Chapter 34: 1739 Keep silent as a Grave
It was several hours after sunrise, when a quiet sizzling and clicking noise found its way to Jack's consciousness.
It was the first time for months that he had spent a night without haunting nightmares. To that effect this annoying little sound was really unwelcome. Averse to wake up he curled himself again within the shadow of the palm to keep on sleeping. When he just drifted back to his dreamless sleep, the smell, the wind carried over to him, was added to the sound.
Jack had slept in the open more then once to know that something was wrong. It was the smell of burnt wood.
Slowly he opened his eyes.
The sizzling and clicking noise continued – just as an impressive cloud of smoke which rose over the isle.
And it was already midday!
However, that was not why he was wide awake in sudden bursts.
This cloud of smoke had only one meaning: somewhere on the isle it was burning. And Elizabeth wasn't around. He had a kind of dark foreshadow and although he wasn't aware why, he picked himself up to search for the girl.
If he had spent not only one but several thoughts about what could have happened to her, it died away when he stumbled over the dune which separated his sleeping berth from the campfire of the bygone night. He had found the reason for the sizzling and clicking noise.
The little bonfire they sat around last night – singing and drinking – had turned into a flaming inferno. Bushes and palms went up in flames – and not only them!
Midst the fire lay – he didn't want to believe that – several barrels of rum.
And with both hands Elizabeth sacrificed the next one to the flames.
Jack would have confirmed by oath that she danced and laughed round that scene of destruction like a goblin!
"What the..." he had no time left to think of something different – he had to save the rum!
So he started running – speechless, horrified.
"Stop! Drop it!"
Like pure scorn one of the barrels deflagrated right that moment.
His eyes widened in pure horror: "Not good!"
As fast as he was running, when he reached Elizabeth the deed was done.
"Stop!" He looked at her: "What have you done?"
The devil in the girl's dress smiled confidently: "I thought about something to do for our rescue. Well, I had the idea with the fire..."
"You burnt all the food and the supply!"
"Yes, I did!"
"But why the rum?"
"Because – firstly – that swill turns even the most respectable and honest man into a boozy, unrestrained and coveting half-wit and secondly: this fire is about a thousand feet high. Meanwhile the entire Royal Navy is searching for me in those waters. To save us only one ship needs to see these wads of smoke! We only have to wait on the beach until they will find us!"
For sure, Jack understood what she meant, but he wasn't sure if this was really the right way: "But why is the rum gone!"
She didn't give him a reply, but turned to go on with her destructive work.
Jack didn't know exactly what to do. To kill her was his first thought. He felt torn between the idea of strangling her or shooting her. The pistol lay already in his hand when he decided not to do that.
Why hadn't he left her to Barbossa?
Maybe that was the reason why Hector had willingly agreed to set the girl free. He had known, what was hidden beyond that innocent mask! That was one reason more to save that one single shot for the man it was meant for – Barbossa hadn't forewarned him!
Hardly self-controlled he placed the pistol back to his belt and went away to start surrounding the isle – angry and disappointed...
Why did she ask him about his adventures and his feelings, why did she teach him those ballads about pirates and why did she spend the night with him sitting next to the bonfire – singing, laughing, dancing and drinking?
"It must be terrible for you to stay marooned on this isle again!" He imitated her: "For sure it was! It must be terrible... But what bloody is it now!"
Nothing was left – he had searched the secret hideout several times.
She had emptied it root-and-branch. Supposedly she had done nothing else than carrying bottles and rolling barrels throughout the whole night...
Just when he wanted to surrender himself once again to his anger and disappointment, he got aware of the ship which anchored near the isle. It was the "HMS Dauntless" and the crew had already launched the boat.
"From now on she will be insufferable..."
"For the rest of this journey you will reflect on the different meanings of the phrase 'Silent as the grave', while leading us to Isla de Muerta..."
Jack stood at the helm of the "Dauntless" – by order of Commodore Norrington, guarded by those two soldiers who had stopped him just that morning when this disastrous adventure started. While he had a look at his compass from time to time, he was aware that Mullroy and Murtogg stepped inwardly from one leg to the other, driven by curiosity.
Should they – he had something different in mind.
Elizabeth had made for that they were on their way to Isla de Muerta again. In a sense he should have been pleased, but he disliked the way she achieved it.
When the both of them had been brought aboard the "Dauntless" the governor as well as Norrington had been pleased to see her unharmed and in health. The "Dauntless" was meant to return to Port Royal immediately – without rescuing Will Turner from Barbossa. It was exactly what Jack had anticipated.
The boy would be sacrificed to the circumstances.
Elizabeth had fought against that with different reasonings – all of them unheard – until she had left only one possibility. Just when Norrington ordered to set sail towards Port Royal she had promised to accept his proposal.
Jack had read within Norrington's face what that promise meant to him. Obviously it wasn't only a good match for him but even more.
As much as Jack felt relief that they wouldn't leave Will to his fate, as much he asked himself if Elizabeth was really aware that she was willing to sell her life and her love so that the man she wanted to marry would save the man she loved.
The issue of that headless decision was, that they brought Elizabeth to one of the Cabins and ordered him to sail the "Dauntless" to Isla de Muerta.
Keeping silent wasn't his. So he really welcomed it when Mullroy and Murtogg didn't resist anymore to ask their questions: "You haven't told us the whole story about that isle. You know the cannibal thing..."
"Don't know if this is the right time and place to tell you about it."
"But who knows if there will be enough time later on. It's that thing with the gallows, Sir."
"Thank you for reminding me of that, mates! Maybe I should sail this ship right into the reefs. It would be a freehand present to Davy Jones, I suppose."
It was nearly sunset when Norrington joined them unexpectedly.
"Leave us alone!" He ordered the two soldiers who troddled off unwillingly because they feared to be betrayed of their story once again.
Jack tried to ignore the Commodore by all means but Norrington seemed not to be impressed by that kind of neglect.
"You don't need that compass, Mister Sparrow! I know that you're aware of how to find Isla de Muerta without its help."
"Are you sure?"
"Entirely!"
"If it's so, why you're here? For sure not for asking questions about the isle or about pirates."
Jack knew that he was on the right way when Norrington answered: "Don't hedge around the subject even longer, Mister Sparrow. What happened on the isle? Why did Elizabeth agree to marry me that sudden?"
Jack couldn't hide a grin. That was it! Norrington was afraid that his little bride could have lost her virginity throughout the bygone night.
"Well, if you want to know if I touched Elizabeth – pardon, the to-be Misses Commodore – the answer is no, mate. If you want to know if I would have loved it to touch her, the answer is yes. Spending a night on a lonely isle together with a beautiful woman – it's alluring for I'm only a man as well..."
"What caused your change of mind?"
"Let's say for me it's no pleasure if the girl doesn't feel pleasure with it as well. Savvy? But why do you ask me about that? A despicable pirate? A creature whose only use it is to end at the gallows."
"Miss Swann seems to see you from a different angle. Otherwise she wouldn't approach me on your behalf, Mister Sparrow."
"Maybe she follows only her feelings, Norrington."
"Feelings?"
"Aye! She trusts her inner voice, mate. Did you ask yourself, if it's right what you're going to do? Is Elizabeth Swann close to your heart? Or is it all because you're in need for a pretty little puppet, a flower pinned to your hat or a woman every other man would envy you about. Let me tell you something: If you really care for her, if you probably love her, don't tie terms on it, if she asks for your help. She knows you long enough to trust you. Don't utilize that."
"Said the pirate who was told to reflect about the phrase 'silent as the grave'."
Jack looked at him in surprise. Compared to Beckett there was hidden a fine sense of humor beyond that uniform.
"You came to me, Commodore. Forgot that?"
"Actually I wanted to know when we'll reach Isla de Muerta!"
"If that's so, you can tell your men to prepare to go ashore."
Norrington only nodded, then he wanted to leave when Jack called him back: "Well, tell me one more thing before you leave. You ordered your men not to bother your prisoners. Tell me why is that so? Except of you I don't know any other Captain, Officer or even Commodore who relinquishes of torture or humiliation."
"Isn't it enough to know that you will end at the gallows at the end of this adventure?"
"To be honest, I would prefer to avoid that too. Nevertheless it's unusual, thinking of the methods piracy is fought with by others. Thanks to Beckett and others these waters will be free from piracy soon. But believe me, our time is up – so or vice versa. With or without Beckett and you. I'm no fool, Norrington, I saw a lot, while sailing the seven seas. It does not need the Trading Companies or the fleet to end that. I suppose it must be a pleasure to capture one of the last real pirates – like me or Barbossa."
"I'm a soldier, Mister Sparrow, not a torturer. I can't enjoy it, to humiliate a man who will die in any case. Does this answer your question?"
"It does! Well, then I will give you an advice: You want Elizabeth – believing your words, you want her truly. Don't forget thereby, what she wants. That is Will Turner. Whatever you will expect from her, don't be disappointed if you won't get it in the end."
"What do you know about things like that? For sure you have a girl within every port you ever had made berth."
"No, Commodore, even a pirate is able to lose his heart to that one single woman he would die for..."
Out of the fog which surrounded the reefs, Isla de Muerta appeared like an unearthly shadow...