Chapter Eleven-Goodbye
1.
"Jack Sparrow, you have been convicted of crimes against the Crown
which are
numerous and sinister in nature…"
"Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow…." Jack muttered to himself. He was
standing on
the platform of the gallows in Port Royal in front of a crowd of onlookers as
a
herald read off his list of crimes. After leaving the Isla de Muerta to find
his ship was gone, the pirate had no other choice than to go with Will and the
girls back aboard the Dauntless. They were all hoping that Jack would be
allowed to sneak off to freedom, but Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann
had
different plans. He was locked in the brig as the Swann sisters raised a huge
protest. It all had been to no avail, however, as he now found himself
staring
at a noose.
Will was wandering through the crowd, trying to think of a way to help
Jack
escape, when he saw a bright blue and yellow parrot fly over the crowd and
land
on a flag post. Will recognized that bird. An idea came to mind and he made
his way to the steps at the back of the execution square where the governor,
Norrington, and the two girls where standing.
"This is wrong," Elizabeth said to her father, who simply gave her some
excuse
about upholding the law and ignored her. If the man paid any attention
whatsoever to his daughters, he would have noticed the pain written all over
Catherine's face. The proud girl stood still and silent, fighting to hold
back
tears. Her face was pale and her hands were clenching her handkerchief as she
stood with her eyes locked on Jack, the love she had so recently gained only
to
lose him so soon to the gallows. Will approached them, nodding to each one in
turn. His eyebrows knit together for a brief moment when he looked at
Catherine, but he was on a mission and did not allow his thoughts to linger on
the woman's grief.
"Governor Swann, Commodore, Catherine," he nodded. "Elizabeth," the
girl
looked at him. "I should have told you every day from the moment we met: I
love
you." Elizabeth's mouth dropped, and the governor rolled his eyes. The boy
turned determinedly and pushed his way towards the gallows as the drum roll
began counting down the moments until Jack's death. Catherine closed her
eyes.
Elizabeth began fanning herself quickly.
"I can't breathe!" She fell over, pretending to faint and thus
distracting her
father and fiancé.
"Get out of the way! MOVE!" the boy shouted as he pushed through the
crowd.
Just as the final hit on the drums rang out and the platform fell, Will hurled
his sword through the air. Elizabeth sat up and Catherine opened her eyes to
see Jack desperately trying to stand on the thin blade which was lodged in the
collapsed platform. Will rushed the gallows and began fighting the
executioner,
who cut the rope off at the base in an attempt to hit Will. Jack jumped down,
cut the bonds on his wrists with Will's sword, and grabbed the rope, throwing
one end of it to Will as they both ran back through the square, taking out
soldiers as they went. Catherine ran to the very edge of the courtyard to
which
Jack and Will were fighting their way, her handkerchief still clutched in her
hand and her hair falling loose as she ran. Just as the two men were about to
break through to freedom, the guards closed in on them and they spun back to
back around the circle of bayonets, Will's sword ringing and Jack's arms
flailing as he tried to get the enormous feather attached to the back of
Will's
hat out of his face. Catherine stood by, watching in agony as her father and
the commodore entered the circle of soldiers with Elizabeth close behind them.
Catherine looked desperately at her sister for help, but she was too worried
about Will to even look at Catherine.
"I imagined we might have to deal with some feeble attempt at escape,
but not
from you," Norrington said coldly as he looked at Will who was standing in
between the commodore and the pirate. Will stared defiantly back.
"If all I have achieved is two pairs of boots for the executioner
instead of
one then so be it." Governor Swann came forward.
"When we arrived back in Port Royal I granted you clemency, and this
is how you
repay me!"
"At least my conscience is clear," Will said raising his head proudly
as Jack
peeked at the scene from over his shoulder.
"Good God, boy, he's a pirate!"
"And a good man." At this last comment Jack looked around smugly at
the guards
and pointed at himself. He also looked back and saw Catherine where she was
standing. Norrington, becoming ever more irritated, said,
"You forget your place boy."
"It's right here, between you and Jack." Elizabeth, having gone back
and
grabbed her sister's hand, walked into the circle of soldiers.
"As is ours." Norrington stood back, stunned at the sight of Elizabeth
clutching Will's hand. Everybody was too busy being shocked by the younger
Swann girl's choice of a humble blacksmith that they didn't notice the hushed
conversation between the elder one and her far more shocking selection.
"I'll stay, love, I won't run."
"Don't you dare, they'll just hang you later. You are going to go save
yourself, and that's an order" Jack's eyebrows knit together in pain.
"How?" Catherine pointed up to Mr. Cotton's parrot with her eyes, and
realization dawned on Jack's face. He turned back to Catherine, both of their
hearts breaking at this unavoidable separation. He pulled a silver ring with
a
large black stone off of the first finger on his right and placed it in
Catherine's trembling grasp. She took her handkerchief and tied it to his
belt
buckle.
"I'll come back fer ye, darlin'." Putting his normal manner back on,
Jack
turned away from Catherine and waltzed up to the Governor.
"Well, I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh?
Spiritually,
ecumenically…grammatically…" As Governor Swann pulled back in disgust, Jack
flitted over to Norrington. "I was rootin' fer ye," he said pointing his dirty
finger in the commodore's face, "Know that." The pirate pranced over to the
edge of the battlement, throwing one final, painful look at Catherine as he
went. "Ye will all remember this day as the day…." Jack's brief speech was
stopped as he fell backwards off the edge of the fort and into the ocean
below.
Everyone ran to look over into the water.
"What'd he do that for, he's got nowhere to go but back to the fort?" a
random
soldier asked. Just then, the billowing sails of the Black Pearl where seen
sailing towards its captain who, after gazing longingly up at the fort for a
brief moment, began swimming toward his escape.
Will and Elizabeth stood together, hands clasped as the commodore
approached
them.
"Is this where your heart truly lays, Elizabeth?"
"It is."
"Mr. Turner." Will stepped forward, Elizabeth trying to hold him back.
"I will face the consequences for my actions." Norrington drew his
sword.
"This is a beautiful sword. I'd expect the man who made it to show
such care
and devotion in every aspect of his life." Will, who never got any credit for
his work, looked very appreciatively at the commodore.
"Thank you." Norrington nodded, and began to walk away, letting go of
Elizabeth and without giving any orders for Jack's pursuit. When one of his
officers demanded what Norrington would do about the escaped pirate, the
commodore smiled vaguely and said,
"I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." With that the
commodore and all the soldiers and bystanders left.
Governor Swann walked up to his youngest daughter where she was
standing with
Will, a look of disappointment on his face.
"So this is the path you've chosen? After all, he's just a
blacksmith."
Elizabeth smiled and took Will's hat off.
"No, he's a pirate." With that the two lovers kissed, and the governor
walked
away. After Will and Elizabeth had broken apart and Governor Swann had gone,
Catherine who had been staring into the water as she maintained a very tight
grip on the stone of the battlement, burst into tears which she had pent up
ever
since they got back on the Dauntless. She sobbed like her heart was breaking,
and it was. Her sister and friend leaned down and lifted her to her feet,
holding her in a warm embrace, trying to comfort the girl in her sorrow.
Tears
came to Elizabeth's eyes at the pain Catherine was experiencing. She, after
all, had her love. She could hardly imagine what her sister must be going
through.
"He'll come back for you, Cate, I know he will." Will and Elizabeth
reached
their arms around the weeping woman, one on each side, and slowly led her back
home.
1.
"Jack Sparrow, you have been convicted of crimes against the Crown
which are
numerous and sinister in nature…"
"Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow…." Jack muttered to himself. He was
standing on
the platform of the gallows in Port Royal in front of a crowd of onlookers as
a
herald read off his list of crimes. After leaving the Isla de Muerta to find
his ship was gone, the pirate had no other choice than to go with Will and the
girls back aboard the Dauntless. They were all hoping that Jack would be
allowed to sneak off to freedom, but Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann
had
different plans. He was locked in the brig as the Swann sisters raised a huge
protest. It all had been to no avail, however, as he now found himself
staring
at a noose.
Will was wandering through the crowd, trying to think of a way to help
Jack
escape, when he saw a bright blue and yellow parrot fly over the crowd and
land
on a flag post. Will recognized that bird. An idea came to mind and he made
his way to the steps at the back of the execution square where the governor,
Norrington, and the two girls where standing.
"This is wrong," Elizabeth said to her father, who simply gave her some
excuse
about upholding the law and ignored her. If the man paid any attention
whatsoever to his daughters, he would have noticed the pain written all over
Catherine's face. The proud girl stood still and silent, fighting to hold
back
tears. Her face was pale and her hands were clenching her handkerchief as she
stood with her eyes locked on Jack, the love she had so recently gained only
to
lose him so soon to the gallows. Will approached them, nodding to each one in
turn. His eyebrows knit together for a brief moment when he looked at
Catherine, but he was on a mission and did not allow his thoughts to linger on
the woman's grief.
"Governor Swann, Commodore, Catherine," he nodded. "Elizabeth," the
girl
looked at him. "I should have told you every day from the moment we met: I
love
you." Elizabeth's mouth dropped, and the governor rolled his eyes. The boy
turned determinedly and pushed his way towards the gallows as the drum roll
began counting down the moments until Jack's death. Catherine closed her
eyes.
Elizabeth began fanning herself quickly.
"I can't breathe!" She fell over, pretending to faint and thus
distracting her
father and fiancé.
"Get out of the way! MOVE!" the boy shouted as he pushed through the
crowd.
Just as the final hit on the drums rang out and the platform fell, Will hurled
his sword through the air. Elizabeth sat up and Catherine opened her eyes to
see Jack desperately trying to stand on the thin blade which was lodged in the
collapsed platform. Will rushed the gallows and began fighting the
executioner,
who cut the rope off at the base in an attempt to hit Will. Jack jumped down,
cut the bonds on his wrists with Will's sword, and grabbed the rope, throwing
one end of it to Will as they both ran back through the square, taking out
soldiers as they went. Catherine ran to the very edge of the courtyard to
which
Jack and Will were fighting their way, her handkerchief still clutched in her
hand and her hair falling loose as she ran. Just as the two men were about to
break through to freedom, the guards closed in on them and they spun back to
back around the circle of bayonets, Will's sword ringing and Jack's arms
flailing as he tried to get the enormous feather attached to the back of
Will's
hat out of his face. Catherine stood by, watching in agony as her father and
the commodore entered the circle of soldiers with Elizabeth close behind them.
Catherine looked desperately at her sister for help, but she was too worried
about Will to even look at Catherine.
"I imagined we might have to deal with some feeble attempt at escape,
but not
from you," Norrington said coldly as he looked at Will who was standing in
between the commodore and the pirate. Will stared defiantly back.
"If all I have achieved is two pairs of boots for the executioner
instead of
one then so be it." Governor Swann came forward.
"When we arrived back in Port Royal I granted you clemency, and this
is how you
repay me!"
"At least my conscience is clear," Will said raising his head proudly
as Jack
peeked at the scene from over his shoulder.
"Good God, boy, he's a pirate!"
"And a good man." At this last comment Jack looked around smugly at
the guards
and pointed at himself. He also looked back and saw Catherine where she was
standing. Norrington, becoming ever more irritated, said,
"You forget your place boy."
"It's right here, between you and Jack." Elizabeth, having gone back
and
grabbed her sister's hand, walked into the circle of soldiers.
"As is ours." Norrington stood back, stunned at the sight of Elizabeth
clutching Will's hand. Everybody was too busy being shocked by the younger
Swann girl's choice of a humble blacksmith that they didn't notice the hushed
conversation between the elder one and her far more shocking selection.
"I'll stay, love, I won't run."
"Don't you dare, they'll just hang you later. You are going to go save
yourself, and that's an order" Jack's eyebrows knit together in pain.
"How?" Catherine pointed up to Mr. Cotton's parrot with her eyes, and
realization dawned on Jack's face. He turned back to Catherine, both of their
hearts breaking at this unavoidable separation. He pulled a silver ring with
a
large black stone off of the first finger on his right and placed it in
Catherine's trembling grasp. She took her handkerchief and tied it to his
belt
buckle.
"I'll come back fer ye, darlin'." Putting his normal manner back on,
Jack
turned away from Catherine and waltzed up to the Governor.
"Well, I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh?
Spiritually,
ecumenically…grammatically…" As Governor Swann pulled back in disgust, Jack
flitted over to Norrington. "I was rootin' fer ye," he said pointing his dirty
finger in the commodore's face, "Know that." The pirate pranced over to the
edge of the battlement, throwing one final, painful look at Catherine as he
went. "Ye will all remember this day as the day…." Jack's brief speech was
stopped as he fell backwards off the edge of the fort and into the ocean
below.
Everyone ran to look over into the water.
"What'd he do that for, he's got nowhere to go but back to the fort?" a
random
soldier asked. Just then, the billowing sails of the Black Pearl where seen
sailing towards its captain who, after gazing longingly up at the fort for a
brief moment, began swimming toward his escape.
Will and Elizabeth stood together, hands clasped as the commodore
approached
them.
"Is this where your heart truly lays, Elizabeth?"
"It is."
"Mr. Turner." Will stepped forward, Elizabeth trying to hold him back.
"I will face the consequences for my actions." Norrington drew his
sword.
"This is a beautiful sword. I'd expect the man who made it to show
such care
and devotion in every aspect of his life." Will, who never got any credit for
his work, looked very appreciatively at the commodore.
"Thank you." Norrington nodded, and began to walk away, letting go of
Elizabeth and without giving any orders for Jack's pursuit. When one of his
officers demanded what Norrington would do about the escaped pirate, the
commodore smiled vaguely and said,
"I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." With that the
commodore and all the soldiers and bystanders left.
Governor Swann walked up to his youngest daughter where she was
standing with
Will, a look of disappointment on his face.
"So this is the path you've chosen? After all, he's just a
blacksmith."
Elizabeth smiled and took Will's hat off.
"No, he's a pirate." With that the two lovers kissed, and the governor
walked
away. After Will and Elizabeth had broken apart and Governor Swann had gone,
Catherine who had been staring into the water as she maintained a very tight
grip on the stone of the battlement, burst into tears which she had pent up
ever
since they got back on the Dauntless. She sobbed like her heart was breaking,
and it was. Her sister and friend leaned down and lifted her to her feet,
holding her in a warm embrace, trying to comfort the girl in her sorrow.
Tears
came to Elizabeth's eyes at the pain Catherine was experiencing. She, after
all, had her love. She could hardly imagine what her sister must be going
through.
"He'll come back for you, Cate, I know he will." Will and Elizabeth
reached
their arms around the weeping woman, one on each side, and slowly led her back
home.