Disclaimer: I don't own Captain Jack Sparrow or any other character from POTC. I've just borrowed them and I will return them as soon as I'm tired of playing with them.
Author's note: Sequel to Chalice of Doom. I recommend you read that before.
Tales of Love and Lost
Part 1- the Sparrow and the Tiger
Chapter 1- Take me to the gallows
Madras, 1695"Your tea, Sahib." The servant placed the silver tray neatly on the desk and bowed to the English gentleman sitting there before he retreated with another bow.
James Norrington reached for the exquisite china cup without looking up from the pile of files he was flickering through but then he reconsidered his behaviour and gave his servant a polite smile; he didn't want to appear rude.
"Thank you very much, Tamal."
"You are welcome, Sahib."
Tamal was as polite and obedient as always. All of his Indian servants were polite, obedient, and so very correct you could set the clock on them- when Tamal brought the tea it was exactly five o'clock. Teatime in England. He would get scones and cucumber sandwiches as if he was still at his family estate near Brighton and not several thousand miles away in Madras, India.
Norrington rose from his chair, slightly massaging his temples, and walked up to the window. The shutters were closed to keep the heat out but now he opened them, feeling the warmth of the sun in his face. He still couldn't believe it.
Why had the Admiralty in London sent him of all people to become Vice Governor of Madras and Commodore of all Royal Navy's ships here? Why had they chosen him to bring an end to corruption and piracy in these waters? Well, it wasn't that he didn't believe himself capable of this task- he surely was- but he didn't deserve being promoted and given a position with so much prestige when he should have deserved a military trial, being demoted or dishonourably dismissed of the Royal Navy. After the events in Port Royal he still felt miserable, guilt ridden and ashamed, and definitely not worthy of the trust the Admiralty put in him.
He sighed. He had wanted to put things right, many times. But no one had ever cared to hear him out. Governor Swann had refused to see anything else in him but the man re-establishing law and order after the earthquake, the famous pirate hunter. Ironically it had been a pirate who'd saved his life and his reputation. Jack Sparrow.
Norrington looked out of the window and let his thoughts roam, shuddering despite the Indian heat when he remembered what had transpired in Port Royal. He had been possessed. His ambition had made him vulnerable to the tempting call of the Chalice of Doom that told him he could get everything he wanted. And he had wanted too much. He had desperately wanted promotion so his family could be proud of him and he had wanted a fine woman at his side to show off. Now, that his mind was clear again he could smile bitterly at this thought but then, influenced by evil magic, he had believed it was his goddamned right to get whatever he wanted no matter what it would cost. Actually he had become a complete parody of his real self though it still shocked him how easily he had changed. He had neglected his duties and done evil deeds, and yet no one had ever charged him. Those who knew the full extend of his crimes had remained silent, Sparrow, Will and Elisabeth Turner, and the female pirate with the flashing red hair, Rowan Scarlett...
Unconsciously his hand reached for his cheek, his fingers running along the thin white line of a scar, the constant reminder of their last encounter. He, Commodore James Norrington, had been beaten by a woman and since then there had been many times he had wished she would have killed him that day. But he owed his life to Jack Sparrow of all people, the infamous pirate captain.
Having to live with that knowledge troubled him even more than the tears Governor Swann had to blink away the day they said farewell. Not aware of what he had almost done to his beloved daughter Swann had been inconsolable to see such a capable officer leave but Norrington just couldn't have stayed in Port Royal any longer. He had felt so guilt-ridden that he had almost begged the admiralty in London for a transfer and finally he had been ordered him back to England to await further instructions. Honestly, he had wanted to tell them what really had happened but they also wouldn't hear him out. Any word of protest was considered as modesty so he had ended up with a prestigious job he simply didn't deserve and the most splendid ship he had ever seen. The Sovereign had even looked absolutely impressive when she was still in the shipyard and finally sailing her from London to India had been a pleasure he would have never wanted to miss.
His family, especially his father, was so proud of him. James had never felt more uncomfortable in his presence, knowing that his father's pride was based on lies. He was no hero, he was probably worse than the pirates he had hunted in the Caribbean. Worse than Jack Sparrow… no, I don't wish to think about him today. But fact was that this dreadful pirate had turned his world upside down. He couldn't distinguish between right and wrong anymore- or more precisely, the world seemed no longer divided in black and white but there were different shades of grey. Many nights he couldn't sleep pondering over issues he had never before bothered to question. That had even spoiled his holiday at his family's estate. Damn you, Sparrow.
He glanced out of the window and drew in a deep breath, inhaling a unique blend of exotic spices, incense and sunlit shores; the scent of India. However Fort St. George looked just like any other English fort in the colonies except that it was much bigger. The formerly small garrison build in the 1640's had increased to the expanses of a small town called Georgetown which also housed the base of the East India Company. There were many stores and offices nowadays, homes of merchants who had settled here. Georgetown was very British, perhaps more than Jamaica. It occurred to Norrington that he hadn't seen a glimpse of the real India yet.
He returned to his desk, trying again to concentrate on the neglected files his corrupt and sloppy predecessor had left him. Apparently 'Sir' Hugh W. Woods had seen it as far more profitable to take bribes from pirates instead of hunting them down and the amount of unsolved cases concerning missing young ladies indicated that he also might have been involved in some slave trade. It was no secret here that the moguls, sultans and maharajas of this part of the world had an increasing interest in enriching their harems with fair-skinned, blonde European maidens and they were willing to pay large sums for exceptional beautiful ones. Norrington had immediately doubled the night patrol in Georgetown's streets once he had found out that sickening fact, hoping to spare all fair ladies in his area of responsibility such an awful fate.
Also, a number of incidents near Ceylon worried him. Several ships of the East India Company had been attacked and raided while crossing the Palk Strait, and one was reported missing without a trace. Woods had written a succinct remark, blaming French privateers or the Dutch East India Company, but he hadn't made any enquiries into solving the problem which annoyed Norrington extremely. He really hoped to find clear evidence of Woods' involvement in covering up criminals so that the man would spend the rest of his life in the Tower instead of spending his wealth earned by corruption. Unfortunately he had no proof yet and he would have to add the Palk Strait incidents to the list of Woods' inability if not the date these incidents had started had drawn his attention. There was something about that date though he couldn't remember what it was. Instead of racking his brains or searching through the pile of files again he had done the most reasonable. He had written a letter to the Dutch Governor of Ceylon, Thomas van Ree, asking for his assistance in solving the problem. Alas, there had been no response yet but he expected an answer within the next few days.
Norrington leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes. He needed a drink. Of course he could have rung for his servants to get him a fine whiskey but he decided otherwise. He had to get out of his office for a while; he had hidden in here for much too long anyway, turning down all offers to participate in Georgetown's social life ever since he came to Madras. Still he wasn't in the mood for polite upper-class small talk but he fancied a stroll through the streets of Madras to discover the Indian side of the town now.
Away from Georgetown life was rougher and more rudimentary, most houses weren't neatly but makeshift built and the streets were dirty. James Norrington saw crippled beggars stretching out withered hands for a rupee and beautiful dark-skinned women dressed in colourful saris. The air smelled of exotic spices and sizzling food at small take-away stalls, it also smelled of incense lit in temples of the various Indian deities. Snake-charmers played disturbing strange melodies, sounding almost dissonant to his English ear. He felt as appalled as he was fascinated by the strangeness of this place and soon he had to withdraw his first impression on Madras. This town was not British at all, no matter what Georgetown looked like. Englishmen were only tolerated but not really welcomed here- he got quite a few glares indicating just that.
Heathens, he thought when he passed another temple of one of the many Hindi deities but then he quickly reconsidered his attitude. Once he had so easily given up his faith for a promising career in the realm of darkness, ruled by the malicious Goddess Nirrti, so he had better be tolerant when it comes to religious beliefs now. After all, not all Indian Gods sent a shiver down his spine. Most of them just looked extremely colourful and peculiar strange with their many arms but nonetheless peaceful, it was the same for the Buddha statues he casually saw.
Norrington had never expected he would ever accept such a strange culture, so different to his own, yet he suddenly felt enthralled by it. His former self wouldn't have but he had changed somehow and now he even dared to try the simple Indian fare offered at take-away stalls. It was at least an exciting experience that left his tongue burning with spices.
He didn't know it then but that really improved his acceptance within the Indian community and he got less hostile glances from that day on.
Nevertheless he thought it was really time for a drink so he returned to the familiar quarter of Georgetown and entered one of the noisy taverns in the dock area where hopefully nobody would recognise him as vice governor of Madras. All he wanted now was to get slightly drunk and to forget his duties for a while, at least for tonight. Odd, but in his former life he would have never done that.
It's all Jack Sparrow's doing, he told himself while gulping down his first pint of beer and immediately ordering the next. Damn you, Jack Sparrow. Norrington raised his glass for a toast to a distant foe when suddenly his eyes seemed to trick him. No, that can't be true. He is not here. It's just his vision haunting you that you see him everywhere, even at the most unlikely places…
The 'vision' didn't vanish though, no matter how hard he rubbed his eyes. That was definitively the infamous pirate captain sitting there all on his own and apparently kind of drunk. Norrington couldn't help but walking up to his table.
"Sparrow?" He asked incredulously, not believing his own eyes. Yet it was undoubtedly him; no other man he knew had his hair decorated the way Jack Sparrow had, with dreadlocks, colourful beads and trinkets.
These trinkets jingled now as the one directed cocked his head and stared at Norrington, apparently not recognising him.
"Capt'n. 'tis Capt'n Sparrow. Me thinks I know me name but why d'ye?" The pirate asked, slurring more than usual. He kept on staring at Norrington until he finally got why that guy seemed so familiar to him. "Commodore? You're 'ere? That's funny?" Chuckling he stretched out his hands. "Well, clap me in irons 'n take me to the gallows, mate."
"Why?" Norrington gasped, feeling slightly overtaxed with the situation. He pulled over a chair and sat down opposite to the pirate.
"'cause ye're the pirate hunter 'n I'm the bloody pirate, savvy? Seein' me swingin' from the gallows is yer life's aim, yer pleasure."
"It is certainly not my pleasure to see anybody executed by hanging but it is my duty to bring criminals to justice. The laws have to be obeyed." So why am I sitting here chatting with a drunken pirate?, the Navy officer wondered. Why do I not simply do my duty and take him into custody? Because he is right? Because it was my life's aim to see pirates swing from the gallows, the more the better. Each Pirate caught and executed was a thrill, a pleasure on my way up the ladder to success and promotion… He felt almost sick when he thought about it now. Though he still believed in justice and that laws have to be obeyed, he couldn't see the world divided in black and white anymore. There were many shades of grey in between and there was Captain Jack Sparrow. He sighed. No, he definitely did not want to take the man to the gallows to whom he owed his life- especially not when said man was much too drunk to be a real challenge to him.
"Well, since ye're juss sittin' there starin' at me we could as well 'ave another drink together. What d'ye say?"
Jack didn't wait for a response but barked at the barmaid to get him a bottle of rum. At once. When he finally got the ordered bottle he raised it to his mouth and started drinking the rum as if it was water until Norrington managed to snatch the bottle from his hands.
"That is enough. You will drink yourself to death."
"Afraid of missin' out on yer fun if I spare ye the hangin'?"
"Good Lord- no. I was just wondering how much rum you already had today."
"Ummm…" The pirate grimaced, thinking hard. "Well, tell me when today's started 'n yesterday's ended 'n I might be able te answer yer question…"
"May I assume then you have been drinking for days? So what's up with you Captain Sparrow? Where's your ship, your crew?" Norrington placed his hand on Jack's shoulder but the pirate shook it off immediately, a wary impression clouding his face. Suddenly he even seemed to sober up.
"That's none of yer business. I might be a tad drunk but not enough to get cheated by you. I'm not givin' away me fellows, savvy?"
"Honestly, that was never my intention…"
"Are we finally done with polite small talk?" The pirate asked impatiently and held out his hands once again. "Now be brief and do what ye 'ave te do. Clap me in irons."
"No."
"No?"
"I can't do that. You have saved my life."
"Ah, my mistake. I swear it'll never 'appen again. So no gallows today? I wouldn't mind. I've got nothin' to lose… not anymore."
"You are drunk. You don't mean what you say. How about your ship and your crew?"
Jack let out a deep and very frustrated sigh. "They're alright… I think. Seems I've lost 'em somewhere around town..." He grabbed for the bottle again.
"So what is troubling you?"
"Me? Nothin'. Hey, I'm Capt'n Jack Sparrow, mate." Despite his words he felt absolutely miserable and he knew that not all the rum of this world could sooth his pain. "She's left me. Rowan." he whispered then, almost snickering at the thought that he was pouring out his heart to Norrington of all people.
"Oh." Norrington didn't know what else to say as every phrase of sympathy seemed to be out of place. What to tell an abandoned pirate? That he would find another one and time heals all wounds? "What happened?"
"She ran away with some sort of an Indian Lord."
A while ago that wouldn't have surprised Norrington since any sane person should know that it wasn't wise to associate with a pirate- but Jack Sparrow was not an ordinary pirate. Also, he had a certain reputation with women…
"Have you betrayed her?"
Jack snorted contemptuously. "Never even looked at other women since I know 'er- well, mayhap juss a little… D'ye know the difference 'tween a whore 'n a real woman, one that gives willingly, passionately, with all 'er heart?"
Norrington blushed and stared to the floor, shaking his head. Most of the time he had been too fixated on his career and when he finally had fallen in love it had almost ended in a horrible disaster. Now he knew that his love for Elisabeth had only been a crush because she had seemed to be the appropriate woman to him; she was very beautiful and of suitable rank. Of course these were good reasons for a marriage- his mother had introduced dozens of fair ladies with a respectable family name to him during his stay in Brighton- but when he looked at the pirate opposite of him he knew that there still had be other reasons. Though he didn't know what Jack Sparrow saw in that red haired witch other than a woman with flashing red hair and bad manners, he was nevertheless aware of the fact that she really meant a lot to Jack. And he sat there, trying to give advice about things he had no idea of himself, trying to advise a pirate.
"Um, have you told her what you feel about her?"
The pirate looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Course I did. Not much with words though but with gestures 'n me body."
"Women like to hear these famous three words from time to time." At least that's what I've heard, Norrington mused when another thought flashed through his brain, still wondering why Rowan might have left Jack Sparrow. "Women also like to have things settled- so have you ever thought about making a proposal?"
"Aye. Guess what she said? She said she'd die for me but she'd never ever walk down the aisle of a bloody church and kneel to some bloody priest. She said we're pirates, we don't need a bloody preacher man to justify our love." Jack sighed heavily and ordered another bottle of rum. The golden liquid comforted him, filled the emptiness inside him for a moment and then left him heartbroken like he was before… and so very drunk. Nevertheless he took another swig, lost in thoughts… there had been something strange about the way Rowan had left him and walked away with that Indian… Damned, if only he could remember! But he had been drunk for too many days in a row now and tonight wouldn't change a thing.
"I 've te find 'er." He slurred while making efforts to get to his feet. Funnily his legs seemed to refuse to work, they felt a little shaky… A moment later he collapsed right into Norrington.
The poor Navy officer really didn't know how to deal with that situation. He was in a tavern in Madras and held an unconscious pirate in his arms. What to do? He couldn't just drop him on the table and leave him there, also he couldn't call for his soldiers, giving orders to carry him to the prison. Helplessly he patted the pirate's cheeks."
"Sparrow? Captain Sparrow? Jack? Do you hear me? Do you think you can walk a few steps?"
"No." The pirate opened his khol-smeared eyes and stared at him, snickering. "Ne'er told me ye 've a twin."
Just drop him and leave, Norrington told himself but instead he half dragged and half carried the pirate captain towards the door. A bit of fresh air might help him to sober up.
"Sahib!" The bartender called as he came running after him, bowing apologetically all the time. "Please Sahib, forgive me for bothering you Sahib, but unfortunately your friend has forgotten to pay his bill and meself, your humbled servant Sahib, has three wives and eleven kids to feed, so please have mercy on me Sahib."
"How much?" James Norrington had at least learned that much during his stay in India- though the Indians seemed to be very obsequious they yet had a certain knack for boldly doubling their prices when dealing with Englishmen so bargaining was on the agenda. In the end Norrington had saved as many rupees as he had spent on Sparrow's drinking excess and he still didn't know what to do with the pirate. He patted his cheeks again once they were outside the tavern, leaving a sobbing bartender behind who probably laughed surreptitiously about the stupid Englishman for believing his story about three wives and eleven kids.
"Come on now, get a grip on yourself or you will really end up in jail!" He hissed angrily at the pirate but most of all he was angry with himself. Why do I not take him into custody and let justice decide upon his fate?It would be so easy- a short drop and a sudden stop. Then the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow would be dead and couldn't remind me of my own crimes anymore. So easy and yet impossible. After all, I do have a conscience…
"Commodore Norrington?"
The voice of a young officer startled him and he was cast back into reality when he saw a young Lieutenant approaching him with a couple of soldiers on night patrol. Suddenly he wished he hadn't doubled the night patrol because he didn't know how to talk himself out of that situation. He was half carrying and half dragging a drunken pirate to his house.
"Can we help you, Sir?"
Norrington froze, still not knowing what to say. He should have been bound to his duties and told them that he had captured an infamous pirate captain but he couldn't do that. He couldn't take the man who had saved his life and his reputation to the gallows.
"I'm alright, Lieutenant Brody."
"Aye, Sir. Your friend doesn't seem to be well though."
"He's not my friend." Norrington snapped without thinking. I'm definitely not friend with a pirate…
"Excuse me, Sir. May I assume that he is a member of your family then?"
"Very distant, Lieutenant, very distant." What could he have replied with but a lie? Brody shouldn't get the impression that carrying unconscious men home was his favourite pastime. It didn't improve the situation when Jack Sparrow opened his eyes for a moment, a drunken smile on his face.
"Uncle Jamie."
"Shut up or I swear I'll take you to jail and throw away the keys." Norrington growled embarrassed. Not only had he refused to do his duty, he had also spoiled the good name of his family by connecting it with a filthy pirate. He wished he hadn't gone out tonight but stayed at home.
"Commodore, it seems to me your nephew had a few glasses too much so may I offer my aid in taking him to your house?" Lieutenant Brody offered keenly and lent a hand before his superior could even think about protesting. Together they took Captain Jack Sparrow to Norrington's house.
"I beg your pardon Sir but by the appearance of your nephew I would have never guessed that you are related." Brody confessed after they had laid the drunken pirate down on the bed in one of the guestrooms. Then he murmured. "Probably he is some kind of artist…"
If you want to call piracy an art… Norrington thought sarcastically as he urged the Lieutenant out of the room. Jack had stirred in his drunken sleep, stuffing a pillow under his head and revealing the red brand on his arm that marked his as a pirate. He definitely didn't want Brody to see it.
"Lieutenant Brody, I am grateful for your support but I must beg you that this won't go any further. I am not pleased with that unfortunate incident, it is truly embarrassing to me."
"You can always count on me Sir!" Brody clipped his heels and saluted. "Apparently there's a black sheep in every family."
Norrington said good night to the Lieutenant who would surely get to a high position within the Royal Navy one day; he was such a promising young man. Then he returned to his guestroom, still not believing what he'd done. He was housing a wanted criminal, an infamous pirate captain. Yet the man looked so innocent now as he had curled himself up into a ball, hugging a pillow.
He sighed and went to his own bed, knowing that he probably wouldn't get much sleep since he was still pondering about the events of this evening.
-
"Well, apparently I'm not in jail and that makes me wonder what you're up to, Commodore."
Norrington winced at the sound of Jack's voice and looked up from his files to see the pirate leaning against the doorpost of his office, arms folded across his chest, eying him warily.
"Oh, you are already up." He said surprised. It was still quite early in the morning and he had expected the pirate would sleep it off until afternoon, drunk as he had been.
"Aye, I'm already up. And please spare both of us the question of whether I've slept well." Jack walked up to the desk and bent over to stare straight at the Commodore, his eyes dark and absolutely unfathomable. "Why am I here?"
Although Jack's voice was calm Norrington noticed a dangerous undertone in it. He also noticed that Sparrow carried a pistol and a sword in his sash while he himself was unarmed. Suddenly he became aware of the fact that- no matter if Jack Sparrow had saved his life once- he was still dealing with a pirate and pirates were dangerous. So he should better tell the truth.
"Mr Sparrow you…"
"Captain. It's Captain Sparrow." Jack rolled his eyes, apparently annoyed of having to correct daft people who couldn't remember to use his proper title.
"Pardon me, Captain Sparrow. If I may explain now why you are here?"
"Well."
Norrington cleared his throat, feeling increasingly uneasy with the intense gaze of the pirate. "In Jamaica you had every reason to kill me but you didn't. You could have told Governor Swann what I had indented to carry out with his daughter but you didn't. You have even managed to persuade Mr Turner not to give away the crimes I had committed. I still don't know how you managed that…"
"Ah, I simply told the whelp we won't take him to Shanghai and help him to find his father." A half smile was curling up Jack's lips but his eyes were still focussing the Commodore with wariness.
"His father is still alive?" Norrington gasped with surprise. "I thought he was an orphan."
"That's what he and I thought too. Of course that was before Rowan told us the truth and since then he was pestering her about that topic so we decided we'd take him to Shanghai and- could it be that ye're trying to turn our conversation, Commodore? Is it that you've turned from being a pirate hunter to a pirate friend now, harbouring pirates in yer house, chatting about good ol' times. Or…" Jack frowned and pulled a disgusted face, instantly backing away a bit from the Navy officer. "Ye don't have any weird interest in me, d'ye?"
It took Norrington a few seconds to get what the pirate was alluding to but then he was absolutely shocked. "Good Lord! No! Definitely not. You are clearly overestimating your charm, Sparrow."
"Ah, that's good." Jack and flopped down in an armchair next to the desk, grinning at the Commodore. "But you have to admit I have a certain charm, aye?"
"There are moments like this when I wish I had taken you seriously yesterday. I wish I had taken you to jail."
"I know exactly what ye mean mate. I've spared yer life and yer reputation because the people of Port Royal needed you then but I thought ye'd stay there. If I'd known ye'd come to Asia to bother me things might have been different. But well, I believe thanks for not taking me to jail are in order now." Jack put his palms together at chest-level and sketched a bow. "That was mighty nice of you, dear Commodore. Mind getting me a drink now?"
Norrington rolled his eyes- that man was maddening and absolutely inscrutable. Nevertheless he had to consider his duties as a host so he rang for his servants, giving the order to serve his dear guest a decent breakfast even though the dear guest would have rather had a bottle of rum.
"Actually I'm not hungry…" Jack changed his mind when a plate with food was placed in front of him. Fried eggs, sausages, beans and toasted bread- greedily he began to cram himself with all the things that were offered, even gulping down a glass of fresh orange juice in between.
To Norrington he looked just like a hungry wolf that had almost been starving.
"Why ye're staring at me? Never seen a pirate eating?"
Now that was a good question. Commodore James Norrington had always considered pirates as what they were- plundering and ravaging criminals, the curse of the high seas. He had never seen them as individuals with a background other than the crimes that were reported in his files, not as human beings who breathed, ate and drank just like he did. He hadn't even expected them to be human at all- especially not after his encounter with Barbossa and his crew of cursed miscreants. But Jack Sparrow was different. Deep inside he was a good man despite his choice of profession, a man with emotions.
"Well, since you apparently have changed your mind and don't want to be taken to the gallows anymore, would you mind telling me what made you wish to die yesterday."
"Ah, I was just kidding. Mayhap I was a tad drunk too."
Norrington knew a lie when it was told to him. The pirate had been very drunk but he had also been desperate.
"Besides, Ye can't take me to the gallows because ye've got scruples and I've got to find me woman, savvy?"
"You said she left you and ran away with an Indian Lord…"
"Aye, that's what I said. But now I'm sure she didn't leave me voluntarily."
"What makes you thinks so- and please don't say because you are Captain Jack Sparrow?"
Jack chuckled. "Never thought ye had a sense of humour, Commodore." Then he grew grave again. "Her eyes were grey."
"Her eyes were grey?" Norrington didn't understand what Jack was about.
"Aye, her eyes were grey. If she had wanted to go with the bloody Indian because she liked him better than me her eyes would've been sparkling green, as green as a calm, sunlit bay. Her eyes are always of that incredible green when we make love but they tend to turn into a storm-clouded grey- just like the sea in a storm- when she's angry... or scared. Therefore she didn't leave me voluntarily and therefore I've to find her. That's why I came all the way from Colombo to Madras."
"Hold on please. Am I right in guessing that that incident happened in Colombo?"
"Right."
"But why did you sail to Madras instead of searching for her there?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Because she had lived here a couple of years ago, even had an Indian fiancée once, so it's fairly reasonable to believe she knows quite a few people here and one of them might bear her a grudge. After all, she was deeply involved with the Maharaja's family…"
"Oh my God!" Norrington went pale. He had read something about unsolved deaths within the Maharaja's family so he started flickered through his files nervously until he found the one he was looking for. If possible he went even paler then. "Could it really be that Rowan Scarlett was the red-haired woman Tyagraja was engaged to? You know, Tyagraja was the younger son of the old and very popular Maharaja of Madras but both of them died under mysterious circumstances and it was assumed that a red-haired woman was involved in both cases."
The pirate sighed. "Well that's a long story and I probably know only half of it 'cause Rowan doesn't like to talk 'bout it- understandably- so I never urged her to. All I know is that she actually did kill the man she loved before he could kill her. I believe it was self-deference."
"The files say the elder brother became Maharaja then but he was so grief-stricken because of his loss that he went mad and became excessively cruel…"
"Bloody lies!" Jack interrupted sharply. He pointed his index finger at Norrington. "That brother was the evil one. He was trying to force the same ritual upon her that you would have forced upon Elisabeth- all for Nirrti's sake- if we hadn't stopped ye, savvy? That's exactly what Rowan did then. She sacrificed her love so that Nirrti could not claim this world as her realm."
Nirrti again… Norrington felt sick and extremely guild ridden because of the crimes he had committed in a frantic eagerness to get promoted. Yet he had to forget about that now and concentrate on the really important issues he had to tell the pirate; it almost caused him nausea.
"Jack, I'm sorry having to say that but if the former Maharaja of Madras holds a grudge against Rowan, then the situation is truly worrisome. That man really is the personification of evil. He started a reign of terror, disregarding each and every law, and when things grew even worse Governor Wellington asked Mogul Aurangzeb for help; together they banished him from town almost seven years ago. It's unknown where he went or who might have granted him sanctuary so I fear you came to Madras in vain."
"Alright, I need a drink now." Jack bit his lip, trying to hide his inner turmoil. The Commodore handed him a glass of whiskey and he gulped it down in an attempt to fill the increasing emptiness within him. It didn't help much though.
Norrington placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, surprising himself by doing so. He should not comfort a pirate. He should clap him in irons and take him to jail- and not feel sympathy for him. Yet he did. And it got even worse. Though the pirate was a maddening scallywag James Norrington began to like him.
"Mayhap the man you saw Rowan with was not the former Maharaja. After all there is no proof to that. Mayhap you have completely misjudged the whole situation and there is a simple explanation for her behaviour and after all is said and done …"
The pirate cut him short. "If ye're indicating that Rowan might have needed someone else to screw her for a change then it's neither a very encouraging nor a very likely thought. I definitely do know how to give pleasure to a woman."
"There is absolutely no need to be vulgar, Jack."
"I'm just telling the truth, Jamie." Jack replied, a bit stunned about the fact that the Commodore had started calling him by his first name. That sounded as strange as his mocking retort did.
"Don't overrate my hospitality, Mister Sparrow. I simply wanted to spare myself an embarrassing explanation- that was the only reason I described you as a distant member of my family. So please don't get too personal. But if you really want to tell the truth why don't you start at the beginning? You said you came to Asia because you wanted to help William Turner to find his father in… Shanghai? What was he doing in Shanghai and how did you get from there to Colombo?"
"By ship. Sailing, ye know…" Grinning, Jack reached for the fine crystal carafe with whiskey and took a good mouthful before he made himself comfortable in his armchair again, embracing the carafe. "Well, Bill Turner- that's Will's father- was taken to a Buddhist monastery near Shanghai by Alf after excessively chasing the dragon for quite a while. We sailed there so that Will could meet up with his father before he became a father himself…"
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review. I love feedback.