Disclaimer: Welcome friends…Happy little verse from "Under the Sea"

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?

The Seven Keys to the First Circle

Tara rummaged through a large wooden chest with no success. She sighed and threw a silver chalice back inside, then a shiver ran down her spine and she straightened up, alarmed. She couldn't shake the eerie feeling of being watched.

She turned; the large stone chest drew her attention immediately. She moved forward slowly, running her hand over a large boulder, staring, entranced by the chest. She climbed up the mound of gold and moved around it so that she was facing the entrance of the chamber.

She ran her hand over the intricate carvings in the surface of the lid, then, still captivated, she pushed it off the chest. It slid off easily, revealing the pile of medallions inside. A knife lay on the top of the gold, caked with dry blood. She paid it no notice, instead staring at the medallions. There was something engraved in them…something enticing…she had to see what it was, no point in not knowing…there was something else in that chest…something she was looking for…

'Tara!'

Tara cried out in shock and withdrew her hand from the chest, looking up at the entrance to the chamber where Jack stood looking furious.

'Don't do that!' she cried.

'Don't do that!' he snapped in reply.

Will suddenly appeared at his side, looking up at Tara in surprise. 'Tara, step away from the chest…'

'Jack?' said Bill's voice from her left.

'Will?' said Liz from her right.

Tara stepped back, then suddenly, lost her footing and fell, toppling to the hard stone behind the pile. 'Whoa!' She sat and rubbed the back of her head.

'Why didn't you tell her they were cursed!' came her father's voice from the entrance.

She rose to her feet and started around the pile.

'Holy hell!' she cried, in reference to Norrington who was standing directly behind Jack with a sour look on his face. 'Alright, it's official, I have had about three heart attacks in quick succession…'

'You're about to get a lot more than a heart attack,' Jack muttered darkly.

'You're supposed to be resting!' Tara snapped indignantly.

'What were you thinking!'

'I was thinking about the crew!'

'They're nothing to do with you!'

'They're missing!'

'It's not up t' you to find them!'

Tara opened her mouth to reply but Bill suddenly stepped between them, putting a stop to the argument. 'That's enough from both of you. Jack, you're not well, don't do this to yourself.'

'Bill's right,' Liz said softly, ignoring Norrington's confused stare, 'you shouldn't do this Jack, and the same goes for you Tara. You gave up an awful lot of blood-,'

'What? Why?' said Jack suddenly. 'What happened to your blood? Where does Dracula come in!'

Tara sighed. 'No, no, no! The Keys Jack, where did you hide the Keys?' She paused. 'Dracula?'

Norrington let out a soft note of irritation.

Jack glared at him. 'Listen mate, I'm about to take that parasol over there and stick it up your-,'

'It's in the Aztec chest isn't it?' Tara questioned suddenly realising why it seemed so enticing.

Jack broke off and peered at her from the corner of his eye. That look was all the answer Tara needed. She turned and strode back to the chest, pushing aside the medallions to reveal the circular, black box, with the Temple symbol. She pulled it out carefully. 'Of course, where else but in plain view…'

'You've got it, can we go now?' Jack asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Tara looked up at him but didn't argue. She still felt as though they were being watched. And that's just it…they were…

xXx

'You were meant t' warn me, not do the job!'

'I wouldn't have had to do either if you hadn't gone to the settlement!'

Tara and Jack were arguing, again. They'd argued all the way back to the Pearl and now stood on the Main Deck while the crew stood staring, having not seen one of their feuds before. Norrington and the Governor had boarded and were wearing the same looks as the crew. Bill was frowning in confusion. Will and Liz were standing together at the foot of the stairs to the Poopdeck, looking very exasperated.

'I's none of your business where I go!'

'It's none of my business, is it? My old Master gives you these Keys…and…what are they for anyway!' Tara looked suddenly at Norrington, 'And what are you still doing here!'

Jack ignored her last comment at Norrington. 'They unlock something called the Firs' Circle, and it wasn't your Master who gave them to me, it was his wife.'

Tara froze. The First Circle, it came in a rush, everything she knew about the First Circle. Her mouth fell open as Bill started on Jack.

'Jack give her some credit,' he said, defensively, 'it was very clever the way she put it together. Elizabeth too. You cannot blame them for curiosity.'

Jack's eyes narrowed. 'Whose side are you on?'

Meanwhile Tara was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. 'The First Circle…' Everyone stared at her.

'Yes, the First Circle,' Jack muttered, he raised an eyebrow, recognising his daughter's expression. 'What?'

'May Lee, gave you…she gave you…you got…'

'Got what?'

'The Seven Keys to the First Circle!' Tara said in a hushed whisper. 'Why…that's not…you're not allowed…oh, what has she done…?' She started wringing her hands nervously.

Jack frowned and glanced at Bill who was looking at Tara stumped.

Will, who had been holding the circular black box, looked down at it and pried it open. The inside was lined with purple velvet. There were four indents; in another three lay the Keys. The looked like the arrow-hands of a clock, with intricate spiral carvings in the middle of the dowel. They were about twenty centimetres (two-thirds of a foot) in length, each of a different colour. Each indent was numbered, inside number five lay a green arrow for earth, number six had a silver arrow for metal and number seven held a gold arrow. They sparkled brilliantly, even though the sky was overcast and the sun wasn't visible.

'Is that iron?' Liz asked softly drawing Tara's attention.

'Coloured gold, and for God's sake, keep it closed!' she said loudly.

Will snapped the lid shut as a spark of lightning and a rumble of thunder came from above, making everyone jump.

'She messed with the balance…' Tara muttered looking up at the clouds.

'What balance?' Liz questioned, glancing up too as if expecting to suddenly have the sky answering all the questions.

Tara looked back at the deck, her brow furrowed in confusion. 'The weather…the Time Keepers…'

'What are you talking about!' snapped Jack in frustration.

Tara glared at him. 'The clocks have been running late.'

'But that could be the clocks malfunctioning,' suggested Swann, speaking for the first time.

'Not all over the island,' said Will softly.

'We need to get the Keys back together,' Tara muttered, more to herself than anyone. 'Where are the others?'

Jack was still staring at Tara in confusion. 'The settlement…'

'But the crew-,' started Bill.

'Are either still alive or already dead,' Tara filled, 'and if they're still alive then they're being kept as hostages and won't be harmed just yet. Right now we need to get to The Settlement, get the Keys back together and get them back to their temple…or where ever it is that they go, so…who's driving?'

Jack shook his head. 'I'm not sailing my ship to China…'

'They're not Chinese,' snapped Tara, 'I told you, I don't know where they're from, nobody does. But I do know someone who knows where they're going.'

There was a prolonged silence.

Then Will finally said; 'I'm coming with you.' He glanced at Bill, who nodded once to show he understood.

'As am I,' said Liz softly. She looked at the Governor, 'I'll be fine.'

He nodded also and started off the ship. Norrington stood quietly, contemplating them all. A moment later, he turned on his heel and walked back across the gangplank and onto the Dauntless. No one on the Pearl moved as the Navy ship disappeared in the fog.

Jack looked Tara in the eye. 'My Quarter's now,' he looked at Bill, Will and Liz, 'that goes for you three too.'

Oh, what the hell, here's a chorus!

Under the sea, under the sea
Darling it's better down where it's wetter
( The Sea!)
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we're devoting full time to floating
Under the sea

Does the Title make sense now!