by Rob Kidd
“Right,” Billy said. “Never petty or vengeful or selfish, Pirate Lords, nooooo.”
“Ahoy! A sail! A sail!” Diego called from the crow’s nest (where he was once again hiding from Marcella). He leaned over and pointed north. “A red sail! Coming this way! Fast!”
“Another of Mistress Ching’s ships?” Billy guessed as Jack pulled out his spyglass.
The approaching ship did look like the junks they had met on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. But there was a difference—the flag flying from the top mast was not the long, thin, red pennant of Mistress Ching’s fleet. Instead, it was black and featured a red skeleton dangling in the center…a flag Jack had not seen before.
“I don’t think so,” Jack said slowly. “No, I think this might be a whole new set of friends.” He closed the spyglass with a snap. “To the rigging! Stations! Yardarm! Oh, you know what I mean. Quickly, that way!” He leaped to the helm and steered the ship toward land. With luck, he’d be able to zip around the junk and make it to the shelter of the islands north of Australia.
But luck, on this rare occasion, was not with Captain Jack Sparrow. Within moments he heard an ominous scraping sound from the bottom of the Pearl ’s hull. He exchanged a worried glance with Billy.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Jack said flippantly.
SCRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAPE.
“Jack, stop the ship!” Billy cried, looking over the side. “We’re running onto a coral reef—one of the largest I’ve ever seen!”
Through the clear, emerald green water, the viciously sharp edges of the coral were all too visible. Fish in all the colors of the rainbow darted in and out of little holes and strange plant life waved and wobbled in the crevices. Jagged outcroppings reached nearly to the water’s surface, perilously close to the Pearl’s vulnerable wooden underbelly.
Jean and Carolina raced up the deck to the enormous anchor. The only way to stop the ship from crashing into the reef (and probably getting stuck there forever) was to drop anchor immediately. Pirates threw themselves at the heavy cable, shoving the winches and levers that held it in place. With a huge splash, the anchor fell to the water and sank rapidly, crashing straight through the intricate lace of the coral reef as it went.
The Black Pearl jerked to a halt, pulling the ship around suddenly.
There was a thud from below decks. “OUCH!” Marcella’s voice shrieked. “Who threw me out of my hammock? I hate you!”
“Brilliant,” Jack said. Disaster averted. Well, one disaster, anyway. The other was bearing down on them at top speed, and now it was too late to run. They had no choice but to demand Parlay.
Jack strode to the railing as the strange ship drew closer. The curious yellow eyes painted on the sides of the junk seemed to be staring at him, reading his soul and seeing his nightmares. The sails looked like dragon wings, curved and strengthened with bamboo supports. They flicked and quivered in the wind, adjusting to every change in the breeze. Jack could also see that the bottom of the ship was flat, so it rode higher in the water than the Pearl, making it easier for the strange ship to skim over the top of the coral reef.
The hull of the new ship was painted in bright, garish colors such as green and orange, making a striking contrast to the sleek black Pearl. It skimmed up alongside and dropped anchor only a few feet away from where Jack was standing. Jack tried to look unconcerned, as if he had planned this meeting all along and was just hanging out on this coral reef waiting for an enemy ship to come by.
Asian faces watched him closely and silently from the other ship, all the pirates standing at attention with their hands clasped behind their backs.
“Good morning,” Jack called across. “Fine weather we’re having.”
They stared at him in stony stillness.
“Tell me, is this the way to Shanghai?” Jack asked them. “We thought we’d take a shortcut—not sure it’s working out for us.”
No reaction; nothing but blank expressions.
“Huh,” Jack remarked. “Maybe they’re under a curse. Wonder if we can get one of those for Marcella.”
“Or maybe they actually respect their captain,” Barbossa muttered, nodding to the man who was striding out of the captain’s quarters on the other ship.
The captain was strikingly tall and fierce-looking. His head was shaved completely bald, with only a long, dark beard and moustache framing his mouth. A small scar marred his face below his right eye, but otherwise he had handsome, strong features. Jack guessed that he was not Chinese, but instead came from somewhere in South Asia—perhaps Siam or Singapore.
Jade stones, ranging in color from a dark jungle green to a pale, marbled white-green, decorated his armor-plated belt, rings, shoulder guard, and wristbands. His dark green robes were lined with red silk and embroidered with dragons in golden thread. A long sword hung in a black, lacquered wood scabbard from his belt, opposite a wicked-looking pistol.
The captain studied the crew of the Black Pearl for a long moment. Finally a small smile crossed his face.
“What a most fortunate meeting this is,” he said in polished, accented English, inclining his head toward them. “The gods have indeed given us their favor today.” His hand swept out, indicating his ship. A gold ring on his hand gleamed in the sunlight. “Please, come aboard the Empress so we can meet properly.” His smile deepened, becoming more menacing, and a spark of shrewd calculation flickered in his deep, dark eyes.
“Oh, that’s all right,” Jack said. “Quite happy over here, thanks.”
“No, really,” the man said. “I insist.” His men subtly shifted, placing their hands on their weapons.
“And who is doing the inviting, if I might ask?” Jack inquired.
The captain’s sly expression hinted at the reaction he expected to get. “Me?” he said. “Is it not obvious? I am Sao Feng.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Sao Feng, Sao Feng,” Jack repeated, turning over the name. He shook his head. “Nope, never heard of ’im.”
Now the captain frowned, the kind of frown that would make most men quake in their boots. “Never heard of me!” he barked. “I’m only the fiercest captain to ever sail the South China Sea! The Seven Seas, in fact!”
“The fiercest, eh? Then shouldn’t you be the Pirate Lord of Singapore and the South China Sea?” Jack asked, deliberately needling him. “Last I heard, it was a fellow by the name of Liang Dao.”
Sao Feng’s face darkened even further. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword. “Liang Dao is my older brother,” he snarled. “He inherited the title of Pirate Lord from our father.” From his emphasis on the word “inherited,” it was fairly clear what Sao Feng thought of Liang Dao’s fitness for the role.
“Ah. That’s sort of how you became a Pirate Lord, isn’t it, Jack?” Barbossa said snidely.
“Not exactly,” Jack said, shooting his first mate a stern look. “Well, it’s complicated.”
Sao Feng blinked, eyeing Jack closely. “You?” he said. “You—a Pirate Lord? Ha!”
Jack swept his hat into a flamboyant bow. “Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirate Lord of the Caribbean,” he announced. “Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Sticks in your head. Sounds rakish and majestic all at once, like a proper pirate captain. Not at all silly-sounding like, say, hypothetically, off the top of my head, Smarbossa.”
Barbossa scowled.
The captain of the Empress looked meaningfully at the Pacific Ocean, sparkling brightly all around them. “Rather far from home, aren’t you, Captain Sparrow?”
“Are we? I hadn’t noticed,” Jack answered. He too looked around at the blue-green water, making a puzzled face as if it had snuck up on him.
Sao Feng snorted impatiently. “What are you doing here?” He touched the hilt of his sword warningly. “And do not even think about telling me anything other than the absolute truth.”
“Seeing the world, mate,” Jack said, flinging his arms open. “Enjoying the freedom of the open sea. Any laws against that?”
“We are also looking for the Pirate Lords who hold the vials of Shadow Gold,” said a monotone voice behind Jack, “so that we can defeat the Shadow Lord.”
Jack whirled around, outraged. Zombie Alex stared blankly at him. Jack’s eyes widened and his nose arched into a vicious, disgusted scowl.
“Well, fine,” Jack said. “Why don’t you just tell the strange man all our secrets, then?” Alex obeyed, opening his mouth. Jack added hurriedly, “No, don’t say anything! Don’t speak again until he’s gone!”
Alex obediently shut up, but it was too late.
“Shadow Gold?” Sao Feng echoed. “That sounds…valuable.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Jack said, waving the topic aside. “You wouldn’t like it, trust me. Nasty stuff. Although—I don’t suppose you’ve seen any, have you?”
Sao Feng narrowed his eyes and didn’t reply.
“No?” Jack tried. “Your brother hasn’t recently come into possession of a lovely little vial of really very unimportant, hardly worth mentioning, liquidy shiny stuff?”
“Ah,” Sao Feng said, his face a perfect mask. “Perhaps I know of what you speak.”
“Really?” Jack perked up. “Then maybe we do have something to discuss.”
“As I said before”—Sao Feng bowed slightly and lifted one elegant hand toward his quarters at the rear of the junk—“I insist.”
“This doesn’t seem like a wise idea,” Billy said in a low voice to Jack. “I don’t think we can trust him.”
“Well, of course we can’t,” Jack retorted. “I mean, he is a pirate, after all. I rather think he can’t trust us, either.” Shaking his head as if he thought Billy was quite daft, Jack vaulted to the top of the wooden railing, seized a trailing rope, and swung himself across to the Empress.
On board the other ship, a skinny man with a sparse moustache, wearing a long leather cloak, stepped forward as if to stand between Jack and Sao Feng. Sao Feng waved him off.
“Do not fear, Tai Huang,” the Empress’s captain said. “I am sure our new friend will not do anything…foolish.”
“Foolish? Me?” Jack said. “Never!” He grinned so his gold tooth sparkled in the bright sun.
Carolina leaped to the rail of the Pearl and swung across after Jack. She landed lightly on the deck of the Empress and immediately found herself surrounded by a bristling thicket of swords.
“I’m not leaving my capitán alone over here!” she said bravely, reaching for her own sword.
“Stand down, stand down,” Sao Feng said to his crew. “I admire a woman with courage, especially one with such grace,” he said to her gallantly.
Sao Feng took Carolina’s hand and bowed to kiss it. Carolina tossed back her ebony hair, looking every inch the princess she was, despite her disheveled pirate garb and bare feet.
“I believe the Pirate Code allows the captain to bring a few members of his crew to Parlay, doesn’t it?” she said, arching her eyebrows.
“Someone has been studying their Pirata Codex,” Sao Feng said smoothly. “You are correct. Does anyone else wish to join his…or her…captain on my ship?”
Most of the pirates on the Pearl shuffled their feet and gazed at the sky.
“Barbossa will join us,” Jack said, flicking his fingers easily to beckon Barbossa across. “Come along, Hector.”
Glowering balefully, Jack’s first mate joined Jack and Carolina on board the Empress. With a regal nod, Sao Feng escorted the three of them over to his quarters.
Jack managed not to gasp in astonishment as he stepped down the elegantly carved wooden staircase into Sao Feng’s cabin, but it was difficult. His own cabin did not begin to compare to Sao Feng’s quarters. This struck Jack as very unfair.
The room was opulent and richly decorated with swaths of fine silks, priceless jade carvings, bronze incense burners, antique vases, and elaborately woven tapestries. Soft pillows and layers of Oriental rugs covered part of the floor and candlelight glowed from the lanterns, mingling with incense smoke to create a warm, luxurious den, untouched by the bright sunlight outside. Sao Feng was obviously a man who liked his luxuries—and also dark, underground spaces.
Two figures rose from the pillows as they entered.
“Speaking of luxuries…” Jack muttered to himself, his eyes widening.
Standing before them were two strikingly beautiful Asian women; Jack guessed they might be twins. Each wore long, dark red silk robes with a bright red sash at the waist. Golden dragons wound sensuously around the curves of the robes, embroidered in fine silk thread. A glint of steel in their dark hair revealed the chopsticks holding their elaborate coiffures in place.
Jack winked at the one closest to him. She immediately whipped out a silk fan to hide her face, but not before Jack caught a glimmer of a smile.
“These are my attendants,” Sao Feng said. He was busy at a low table, so he missed the flirtatious glances Jack was exchanging with the two women. “Lian and Park.”
“Attendants?” Carolina asked. “Are they pirates? Female pirates?” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.
“Everyone on this ship is a pirate,” Sao Feng said gravely. “And my fair companions are two of the most deadly.”
Carolina looked doubtfully at Lian, who closed her fan with a snap and then flipped it open with a sharp motion that made Carolina realize that the edge of the fan was razor sharp—and that the woman wielding it could easily slice someone’s throat open with it.
“I wouldn’t mind being killed by one of those,” Jack whispered to Barbossa, who rolled his eyes in disgust. Jack wiggled his fingers at Park and then hid his grin quickly as Sao Feng turned around with a pale porcelain teapot in his hand.
“Please join me,” Sao Feng said, indicating the pillows around the table. “We have business to discuss.”
Jack, Barbossa, and Carolina knelt around the table. Jack made sure to position himself so he was facing Lian and Park, who had moved over to the far wall and were now studying him with half their faces hidden behind their fans. He was sure he heard one of them giggle quietly.
Sao Feng poured tea from the pot into delicate china cups, handing one to each of his visitors. Carolina leaned over to let the strong herbal-smelling steam waft across her face. Jack sniffed it suspiciously.
“Hmm. Tea. Don’t suppose you have any rum, do you?” he asked Sao Feng.
“Certainly not. Believe me, you will not want to be under its influence for the rest of our conversation,” the captain said.
“Oh, I rather think I will,” Jack said dolefully.
“Let’s get on with it,” Barbossa interrupted. “I take it there’s something you want from us, isn’t there?” He gave Sao Feng a challenging look.
Sao Feng held his cup between his long fingers and sipped his tea. Finally his intelligent, calculating gaze settled on the Black Pearl’s first mate.
“I believe what we have here is an opportunity,” he said. “An opportunity to make a bargain for mutual benefit.” He blinked, and Carolina got the feeling that “mutual” was always a bit of an exaggeration when it came to Sao Feng.
“Right,” Jack said. “You tell us where the Shadow Gold is, and we go on our merry way and leave you alone. Sounds mutually beneficial to me.”
“I am looking for something,” Sao Feng continued as if Jack hadn’t spoken. “My brother Liang Dao, the current Pirate Lord of Singapore, has sent me on this voyage so far south to find an object of great value…the Deep Sea Opal.”
“I like the sound of that,” Jack said, a smile spreading across his face.
“It is a legendary black opal,” Sao Feng said softly, “as big as a man’s fist and shimmering with hidden fire. Legend says that any man who possesses it will earn great fortune, power, and fame.”
“Come again?” Now Jack was even more interested. “Did you say ‘fortune’?”
“However,” Sao Feng went on, “there is one small problem. The opal’s power will not go to anyone who steals it. Onl
y those who receive the opal as a gift will benefit from its glorious effects; the man who is foolhardy enough to steal the opal will be cursed forever.”
Jack glanced at Lian and Park uneasily. He didn’t like where this was going.
“Hsst,” Park hissed suddenly, flicking her fan closed and then open again. “Liang Dao is a coward!”
“He wouldn’t dare come for the opal himself,” Lian agreed, her dark eyes flashing. “He wants brave Sao Feng to steal it for him, so Liang Dao can have all of the power and none of the curse!”
“I see,” Jack said thoughtfully.
“He fears you,” Park said to Sao Feng. “He knows you would be the greatest Pirate Lord the world had ever seen.”
“You might not know this, love,” Jack said, “but I’m actually a Pirate Lord, too.” She tilted her head at him, and he added, “So, you know, second greatest, maybe.”
“My brother is a fool in many ways,” Sao Feng said, “but for once he has arrived at a clever plan. I am not the kind of man who is afraid of hobgoblins and fairy tales. I do not entirely believe there is any power in this opal beyond the value it will hold as a precious gem. But the pirates who serve under us would never follow a man who had stolen the Deep Sea Opal. So despite the fact that I do not fear any sort of curse, I cannot steal it.”
“The men would believe he was cursed with bad luck for the rest of his days,” Lian said in a hushed whisper.
“He is trying to crush your ambition,” Park said, making a fist with one hand. “But it won’t work! We won’t let it!”
“We don’t have to,” Sao Feng said with a sly smile. He stared straight at Jack. “We have a perfect solution right in front of us.”
Jack twisted around to look behind him, then searched theatrically all around him, peering under the low table and lifting his hands in bewilderment. “No solution here, mate.”
“Captain Jack Sparrow,” Sao Feng said in a voice of steel. “You will steal the Deep Sea Opal for me.”
CHAPTER SIX