Chapter 11
As soon as we entered the lagoon, Cotton's parrot piped up. "Dead men tell no tales!"
"Shut it, bird brain" I said. But we where all tense. The whole crew was looking at the wrecks strewn around everywhere. "Put's a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage" gulped Gibbs. He spoke the truth, as usual.
I noticed Will watching dad close his compass, as if that was interesting. Then I noticed I would of had to have been looking at Will to notice that. Did I hate that pony tail that much?
"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" asked Will, innocently anoth.
"Tia Dalma..."I whispered, but quietly anoth so Will couldn't hear.
"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta . That was back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl. "
"What? He failed to mention that "said Will. More like HE failed to piece stuff together.
"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat." Confessed Gibbs to Turner. I wanted to backhand him for giving away dads personal info. How dare he. And yet he considered himself a friend!
"Ah. So that's the reason for all the.." he had his hands in the air like a weirdo just like dad. When I kicked him in the shin's, it felt good. "OW!" He yelled.
"Carry on gentlemen"
"Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now Will, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot ? one shot. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate."
"Barbossa" I said. "I was marooned too you know.
"Aye lassie" replied Gibbs.
"How did Jack get off the island?" asked Will.
"Well, I'll tell ye." Began Gibbs, but I just stared into the distance.
"We waded out into the shallows and there waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures came and acclimated to our presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped us a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft." I recited. Now my heart filled with memories..
"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" Will glanced over at Jack.
"Aye, sea turtles" replied I.
"What did he use for rope?"
Dad walked up. "Human hair, from my back. Let go of the anchor!"
Will waited for me to clarify my fact. "My hair hasn't always been this long" I nodded when his mouth dropped open.
"Let go of the anchor, sir!" shouted the crew.
"Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore." My mouth almost touched the ground. Will and dad? Not me?
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" I reached for my pistol. Guess what? It wasn't there. No man could ever have done that. There was something strange happening. "Dad, let me come. Please"
He looked at me, and I'd thought he had changed his mind. "No, savvy?"
"Captain, what if the worst should happen?" yelled Gibbs.
Please don't say it, please don't say it, I crossed my fingers.
"Keep to the code" no. I would not leave dad.
"Aye, the code"
Dad and Will left, and after a few minutes, I decided to follow them.