Rising In The East by Rob Kidd Page A

On deck, Carolina caught Diego’s arm and turned to listen.
    “Come again?” Jack said, trying to sound casual. “Day of the what now?”
    “The Day of the Shadow is coming, Captain Jack Sparrow,” Alex said intently. “All the Pirate Lords must fight it together.”
    “Ah, well, that’s where you’re confused, my good man. Pirate Lords never do anything together . Make a point of it, in fact. If you catch one Pirate Lord doing something, the other eight will find eight different ways to do eight opposite things. That’s just the way it’s always been.”
    Jack waved his hands flippantly, but that phrase had chilled him to the bone. How did Tia Dalma know what his nightmare had told him? What did “Day of the Shadow” mean? Most important, how soon was it coming, exactly, and where could Jack hide from it?
    “Alex,” Carolina said, interrupting their conversation, “what’s the Day of the Shadow?”
    “A good question, love,” Jack said. “How about you two go ahead and discuss, and I’ll get back to my massage.” He started to close the door again, but this time it was Carolina who firmly barred his way.
    “This is important, Jack!” she said.
    “ Captain Jack Sp—!” he began, instinctually.
    “If the Shadow Lord is planning something, we’re the only ones who can stop it!” Carolina cried, cutting him off.
    “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jack said. “I’m sure there are plenty of capable hero types out there who’d love to handle this for us. At least five or six of them, I imagine.”
    All Jack really wanted was the next vial so he could get healthy again. Fighting a great big Shadow Lord and his army was not exactly his priority.
    “The Day of the Shadow is when the Shadow Lord will rise,” Alex droned, “and all the world will be crushed beneath his boots.”
    “Charming,” Jack said. “I can’t wait. May I go now?”
    “We have to tell Sao Feng,” Carolina said. “And Mistress Ching!”
    “Listen, darling, why don’t you leave the captainy decisions to me and go back to sword fighting,” Jack said. “I’ll just go in here and think very hard about all this, um, important stuff until I come up with a brilliant solution.
    All right? Here I go—thinking hard!” He managed to shove her aside and slam the door before she could stop him.
    “Diego, we might have to take matters into our own hands here,” Carolina said in Spanish.
    “You don’t think we have enough to worry about?” Diego responded, also in Spanish. “With the whole Spanish navy still out looking for you?”
    “This is much more important than that,” Carolina answered. “The fate of the world could be at stake.”
    “Well, I say ,” Marcella declared loudly, “Alex, don’t you think it’s incredibly rude when people deliberately exclude you from a conversation by talking some stupid other language ?” The zombie blinked at her, then shambled off to the galley without responding. That didn’t stop Marcella. She flounced up to Diego and Carolina, put one hand on her hip, and glared at the Spanish princess. “This is an English pirate ship, missy. Try to remember that.”
    “I’m going to the crow’s nest,” Carolina said to Diego, still in Spanish. “But good luck with her .”
    Diego’s expression clearly said, “Don’t abandon me!” but Carolina grabbed the nearest ratline and began climbing the ropes with nimble hands and feet. Soon the hubbub of the ship and the gentle swish of the waves were fading below her.
    It was obvious to Carolina that Jack needed help dealing with the menace of the Shadow Lord. If he wouldn’t admit that, then someone else would have to figure it out for him.
    And there’s a funny thing about princesses: once they decide something needs to be done, you’d better believe it’s going to happen.

C HAPTER T EN
    S torm clouds hung low over the city of Hong Kong, casting a gloomy pall over the normally bright temples and colorful flower markets. Two