Dugan hurried through the darkness, his precious package inside his coat.
He didn't know what was so important about this piece of parchment to send
him running off for it, but he knew when not to argue with his captain.
Besides, anything was worth it to escape the tension in that house, even
for just half an hour.
He slipped in through a open window and made his way quickly to the drawing room, where the stormy atmosphere seemed to have calmed slightly. He noted, with a grin, Miss Marin and Captain Jack sitting together, and the commodore not far away, a decidedly unhappy expression on his face. Elias turned as he entered, never one to miss an addition to the company, no matter how silent.
'Ah, boy, do ye have it?'
Dugan grinned, reaching into his jerkin.
'Aye, cap'n, that I do,' he said cheerfully, handing his delivery to Elias carefully. 'Didnae take me tae long tae find it, neither.'
But Elias wasn't listening. He unfolded the parchment with gentle hand, just far enough to uncover the seal that marked the bottom of the page, and gave it to the commodore. Norrington took it, his eyes drawn immediately to the design, knowing instinctively that if he were to explore the page further, it would be taken from him.
'Will ye be accepting that as yer proof, commodore?' Elias asked quietly.
Norrington felt as though he had been kicked repeatedly in the stomach. There was no way he could deny that the seal was that of his Irish ancestors, and in accepting that as truth, he had to accept that he was related, however distantly, to these pirates, who even now regarded him with steady eyes. With a quiet sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, handing the parchment back to its rightful owner.
'What better proof that that of my blood . . . cousin,' he said, accepting Elias' warm handshake with something akin to relief.
He had believed for so long that with the death of his father he was alone in the world, with no one to share the burdens of his blood with him. With this revelation came the knowledge that his loneliness was unfounded. He had family once again.
Elias glanced up at the clock, seeing the hands pointing to forty minutes past eleven.
'Then now, we wait,' he told them, settling himself down before the fire.
There was a pause, each person enclosed in their own thoughts as they pondered the significance of what had just taken place.
'Governor, could I prevail upon you for a stiff drink?' Norrington asked suddenly, his voice loud in the stillness. 'I feel in need of one.'
Leaping to his feet. Governor Swann hurried to the cabinet, offering his best spirits to everyone there. Elizabeth watched as Norrington down a large measure of whisky in one, drawing colour back into his pale features. Beside her, Will yawned, pulling her back against him as they, too, settled down to wait for this dark secret that bound three pirates and a commodore of the King's Navy together so tightly to be revealed.
Jack rested his head atop Marin's as she leant against him. She probably would have fitted perfectly into his embrace, were it not for the four pistols, two sabres, and innumerable daggers littered about their persons, making it damn near impossible to find a comfortable position.
Something had changed tonight, ht knew, something profound had passed between them. He had been so angry when Gibbs had brought her back, bloodied and bruised from her confrontation with Danielson's bully boys. He had wanted to kill Danielson right then and there with his bare hands. But something had kept him by her side, almost as if he couldn't bear the thought of her suffering alone. And now he knew she had no man to return to . . . perhaps he did have a chance with her. She certainly wasn't pulling away from him now.
Marin sighed softly, glorying in the warmth of Jack's embrace. He seemed so at ease with himself tonight, so at ease with her. She, too, was comfortable, no longer edgy or tense when he touched her. Vaguely she wondered why that was, not really expecting to find an answer, when it hit her. She loved him.
Elizabeth had warned her that she might be falling for him and she had brushed her friend's concern aside, but now she thought about it, the more sense it made. Why else would she be so unconcerned by his familiar embrace, why else would she welcome his gentle affection without a second thought? She smiled softly, quickly resigned to her heart. She was in love with Captain Jack Sparrow.
An insistent chiming invaded her thoughts and Jack shifted slightly, pushing her into a more upright position. His lips brushed her ear as he sat up with her, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.
'Many happy returns, love,' he murmured, his eyes on Elias.
The old captain sat forward, his eyes on his cousins as they perched in their seats, ready to hear what he had to say. The silence was thick with unspoken questions, as he very deliberately removed his locket and set it on the table between them. Glancing at one another, Norrington and Marin followed suit, relinquishing their trinkets to the scrutiny of the others gathered around them.
'Here follows an account of the finding of the treasure and the hiding of a secret known only to a few,' Elias began, reading from the parchment in a voice that sounded strangely detached from himself.
'When those of our family chose to gather together the spoils of Cortez's war against the Aztecs, certain steps were taken to prevent the curse of the heathen gods from falling on our children and those who would follow. The gold was not to be touched until the seventh heir of each child had reached the age of reason. Four children from seven survived their infancy, and four children from seven were charged with the keeping of the secret. A son and three daughters, the key divided between them, went their separate ways, trusted to protect the key and to pass each piece onto their children.
'Years pass and memory fades, each finds their own way. And so shall the gold remain untouched, until the seventh heir of that seventh son gathers together those who remain of his blood to claim their inheritance, with only this for guidance; the gold survives within the eye of the storm, where the whispering winds never cease to blow and the wail of the banshee fills the air from year to year, in sight of the land where the eternal flames burn.'
He watched as the word sank in, each interpreting the account in their own way.
'What is the secret?' Norrington asked softly, his gaze steady as he looked on his cousin, Elias.
Again without words, the seventh heir of the seventh son reached out to open the lockets that lay before him on the table. He opened them one by one, leaving them where all could see. With infinite care, he pressed a finger to the unblemished side of the silver piece. There was a tiny clink, and a piece fell out. He repeated the process with the remaining two lockets, and carefully fit the three pieces together. Before them on the table lay a silver doubloon, missing a corner, but otherwise perfect.
'That is the secret, lad,' Elias said just as softly as Norrington had spoken. 'The silver doubloon is the key we will need to open the chests that hold the gold our forebears gathered for us. All we need is Danielson's locket, and our way is clear.'
Marin frowned.
'Where is the island?' she asked, still shocked to learn that her most prized possession from her past could hold so much significance for her future.
'That, I have spent many years working out,' Elias told her. 'There is an island off the coast of Cape Horn that is not susceptible to the storms that ravage that region, but still has a continuous gale blowing across it. The wind howls across blowholes above the caves that riddle the island, making it sound as though the banshees were wailing for the deaths of all sailors.'
'And the eternal flames?' Norrington pressed, leaning forward eagerly.
Elias glanced up at him, pleased to see that even the introduction of upper class English blood into the family had not dulled the Celtic spark of adventure that drove the younger man.
'Tierra del Fuego,' he said simply.
Jack grinned, exchanging a quick glance with Marin.
'The land of fire,' he muttered appreciatively. He raised his voice slightly. 'So with Danielson's locket, you'd be looking to go after the gold?'
Elias' sudden grin was a shock in the tense room. He nodded.
'That I would, Jack lad,' he agreed.
He slipped in through a open window and made his way quickly to the drawing room, where the stormy atmosphere seemed to have calmed slightly. He noted, with a grin, Miss Marin and Captain Jack sitting together, and the commodore not far away, a decidedly unhappy expression on his face. Elias turned as he entered, never one to miss an addition to the company, no matter how silent.
'Ah, boy, do ye have it?'
Dugan grinned, reaching into his jerkin.
'Aye, cap'n, that I do,' he said cheerfully, handing his delivery to Elias carefully. 'Didnae take me tae long tae find it, neither.'
But Elias wasn't listening. He unfolded the parchment with gentle hand, just far enough to uncover the seal that marked the bottom of the page, and gave it to the commodore. Norrington took it, his eyes drawn immediately to the design, knowing instinctively that if he were to explore the page further, it would be taken from him.
'Will ye be accepting that as yer proof, commodore?' Elias asked quietly.
Norrington felt as though he had been kicked repeatedly in the stomach. There was no way he could deny that the seal was that of his Irish ancestors, and in accepting that as truth, he had to accept that he was related, however distantly, to these pirates, who even now regarded him with steady eyes. With a quiet sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, handing the parchment back to its rightful owner.
'What better proof that that of my blood . . . cousin,' he said, accepting Elias' warm handshake with something akin to relief.
He had believed for so long that with the death of his father he was alone in the world, with no one to share the burdens of his blood with him. With this revelation came the knowledge that his loneliness was unfounded. He had family once again.
Elias glanced up at the clock, seeing the hands pointing to forty minutes past eleven.
'Then now, we wait,' he told them, settling himself down before the fire.
There was a pause, each person enclosed in their own thoughts as they pondered the significance of what had just taken place.
'Governor, could I prevail upon you for a stiff drink?' Norrington asked suddenly, his voice loud in the stillness. 'I feel in need of one.'
Leaping to his feet. Governor Swann hurried to the cabinet, offering his best spirits to everyone there. Elizabeth watched as Norrington down a large measure of whisky in one, drawing colour back into his pale features. Beside her, Will yawned, pulling her back against him as they, too, settled down to wait for this dark secret that bound three pirates and a commodore of the King's Navy together so tightly to be revealed.
Jack rested his head atop Marin's as she leant against him. She probably would have fitted perfectly into his embrace, were it not for the four pistols, two sabres, and innumerable daggers littered about their persons, making it damn near impossible to find a comfortable position.
Something had changed tonight, ht knew, something profound had passed between them. He had been so angry when Gibbs had brought her back, bloodied and bruised from her confrontation with Danielson's bully boys. He had wanted to kill Danielson right then and there with his bare hands. But something had kept him by her side, almost as if he couldn't bear the thought of her suffering alone. And now he knew she had no man to return to . . . perhaps he did have a chance with her. She certainly wasn't pulling away from him now.
Marin sighed softly, glorying in the warmth of Jack's embrace. He seemed so at ease with himself tonight, so at ease with her. She, too, was comfortable, no longer edgy or tense when he touched her. Vaguely she wondered why that was, not really expecting to find an answer, when it hit her. She loved him.
Elizabeth had warned her that she might be falling for him and she had brushed her friend's concern aside, but now she thought about it, the more sense it made. Why else would she be so unconcerned by his familiar embrace, why else would she welcome his gentle affection without a second thought? She smiled softly, quickly resigned to her heart. She was in love with Captain Jack Sparrow.
An insistent chiming invaded her thoughts and Jack shifted slightly, pushing her into a more upright position. His lips brushed her ear as he sat up with her, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.
'Many happy returns, love,' he murmured, his eyes on Elias.
The old captain sat forward, his eyes on his cousins as they perched in their seats, ready to hear what he had to say. The silence was thick with unspoken questions, as he very deliberately removed his locket and set it on the table between them. Glancing at one another, Norrington and Marin followed suit, relinquishing their trinkets to the scrutiny of the others gathered around them.
'Here follows an account of the finding of the treasure and the hiding of a secret known only to a few,' Elias began, reading from the parchment in a voice that sounded strangely detached from himself.
'When those of our family chose to gather together the spoils of Cortez's war against the Aztecs, certain steps were taken to prevent the curse of the heathen gods from falling on our children and those who would follow. The gold was not to be touched until the seventh heir of each child had reached the age of reason. Four children from seven survived their infancy, and four children from seven were charged with the keeping of the secret. A son and three daughters, the key divided between them, went their separate ways, trusted to protect the key and to pass each piece onto their children.
'Years pass and memory fades, each finds their own way. And so shall the gold remain untouched, until the seventh heir of that seventh son gathers together those who remain of his blood to claim their inheritance, with only this for guidance; the gold survives within the eye of the storm, where the whispering winds never cease to blow and the wail of the banshee fills the air from year to year, in sight of the land where the eternal flames burn.'
He watched as the word sank in, each interpreting the account in their own way.
'What is the secret?' Norrington asked softly, his gaze steady as he looked on his cousin, Elias.
Again without words, the seventh heir of the seventh son reached out to open the lockets that lay before him on the table. He opened them one by one, leaving them where all could see. With infinite care, he pressed a finger to the unblemished side of the silver piece. There was a tiny clink, and a piece fell out. He repeated the process with the remaining two lockets, and carefully fit the three pieces together. Before them on the table lay a silver doubloon, missing a corner, but otherwise perfect.
'That is the secret, lad,' Elias said just as softly as Norrington had spoken. 'The silver doubloon is the key we will need to open the chests that hold the gold our forebears gathered for us. All we need is Danielson's locket, and our way is clear.'
Marin frowned.
'Where is the island?' she asked, still shocked to learn that her most prized possession from her past could hold so much significance for her future.
'That, I have spent many years working out,' Elias told her. 'There is an island off the coast of Cape Horn that is not susceptible to the storms that ravage that region, but still has a continuous gale blowing across it. The wind howls across blowholes above the caves that riddle the island, making it sound as though the banshees were wailing for the deaths of all sailors.'
'And the eternal flames?' Norrington pressed, leaning forward eagerly.
Elias glanced up at him, pleased to see that even the introduction of upper class English blood into the family had not dulled the Celtic spark of adventure that drove the younger man.
'Tierra del Fuego,' he said simply.
Jack grinned, exchanging a quick glance with Marin.
'The land of fire,' he muttered appreciatively. He raised his voice slightly. 'So with Danielson's locket, you'd be looking to go after the gold?'
Elias' sudden grin was a shock in the tense room. He nodded.
'That I would, Jack lad,' he agreed.