A Pirate's Life for Me

Chapter 37 Honesty

"Annalise Swann."

Annalise's eyes almost popped out of her head as she whipped her head around to stare at Jack.

"What?" She gasped and he smirked at her.

"I know. Curious, isn't it?" He asked.

At once, Annalise's eyes narrowed. The surprise (and grudging pleasure) gave way to suspicion and Jack could almost see the cogs working in her mind, could almost see her putting together the pieces. He admired her for a moment: this was the woman he'd been bewitched by (he refused to call it love), a woman he had only seen glimpses of until this moment. But now she was free from the bounds of propriety and the fear of familial chains. Finally she was a flame ready to erupt into a burning star. All her uncertainty was gone and all that remained was the determination to spread her own wings and paint the world her colour.

And she was beautiful.

Meanwhile, around them, Jack's words had incited a minor riot as several pirate lords demanded he choose them instead, others protested, and generally people argued. As the noise levels rose, Jack finally asked loudly, "Am I to understand that you all will not be keeping to the Code, then?"

A sharp twang sounded as Teague broke a guitar string and the pirate captain glared from under the brim of his hat. At once, silence fell once more and the pirate lords once again lowered themselves into their seats.

"Very well." Mistress Ching spoke with restored poise. "What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?"

All eyes turned to Annalise. She cleared her throat but her voice was strong and her expression fierce as she laid down her orders.

"Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we're at war."

At last, Sri Sumbhajee rose. And he spoke for the first time.

"And so, we shall go to war."

Annalise blinked rapidly at the man's exceedingly high-pitched voice. But she showed no other reaction as the pirates cheered before they started to crowd toward the exit as they began their preparations.

Jack grinned as he observed the proceedings and things finally started to tilt in his favour. He turned on his heel in satisfaction; only to pause in his tracks when he saw his father staring at him from under the brim of his wide hat.

"What?" Jack asked rather defensively, disliking the knowing glint in his father's weary eyes. "You've seen it all, done it all. You survived. That's the trick, isn't it? To survive."

Captain Teague shook his head, and he answered in a gravelly voice, "It's not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is living with yourself forever."

Jack's expression turned grim and more serious - as serious as Teague had ever seen his son be. The great Captain tilted his head as he contemplated his son, before he jerked his chin over Jack's shoulder and to the far side of the room.

"She seems very headstrong." Teague observed.

Jack glanced briefly back at the dark-haired woman who was currently conversing with her crew (her crew! It still boggled his mind) and he shrugged.

"I suppose." Jack answered with feigned nonchalance. But his father was not fooled in the slightest. Teague stared hard at his son, making Jack shift uncomfortably on his feet. He felt like he was six years old again and in trouble for taking his father's cutlass and accidentally stabbing it into the side of his mother's dresser.

"You hold onto her, Jackie." Teague said abruptly, surprising his son.

Jack looked back at his father, intending to protest, but he stopped when he saw the sorrow in his father's lined and weary face.