Sparrow is lying. He knows he's lying, knows it intimately, positively, but he cannot for the life of him imagine what the truth might be. He certainly seems to bear James no particular ill-will, and even if he did, he cannot think how him being first mate might play into whatever trap or plan Sparrow has in store for him.

His explanations are far too simple, and then- attempting to play on James's sense of pride, musing aloud about whether he could stand taking orders from pirates- it's all too obvious. Apparent, however, that he isn't going to tell the truth. Not that that surprises James; Sparrow seems to be the sort who's an innate liar; a trickster who knows how to twist words and skew bargains to his own ends. How then, to get him to tell the truth, for James certainly will not agree to being Captain Jack Sparrow's first mate without knowing why.

Well, he knows he has at least one advantage over the pirate, and if he can exploit that, he certainly will. So, eyeing him curiously, he paces forward, his eyes trained on Sparrow's, turns him around until the pirate is back up against the wall, leans in close.

'Come now, Jack,' he breathes, 'I'm not an idiot. Neither of those are reasons, as you know perfectly well.' A finger, then, tracing lazily over Sparrow's collarbone, and he leans even closer, his breath whispering against Sparrow's ear as he murmurs 'Wouldn't it be easier to simply tell me why you... want me,' a deliberate pause, 'as your first mate? I'm not a man to sign without reading the contract.'