
Tara grumbled, "Teague might well have mentioned that …"
"Teague hasn't been to Asia too much, darling, always preferred Africa. Madagascar, among other places …"
"He often tells me that." She couldn't help but chuckle. "But you used to be in Asia all the time, didn't you? Still?"
"Three Cheers to Singapore."
"It captivated you ever since I can remember, must be a fascinating place …"
"I keep being captivated by you throughout the years and yet you won't believe me that –"
"What more", she just interrupted him, not believing a syllable anyway, "do I need to know about the others that Edward might not have mentioned?" She specified, "About the other members of the Brethren Court …"
"Why, are you taking care of their finances as well? Do you have that calibre of integrity?"
"No, Ching wouldn't allow that. But I cook for them now and then, mostly for Jocard and Villanueva when they have something to celebrate. Some members of the Brethren Court would visit Teague years ago and ever since –"
"They've been dreaming about your food. Can't blame them, I suppose …" He waved it off. "Villanueva's a toothless tiger and Jocard … Jocard likes to cut off tongues, but I've known him forever."
"He's never said a foul word about you, that doesn't apply to too many people," she informed him. "How do you know each other?"
"Doesn't matter." He tilted his head. "I do have debts to him, but he would never claim them."
"Money is where any friendship really ends –"
"Not ours." He smiled with utmost satisfaction. "So, darling – your pretty tongue should be safe. Would be a crying shame otherwise, wouldn't it."
She immediately frowned, putting her hands on her hips.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"I have no more patience for you and your tongue today."
Playfully indecisive, he replied, "That used to sound very different back then …"
"Good night." She left him in the kitchen, already yawning. "You can have the dog's basket, he usually sleeps outside anyway. Or you can join him there. Numerous possibilities, you see …"
"And none of them," he began and promptly followed her, "excite me too much, if I'm honest."
"That's too bad," she retorted, "but not my problem."
"Where are you sleeping?"
"Don't even think about it, Sparrow, that –"
"Probably where I used to sleep, right?"
"Jack, don't you dare –"
"I knew it, wonderful!" he rejoiced, pushing her along unperturbed. "Into the sheets with us, then, promise I won't bite –"
"But I do!"
He grinned at her, as insolent as ever. "Ah, you're just barking." Then he pushed her on. "Come, come …"
Dear ella, thanks a ton again for your motivating comments, I'm so glad you like how they're making a bit of progress ^-^