Chapter 11
A few days passed. Jack was in an incredibly good mood because we were gaining on the Pearl. Or so Gibbs said.
It grew unnaturally foggy. I couldn't see how Jack was able to steer us thru deadly waters, but he did. He relied on his compass more now.
"Dead men tell no tales." the parrot squawked in the still air. It's voice echoed, and everyone stood to one side, peering over the edge and into the depths of the water. Sharks were everywhere. I clutched tighter to the ropes.
Gibbs sighed, turning away from the water. Will and I followed him. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs said aloud, tugging on the pulleys.
Will was watching Jack. He noticed Mr. Cotton peering over Jack's shoulder at the compass. Jack snapped it shut after turning more east. "How did Jack come upon that compass?" he wondered aloud. Gibbs sighed happily "Not a lot known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta." He grinned and shook his head. "That was before I met him. Back when he was captain of the Black Pearl." Will turned around, shock written all over his features. My mouth hit the floor. "What?" we said at the same time, short of breath. Will turned back to the sea. "He failed to mention that," I grumbled. "Well, he plays things close to the vest now," Gibbs replied. "And a hard learned lesson it was." He sat down on a coil of rope. I sat down across from him, my legs bent at the knee. Will got down on his knees behind me. "See, three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share as should be the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat." "Oh." I said, not really understanding. "Oh," Will says, more to himself than to us. "So that's the reason for all the." He popped out his eyes a bit and pretended to teeter back and forth, making the same hand movements Jack made. I smiled and almost laughed aloud. Gibbs scowled fiercely at my brother. "Reason's got nothing to do with it," he snarled. "Now Will, Meg, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot." He shrugged. "Well, it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol starts to look real friendly." He made a double-barreled pistol with his fingers and placed it near his temples as he talked. "But Jack made it off the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate." Something clicked. "Barbossa," I said softly. "Aye." Will looked thoughtfully at Jack, then turned back to Gibbs. "How did Jack get off the island?" "Well, I'll tell ye," he said excitedly, shifting his weight. "He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days, and three nights, till all manner of sea creature came and acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, harnessed them together and made a raft." I looked at him doubtfully. "He roped a couple of sea turtles?" I repeated slowly. "Aye." "What did he use for rope?" Will asked suspiciously. Gibbs opened his mouth to answer, then hesitated, unsure of himself. He must have heard a noise, because he turned away from us and peered up. Will looked up, and I could feel his legs stiffen. I didn't even bother. "Human hair," Jack said sarcastically. "From my back." I flinched, making a face. He turned to the other sailors, still staring at the water. "Let go of the anchor!" "Let go of the anchor, sir!" they repeated back, scrambling away from the side. Jack motioned for Gibbs to come close. "Young Mr. Turner and I will be going to shore," he said softly, but not so soft I couldn't hear him. He pointed at me. "Take care of her. MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER." "Aye, sir," Gibbs confirmed, looking slightly puzzled at the request and the intensity of it. "What if the worst should happen, sir?" "Keep to the code." "Aye, sir, the code." Jack walked amiably over to me, standing right in front of me. I kept my eyes diverted, studying the wood planks on the deck. He put two fingers under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. They were calm and steady and strong. I struggled not to cry. "I promise to return, love," he said smoothly. "For your sake.for my sanity.don't be like your brother and do something stupid." "Aye, sir," I said softly, looking down at the floor again. "Why you always looking down, love?" "I'm afraid you may see something I don't want you to see." He tilted my chin up again. He didn't say anything for the longest time, just looked at me. I felt something crumble within at his gaze. "Sir, the longboat's ready, sir!" He sighed, shook his head, then quickly leaned over and pecked me on the lips before turning away and jumping overboard into the longboat.
A few days passed. Jack was in an incredibly good mood because we were gaining on the Pearl. Or so Gibbs said.
It grew unnaturally foggy. I couldn't see how Jack was able to steer us thru deadly waters, but he did. He relied on his compass more now.
"Dead men tell no tales." the parrot squawked in the still air. It's voice echoed, and everyone stood to one side, peering over the edge and into the depths of the water. Sharks were everywhere. I clutched tighter to the ropes.
Gibbs sighed, turning away from the water. Will and I followed him. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs said aloud, tugging on the pulleys.
Will was watching Jack. He noticed Mr. Cotton peering over Jack's shoulder at the compass. Jack snapped it shut after turning more east. "How did Jack come upon that compass?" he wondered aloud. Gibbs sighed happily "Not a lot known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta." He grinned and shook his head. "That was before I met him. Back when he was captain of the Black Pearl." Will turned around, shock written all over his features. My mouth hit the floor. "What?" we said at the same time, short of breath. Will turned back to the sea. "He failed to mention that," I grumbled. "Well, he plays things close to the vest now," Gibbs replied. "And a hard learned lesson it was." He sat down on a coil of rope. I sat down across from him, my legs bent at the knee. Will got down on his knees behind me. "See, three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share as should be the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat." "Oh." I said, not really understanding. "Oh," Will says, more to himself than to us. "So that's the reason for all the." He popped out his eyes a bit and pretended to teeter back and forth, making the same hand movements Jack made. I smiled and almost laughed aloud. Gibbs scowled fiercely at my brother. "Reason's got nothing to do with it," he snarled. "Now Will, Meg, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot." He shrugged. "Well, it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol starts to look real friendly." He made a double-barreled pistol with his fingers and placed it near his temples as he talked. "But Jack made it off the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate." Something clicked. "Barbossa," I said softly. "Aye." Will looked thoughtfully at Jack, then turned back to Gibbs. "How did Jack get off the island?" "Well, I'll tell ye," he said excitedly, shifting his weight. "He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days, and three nights, till all manner of sea creature came and acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, harnessed them together and made a raft." I looked at him doubtfully. "He roped a couple of sea turtles?" I repeated slowly. "Aye." "What did he use for rope?" Will asked suspiciously. Gibbs opened his mouth to answer, then hesitated, unsure of himself. He must have heard a noise, because he turned away from us and peered up. Will looked up, and I could feel his legs stiffen. I didn't even bother. "Human hair," Jack said sarcastically. "From my back." I flinched, making a face. He turned to the other sailors, still staring at the water. "Let go of the anchor!" "Let go of the anchor, sir!" they repeated back, scrambling away from the side. Jack motioned for Gibbs to come close. "Young Mr. Turner and I will be going to shore," he said softly, but not so soft I couldn't hear him. He pointed at me. "Take care of her. MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER." "Aye, sir," Gibbs confirmed, looking slightly puzzled at the request and the intensity of it. "What if the worst should happen, sir?" "Keep to the code." "Aye, sir, the code." Jack walked amiably over to me, standing right in front of me. I kept my eyes diverted, studying the wood planks on the deck. He put two fingers under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. They were calm and steady and strong. I struggled not to cry. "I promise to return, love," he said smoothly. "For your sake.for my sanity.don't be like your brother and do something stupid." "Aye, sir," I said softly, looking down at the floor again. "Why you always looking down, love?" "I'm afraid you may see something I don't want you to see." He tilted my chin up again. He didn't say anything for the longest time, just looked at me. I felt something crumble within at his gaze. "Sir, the longboat's ready, sir!" He sighed, shook his head, then quickly leaned over and pecked me on the lips before turning away and jumping overboard into the longboat.