Pirates of the Caribbean
Legend of the Dragon's Claw
By Amos Whirly
Chapter Eleven: Betrayed
"Well, what is this?" Shonyu Wang chuckled as he stepped out of the line of sword wielding pirates. "Yue Zao. It has been a very long time."
"Not long enough, Shonyu," Yue snarled.
"And you bring foreigners," Wang began to circle the three prisoners. "Familiar foreigners." He stopped in front of Will and gazed darkly into his face. "Very familiar. You are the man who robbed me."
"You took my daughter," Will was white with rage.
"You took my heirloom," Wang countered. "I took your daughter to make you aware of how priceless family honor is. Of course, a Westerner like you could never understand."
Wang turned his attention to Jack.
"You I do not know."
"Oh, but I know you," Jack returned.
"Truly?" Wang approached him.
"Oh, yes," Jack was still smiling, but the malicious undertone in his voice was unnerving. "I was on the Pennington."
"The Pennington?" Wang laughed. "You ask me to remember a single ship?"
"It's where you found the Claw."
Wang's face suddenly darkened.
"You lie," he spat. "We killed all aboard that vessel."
"Including the captain."
"Of course, the captain," Wang snapped. "That old fool had no honor. I did him a favor by taking off his head." He stopped for a moment. "But there was a cabin boy. A cabin boy we never found. It was you, then. How ironic."
"Shonyu," Yue broke in, "these men have the sheath. They want to trade the sheath for Mr. Turner's daughter. To protect your honor, you must do this."
"To protect my honor?" he laughed. "What would you know of honor? You are nothing but an orphan who refused to stay within his class. You dishonored my father."
"It is you who have dishonored your father," Yue shot back. "Your father gave the Claw to me."
"It is rightfully mine!" Wang shouted. "And since you refused to give—!"
"Your father wished for me to have it," Yue interrupted. "Otherwise he would not have given it to me."
"If you only knew, Zao, the trouble you have caused," Wang spat. "After we left you on El Corazon, we searched for the Claw for years. When at last we found it, it was held captive by that foolish Jenkins man. He was easily dispatched, and the Claw was restored to my family. But as we sailed to this island, we had to stop for supplies, and we ran into that overweight foreigner who demanded to buy the Claw. When he could not purchase it, he stole it from us."
"You mean, McClintock?" Will hissed.
"Yes," Wang nodded. "He stole it from me. So we spent another long span of years searching for him. And when we found him, you two," he pointed at Will and Jack, "got in the way. Thus, we had no choice but to take your daughter."
Will and Jack fell silent.
One of the men behind them spoke, and Wang smiled.
"We also had no choice," his voice was evil, "in attacking your ship."
"What?" Jack gasped.
"Your ship," Wang sneered. "Your pirate ship. My crew is superior. They will all perish, and your ship will sink in the harbor as a warning to any other who ventures here again."
Wang turned to Will.
"Give me the sheath."
"Give me my daughter."
"First, the sheath."
"No."
Silence descended over the group.
"Mr. Turner, is it?" Wang snarled. "I have power. I decide what does and does not happen. The sheath and Claw belong to me, not to you, and since I am the wronged party present, it is you who shall defer to my commands."
Will was silent.
"If you do not give me the sheath, I will have your daughter killed straightway."
Will looked from Jack to Yue, feeling the strength drain out of his limbs.
"It is your choice," Wang smiled.
Out of the corner of his eye, Will could see Jack setting his hands together palm first, silently pleading. His expression practically screamed, Don't do anything stupid.
But Will ignored him.
He grabbed the sheath off his belt and tossed it to Wang.
"Thank you, Mr. Turner," Wang bowed, tucking the sheath into his own belt.
He gave an order in Chinese, and the whole company of men turned and started up the stairs again, dragging Jack, Will, and Yue with them.
"Where are you taking us?" Will demanded.
"We're taking you to your daughter," Wang said, "so you may watch her die."
Will felt his heart stop.
"What?" he shouted. "I gave you the sheath! We were to trade!"
"I said nothing of trading anything," Wang glared at him. "I cannot allow three foreigners to know the location of the Island of the Dragon's Claw. You all have to die anyway. This way, you can watch her head fall, and then you can follow her."