As it turned out, Connolley was the only survivor of the Bane's
entire crew. Jess and Jack's crews had been very thorough. As they
wandered back to the treasure room in twos and threes, they deposited their
medallions in the stone chest, each shedding a bit of blood to pay their
price. Jess confiscated Connolley's, collecting a drop of blood from the
palm of his hand, and returned it along with her own and Jack's. At last,
only Will's was left, the 882nd piece. He held the final piece in his
scarred palm, then wrapped his hand around the blade of his sword and gave
a sharp jerk. Blood welled up between his fingers as he opened his hand
and dropped the medallion, chain and all, back into the chest. The clinks
and clatters it made were eerily loud in the silence. Elizabeth
immediately rushed forward and bandaged up Will's hand, muttering to
herself under her breath. Jess waved her own hand about in a shaft of
moonlight, noting with satisfaction that she was back to normal.
It took exactly two hours, all told, to package up as much of the treasure as they could carry and load it into the jollyboats left behind by the crew of the Bane. Each of these would be towed behind a jollyboat from the Pearl. Jack carried Ana Maria's body, with the intention of giving her a proper pirate's burial at sea. Much to Jess's disgust, they also brought Connolley along. She had been all for just leaving him tied up on the floor of the cavern, but Jack had insisted, for reasons known only to him. Connolley glared at them all from his position at the rear of the boat. Remarkably, he was quiet, but then, Jess's threat to personally cut his tongue out if he made a single sound may have had something to do with that.
However, there was still one more surprise waiting for them as they rowed out into the waters of the bay. A small ship with red sails was floating off the Pearl's port bow. The words 'Reef Shark' were emblazoned on its side in faded gold letters. Jess cursed feelingly at the sight of it, then asked plaintively, "Haven't we had enough trouble yet?"
Jack, however, was smiling rather infuriatingly. "Don't worry, love, they're not here for us."
"What?"
Jack stood up, cupped his hands around his mouth, and bellowed something in halting French. Someone aboard the Reef Shark waved a white flag in reply. Jess stared. "I didn't know you spoke French!"
Jack shook his head, making the beads in his hair rattle. "I don't. That was just a password I learned. I haven't the faintest idea what I just said, but the meaning of the white flag is plain enough."
Jess and Jack rowed out to the Reef Shark as the crews of the Pearl and the Fang loaded their cargo and prisoner onto the Pearl. A voice, imperious and female, called out to them, "Ees that you, Jack Sparrow? Oo ees your lady friend, eh? Come aboard, you two!"
A woman of medium height and build greeted Jack warmly when they boarded the ship. She had a long nose, pale green eyes, and a mane of frizzy curls that formed a halo around her face. Her voice was deep for a woman, and she spoke with a heavy French accent. "I see zat once more, Jack Sparrow 'as beaten me to the prize, no? I 'ave been 'unting zis Connolley for weeks now, but I see zat you 'ave him. The bounty on 'is 'ead ees... impressive, no?"
Jack smiled apologetically. "Marie, charming as always, I see. I always admired bluntness in a woman. Yes, we have Connolley and the treasure, and we intend to keep both. I'm afraid you're out of luck this time, love."
Marie shrugged. "Eef it was anyone else oo 'ad him, I would fight zem for heem. 'Owever, I will make an exception for you, Jack. I 'ave no desire to lose my ship, or my life. Your luck ees uncanny and I will not take chances. I will seemply 'ave to tell zee Commodore Norrington zat I was beaten to zee prize."
Jack bowed courteously to her. "Thank you, Marie. Better luck next time, darling."
Marie turned to Jess and said, "You must be zee captain of the ship zat sank in zee passage, no? I vill not ask 'ow Jack talked you into zis expedition, but I 'ope you get your fair share out of it. Perhaps you vill take zee Bane as your new ship?"
Jess nodded.
Marie continued, "I must warn you now, as I speak from my own experience." She leaned close to Jess and whispered in her ear, "Beware of heem, zat Jack Sparrow. 'Ee 'as 'is eye on you, eet is plain to see, and you are too good for heem." She winked.
Jess smirked and whispered back, "I know, but I'm afraid it's too late now. I've grown rather fond of him, against all odds."
Marie stepped back, and said with a world of comic despair in her voice, "Anuzzer victim, no, I cannot bear it anuzzer minute, I must leave zis place immediately. Go now, Jack Sparrow, and take zis lady with you!"
Five minutes later Jess and Jack watched from the deck of the Pearl as the Reef Shark sailed into the distance and disappeared. Jack stared thoughtfully after it, saying nothing.
Jess glared at him, and said accusingly, "You never told me Norrington put a price on Connolley's head!"
Jack spread his hands, grinning disarmingly, "Must have slipped my mind. But I told you your part, didn't I?"
"My part in what, Birdie? What have you conveniently forgotten to tell me?" she growled.
"I think that's obvious," Jack replied loftily. "I need you to deliver Connolley personally to Norrington for me. You sail the Bane into Port Royal, deliver Connolley, collect the bounty from Norrington, and I'll give you half, in addition to the treasure."
Jess sighed, and waved a hand. "Fine, fine. What about the Bane?"
Jack looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Ah, well... She's yours, I suppose, but..."
"But?"
"Jess?"
"What now, Birdie?"
"I..."
"Spit it out, Jack."
He couldn't seem to look her in the eye. "I had really hoped you'd, well, stay here, aboard the Pearl. I mean, since I need a first mate to replace Ana Maria... And I hoped..." He trailed off rather lamely, still not looking at her.
"And you hoped...?"
He groaned. "You're not making this any easier, you know that?"
Jess only smiled, and gestured for him to continue.
"Jess," he said quietly, now turning to meet her eyes, "Will you marry me?"
Jess was half-tempted to make him sweat just a bit, but the look in his eyes made her decide against it. She took his hands in both of hers, and said, "Yes. Yes, I will."
It took exactly two hours, all told, to package up as much of the treasure as they could carry and load it into the jollyboats left behind by the crew of the Bane. Each of these would be towed behind a jollyboat from the Pearl. Jack carried Ana Maria's body, with the intention of giving her a proper pirate's burial at sea. Much to Jess's disgust, they also brought Connolley along. She had been all for just leaving him tied up on the floor of the cavern, but Jack had insisted, for reasons known only to him. Connolley glared at them all from his position at the rear of the boat. Remarkably, he was quiet, but then, Jess's threat to personally cut his tongue out if he made a single sound may have had something to do with that.
However, there was still one more surprise waiting for them as they rowed out into the waters of the bay. A small ship with red sails was floating off the Pearl's port bow. The words 'Reef Shark' were emblazoned on its side in faded gold letters. Jess cursed feelingly at the sight of it, then asked plaintively, "Haven't we had enough trouble yet?"
Jack, however, was smiling rather infuriatingly. "Don't worry, love, they're not here for us."
"What?"
Jack stood up, cupped his hands around his mouth, and bellowed something in halting French. Someone aboard the Reef Shark waved a white flag in reply. Jess stared. "I didn't know you spoke French!"
Jack shook his head, making the beads in his hair rattle. "I don't. That was just a password I learned. I haven't the faintest idea what I just said, but the meaning of the white flag is plain enough."
Jess and Jack rowed out to the Reef Shark as the crews of the Pearl and the Fang loaded their cargo and prisoner onto the Pearl. A voice, imperious and female, called out to them, "Ees that you, Jack Sparrow? Oo ees your lady friend, eh? Come aboard, you two!"
A woman of medium height and build greeted Jack warmly when they boarded the ship. She had a long nose, pale green eyes, and a mane of frizzy curls that formed a halo around her face. Her voice was deep for a woman, and she spoke with a heavy French accent. "I see zat once more, Jack Sparrow 'as beaten me to the prize, no? I 'ave been 'unting zis Connolley for weeks now, but I see zat you 'ave him. The bounty on 'is 'ead ees... impressive, no?"
Jack smiled apologetically. "Marie, charming as always, I see. I always admired bluntness in a woman. Yes, we have Connolley and the treasure, and we intend to keep both. I'm afraid you're out of luck this time, love."
Marie shrugged. "Eef it was anyone else oo 'ad him, I would fight zem for heem. 'Owever, I will make an exception for you, Jack. I 'ave no desire to lose my ship, or my life. Your luck ees uncanny and I will not take chances. I will seemply 'ave to tell zee Commodore Norrington zat I was beaten to zee prize."
Jack bowed courteously to her. "Thank you, Marie. Better luck next time, darling."
Marie turned to Jess and said, "You must be zee captain of the ship zat sank in zee passage, no? I vill not ask 'ow Jack talked you into zis expedition, but I 'ope you get your fair share out of it. Perhaps you vill take zee Bane as your new ship?"
Jess nodded.
Marie continued, "I must warn you now, as I speak from my own experience." She leaned close to Jess and whispered in her ear, "Beware of heem, zat Jack Sparrow. 'Ee 'as 'is eye on you, eet is plain to see, and you are too good for heem." She winked.
Jess smirked and whispered back, "I know, but I'm afraid it's too late now. I've grown rather fond of him, against all odds."
Marie stepped back, and said with a world of comic despair in her voice, "Anuzzer victim, no, I cannot bear it anuzzer minute, I must leave zis place immediately. Go now, Jack Sparrow, and take zis lady with you!"
Five minutes later Jess and Jack watched from the deck of the Pearl as the Reef Shark sailed into the distance and disappeared. Jack stared thoughtfully after it, saying nothing.
Jess glared at him, and said accusingly, "You never told me Norrington put a price on Connolley's head!"
Jack spread his hands, grinning disarmingly, "Must have slipped my mind. But I told you your part, didn't I?"
"My part in what, Birdie? What have you conveniently forgotten to tell me?" she growled.
"I think that's obvious," Jack replied loftily. "I need you to deliver Connolley personally to Norrington for me. You sail the Bane into Port Royal, deliver Connolley, collect the bounty from Norrington, and I'll give you half, in addition to the treasure."
Jess sighed, and waved a hand. "Fine, fine. What about the Bane?"
Jack looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Ah, well... She's yours, I suppose, but..."
"But?"
"Jess?"
"What now, Birdie?"
"I..."
"Spit it out, Jack."
He couldn't seem to look her in the eye. "I had really hoped you'd, well, stay here, aboard the Pearl. I mean, since I need a first mate to replace Ana Maria... And I hoped..." He trailed off rather lamely, still not looking at her.
"And you hoped...?"
He groaned. "You're not making this any easier, you know that?"
Jess only smiled, and gestured for him to continue.
"Jess," he said quietly, now turning to meet her eyes, "Will you marry me?"
Jess was half-tempted to make him sweat just a bit, but the look in his eyes made her decide against it. She took his hands in both of hers, and said, "Yes. Yes, I will."