and grabbed onto a low-hanging rafter. The two pirates collided and fell to the ground. Jack dro pped back down and kicked them hard in their heads with the soles of his boots, knocking them unconscious. "That was easy," he said, smiling.Behind Jack, the battle between Louis and Fitzwilliam was raging. Louis suddenly surprised Fitzwilliam by lunging forward and slashing the Sword of Cortes down hard. Fitzwilliam almost got himself out of the way, so he survived the blow--but the tip of the blade cut deeply into his arm. Fitzwilliam shouted in pain. The sheath flew from his hand, and Jack lunged forward and grabbed it once more."See there?" Jack said proudly. "I told you. Who is the one among us who needs saving now?" He stepped over the unconscious thugs and picked up a large bag of flour. "Watch and learn. I'm about to save Fitzy's life. And do you think anyone will notice? No. Of cour se not." Jack swung the bag of flour, hard, smack into Louis's face. A cloud of white billowed out around them as the pirate staggered back three steps, then fell, stunned, to the floor.This was good. The fact that the pirate had dropped the Sword of Cortes--even better! Jack grabbed the Sword before Left-Foot Louis could gather his wits. Jack had his old, rusty sword in one hand and the shiniest magical sword he had ever seen in the other. This was more like it. He pointed both swords at the pirate and said, "Seems high time for some surrender."Fitzwilliam, panting for breath after his fight, wrapped a handkerchief around his bleeding arm. Though he was exhausted, no serious damage had been done. Tumen was rather matter-of-factly tying up the two unconscio us pirates, so as to avoid any trouble "when they woke up again. Jean's curly hair, messed by his struggle, stuck out in all directions, making him look crazy as he held his knife toward Louis as an additional warning. Every single one of the boys was grinning like mad.But Arabella wasn't smiling."You," she said."That's right." Jack straightened up proudly. "Me. The one who saved Fitz. Not the other way around."
"I could have rallied," Fitzwilliam said."Not likely," Jack replied.Arabella just whispered it again, "You." Her voice shook with loathing, which tipped Jack off to the fact that she wasn't talking to him at all. Instead, she was staring at LeftFoot Louis, her hands bunched into fists. "Do you remember me?"
"You're a bit young for my taste, lass," Louis jeered. "Not to mention a bit scrawny. And a bit dirty."
"Be silent!" Fitzwilliam demanded. "You will not insult this lady."Jack looked back and forth between Arabella and the pirate. He couldn't quite figure out what was happening--but events had definitely taken a turn for the weird. Why had Arabella not revealed her connection--whatever it may be--to Louis before? "Don't bother lecturing him, Fitz," Arabella said. "He'll never learn. He'll never have the time." She grabbed the Sword of Cortes from Jack, moving so quickly that Jack didn't even realize what she was doing until the blade was in her hands. She looked angrier than ever with the Sword in her hand. Jack and the crew had never seen her like this before. It was as if she had be come a dark shadow of herself. In two quick strides, Arabella was standing over Left-Foot Louis. To Jack's shock, she pressed the tip of the blade to Louis's throat. “Pirate !" Arabella ground out between her clenched teet h. "Ye killed me mother!"
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jack couldn't take his eyes from Arabella's face. She was filled with rage--angrier than anyone Jack had ever seen, angrier even than the legendary Captain Torrents, whose rage could stir a hurricane.* Her eyes brimmed with angry tears. Fitzwilliam took a step closer to her. "Arabella--"But Louis cut him off. "Ah, I do know where I have seen you before," he said to Arabella. "Tortuga. Seems I remember a loud-mouthed wench and her miserable little brat. Shut that wench's mouth, I did. Too bad I didn't shut yours.""I'll kill ye!"