A New Life, A New Love

Chapter Eight: The Seeress & the Aftermath

“Oh, good, you came back,” the maid exclaimed as she opened the door. “Do come in. I’ll tell
Madame Sophia you’re here.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mary,” An elegant grey-haired woman stood in the doorway to the
next room. She walked toward Rachel and took her hands. “Do come in, dear,” she said. “You
and I have many things to talk about.”

Rachel looked at Jack with wide eyes. She followed Madame Sophia into the drawing room with
Jack close behind her. The room was small but elegantly furnished. The lighting was dim but
enough for most purposes. Madame Sophia led her to a small sofa and drew her down to sit
beside her.

“You’re an interesting one,” she said. “It’s as if you are two people. One of you belongs here.
But the other one doesn’t.”

“Maybe you can help me,” Rachel gasped in surprise.

“Of course, dear,” the Madame replied. “But I can’t pinpoint exactly what your problem is. I’ve
never seen anyone like you before.”

“Maybe this will help,” Jack said, opening his purse.

“Put that away,” Sophia replied. “If anyone should ever tell you that they need money to sharpen
the sight, then they are a fraud. If anything, money clouds the sight. You will pay me when we
have finished the reading, not before.”

“Then maybe this . . . ,” said Rachel. She held out the ball of shot that Gibbs had removed from
her chest.

“Ah!” Madame Sophia gasped as she took it. “This cannot be. I feel death here. And yet, you
sit before me. Unless . . . may I touch you, girl?”

“Of course, if it will help,” Rachel replied.

The seeress began to gently run her hands over Rachel’s hair and down her arms. “Oh, my, my,”
she said. “The old tales tell of this happening, but I never expected to see it with my own eyes.21; 21;
 
“What do you see?” Jack asked.

“A girl divided,” she replied. “This body is yours now, but it was not always so. You must
understand. That part of us which gives us life, the soul, lives many lives. The tales of the Roma
tell of cases like yours. The body you inhabit died when she was shot. Whhe whe was revived,
the soul was summoned back. But it did not wish to return. Still, it was summoned. So . . . you
responded. You were the same soul, living a different lifetime. You both must have been very
unhappy with your lives. Otherwise, this never could have happened.”

“Well, yes, I suppose I was unhappy,” Rachel told her. “But I stieed eed to know. What
happened to my body? Can I ever go back to my own time? My life may have sucked but I did
have a few things to hold me there.”

“No, girl, you didn’t,” she responded sharply. “If you truly had anything to hold you there, you
wouldn’t be here.” She stood and drew Rachel to her feet. “Come with me, girl. We’ll look
into the waters together to find the fate of your body.” She led Rachel to a table set in the corner.
On the table stood a large basin full of water. The basin was surrounded by white candles. She
lit the candles and began to run her fingers through the water. “Come, girl,” she said. “The
waters need to read you before I can read them.̶
Ra
Rachel began to run her fingers through the water, as well. Madame Sophia reached out and
grasped her hand. “The waters are clearing. I see a man and a woman. They mourn for their
daughter, who is lost to them. But they do not despair. She was a good daughter who led a good
life. They know they will see her again one day. They have lain her to rest in hallowed ground.
That is all they can do . . . and that is all the waters have to tell me.”

“Then I’m dead?” Rachel exclaimed.

“Your body is. Your soul has come here. Two girls have become one. She has flown. You are
here to stay.”

“I . . .I don’t know what to say,” Rachel replied. “What do you say when someone tells you of
your own death?”

“They loved you, young woman,” the seeress told her. “But they will go on without you. You
have a second chance at happiness. Don’t let it get away from you.”

“I won’t,” Rachel said. “Thank you so much. At least now I know where I stand.”

“Then I will bid you good night, for loneingeing always tires me so. Mary, will you show our
guests out, please?”

Jack lingered behind, laying a small purse on the table. Madame Sophia smiled and nodded at
him. “She will need much care in the upcoming days,” she told him. “She has much to digest.
Stay by her. She will need you most of all, I think.”

He joined Rachel in the front yard. “Ah,” he said with a grin. “Nightfall. And I think you need a
drink. I know just the place.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

     The place turned out to be a raucous tavern on an equally raucous waterfront. The sign in
front proclaimed it to be The Drunken Sailor. And the clientele seemed to bear out the name.
They could see the Pearl from the door, which Rachel thought was probably a good thing,
considering the condition they may be in by the time they left. She had never seen Jack drink
but, by the twinkle in his eyes when he suggested the place, she had a feeling he just might put
away a few. / / Hell, / / she though. / / I just might put away a few my. / . / /

     A few heads turned when they entered, followed by a few wolf whistles. “I’ll have a piece of
that, mate,” someone called out.

“Yer bound t’hear some o’that ‘round these parts, luv,” Jack told her. “Try t’take it as the
compliment it’s intended t’be.”

She smiled. “As long as he doesn’t try to take a piece, we’ll get along just fine.”

“If he tries to take a piece, he’ll have t’deal with Captain Jack Sparrow, darlin’. A fate I’m sure
he’d prefer to avoid.”

Jack ordered rum for two. They came in unmatched leather and wood mugs. Rachel sniffed
hers, then took a sip. It was good. She had always liked rum, and this was dark and sweet. It did
not occur to her that, where rum is concerned, dark and sweet usually means strong. And after
the third one, she didn’t care much.


“And really bad eggs,” they sang as they wound their way down the docks. After the third fight
broke out, and shots started being fired, Rachel started to become distinctly uncomfortable. She
and Jack left the tavern to head back to the ship, and Jack decided to teach her a song he knew on
the way. To the casual eye, it almost appeared as if they were dancing to the music as they
walked along. The truas, as, they were just trying to hold each other up.

“I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun!” Rachel shouted. “Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho!”

“Me neither, luv,” Jack slurred. “You surprised me, ye did. Didn’t think ye’d take t’the rum like
tha’.”

“I LOVE rum,” she said. “It’s yummy and sweet and burny all at the same time,” she
singsonged.

“Is this m’ship, luv?” he asked. “Aye, this is me Pearl. Up y’go.”

They half walked, half dragged each other up the gangplank. “Shhh,” Jack said loudly. “Don’t
wanna wake the crew. Bad example, ‘n all that, savvy?”

“Silly!” she replied just as loudly. “They’re prolly off drinkin themselves sick jess like we
were.”

“Where’s my key?” he asked. “I know it’s here some place.”

She reached down and turned the knob and the door swung open.

“Perfect, luv,” he trilled. “Oh, look, me bath’s ready.”

The tub still stood where they had left it, but it had been refilled and gave off slightdrildrils of
steam. Jack began to clumsily undress as Rachel swayed to a chair.

“Oh, my,” she said. “It’s gotten quite warm in here.”

“Y’alright, luv?” Jack asked, turning toward her. He took one step and tripped over the pants
around his ankles and went sprawling to the floor.

“Jack Sparrow!” she exclaimed. “You should know by now that the boots have to come off
first!”


     Jack somehow managed to get into the tub. He was still half clothed but he was in the tub.
“Rachel, darlin’,” he called, “why dontcha pour us a nightcap. There’s a bottle of rum in the
chest over there.”

“Oh, no,” she replied. “I’d spill it fer sure and I’m not gonna ruin this bootiful dress I’m wearin’,
so no dice!”

“Well, then,” he said. “Take off the dress, and ye can’t spill anythin’ on’t. Yer not gonna sleep
in the thing, are ya?”

“Very good point,” she replied. “But ya gotta close yer eyes.”

“Yes, ma’am. Eyes closed.”

She just managed to unbutton the top few buttons, by feats of contortionism that Jack would have
found very interesting had he seen them. She slipped the gown down over her shoulders and let
it fall to the floor. She removed the hat and placed it on the table, leaving the scarf that Jack had
placed on her hearliarlier in the day. “Where did you say that rum was?” she asked.

“Hm? Wha? Oh, the rum!” he said. “C’n I open me eyes now, luv?”

“Oh,” she giggled. “Yeah, I forgot.”

“That’s it!” He waved expansively. “It’s in the trunk over there.”

Rachel swayed over to the trunk indicated and opened it. “Here we go,” she said as she pulled
out a bottle. “But what t’put it in. No glasses.”

“Pirates don’t uses glasses, luv.” he told her. “We drink right outta th’bottle.”

“T’pirates, then,” she said, upending the bottle and taking a long pull.

She staggered over to the tub and handed the bottle to Jack. He held it aloft. “To the Pearl, long
may she sail, “ he said. By the time he came up for breath, half of the bottle was gone. He
looked up at Rachel, who was trying rather unsuccessfully to smother a giggle.

“Wha’s so funny, luv,” he asked.

“Yer not supposed to take a bath with yer clothes on,” she said as the giggles burst forth.

“Oh, yeah,” howleowled as he reached for her. He grabbed her wrist and gave a tug. She toppled
over and landed sitting on top of him in the tub. “Then why’re you doin’ it?”

She lay backward across the tub and let the giggles take her. Jack couldn’t help but join in and
before long they were both laughing uproariously.

“Yer all wet, luv,” he said as the laughter finally subsided.

“Thanks to you,” she replied with mock effrontery. “And I don’t think I can get up.”

“Me neither,” he said. “Tell ye what. I’ll help you up, then you can help me up, then we’llh
bh
be up.”

“Ok, then,” she told him. “Push!”

He pushed her upwards and she almost managed to stand.t, at, at the last moment she lost her
balance and fell back in. On the third try, they managed to get her back on her feet. She turned
to Jack.

 “Now, give me your hand. But don’t pull too hard. I don’t wanna wind up back in there.”

She took his hand and pulled and he managed to tip himself out onto the floor. “Thank luv luv,”
he said, “Now, how do I get up from here?”

“You work on that a bit,” she told him. I’m gonna go change into something dry. She opened
her trunk and removed a silk nightgown. “Ooh, soft,” she said. “I”ll be in the privy, changing.”
She walked into the other room and closed the door. “Damn!” she said. “How d’you get this
thing off?”

“With help,” Jack called as he managed to stand. “Y’need someone t’ untie it for you. Come out
here, and I’ll help.”

She came out and presented her back to Jack. He began to slowly unlace the corset. “Ye’ve got
beautiful skin, luv,” he said, nuzzling her hair with his nose. “So smooth.”

“Well, it’s not going t’be so smooth if it gets all pruney from bein’ in a wet corset,” she said.
220;220;Ye take all the fun out of it, darlin’,” he told her. He unlaced the corset and she slipped it off.

“Ahh,” she sighed. “That feels sooo good. Whoever invented those things should be shot. Had
to’ve been a man. No woman could have thought that one up.”

She left the corset laying where she dropped it and pulled her petticoat over her head, oblivious
of Jack standing behind her. He reached out and ran a finger down her spine. Her back stiffened
and she gave forth a small moan.

“Rachel, luv,” he said, stepping closer to her “I think I’m just about out of gentleman.”

“Who says a gentleman is what I’m looking for,” she replied, pressing herself backwards against
him.