Pirates of the Caribbean: World's End
Chapter 1: Singing
A change was blowing in the wind. Across the seas, the wind blew against every mother's son that called himself pirate. Cutler Beckett and his East India Trading Company now had the wind on their side. With Governor Swann's authority, Beckett spread a reign of terror by imprisoning every man and woman for acts of piracy. Port Royal was bleak and dismal when Beckett had his prisoners face the gallows. Usually, a plethora of citizens turn out to watch a pirate hanging. Now that same plethora was facing the fate of a pirate and only Beckett and his men watched. Lieutenant Groves, Beckett's second in command, gave out the new orders as Beckett's prisoners were sentenced to hang. As he did so, the East India Trading Company flag waved furiously and loomed over like a dark cloud.
"In order to bring order to the deteriorating conditions, a new law shall be in effect for protection of these territories. By His Majesty's representative, Lord Cutler Beckett, the following are to be condoned," Groves announced, "Right to assembly, suspended. Right to habeas corpus, suspended. Right to legal counsel, suspended. Right to trail by a jury of peers, suspended."
With every announcement, the people met their doom. In groups of seven, they died on the gallows. The women wept, while the men showed no emotion. The hangman showed no remorse each time he pulled the ominous lever. The bodies of the martyrs were then pilfered of their possessions and piled high on a horse-drawn cart.
"And by decree, all persons convicted of piracy, associating with a person convicted of piracy, or aiding a person convicted of piracy, shall be hanged by the neck until dead," Groves continued.
Six men and women clambered up the gallows. The seventh victim was a boy of no more than twelve years. He was unafraid, but he trembled as he gazed at a piece of eight in his hand. With one last act of defiance, the boy began to sing:
The king and his men stole the queen from her bed
And bound her in her bones
The seas be ours, and by the powers
Where we will we'll roam
As the boy was placed atop a barrel to reach the noose, one pirate sang quietly:
Yo, ho…all hands…hoist the colours high
Soon everyone on the gallows was singing.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars
Never shall we die!
After that every prisoner sang loud and impudently.
Yo, ho! Haul together!
Hoist the Colours high!
Heave ho, thieves and beggars,
Never shall we die!
Lieutenant Groves reported to Beckett. "Lord Beckett!" he called urgently, "They've started to sing, sir"
Beckett grinned smugly. He knew there would be a fight back, and that was what he wanted. "Finally," he said wickedly as the hangman sealed the fates of those on the gallows.
Meanwhile, on the waters of Singapore, a small boat with two women paddled along. One woman was a tall woman with golden brown hair. It was no other than Elizabeth Swann. The accomplice was of dark beauty and could only be Guinevere Parris. The two women sang as they rowed:
Some have died, and some are alive
And others sail on the sea
With the king in the cage, and the Devil to pay,
We lay to Fiddler's Green!
The bell has been raised from its watery grave
Do you here its sepulchral tone?
We're call to all, pay heed the squall
And turn your sails toward home!
Yo ho, haul together!
Hoist the colours high!
Heave ho-
"Thief and beggar! Never say we die," interrupted a gruff Singaporean, "A dangerous song to be singing. Particularly for women ignorant of its meaning. Particularly to women alone."
"What makes ye think they're alone, Tai Huang?" asked a weathered voice that could only be Captain Barbossa.
""You protect them?" Tai Huang asked.
In a flash, Guinevere and Elizabeth held their weapons on him.
"What makes you think we need protecting?" Elizabeth asked.
"Looks to me like you need protection," Guinevere commented.
"Your master is expectin us, and an unnecessary death casts a pall on our arrival," Barbossa declared.
Guinevere and Elizabeth released Tai Huang. Suddenly, East India Trading Company men passed by. Tai Huang was forced to lead them.
"Follow me," he beckoned.
Without another word, Elizabeth, Guinevere, and Barbossa hurried off into the city of Singapore.
"Any news of Will?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, and I'm beginning to wonder what's taking so long," Guinevere replied, "But I trust he will acquire the charts as he agreed. If not, then you'll see what happens when we find him."
"And I trust both of you to remember your places in the presence of Captain Sao Feng," Barbossa added.
"Could he really be that terrifying?" Elizabeth asked slyly.
"He's much like meself with the absence of my sense of mercy and fair-play," Barbossa explained.
"Well, in that case, we had better stay on his good side," Guinevere commented, "For Will to succeed, we must do our part."
As Guinevere said this, she began to worry about Will. He'd be gone all night and there was no word on his status.
Will, please have those bloody charts," Guinevere thought to herself, Please stay out of trouble. Just this once.