Jack was just making his usual round to check everything. He waited impatiently for Gibbs, who was apparently still taking care of the rum supply.

Jack's hand stroked the wood of the railing in love. Out of sheer boredom, he started whistling softly to himself. The rest of the crew once again sat below deck and played dice. But Jack didn't mind. He sometimes needed the feeling of being alone with his Pearl.

Unwittingly, his thoughts now revolved around Rachel. He honestly had no intention of letting her off the boat again so soon.

Disgruntled about his selfless and for him so uncharacteristic behaviour to help her, he drank his rum bottle to the brim. He put together reasons that justified his action.

Maybe he had only taken her with him because he finally wanted to stop sailing around the sea for no reason. Just as had been the case lately. Or else his suddenly urgent and previously unprecedented protective instinct had forced him into this non-piratical act.

Jack smiled in satisfaction at his ingenuity. Yep, he had never been too good for excuses. Why should he? They saved his neck many a time.

The smile froze when he finally had to admit to himself that Rachel was only on board because she had caught his interest. After all, people like her did not often stray onto Tortuga. So pure interest and curiosity was the trigger for his actions.

When this realisation came to him, he sighed deeply once. In the distance, Jack heard choppy and non-rhythmic footsteps. The sound of clinking bottles heralded Gibbs' return. Grinning broadly, Jack watched as Gibbs staggered towards the Pearl. But when he reached the ship and slowly came on deck, Jack scowled at him.

"Did I not tell you to take care of the rum? Did I mention in one syllable that you were charged with destroying it?" he said in a stern tone.

"Please forgive me sinssly, Cap'n".

Gibbs looked like a beaten dog. Jack could no longer stifle his grin.

"All right. Help me cast off, then lie down and sleep it off, and before you do that, send Ragetti and Pintel upstairs, aye?"

"Aye, Captain!"

Gibbs saluted and then set to work.

"Ah! And you'll have to find a hammock on the crew deck!" Jack called after him.

„Aye, Captain!"

Jack shrugged. Would he have to wait until tomorrow to have the conversation, when Gibbs was sober again and would respond to this demand as if a fogged mind did not affect him.

It took a little longer than usual, but soon at dawn the Pearl set sail.

A few hours later, Rachel got up and walked on deck. Still a little sleepy, she blinked into the rising morning sun and looked around. Horrified, she realised that the ship was on the open sea.

Jack alone stood behind the wheel and looked at his compass. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Dear, did you sleep well?" he inquired cheerfully.

"Why is the ship sailing?" was all that came back.

"Because we've cast off and it's a ship. That's why," Jack said, in the way a master speaks to his dumbest apprentice.

"What? You told me I still had a choice!" Rachel snapped.

"I'm sorry. I thought you had made up your mind." Grinning broadly, Jack walked towards her.

"Fallacy. Would you be so very kind as to drop me off?"

"No."

She became slightly angry. It was bad enough that she had to end up with pirates, whom she detested. But now she could do nothing more than trust this Jack Sparrow. And that was nasty.

The wind grew stronger and stronger in no time and blew Jack's hat off his head. Startled, he ran after him. Rachel had to laugh, and immediately the rising storm subsided.

Somewhat uneasily, she stepped from one foot to the other. Was that just a coincidence? But why did the sea become restless when she got upset or angry? She had also been very upset just before the ship she was supposed to be on was struck by lightning.

Rachel shook her head at herself. That was just ridiculous! She quickly banished her thoughts. Jack, who in the meantime had his beloved hat back, eyed her curiously.

"Please take me ashore," Rachel resumed the conversation.

"Oh, I don't know," Jack said timidly.

"Please," she begged him.

"Nah …"

Rachel pulled a dagger from behind her back and held it in Jack's direction. After he had overcome the initial fright, he smiled contentedly. Rachel's way of holding the weapon showed great insecurity. Besides, he knew it was a dagger from his own cabin …

Jack concluded that she was not skilled in the use of weapons. She could not seriously endanger him.

"Are you going to stab me?" he asked quietly, lowering his head a little as he looked at her firmly.

"I just want to be taken to the country," she hissed at him, yet sounding desperate.

"I am insincerely sorry, but this will not be feasible any time soon. Look at the horizon on the starboard side. You will see something very small and difficult to recognise there. And this something is called land. The one closest to us, even," Jack explained to her patiently.

Rachel then immediately ran to the left side of the ship and, bending far over the railing, looked out into the distance.

"I don't see anything at all," she said disappointedly.

"Dear, that's the port side. On the right is the starboard, savvy?"

Jack noted with amused amazement how wonderfully naïve and easily distracted Rachel was. Just a few minutes ago, she had threatened him with a dagger, and now she turned her back on him again. In case of emergency, of course, that would be completely unwise and probably fatal, but he found it very entertaining.

It was at that moment that he decided to teach her the basic rules at sea during the voyage. He wanted to start immediately, drew his cutlass and stepped quietly behind her.

"Before you turn around now and just freak out again, I'll tell you right up front: I don't want to hurt you. This is just a teaching exercise," Jack wanted to reassure her.

But when Rachel saw him with his weapon drawn, she was so frightened that she fell backwards over the railing. Jack's grin froze.

"You all right?" he asked, looking down at the water.

"I can't swim!" he heard Rachel, who kept sinking, shout.

Jack clapped the flat of his hand against his forehead in dismay.

"I will teach you that then," he shouted. "Whereas, when I think that my father also threw me overboard to teach me how to swim … the amazing thing is that it really worked. Not without pride, I can now call myself an excellent swimmer," he told her calmly.

Meanwhile, Rachel paddled clumsily around in the water, diving down more and more often.

"But dear! What are you doing? Move rhythmically and evenly. Otherwise, you'll end up drowning," he instructed her from his ship.

Finally, Sparrow took pity on her and threw her a rope. When Rachel felt solid ground under her again, she let herself sink down onto it, exhausted.

"But we still have to practise that," Jack commented, shaking his head at the scene.

She glared at him angrily for a moment, but then immediately let it go.

"And what was this supposed to be a teaching illustration for?" she asked touchy.

"Never turn your back on a pirate. Especially not if you threatened him just before. That was your first lesson," Jack explained his behaviour.

After a short time, Rachel had recovered to some extent. Nevertheless, she stayed on deck and let the sun dry her and her clothes.

"That reminds me, I can't even take you to your place," Jack remarked.

"Why is that?"

"Because I don't know where you came from."

"Port Royal. I live in the governor's house," Rachel replied.

"Port Royal? Interesting …"

This brought Jack's piratical body of thought back to life.