Disclaimer: See chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 3: Duel and Departure

The next day dawned drearily as if it knew death was upon it. The air clung to the earth heavily in a gray curtain. Everything seemed to be moving slow as if it was waiting to me saved in the memory of one who would breathe his last breath. A breath of the looming fog.

Although Governor Swann had objected many times, Elizabeth went with him to an almost-hidden clearing in the tropical foliage to watch the duel. She could hear the sea and it brought a thousand memories to mind. Will stood to one side of the field, looking dreadfully worried when she arrived.

"Elizabeth, you shouldn't have come!" Will said quietly.

"I had to."

He shook his head. "I don't want you to see this."

She brought herself up a little higher with slight bravado and said, "But I want to watch."

The judge gave Norrinton and Will their pistols. The men walked five paces. Everything seemed to be tense. Elizabeth found it hard to breathe again and she felt her lungs being pressured as if a rock was placed on her chest. It couldn't have been her stays* because she'd had them loosened. She swallowed and decided not to say anything but she was sweating.

"Commodore Norrington, please take your shot."

Norrington cocked the pistol. His face was grey. Will felt the lump grow in his throat and  tried, without prevail, to swallow it down without showing his fear. He heard the pistol click and he saw Norrinton aim for his chest. Quickly, Norrington moved the pistol from his target and shot the ground beside his foot, wasting his only shot. There was a gasp from everyone, especially Will who expected to be dead.

"W, w, well, if Commodore Norrington decided to throw away his shot…then, Mr. Turner…you may take yours," The judge said, obviously trying to comprehend the scene that played out before him.

"Wait a moment!" Norrington yelled before Will could move. "I suppose you are all wondering why I wasted my chance to kill you, Mr. Turner." He tossed his pistol away. "Elizabeth…I want you to be happy. And…I know, though it would bring me great joy, that you would be miserable marrying me. So I am giving you to Mr. Turner." There were a few gasps including a very loud one from Governor Swann. "And I ask, Mr. Turner, that you spare me of the lonely life I am about to lead." He looked Will in the eye.

Will's hands shook. He knew what Norrington meant. Could he really take the life of this man? He, himself had brought on the whole duel. He had risked his own life and now Norrington risked his for a woman who didn't love him. But Norrington asked him to end his life. But was he bluffing? Did he know that Will was too weak to kill or had his hopeless love for Elizabeth driven him to ask for lead in his chest? A million questions ran through Will Turner's mind. And all that time the Commodore stood there and waited, looking at Will with his cold eyes. Everyone was looking at Will for an answer.

Except Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked at her feet, tears welling up in her eyes. This was all her fault and her conscience would never be clear. She didn't know what to think. For a moment, she wished that Norrington had found the gold medallion years ago when they pulled young Will's unconscious body on board. She wished the Commodore had found it and kept to his promise. "A short drop and a sudden stop," echoed through her head. But that was terrible! She loved Will and if Norrington had killed him she would never know love. And she would have to marry Norrington. She wished Norrington had never laid eyes on her. And for another betraying moment, she wished that he hadn't wasted his shot.

Perhaps it could have been spent on her…

Will raised his pistol, still shaking uncontrollably. If he didn't end Norrington's love for Elizabeth he would have nothing. Will cocked his pistol and Norrington put his chin higher and clenched his teeth, practically daring Will to pull the trigger.

It would all be over soon.

He was about to pull the trigger, sure he'd miss.

BANG!

But no smoke issued from the end of William Turner's gun. Everyone turned around.

Captain Jack Sparrow returned his pistol to its leather holder. On the other end of the clearing, Commodore Norrington fell. Governor Swann, Norrington's Second-Gillette, and the judge rushed to the Commodore's side, Elizabeth fainted, and Jack sauntered over to a stunned Will.

"That was taking awfully long," He said in his raw, slurring voice. "Come on, Will. They'll be looking for you soon." He pulled his bewildered companion and began to drag him away from the clearing.

"But, Elizabeth-"

"Yes, well, beggers can't be choosers, now, can they, mate?"

"The pistol," Will said. "I didn't shoot it."

"Yes, well, they can have it back," Jack said, noticing that Will had, in fact, dropped it in the surprise. He continued to pull Will away until they were hidden from the clearing. A little row boat sat on the wet sand, the gurgling water tossing it closer to shore and then pulling it towards the open waters. "Come on, Will." He helped Will into the row boat and began to row away from the island as fast as possible.

"Where are you taking me?" Will yelled, finally coming to his senses.

"Don't worry-"

"I'm not going back to that ship of yours!"

"Now, listen here, mate," Jack said still rowing feverishly, "I just saved your hide, you know.  They'll be searching all of the Caribbean for you by this evening. And they won't find you if you're on the fastest ship in the world, will they?" He raised his eyebrows as high as they could possibly go on his forehead and then continued rowing.

"But, Elizabeth…"

"Don't worry about her. She's clever enough not to go marrying that Commodore fellow while you're gone."

Will looked down at his feet. "You cheated again," he said quietly. "I was going to kill the Commodore."

"No you weren't. You were going to kill some poor animal standing behind the Commodore. I don't think it matters who killed him and who didn't kill him but he's dead. It's not like I was doing you a favor. I didn't like him much. Trying to hang me and all. Now that's not very nice. And besides, he said he wanted you to marry Elizabeth so she could be happy forevar and forevar." He made a kind of rolling gesture with his right hand and then went back to rowing.

"He was bluffing."

"Who cares if he was? He said it. And everyone heard him say it. And he looked pretty serious."

"How did you know that he was going to do that?" Will asked. Jack had the Pearl. He didn't need to be there to kill Norrington.

"I didn't. I just thought, if he killed you, I could kill him and we'd all be happy."

Will thought about this for a few minutes. It didn't make much sense. "So now I'm going to be hiding on your ship for the rest of my life?"

"No, no, my friend. We'll bring you back in a few weeks…when the coast is clear, so to speak."

*stays: what they call "a corset" in the movie though corsets are more of a 19th century thing, not 18th.