Okay, now I'm just avoiding writing because I don't want it to end. This is the point in the process for me where I start thinking about the next story in the series, instead of tying up this one. In a perverse kind of luck, I've not been sleeping well and that gave me time to figure out this chapter…
Continuing thanks to the readers, and multitudinous smooches to the reviewers. You make it all so much fun.
Jack stopped and looked up as he saw a familiar figure join the group of rebels that were taking them, by way of a circuitous route, through the jungle and back to their boat. The pirate's smile glinted in the early light as he stepped forward.
"Nihli?"
The man smiled back, and formally put his hand on Jack's shoulder in greeting as he spoke in a resonant bass voice.
"Jahk Spahrow. Welcome home." He nodded his head in a small bow.
Jack looked impressed, returning the gesture. "I thank you. And how did you come by English, my friend?"
Nihli laughed deep in his throat. "Tassa."
This time it was Ana who reacted, gasping as she looked up and saw her old friend walking out of the jungle behind him. "Tassa?" The two women laughed, throwing their arms around each other and talking quickly in the dialect of the island. After a moment of chatter, a small child no more than three pulled on Tassa's draped sarong and was promptly lifted up. Ana cooed over the girl and switched unconsciously to English.
"Tassa! Look at her! She's beautiful. Come here, darlin'…" With the easy confidence of the well-loved, the little girl stretched out her arms for Ana and giggled as she was cuddled. "And what's your name, little one?" The girl giggled again, but she was looking towards Jack, who was making faces at her behind Ana's back.
"We call her Simone." Tassa smiled, only a hint of sadness in her eyes as she looked fondly at her daughter. "After her father."
Ana nodded. "Ah, Simon'd like that. Yer father was a good man, little one."
Nihli looked around abruptly. "At least her father was. We must keep on. They'll know you're gone soon." He looked pointedly at Jack, who was making Simone laugh by jingling his hair at her. The pirate gave him a sheepish look, which made the little girl laugh out loud, and the group began walking again. The conversation continued a bit more quietly.
"When did you come back?"
"We left England when Simone was a year. I realized my place was with the dantilla, and when I got here, I found that my brother had left home as well, and was leading them." She smiled over at Nihli. "I have a family again, someone for my daughter to learn from."
The tall rebel looked down at her solemnly. "Gods keep her from learning anything from her grandfather." He spat on the ground and Jack raised his eyebrows cautiously. He stepped closer to Nihli as he spoke.
"The old man wasn't exactly hospitable with us. Things as bad as they were, then?"
"Worse. The people live in fear. We try to bring them over the mountain, to help them, but he holds them in terror. Until he's dead…" Tassa hissed something in the dialect of the island, and Nihli shook his head. "I won't end his life, Tassa."
Ana turned with an unladylike noise. "And why not? The man's a murderin' bastard."
Tassa glanced again at her brother, who strode proudly forward, not looking at them. "It would dishonor both myself and my family."
Gibbs nodded, shrugged. "Aye. And it's probably terrible bad luck."
Jack shook his head and grinned over at the older pirate before turning somewhat theatrically to his pilot. "Why Anamaria." His finger rested on his chin in thoughtful, mock surprise. "It dawns on me now, that you lied to the good chief when you gave him that map to France."
Ana gave him a sardonic look. "Pirate." He broke into a smile at her tone. "Besides, they deserve each other."
The three pirates nodded in quiet agreement as they came to the beach. Ana gave Simone somewhat reluctantly back to her mother, hugging her goodbye. Three of the rebels waded out to pull their dinghy closer as Jack turned to Nihli once more. "Thank you, my friend. I must go –"
"But you'll be back someday. May the wind always follow you, Captain Spahrow."
"From your lips to God's ears, mate."
The pirate's teeth glinted in the sunlight as Gibbs rowed them back out toward the Pearl. After a moment the captain rested his hand on the sack hanging from his belt, and his expression grew more solemn. It changed to one of outright concern when he heard yells from his ship. He'd left Cotton in charge with a young crewman called Duncan as his second, not expecting any trouble. He was sure Duncan would be a fine sailor someday, once experience settled in. The pirate listened carefully, wondering what was going on.
"Raise anchor!" Duncan.
"Get the Captain aboard!" Ah. That would be Elizabeth's voice.
"Load cannons?" Duncan again.
"Dead men tell no tales!"
"It was just a thought."
Jack frowned as a rope snaked over the side and several heads appeared with it, but only one was looking down at the dinghy. The rest were staring back toward the island. Jack jerked around in time to see ten long canoes spear into the water like hungry barracuda.
"Ladder!"
Gibbs tied off the dinghy while Jack and Ana scrambled up the side of the ship, and followed quickly after. The wind had freshened as if to greet them, and the Black Pearl was picking up speed already. For a few minutes it looked as if the spear-carrying warriors would overtake them, but Jack called for more canvas as he took the helm and the Pearl easily pulled away, out into open seas.
Once they were safely under way, Jack turned a look at Cotton, his voice harsh. "Cannons. Against canoes?" Cotton turned to shrug at Duncan, who looked sheepish. The captain gave him a critical look. "A bit of overkill, lad, don't you think?"
"We weren't worried for the Pearl, Cap'n. I just thought we could fire across their bows if you needed time to get aboard." Jack relented slightly in the face of youthful exuberance.
"Fair enough."
Half an hour later they were in bright sunshine on following seas. The Pearl was gliding through the water with every bit of canvas hung, and Jack kept looking up as if to see if there was some stitch of sail that he could add somewhere. Elizabeth approached the helm quietly.
"Jack?"
He gave her a look. She rolled her eyes.
"Captain Sparrow?"
"Aye?"
"How long do you think it will take-"
He stopped her with a glance. "The Pearl's doing the best she can, Lizzie. I'll keep her on track."
Elizabeth opened her mouth, closed it. He was right. They couldn't make any better time than they were now. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Aye, Captain." Turning away, she went to find Ana, to quiz her about charting their course.
They brought him food during the day, but Jack didn't leave the helm for more than a couple of minutes the entire time. Sunset found him still at the wheel, and Elizabeth stood near Ana as the dark pirate gave him the corrected bearings.
"Good, Ana. You better get below."
"Aye, Cap'n." She didn't move, though, and he glanced in her direction.
"What?"
"Can I be getting' you anything, Jack?"
He gave her a golden grin. "No, but thanks, love. You two get some sleep. Savvy?"
"Aye, Jack. G'night, then."
Elizabeth stared at her for a minute and then followed, confused. "Ana?"
"Aye?"
"Shouldn't someone else take a turn at the helm? I mean, he's been there all day, he must be exhaust-"
Ana rounded on her, a pointed finger extended at the girl's face. "Listen, missy. You don't tell the captain to take a nap. You make sure he knows you're there if he needs you. That's all."
"But why is he doing this?"
The woman sighed, looked at the earnest young face. "Don't ye know, Elizabeth, that no one can make the Pearl move faster than Jack Sparrow? It's like he's pullin' her through the water himself." She glanced back toward the helm with a soft smile. "He's worried about the Turner's. So he's not trustin' her to anyone else."
"Oh." Elizabeth didn't know what to say. "Should we stay up, just in case he needs something?"
"He said sleep. That's the best we can do, so we're ready if need be. He knows where we are."
On board the Esperance, Will stirred in bed uneasily, then sat bolt upright with a gasp.
"Another nightmare, son?" Will frowned at the voice in the dark room. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the one candle that was burning at the table nearby.
"Father?"
He thought he heard a soft, resigned sigh, but wasn't sure. "Not yet, Master Turner."
"Oh. Sorry, sir, I thought –"
"Don't worry. Here, drink some water." Governor Swann stepped closer to the light to pour him a tankard, and Will blinked in sleepy surprise. The man wasn't wearing his coat or his wig, and looked like he had been dozing in the chair near the bed. As he brought Will the mug, he looked at him critically. "Your color's better."
"Thank you." Will yawned before he took a long drink, not realizing how thirsty he'd been. "Have you been here long, sir?"
"Well, I knew we were getting closer to the island when Captain Turner took the helm again. I thought someone should be in here." He took the empty mug. "More?"
"No, thanks." The boy frowned thoughtfully, his eyes blinking slowly. "And thank you for… well…"
"It's alright." Putting the mug back down on the table, the governor shrugged into his coat, although he left it unbuttoned. "I've not had to sit up with a sick child since Elizabeth broke her arm when she was twelve."
Will thought for a moment, then a grin brightened his face. "I remember. She told me she was galloping across the field, she jumped a fence, got caught by a tree branch, fell, and got kicked by a horse."
Swann looked at him and laughed. "Oh, did she." He leaned closer to the bed, lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'll have you know that she broke that arm falling out of her bedroom window while trying to sneak out. Just because I told her she couldn't go and play with the boys that day." The governor squinted at him thoughtfully. "In fact, I think it was you that she wanted to see that particular time."
Will looked shocked. "But – the second floor?"
"Indeed." Elizabeth's father gave him a calculating look. "I do hope you know what you're getting yourself into."
The boy blinked, shook his head. "I didn't know…" He yawned again, and the older man stood.
"Why don't you get some more sleep. I'll check in on you later." Nodding his farewell, he closed the door carefully behind him.
Will settled back into the bed again, blinked thoughtfully at the door, and closed his eyes.
In a few minutes he was sound asleep, and the murderous governor that haunted his dreams had no resemblance whatsoever to the man who had just left his room. By morning the visit felt like something he had imagined, and the dreams once more felt painfully, hideously real.
