Chapter 11

The Heart That Rules the Seas

"Well, I was wondering when I'd be seeing see again," Jack Sparrow commented as I appeared before him on the deck of the Black Pearl.

We stood alone on deck, the full moon shining down on us.

Jack continued, "I'm so sorry to inform you, Miss, but your father is dead."

"Such a shame," I replied calmly, grateful that this is not the first time this news had befallen upon my ears and I had weeks to recover from the startling news. "I see you successfully reclaimed the Pearl."

"Yes, and I assume you got what you wanted out of this," Jack stated as he pulled out a bottle of rum from his coat.

I raised my eyebrow unsure of where he was going with this. "If you mean the fact that you are now the captain, then yes, it is a start of what I want."

"Really? I assumed you wanted revenge on your father for condemning you to a cursed pirate ship." Jack waved his hand up in the air as he continued, "Though you should know, I don't recall Barbossa ever making such a deal with Davy Jones."

"It doesn't mean that it wasn't what he wanted," I muttered bitterly.

He strolled over to me, drunkenly. "Are you certain? Because to me, he seemed perfectly content with the position he had before he met your mother. It seems she…"

"Don't talk about my mother," I warned in a dangerous tone.

He put both his hands up. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I am truly grateful for your advice. It is a shame though that even though your father is no longer captain, you are still bound to the Dutchman."

I sighed. "I did not really expect that to make a difference."

"Then why did you do it?" Jack wondered aloud.

I opened my mouth but could not find the words. Why did I want Jack to become captain? Revenge? Desire for freedom? Perhaps both. It seems now I have gained nothing, at least not yet.

I decided to ignore the question, instead reminding him, "The time will soon come when you will have to pay your debt the Davy Jones."

He shook his head. "I think not. Jones promised to make me captain for thirteen years. So far, I have only had three."

"I know Jones. Believe me, that won't matter to him."

He reached his hand out to me, brushing his fingers through my hair. "Perhaps you can convince him to prolong my deal."

I grabbed his hand, though gently. "Trust me, that will definitely not work."

He pulled away. "Then tell me, love, what was the point is my becoming of captain?"

Once again, the answer did not come. I really did not think this through. I suppose I must have been so angry with Barbossa, I just did this out of fury. Other than that, nothing has really changed. I am still bound to the Flying Dutchman.

"Perhaps," Jack said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts, "you thought there might be a way I could overthrow Jones."

"Overthrow Jones?" I repeated, bewildered. "That's completely mad. I don't even know how one would begin to do something like that. Davy Jones is just too… too powerful."

Jack appeared to be pondering deeply. "And how did he become so powerful in the first place would you say? Something must give him that kind of power, or authority if you will, to rule the seas."

I stared at him, considering his words. "I suppose, but I don't know what that is. He's just always been powerful, ever since I can remember."

Jack paced around the deck, drunkenly, as he spoke. "Perhaps if we were to find out what the something that we don't know what it is that gives Davy Jones his authority and get a hold of it, then Jones would lose his authority in which he once had over the seven seas, and it would go to me."

My eyes lit up. "And then Davy Jones would no longer be able to hold me to the Dutchman. I would be free. Jack, you're a genius!"

He gawked at me, unsurprised. "I know that. Most people don't seem to see that particular side of me."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that, but then I frowned. "How exactly do we find out what it is we need to overthrow Davy Jones?"

Jack expression remained unconcerned. "I have the sensation that the answer you seek is on the ship in which you are tied to, savy. Meanwhile, there is a woman in which I can inquire on who will perhaps give me the answers in which I seek."

I raised my eyebrow. "A woman? Who is she?"

"A woman in which I have acquaintance with."

"Any particular reason she is the one with the answer?" I demanded, trying to conceal my frustration with his lack of detail.

Ignoring my inquiry, Jack took his turn to raise his brow. "Are you jealous, love?"

"No, of course not," I replied a bit too quickly, shaking my head. "Fine, you go find out whatever you can from this woman, whoever she is, and I will search about the Dutchman and see what I can find."

Jack extended his hand. "We have an accord then, savy?"

The very moment I took his hand, he pulled me into a long, passionate kiss. The feelings a moment ago that Jack seemed to believe was jealousy soon evaporated.

xXx

I spent the next few weeks, quietly asking around about how the Flying Dutchman came to be, but no one seemed to know anything. I tried to narrow it down to anyone who had been here long before me, but still had no luck.

At least, Davy Jones did not seem to suspect me. I even convinced him to let me keep an eye on Jack until the time comes for him to repay his debt. I still have no idea how I managed that, but at this point, I will take what I can get without asking questions.

I have seen Jack quite a bit recently. I try to push back any rising feelings I might have for him. I know he is only using me, which I am fine with as long as I get what I want.

Tonight, I walked alone across the main deck. Most of the crew, including Davy Jones, had gone to sleep. I could not help but feel frustrated seeing that I was not anywhere closer to finding out how Jones came to rule the seven seas.

I then stepped on a floor door, leading to the hall below deck. Of course! I can't believe I have forgotten about this place. This is where the souls that have been here the longest lay about and literally form to become apart of the ship. I never go down there because as a little girl they would frighten me, but now that I am older I have outgrown my silly phobias.

As quietly as possible, I opened the door and walked down the steps, holding my lantern. I see figured formed into the walls, apparently sleeping.

"Um, excuse me," I uttered softly only intending to wake one, but they all stirred. "I need to know if any of you were on this ship when Davy Jones first took control."

"I was," one replied in a deep, mysterious tone. "Before Davy Jones turned to his monstrous form he is this day."

"You mean, he did not always look like this," I asked, having difficulty with imagining Jones any other way.

"The heart is what makes him what he is," another added. "The heart is what gives him his power, even if it is not with him."

"His heart," I repeated as I pondered this.

I had heard rumors of Davy Jones cutting out his own heart to become supreme ruler the seas, but I did not know the details. Only few on the ship did, the ones who had been here longest.

"How do I find the heart," I asked. "And what do I do once I find it?"

"Stab the heart," a hushed voice came from the dark corner.

"No," another argued. "Don't stab the heart. Without the heart, there can be no captain and without a captain there will be no ship. The heart gives the power over the ship to the one who possesses it."

"So whoever has the heart, rules the seas, Davy Jones included," I concluded, deeply thinking over this. "So how do I locate the heart?"

"The heart is in the chest," the figure in front of me answered.

"Where is the chest?" I demanded.

"Hidden," he muttered before reforming back into the wall, motionless.

My eyes scanned the area to find that they had all fallen back to their slumber. I sighed. Well, at least I found out something.

As I started to go up the steps, one last voice informed, "You will need the key to open the chest."

I turned my head to see who spoke, but they all remained in their own stillness.

"Um, thank you," I called out, but got no response.

For the next couple weeks, I acted normally on the Dutchman. Jones did not seem to suspect a thing as I secretly plotted with Jack. It seems the first step to my freedom now is to find the location of this mysterious key.