"Mask and Mirror " (WIP)

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“Or, o'er the stern reclining, watch below
The foaming wake far widening as we go.”
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Once in the great cabin, Sinan and his men waited as Jack rummaged through a chest for something. After several long minutes, he finally emerged with an armful of maps, barely able to see around them. He spent some time carefully laying them out on the table, making unintelligible noises under his breath. Sinan cleared his throat slightly to remind Jack that they were waiting on him. This caused Jack to look up and for a moment he wore an expression like he’d forgotten why they were all present. This passed quickly and was soon replaced by a congenial smile.

“My apologies mate. Where are my manners? Mr. Gibbs, please see to some rum and something that passes as food for these men.”

“Aye, Captain Sparrow.”

So as not to contradict Jack’s request Sinan waited until Gibbs had left their presence. “We appreciate the offer but these men will not drink alcohol. It is against Sharia, Islamic law.” He lowered his voice a notch and continued, “However, I will take part in the rum you are offering.”
“You are not a follower of their path, eh?” Jack questioned as he gestured for Sinan to sit at the table that was between them.

“No,” Sinan paused as one of his men touched his elbow and whispered to him. When the man was done speaking Sinan whispered a short answer in Turkish and excused his men before elaborating further to Jack. “I have witnessed atrocities during my campaign in the Battle of Pruth by men who called themselves holy; therefore, I choose not to emulate their principles.” He waited until Jack took a seat, and followed suit. “However, I do make allowances for those who continue to believe; at least their faith has not been broken. My men will require a space on deck and some fresh water for their prayer times. I hope this will be of little trouble to you?”

Jack shrugged, “None at all, provided it does not interrupt the work of my crew.”

“I assure you that they are capable hands, each putting in the effort of two men. Add to that the motivation of getting back home, and they will do whatever is asked of them.” Sinan emphasized on the latter part of that statement.

“Excellent!” Jack replied with a deal of exuberance, making Sinan unsure if it was in response to what had just been said, or to the rum Gibbs had placed on the table between them.

“Mr. Gibbs, would you fetch Anamaria. There is something I…” Jack trailed off for a moment as he handed a freshly filled mug to Sinan, “pardon, we, need to discuss with her.”

“Aye Captain,” Gibbs replied with a bit of a snort as he turned on his heel out of the cabin.

“Anamaria,” Sinan inquired, allowing the name to roll off his tongue. “Is that the woman you addressed earlier?”

Nodding, Jack took a drink from his mug. “Yes, that’s the one. Contrary to superstition, she has brought me nothing but good fortune. Not one to shirk her duties and a skilled navigator to boot. Something difficult to find these days.”

“You are fortunate then.” Sinan smiled warmly.

“Most.” Jack raised his mug, “A toast to our partnership then?”

As the two lifted their mugs toward each other, they were interrupted by Anamaria’s voice as she entered the cabin.

“Starting without me Jack,” She casually took the mug out of Jack’s hand, tossing back a mouthful, “shame on you.”

Sinan sputtered a bit as his mouthful of rum attempted to go places it was not intended. Spirited women were not unfamiliar to him, but the current circumstances were bringing forth unusual personalities where he least expected. Taking another drink, he watched as Jack made halfhearted attempts to retrieve his mug, and Anamaria took pleasure in keeping it from him. Their teasing made Sinan curious to know if these two were more than just crewmates. Not that he could fault a man for desiring her; she was quite beautiful despite her harsh appearance.

Anamaria gave Jack his rum and was soon seated at the table with them, arms crossed in a guarded posture. Sinan could tell she was evaluating him, without hesitation or modesty. He kept eye contact and smiled with satisfaction as her gaze wavered slightly before she hitched up her chin and looked at Jack.

“Captain Sparrow, surely you did not request my presence just to sit and have a drink.”
Jack looked between the two of them with an amused expression before laying out the map that had been rolled up before him.

“Ana, love, this little trip is going need your navigatorial skills. Savvy?” Jack wagged a finger in both of their directions. “Sinan Rais knows these waters, and can assist in finding the easiest course.”

"I see," she said tersely.

“Good, now if you would be so kind as to hold down that edge?” Jack pointed out the far corner of the map that refused to lie flat.

In a feigned moment of acquiescence she took his half filled mug and placed it on the errant corner. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance as he did little more than sigh before beginning the discussion of possible routes and weather patterns. She found herself leaning in to see the locations of the strange names being discussed. Gibraltar, Alexandria, Haifa, Istanbul, all rolled off the tongue with a musical quality. Having never heard an accent quite like the foreign man’s before, she watched him with great interest. His grasp of English was quite good; he only paused a few times when at a loss for a word. His mouth would twist ever so slightly while his hands became animated, as if trying to speak for him.

This evaluation of his hands and mouth caused her to cease paying attention to the map and begin visual inventory of his features. Despite the several days growth of stubble she could make out an angled jaw line and cheekbones. His face was not all that different from Jack’s save for a more aquiline nose, slightly broader features, and much better teeth. Often, his expressive eyebrows would rise in response to some wild suggestion of Jack’s, yet his voice maintained its calm, soft tone. As he swept back some errant locks she noticed a slightly jagged scar a fraction below his left eye. Her mind drifted as she wondered about the cause of that injury.

After a few moments she realized Jack and Sinan had stopped talking and were looking at her curiously. Trying not to look like she cared, she pursed her lips and pointed a finger at a location on the map, “You can assure this to be a safe route? I have heard rumor of the Spanish and French being in those waters, in very large numbers.”

“Be that as it may, I have every confidence in the crew’s ability to escape detection and make for our uneventful journey.” Jack spoke grandly, with no innuendo as to whom he depended on to make this happen. “What say you?”

Glancing at Sinan, she felt an uncomfortable weight settle inside. She was uneasy with having someone else involved in the equation, someone unproven as far as she was concerned. Her apprehension was compounded by a hunch that she was not privy to the truth in its entirety. “Aye, Captain,” she replied curtly rising from her chair. Not getting so much as a second glance from either of them she turned on her heel and left, leaving the two men alone in the great cabin.

Jack sat idly tapping the lid of the compass with his fingers as Sinan traced possible routes on the map. After a short time Sinan looked up and noted Jack’s smile and focused eyes. Smiles were meant to charm and appease, but Sinan likened Jack’s to a predator about ready to strike.

“Now, Sinan Rais,” Jack said carefully, “it is time to complete our negotiation.”