Day of the Shadow

by Rob Kidd

  “Is that—a dog?” Jack said, squinting at the bright black eyes under the flop of fur. “Jean, you have a knack for acquiring annoying sidekicks. Is this one under a spell, too?” He looked alarmed. “That’s not Constance again, is it?”

  Jean shook his head. “No, no—he’s just a normal dog. Aren’t you, puppy?” The puppy licked his face and Jean laughed.

  “And right after we’d finally got rid of Marcella,” Jack said with a sigh. “Speaking of which, there seem to be other members of my crew missing. What happened to Carolina and Diego?”

  “We don’t know,” Jean said, looking serious again. The puppy took his mind off Marcella, but he was still very worried about her. “They disappeared during the battle in Marseille. Carolina’s father was furious.”

  “Hmm,” Jack said, looking out to sea. It was a beautiful, clear day with wide-open blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Very not-shadowy, the way Jack liked it. And yet he could feel the mossy weight of dark anchors slowly pressing on his chest, and his vision blurred a little as imaginary shadows darted across his eyes. He needed those last two vials as soon as possible. He was so close to them! And yet also so far, if the Shadow Lord had already got his hands on them.

  “A sail!” Billy yelled from the crow’s nest. “Avast! Look! A sail, that way! And it’s flying a Jolly Roger—a green Jolly Roger!”

  “Ammand the Corsair!” Villanueva bellowed. “About ship and make chase! Quickly!”

  Jack snorted. “As if this ship can do anything quickly,” he said loudly.

  Villanueva glared at him. “This is the best ship on the Spanish Main! She has never been defeated in battle!”

  “Because the battle’s probably already over by the time she gets there,” Jack sniped as the ship lumbered around and set off after the Seref.

  Jean shook his head and walked away, leaving the two Pirate Lords to argue to their heart’s content about the Centurion’s value. He carried the puppy down to the lower deck, where he’d arranged a couple of dismantled hammocks in a pile on the floor for the puppy to sleep on. Jean stacked boxes and barrels around the makeshift pen.

  “YIP!” the puppy protested. It tried to scramble up the boxes, but tumbled back onto the soft hammocks.

  “Stay,” Jean said firmly. “If there’s going to be a battle with Ammand, I want you to stay away from it! Hopefully you’ll be safe down here.”

  Rrrrrrrrruff, the puppy grumbled. It started turning in circles and digging the hammocks into a better nest.

  “Good dog,” Jean said. He hurried back to the deck in time to see the green flag of the Seref disappearing into the sheltered cove of an island. He ran to the railing to help the other pirates steer the Centurion in the same direction.

  As they passed through the encircling cliff arms of the island, they found themselves in a horseshoe-shaped bay of glittering, sapphire blue water. A white sandy beach ahead of them slanted up to a high, rocky ledge overlooking the bay.

  Jean blinked. For a moment, all the pirates were too stunned to react—even Jack.

  The bay was full of ships.

  A small armada of galleons flew the flag of Spain. Another several ships bore the dreaded insignia of the East India Trading Company. Then, of course, there was Ammand’s ship, the Seref. And—Jack caught his breath—there was the Black Pearl. She bobbed peacefully beside the other ships in the harbor. Her black sails fluttered lightly in the chilly breeze. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.

  Villanueva hissed, realizing what was happening before anyone else did. “It’s a trap!” he shouted. “Man the oars! Turn back!”

  “Wait!” Jack shouted. “What about the Pearl ? She’s right there!”

  But it was too late to escape, even if they wanted to. Long, smoky tendrils were snaking out across the water toward them. The pirates watched in horror as the shadowy vines wrapped themselves around the Seref and the Centurion and started dragging the pirate ships into the harbor.

  Jack finally noticed that long cords of shadows were wrapped around all of the ships. Spanish navy, East India Trading Company, and pirates alike—all of them were trapped in place, bound together by the terrifying power of the Shadow Lord.

  Jack’s gaze went from the Pearl to the beach, and slowly up to the ledge of rock that overlooked all the ships below.

  Standing up there with a malevolent smile on his face…was the Shadow Lord.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The sound of footsteps clattering on the boards above their heads woke Carolina and Diego.

  “What’s happening?” Diego asked, struggling to sit up. His shoulder ached and a fierce pain burned in his leg. He couldn’t remember anything after the cannonball had smashed into their hiding place.

  Carolina ran to the door of the brig and peered through the bars. She could see light spilling through the hatchway and shadows flickering as pirates ran back and forth. Something must have happened to alarm them, but she had no idea what.

  “Help!” she called. “Someone help us!” She knelt beside Diego and checked his bandages. They looked secure and clean; there hadn’t been any more bleeding. Captain Hawk had done a good job.

  Quickly Carolina filled in Diego on how they had been captured by Ammand the Corsair. She was just telling him about the kind sailor who had helped them when Tim Hawk himself appeared at the door of their cage.

  “I couldn’t do it,” he said breathlessly. “I tried, but I couldn’t get the vial. Ammand is having us all watched too closely. But I was able to get this.” He brandished a large iron key from his pocket and grinned.

  “Is that—”

  “It is,” Tim said, sticking the key into the rusty lock. He had to shake it a few times before it would turn. “But I don’t know if you’ll thank me for it. We’re at the rendezvous point, so we’re practically surrounded by the Spanish navy.”

  “I will fight them all,” Diego said, trying to climb to his feet. His face went pale as he tried to put weight on his injured leg. Carolina hurried over and put her arm around him to help him up.

  “It gets worse,” Tim said. The door creaked and groaned as he swung it open. “Turns out it was a trick. I guess the Spanish government was working with the Shadow Lord and told him where we would be. He was here waiting for us.”

  Carolina gasped. “The Shadow Lord is here?”

  “We’re trapped,” Tim said. “The Seref, the Spanish ships, the Centurion, and for some reason a whole bunch of East India Trading Company ships as well.”

  “East India Trading Company?” Carolina echoed, exchanging a confused look with Diego. “How did they know to be here?”

  Tim shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “Brilliant!” Barbara cried. Her bright red hair shone like a flame in the sunshine as the wind picked it up and tossed it around. She stood at the helm of the Peacock, gazing rapturously at the pirate ships that were being pulled into place alongside theirs. She could step right from the Peacock’s railing onto the Black Pearl—not that she would choose to do that, of course, after all those days she had spent hidden in its cramped, smelly hold.

  But the important thing was that it was here now, literally within their grasp. And not only the Pearl, but also the Seref and the Centurion, now bobbing on the far side of the Pearl. Three Pirate Lords! Trapped right where the Company wanted them!

  Oh, there would be a magnificent reward awaiting them for this, that was for sure.

  If only there weren’t so many Spanish ships here, lurking about, waiting to steal their glory.

  And that fat little man hopping up and down on the rock ledge on the island—what did he have to do with anything?

  “You realize,” Benedict said, coming up behind Barbara, “that we are just as trapped as those pirates are, don’t you?”

  Barbara scoffed. “It may seem that way,” she said, “you know, from the loops of thick black stuff holding us in place and tying us to the pirate ships. But I’m sure the Shadow Lord just mistook us for one of them
by accident. As soon as he gets here, I’m sure he’ll clear this all up.” She glanced down at the mirror in her hand as if expecting the shadowy visage to appear again. He’d popped up there just once more, telling them to meet on this island; he’d had a tip from the Spanish navy that Ammand would be here, no doubt followed closely by Jack Sparrow. But where was the Shadow Lord himself?

  Benedict turned his pale eyes to the island and the strange old man out there. For once, his brain was two steps ahead of his wife’s…perhaps the only time in their marriage that had happened. “My dear,” he said, “brace yourself for a disappointment.” He nodded at the rocky ledge.

  “I’m afraid that is the Shadow Lord.”

  Jack wasn’t particularly impressed either. This was the figure from his nightmares? Why, Henry was even more squidgy and useless looking than Jack remembered from their meeting in the Faithful Bride tavern. His belt could barely hold up his pants, and his floppy, pale green, sad attempt at a pirate hat looked more like a gardener’s sun hat. His yellow coat was a size too small, and the lace at his wrists was bedraggled and torn. His long brown hair was tangled and matted, and his droopy mustache was a different length on either side of his nose.

  No, there wasn’t much that was intimidating about old Henry.

  Other than the fact that he had somehow managed to steal the Pearl, of course…oh, and the long, smoky tendrils coming from his left hand, which he held like leashes on all the ships in the bay. Those were a little worrying.

  “Huh. He’s a lot shorter in person,” Jack commented.

  “At last!” Henry’s voice boomed across the bay, supernaturally magnified by the cone of shadows rising from his left hand, above the leashes. “I Have you all exactly Where I want you!”

  Jack wiggled one finger in his ear. “No need to shout, mate,” he said. “We can all bloody well hear you. In fact, we’d really prefer not to, if it were up to us.” He sidled up to the railing, trying to gauge how quickly he could jump from the Centurion to the Seref and then onto the Pearl.

  “Stop yammering on, Jack,” the voice went on, smooth and sinister. “And don’t even think about trying that jump.” Henry spread his fingers, and the ships drifted a little further away from each other—still close enough to be tied together, but with just enough distance between them that jumping from one to another would be highly dangerous.

  Of course, that didn’t usually stop Jack. He looked up at the sky and began pacing along the railing, whistling innocently while he tried to think of another way across.

  “Welcome, my enemies,” Henry went on. “I have waited for this day for a long, long time. Finally I have all of you together…the ones I hate the most, the ones I have most longed to punish.”

  On the Peacock, Barbara and Benedict Huntington glanced at one another uneasily. Surely he wasn’t including them in that category? They’d barely even spoken to him!

  Further down the row of ships, Carolina’s father was frowning, too. He’d heard of the Shadow Lord, but he knew very little about him. Certainly not enough to count as his enemy. He couldn’t think of any reason for the man to hate him.

  In fact, in that whole bay, Jack Sparrow was the only one who could think of a reason why the Shadow Lord was angry at him, but really, he considered that it was the Shadow Lord’s own fault for picking on Jack in the first place. Really, he started it!

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Henry said, strolling slowly along the rocky ledge. He was enjoying this moment. He’d waited for it long enough. “You’re wondering who I am…and why I hate you.”

  “Oh, lord. Please don’t tell us,” Jack said, sensing a big speech coming up.

  “I will tell you,” Henry said. “And then I will kill you.”

  “Seems like it’d be much less cruel to do it the other way around,” Jack offered, but if the Shadow Lord could hear him, he gave no indication.

  “I am not just the Shadow Lord,” Henry said. “Nor am I the useless pirate Henry that you found so very amusing.” He shot a glare at Villanueva. “In fact, I am much older than you know, because I devised a way to live forever. I have been around for over a hundred years. I was a Pirate Lord myself. The truth is…I am Captain Henry Morgan of the second Brethren Court!”

  He paused as if he was waiting for a dramatic reaction.

  Crouching behind a pile of boxes on the deck of the Seref, Carolina touched Diego’s arm. “Captain Morgan,” she said. “We’ve heard of him somewhere, haven’t we?”

  “Have we?” Diego said. He peeked out at Ammand, who was leaning against the mast, looking befuddled.

  On the Centurion, Villanueva tugged on his beard, frowning thoughtfully. All across the Spanish and East India Trading Company ships, sailors were looking at each other and shrugging in confusion.

  “Captain Morgan!” Henry bellowed. “The Captain Morgan!” He paused again, his fury mounting at the lack of recognition evident on everyone’s faces. Finally he sputtered: “Morgan and Bartholomew! We wrote the stupid Pirate Code together! Don’t you know your history?”

  “Ooooohhhhhhh,” most of the pirates said, nodding in unison.

  Henry clenched his fists, seething. “I cannot wait to kill you all,” he muttered, obviously unconcerned about whether they could hear that. He shook his head and went back to his carefully planned speech. “As Captain Morgan, I was greatly wronged by all of you.”

  “How?” Jack asked. “We weren’t even alive yet! Well, maybe him,” he said, jerking his thumb at Barbossa. “He looks pretty ancient.”

  “I remember the other Pirate Lords,” Morgan growled. “I remember how they taunted me…how they mocked me! Even after I wrote the Code, none of them took me seriously. If I can’t have my revenge on them, I will gladly take it on their descendants…starting with you.” He pointed at Jack, Villanueva, and Ammand. Barbossa ducked his head and shuffled behind the mast, out of Henry’s sight.

  “And of course I hate you,” Henry said, turning to the ships of the Spanish navy. “You were always my enemies, trading in my waters, trying to have me killed, accusing me of dastardly deeds…well, perhaps those acusations were true. But then there was the East India Trading Company. You and England stabbed me in the back. I worked for you! I was your privateer—I took Panama for you! I destroyed Spanish ships for you, and how did you repay me? By siding with the Spanish when they demanded I be put on trial. Tried for piracy! Your best privateer! I cursed you that day, and I swore I would live however long it took to avenge myself.”

  Jack yawned theatrically. “Look, this is all very…whatever the opposite of fascinating is. Can we get on with the sword-fighting and swashbuckling, please?”

  But Henry had been preparing this speech for decades, and he evidently wasn’t planning to shut up anytime soon. “So I hid myself away and worked on my alchemy. I found the orichalcum and made the Shadow Gold, and I learned the secret of everlasting life, and then—”

  BOOM!

  A shatteringly loud cannon blast split the air, causing several sailors and not a few pirates to throw themselves to the decks, covering their heads.

  “What was that?” Jean shouted, his hands over his ears.

  “Somebody fired a cannon!” Billy yelled.

  “But—” Jack said. “But the shot came from the Pearl !”

  Everyone turned to stare at the Black Pearl, which should have been deserted, as it had been empty when Henry stole it from Marseille.

  Or so Henry had thought.

  Slow footsteps climbed up from the cannon deck, and finally a shambling figure emerged into the bright light, shading his eyes.

  It was Alex, Tia Dalma’s zombie. He had been hiding in the hold of the Pearl as Henry sailed off with it. Jack remembered that Alex had once sailed with Henry, back when he was Captain Morgan. Alex had told Jack that he’d written a book about the Shadow Lord, but he’d never told Jack the Shadow Lord’s real name.

  “Well.” Jack sniffed. “I think he might have mentioned the whole being–Ca
ptain Morgan bit, don’t you?”

  Jean shrugged. “You know zombies. He was probably waiting for you to ask.”

  Most of the other watchers didn’t have any idea who the zombie was…but Henry Morgan clearly did. He was nearly apoplectic with rage. His face turned bright red and he shook his fists furiously.

  “You!” he bellowed. “I hate you more than anyone!”

  “Wow,” Jack said with a grin. “That must have been some book.”

  “Look!” Billy said, pointing to the water.

  Distracted by the appearance of his former barber, Captain Morgan’s grip on the shadow leashes had loosened. The ships were drifting together again—there was only about a handbreadth between the Centurion and the Seref.

  On the far side of the Pearl, Benedict Huntington had noticed the same thing. In fact, he had only been half listening to Henry’s speech. From the second he spotted Jack on the deck of the Centurion, he’d been staring at the distances between the ships and waiting for his moment.

  Both men leaped into action at the same time. Benedict vaulted over the rail of the Peacock and bolted across the deck of the Pearl. His gaze was focused on the bobbing decks beneath him, so he didn’t notice Jack hurling himself over the rail of the Centurion and sprinting across the deck of the Seref. They sailed right past each other as Benedict leaped onto the Seref and Jack leaped onto the Pearl.

  It wasn’t until Benedict’s boots clattered to a stop on the Centurion that he looked up and realized Jack was not where he’d been a moment before. But by then he was surrounded by several unfriendly-looking pirates. With a shout of rage, Benedict drew his rapier and leaped into battle.

  Muskets, bayonets, cutlasses, scimitars, daggers, and swords were coming out all across the bound-together ships. Spanish soldiers and Trading Company agents poured across the ships, wild with fury at the sight of Ammand and Villanueva, who had been tormenting and harassing their merchant traders for years. Some of them tried firing their cannons, in order to break their ships free from the shadow bonds.