AN: Well, this is the longest chapter yet! So much for not having enough time to write enough...I decided to take a day off study (well, not entirely, I did do some maths) and here's the result. Reviews are always loved. Wish me luck for my Specialist Maths exam Monday! Death to vectors!! BTW, the code is real. Get your Bibles out & check it. :)

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"I think you've hurt his feelings, Jack," Annamaria whispered.

It was true: the crewman leading them to the meal did seem a little aloof, stalking along in front of them with nary a look behind to check if they were still following.

"Funny," Jack muttered.

"What?"

"Usually my dazzling personality gets everyone first time," he continued with a nudge and a drawl. "You fell in love with me at first sight, right darlin'?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Jack," Annamaria said crossly. "And if I'm to look the least bit in love with you, we might do better without you elbowing me in the ribs."

Jack looked quickly at her. "I'm sorry, luv, didn't think."

"Anyway, you fell in love with MY dowry," Annamaria said. "The rum I brought with me. D'you reckon there'll be anything to drink at lunch?"

"If there isn't, we'll have to look a little harder in that trunk for Reverend Walters' communion wine afterwards."

They followed the crewman down to the passage that ran along the length of the ship; their cabin being toward the bow while the captain's the largest, in the stern. This way they avoided disturbing the crew who worked overhead, stowing the cargo and ropes that had been of use in Port Royale. Jack ran his hand along the hull. He could see that the 'Adversary', while by no means the least well maintained ship to sail out of Port Royale, had managed to spring a few minor leaks. The wood was damp under his palm. His mind raced ahead, trying to see a way towards sailing the ship with a crew of three into Tortuga. It was possible that some of the crew might defect and join him - it was probable that he didn't want any sailors on his crew that were that fickle. He was jolted out of his reverie by a very familiar voice in front of them, hailing the sailor that was acting as their guide.

"'ERE! Stop a moment, Hobbes!"

Hobbes halted in front of them. While there was no change in Jack's outwardly cool demeanour, he was thinking furiously. He stepped forward smartly. "I see you remember me, Mr Gibbs. What a surprise it is to meet you here! I'm sure Mrs Walters," at this Jack winked vigorously, "remembers you too, am I right Philly?"

Annamaria picked up on his cue much more quickly than Gibbs did. "Oh yes," she exclaimed happily, turning to Jack. "You provided some spiritual guidance, did you not, Reverend?"

Jack winked (thankfully out of sight of the puzzled Hobbes) several more times until an enlightened Gibbs finally got the idea. He doffed his hat. "Reveren' Walters, thanks to you me daughter is no longer a nun!"

Jack choked. Gibbs certainly had chosen his words well, but unfortunately for his (married) daughter, there was an element of truth in them, which he knew nothing about - to Jack's relief. Bubbles of laughter threatened to overwhelm Jack, and he stood, quivering. Why did some things seem intensely funny at the wrong times?

"He seems to have you pegged," Annamaria whispered, and took over, smiling sweetly at Hobbes, who stood looking from one person to another in bewilderment. "What our old friend Mr Gibbs means is that my husband performed his daughter's marriage service. Just an old joke between friends."

While Annamaria was speaking, Gibbs pointed at her and mouthed, "Who's that?"

"Tell you later," Jack mouthed back, but shut his mouth with a clap as Hobbes turned again. He settled for a nod in Gibbs' direction, and followed meekly as the crewman led them off once more. Annamaria, following, had one last idea.

"Mr Gibbs! Our manservant Matthews is somewhere on board," she called. "You might like to catch up with him for all the news."

Jack nodded to himself. Daniel could fill Gibbs in on as much as he knew. Jack had known Gibbs since before the mutiny - he found himself measuring time that way, these days - and he knew his curiosity was insatiable.

Hobbes turned to address them. "We're going to be late for luncheon now."

Jack waved an arm toward him. "Never fear, it was our fault. You won't get in trouble."

When they were all seated around the long table in the captain's rooms, being served with piping hot stew straight from the galley, it was all Jack and Annamaria could do to avoid falling upon their plates like savages.

"Outside cutlery first," Jack hissed.

Annamaria rolled her eyes. "I was brought up in an orphanage Jack, I know the rules."

They each daintily picked up their fork, and then set them down hurriedly as they realised that Captain Hakes and several other officers of the ship were staring at their plates. Oldbourn tilted his head and met Jack's questioning eyes with a pointed stare. Behind his cruel eyes, Jack thought he could detect a hint of mockery. What had they done wrong now? Jack was impatient to eat, but his question was answered by Captain Hakes clearing his throat.

"Hem! I think grace is in order? Reverend Walters, as a minister of religion, could you do the honours?"

Now it was Jack's turn to raise his eyes to the ceiling. Oh, for the love of Jesus... how did a grace go? At least all the men in the room had their eyes shut. In reality, only about fifteen seconds had passed as Jack tried frantically to dredge through his memory. Annamaria decided that the time had come to step in and prompt him. Peeking out through her eyelashes to check that all eyes in the room were closed, she muttered so quietly that Jack had to concentrate to hear her, "For what we are about to receive..."

"For what we are about to receive," Jack said in a thankful rush.

"We are truly grateful -"

"We are truly grateful," Jack continued, "Lord."

Annamaria was surprised when he continued. Chalk it up to Jack being inspired, she thought...

"Lord, bless this boat - ship - and keep it safe on the waters and out of the hands of pirates. And -"

The captain looked up. "Thank you Reverend, we do know that you could go on all day, but I think it's time to eat, don't you? Now tuck in, everybody."

Silence reigned in the room for a few minutes as everyone ate. Presently Oldbourn spoke.

"Have you had many run-ins with pirates, Reverend Walters?" he said with a sneer.

What's it to you, Jack thought, but answered meekly. "Thanks be to the Lord, I haven't had the pleasure..." he paused, then went on. "Has the 'Adversary met many unfriendly ships in these waters?"

"Just a couple," Captain Hakes said pleasantly. "We managed to sink one of them before they nobbled us, but the other...as you may have noticed, our ship isn't really built for ferrying passengers. We're a cargo ship by trade, and luckily we were sailing in a convoy. It was a couple of months ago." The captain hesitated a fraction, and then went on. "The damned buggers - excuse my French, Mistress Walters - boarded my good friend's ship and slaughtered the lot. We managed to get away...they weren't as interested in us."

"And the name of the ship?" Jack asked, interested.

"It was the 'Black Pearl'."

Jack sat a little straighter in his chair. "I thought she was a myth," he said carefully.

Captain Hakes shook his head. "I did too, until that day."

After the plates had been cleared, Jack and Annamaria were free to leave. They went immediately back to their cabin, where they found Daniel and Gibbs waiting for them. Jack had barely said a word on the way back to the cabin, just rolling with the sway of the ship as though it barely touched him. Annamaria hadn't found her sea legs yet - she had trouble balancing and several times had to lean on the walls to regain her footing. It didn't help that she couldn't use both arms to walk.

When they got into the cabin Jack nodded to both Gibbs and Daniel and went straight over to the chair he had sat in before. Annamaria paused in the doorway before Gibbs patted the bed next to him. The cabin was extremely cramped with the four of them in it.

From his position on the floor, Daniel spoke up. "How was your lunch?"

Seeing that Jack wasn't troubling himself to reply, Annamaria answered him. "Fine, thanks. Did you get something to eat?"

"I saw to that," Gibbs said comfortably. "He ate wi' me, down in the crew's quarters."

Over at the desk, Jack spoke finally. "You two haven't been introduced. Mr Gibbs, this is Annamaria. I met her in gaol at Port Royale and we broke out together. Annamaria, this is Mr Gibbs. He's known me since I was captain of the 'Pearl', and probably before that as well, am I right?"

"You were captain of the 'Black Pearl'?" Annamaria said, shocked.

"Until it was wrenched from my hands by my first mate, yes."

"A couple of years ago now it were, right Jack?" Gibbs said. "Barbossa forced 'im off the ship, turned the crew agin 'im, cast 'im off on an island somewhere in the Caribbean."

Daniel spoke up. "How did you get off the island?"

Gibbs opened his mouth to reply, but Jack cut him off smoothly. "Now is not the time or the place for that story, mate. What are you doing here on the 'Adversary' anyway? Last time I saw you, you were nearly comatose under a table in Tortuga's finest tavern."

"And last time I saw you, you weren't all dressed up as a minister of the bloody church! Jack, you may 'ave forgotten, but I earn me living the respectable way."

Jack and Gibbs both chuckled at shared memories. "Do you, now?"

"Let's just say that I may have had to leave my 'ome in a hurry, owing to the wife going through her change of life. Leastways, she's been right angry lately, so I think to meself: a spot of extra money wouldn't go astray, and land meself a job on this ship."

"How's Rosie? Marriage working out for her, then?" Jack asked idly.

"Oh, yeah, Jack - they've got their own farm now an' everything. Proper nice it is."

"Pity," Jack mumbled. Then he turned to Daniel. "S'your turn now, mate. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want honest replies, savvy?"

Daniel nodded. "I understand."

"The code, cipher, whatever you want to call it: where did you get it if you didn't write it? Isn't it pretty useless to you if you can't read?"

It took Daniel a little while to answer as he considered his words. "The treasure that the code has directions to...it is part of my heritage. It has been a task for my family for generations: guard what little treasure that remains of the Aztecs, that the Spanish did not sail away with, from malignant people."

"You don't look very Aztec," Jack said pointedly, gesturing at his abnormally fair hair and skin.

"I won't deny that the Aztec has been diluted in our family, by intermarrying with other races," Daniel said with fire in his eyes. "But the blood that flows in my veins is the same that flowed in my ancestors', in Tenochtitlan. We were given instructions to watch over the treasure generations ago."

The cabin had become very silent as the three people hung on Daniel's every word. When it didn't appear as though he was going to continue, Annamaria spoke.

"Seems to me," she said slowly, "that you haven't been watching over it very closely if you don't even know where it is."

"It's taken me a long time, asking everyone, to find out this much." Daniel said jerkily. "I wasn't old enough to be told by my parents. And then when they were murdered...it was about a year or two ago now. Probably," he raised his head to look at Jack, "at about the same time you were marooned on your island. In our family..." he trailed off.

Annamaria slipped off the bed and went to sit next to Daniel on the floor as he faltered. She wrapped her good arm around his thin shoulders as Jack and Gibbs looked at each other. As she whispered into Daniel's ear so that only he could hear her, he raised his head, infused by new strength.

"I'm sorry," he said simply. "This is the first time I've told my story to anyone...anyway, in our family we weren't told of our heritage until we turned twenty-one."

Jack leaned forward. "When we read the parchment to you, you mentioned a curse, and that HE didn't tell you that. Who?"

"The priest that I spoke to." Daniel replied.

Jack groaned, and the other three looked at him, astonished. He looked around, gesturing his hands for emphasis. "It would be a priest, wouldn't it? Religion is takin' over my bloody life!"