26. Vires et honos

Aboard the Dutchman, Will Turner stood apprehensively at the helm with eyes darting back and forth across the Pearl in search of Elizabeth. There was no telling when the Sea Goddess would release him from the Dutchman's hold and bring him back to his love. Will's father, Bootstrap Bill, slowly approached his son, who continued standing at he helm in wonderment.

"Is it time?" Bootstrap asked, glancing over at the Pearl and matching his son's gaze. He then averted his eyes back to Will, whose stare did not break once.

"You know, William, Elizabeth will do what it takes to free you. She truly does love you. In time, you will be free," Bootstrap stated as he placed a hand on Will's shoulder. Will breathed in a deep breath and finally turned to his father.

"I just worry that there is nothing can be done to bring me back. I'm to be the captain of the Dutchman for ten years—no less," Will responded with defeat.

"Now if there is one way off this ship, it is the Sea Goddess herself who can break the legend," Bootstrap reminded his son. Will's eyes returned to the Pearl once more.

"It would have happened by now—I should be freed by now if she could release me," Will stated flatly.

"Now what do you suppose is goin' on over there, anyway? I can't see anything!" Bootstrap exclaimed as he too joined Will in his heavy gaze.

"Well, since the battle's stopped, I've seen Jack kissing another man who apparently is now a woman, Elizabeth disappear with Jack, Jack emerge to speak to the woman he kissed, the woman speaking to Barbossa, Elizabeth and Jack disappear again, Elizabeth retrieving Barbossa and that is all," Will stated as he glanced over at his father anxiously.

"All will be well. Just give it time, William. The Sea Goddess is all powerful," Bootstrap reminded Will once more. Will simply sighed and cast his gaze back to the Pearl.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Aboard the Pearl, Barbossa, Elizabeth and Jack all gathered in the captain's cabin, silently listening as Asaka spoke in ancient tongues.

"Metus mentem delet. Metus mentem delet," Asaka spoke repeatedly.

"Barbossa, what is she saying? It does not sound like any language I've ever heard," Elizabeth stated with a look of worry on her face.

"Listen further," Jack responded quietly as they continued to let Asaka speak in her ancient tongue.

"Omnibus servari non potest. Omnibus servari non potest," Asaka continued. Elizabeth merely looked over at Jack and Barbossa, who continued to listen carefully to her every word.

"I still cannot understand it," Elizabeth responded.

"You shouldn't understand it—it's Latin," Jack responded as he commenced his listening further.

"Finitum, finitum, finitum,"

"Jack? Do you understand Latin?" Elizabeth asked as she watched him listen intently to Asaka's words.

"There was a time when I could translate a written version of the language into English, but hearing it spoken is something entirely different," Jack responded.

"It is a dead language, m'dear," Barbossa replied to Elizabeth, "Not spoken outside of churches since the days of the Romans,"

"How can we ever decipher what she is saying?" Elizabeth asked anxiously. "Maybe there is someone aboard who can translate the language?"

Jack's intense gaze broke as his thoughts immediately took him to Jacqueline. "I'll return," he quickly stated as he left the room.

"Jacqueline!" Jack called out to Jacqueline as she stood at the helm.

"What is it, Jack? Has Asaka freed Will yet?" she asked curiously.

"Tell me, Jack, how well were you educated back in London?" Jack asked as he ascended the steps.

"Fairly well, why?" Jacqueline retorted.

"Asaka is speaking in Latin. The language was something I could translate once upon a time in written form," Jack explained, "but I have hardly an ear for it verbally,"

"Oh Jack, I too can translate it if it is written out for me—I learned it all from my brother. He was so very educated in the Classics, the Romans in particular. If anyone could still speak the language and understand it, it was him. He attempted to teach me to speak it a little but it is such a complex language to speak and understand. I was truly very poor at it," Jacqueline laughed. "If you need to me, I can try,"

"Come with, love. Maybe you'll surprise yourself," Jack stated with a flash of a smile. Jacqueline and Jack descended the helm and moved quickly into the cabin where Barbossa, Asaka and Elizabeth all stood. A flood of Latin phrases circled Jacqueline's untrained ear.

"Finitum, finitum, finitum," Asaka grumbled as she collapsed into a chair.

"Oh, finitum. It sounds like our word for finish—um, perhaps that means, finished?" Jacqueline asked, completely unsure of herself and of its meaning.

Oh Jacqueline, if only you'd paid more attention when I was giving you Latin lessons she heard her brother's voice and laughter in her head.

"John?" Jacqueline spoke aloud.

"Actually it's Jack, darling," Jack stated with a grin.

"No, my brother. I just heard his voice in my head," Jacqueline exclaimed. "John, are you here? Can you help me? Give me a hint—anything!"

Finitum does sound like finished. You are right on that, but it is not what she is saying. Think of 'non pro semper'. Remember I would tell you that? That is more of the modern Latin for what finitum actually means here.

"Non pro semper?" Jacqueline asked aloud. "Non pro semper—oh John! I do remember you telling me that! Oh, but what does it mean? Non pro semper…" Jacqueline paced about the room thinking long and hard.

"Darling, I appreciate your helping us, but let's not take forever here," Jack commented as he tapped his boot on the wooden floor impatiently.

"That's it! Forever! Non pro semper means 'not forever', which John told me means the same as 'finitum'. Non pro semper is the modern Latin for 'finitum' or 'not forever'. I am guessing she's implying Will shall not be on the ship forever," Jacqueline exclaimed with a bit of excitement.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Elizabeth exclaimed in return.

"Omnibus servari non potest," Asaka continued.

"Oh—Omnibus…I think that means everyone. You all recall omnipotent which is 'all-knowing and all-powerful—used to describe God," Jacqueline explained. "But the rest—non potest. Omnibus servari non potest," Jacqueline repeated.

Remember, Jacqueline, there is no 'you' in that sentence. Do no translate it literally.

"Well, non would mean 'not' or 'none' or 'no'—a negative statement perhaps. Everyone and not—Omnibus…non. Servari non potest," Jacqueline thought aloud.

Servari must remind you of another English word, Jackie.

"Should it? I cannot think of any," Jacqueline responded to John. Jacqueline paused for a moment and thought. "Servari—service? Serve?"

Nope. Try again!

"John, why can't you just tell me?!" Jacqueline pleaded.

Jack looked over at Elizabeth and Barbossa. "Well this is all a little strange,"

"Yer tellin' me. Now ye know what it be like fer me when talkin' to you!" Barbossa responded.

"Shh! Let her think!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"John, is it a word I should know?" Jacqueline asked, ignoring the others' commentary.

"Jack, maybe you've saved us this far—don't feel too hard on yourself," Jack said to her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's it! Save!" Jacqueline exclaimed.

"What?" Jack asked, widening his eyes.

"You can't save everyone!" Jacqueline exclaimed excitedly. "She is saying 'you can't save everyone'"

"What?!" Elizabeth asked as fear spread across her face.

"Oh, right, isn't a very good phrase," Jacqueline responded. "So she's told us you can't save everyone and 'not forever'. I have not an ounce of what she could mean by those two statements! They are practically a paradox of one another," Jacqueline explained.

"Metus mentem delet" Asaka stated.

"Oh John, mentem—mind!" Jacqueline stated anxiously.

It's coming back, isn't it? John's laughter filled her ears.

"Oh I do remember this phrase. It means 'fear is the mind killer', but of course the translation to English is not that literal," Jacqueline explained. "I am assuming she means that when fear plagues the mind, it can be a killer so that you cannot save everyone you wish to, but it is not forever,"

"Vires et honos," Asaka spoke.

"Strength and honor," Jacqueline stated.

"Sic solvo ex profundum, sic solvo ex profundum, sic solvo ex profundum" Asaka finished as she raised her hands toward the sky.

"So free from him the sea," Jacqueline translated.

Vires et honos, Jacqueline John laughed as his voice left her.

"Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she fled from the cabin.