Usual disclaimers. yeah, I know!
Firstly if there are any devoutly religious readers reading this I must apologise. The funeral passages are from an internet site about burials at sea and I have typed them as on the site. I hope the wording is correct for the image I am trying to portray.
***
Elizabeth flew into Will's arms when he quietly pushed open the kitchen door. She had risen early to fix breakfast for the children who were still in bed. The door leaned alarmingly and Will belatedly remembered the broken hinge. Jean Claude, two steps behind him, caught the door before it crashed to the floor.
"Will! I was so worried!" she gasped, looking in askance at the two men standing behind him.
"They're crew," Will explained briefly.
"So you found Jack?" Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded. "I went out earlier today... the town is in uproar Will! They hanged Gibbs and the men last night!" She looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with tears. She had known the gruff sailor since her journey from England all those years ago, the journey where she had also first met Will when they were both children. It had also been the first time that she had seen the then cursed pirate ship the Black Pearl that was to become so entwined in their lives.
"I know Elizabeth, I know... and so does Jack now..." Will assured her.
"How..." she frowned for the confirmation of their deaths had not been made until several hours after he had left the house.
"Murtogg told me just before I left town. He took a big risk in warning me as I think he was meant to still be on duty, but there was nothing that Jack could have done in the time. These men are here to try to get Kitty out." Will sighed.
"Just two men?" she gasped. "How can just two men help?" She looked at them carefully. "Who are you?"
Jean Claude took her hand, bowing low and kissing it formally. "Jean Claude Lact at your service Madame Turner," he smiled. "And my associate here is Isaac Hallam..."
"Lact!" Elizabeth hissed in shock. "Hallam!" Her habit of reading every bit of gossip she could find in the papers or in story books regarding the pirates and their exploits had not lessened over time and had heard many a tale of both names.
"I believe you have heard of my father, or my brother Joshua, Mistress Turner," Isaac smiled. "I have yet to come to the notice of the Kings Navy... but I hope to soon." He grinned. "Family honour you understand..."
"Ah, err, yes..." Elizabeth stuttered, unsure if Isaac was joking or not. "Pleased to meet you both..." she added politely.
"Madame Turner," Jean Claude smiled, smacking Isaac's hand as it sneaked towards one of the bowls of breakfast. "Do you know if there are any people within the town we can trust that would help us? I've heard that before the town refused to sell to the Governor the last time he jailed Kitty... would they do something like that again?"
"I think it has already gone further than that Jean Claude," Elizabeth worried. "The town is furious about this." She looked towards Will, her eyes full of worry. "Last night some marines that went drinking were been found beaten and I fear it is only a matter of time before one is killed." She sighed heavily. "I never thought Port Royal would come to this..."
"And how badly would they take it if they knew what had been done to Kitty?" Jean Claude asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth gasped fearfully for she had heard nothing of Catherine other than she had not been hanged with the men.
"Kitty was pretty badly beaten love from what I can make out," Will explained. "Murtogg told me that her face was covered in blood and her leg had been hurt in some way - and it is only the fact she could not walk that saved her from the gallows last night!" Elizabeth went so white that Will grabbed her, fearful that she would faint. "Elizabeth?"
"I think you need a new shirt Jean Claude..." she replied obliquely, brushing aside Will's concern. "If something is to be arranged then the best place is Tabitha the seamstress..."
Jean Claude looked at her in confusion. "This is my best shirt Madame!" he protested before realising what she meant. Obviously this Tabitha was somebody that could be trusted to help them try to free Catherine. "Oh," he smiled. "I suppose it is a little old now that you mention it - a new one would not go amiss..." he teased.
Elizabeth e looked at Jean Claude in exasperation before turning to Will. "And I must try to visit the Fort..." she said determinedly.
***
The Black Pearl quietly slipped from the cove, saddened but unsurprised to see four bodies swinging from Dead Man's Rock. The crew looked towards Jack for his orders. "Take a ships boat an' cut 'em down. A decent burial at sea is the best we can give them now..." he sighed heavily. "Well, that an' vengeance," he muttered. "Cotton, Booth, Kree, Fearnan - see to it now!" he ordered.
"Captain," the four nodded, climbing into the largest of the ships boats and rowing carefully out to the rock, aware of the razor sharp rocks just inches below them. Paul and Lonan held the boat steady as Oran and Cotton cut down the four bodies of their friends. They laid them gently down in the centre of the boat before picking up their own oars and rowing back to the Black Pearl where many hands reached down to lift the bodies onboard..
Jack looked at the bodies laid out on the deck, noting the cuts and bruises - evidence that they had not been taken without a fight. He frowned, wondering why Gibson and Mallory were not wearing their shirts but that was a puzzle he could not answer - well, not yet anyway he mused.
"Weigh anchor!" he commanded, striding angrily back to the quarter deck. "An' ready th' guns! I want that rock levelled!"
The crew hurried to obey and soon Dead Man's Rock was nothing more than a pile of broken rubble. No more pirates would hang there in warning at the mouth of the harbour of Port Royal. Jack ordered a single cannon to fire high, the cannon ball splashing harmlessly away from the smaller ships in the harbour as they passed. He wanted to let Catherine know he had not left, that he was still there even if he could not yet get to her. Happy that his message had been delivered he swung the Black Pearl towards the Windward Passage... they had four funerals to observe.
***
It was dusk when they eventually furled their sails and sat quietly in the centre of the Windward Passage, the mood of the crew dark and sombre. Cotton quietly oversaw the wrapping of the bodies, seeing personally to his old friend Joshamee Gibbs. He could not believe that apart from Jack he was the only remaining crew member from when they took on Barbossa all those years ago. Well, apart from Anamaria, but since she was no longer a crew member and was living ashore he supposed she did not technically count. He nodded to Jack when the crew had assembled on deck, sharing the silent pain in his Captain's eyes.
Jack sighed heavily. "Yer all know that such eulogies on th' Pearl have always been performed by Gibbs - but today I must speak th' traditional words of internment for him as well as fer Mallory, Gibson an' Brown. Their deaths were not in battle as we would expect, or in any just cause, but by treachery an' deceit. I am not Gibbs," he spread his hands in apology, "but I will do m' best..."
For a moment Jack stood with silent, his eyes closed. Eventually he raised his eyes, looking up to the sky. "Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh are in joy and felicity." He felt his voice break and paused to regain his composure - it would do him little good to be seen crying by the crew. He took a deep breath and continued. "We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our brothers out of the miseries of this sinful world, beseeching thee, that it may please thee, of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The crew, to a man, muttered "Amen" in response before continuing to stand in silence.
Jack nodded to the men assigned to the burial party, watching as they raised the bodies of their shipmates onto the trestles in preparation for internment. When he was sure they were ready, Jack continued. "In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our shipmates Joshamee Gibbs, John Mallory, John Gibson and Niall Brown and we commit their bodies to the depths..... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless them and keep them. The Lord make his face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them. The Lord lift up his countenance upon them, and give them peace. Amen."
All the crew stood with their heads bowed as the four bodies slid from the trestles into the sea and quickly sank beneath the waves, pulled down by the weight of the cannon balls at their feet. Even those that Jack had insisted remain on watch bowed their heads briefly before continuing to scan the horizons - Jack was taking no chances. He stood, quietly watching until the last body disappeared from view before he addressed the crew again.
"Thanks t' th' information brought t' us by Will we know that our accord with Port Royal has been broken by th' very Governor himself. It appears Spense has declared us pirates fer taking an English ship - but we all know this as a lie. They were hanged without a chance fer us t' prove themselves an' th' Pearl innocent." He paused, taking in the silent, angry faces of the crew. "An' Spense will pay fer their murders, believe me!"
"A member of th' crew is still held - our First Mate... m' wife," he continued. "Whatever happens we are not leaving her fer th' bastard t' hang too. From what Will was able t' tell me she was hurt bad an' they won't hang her until she recovers... so we have a month if we are lucky t' figure this out an' get her free..."
But for the first time in his life, that he could remember at any rate, Jack Sparrow did not have a master plan and had absolutely no idea how he was going to rescue Catherine. He ordered the sails unfurled and turned the Black Pearl in a slow circle back towards Port Royal. They could sit in the cove for a while and hopefully Jean Claude and Isaac would be able to bring some hope to him and that some desperate plan could be hatched.
***
Firstly if there are any devoutly religious readers reading this I must apologise. The funeral passages are from an internet site about burials at sea and I have typed them as on the site. I hope the wording is correct for the image I am trying to portray.
***
Elizabeth flew into Will's arms when he quietly pushed open the kitchen door. She had risen early to fix breakfast for the children who were still in bed. The door leaned alarmingly and Will belatedly remembered the broken hinge. Jean Claude, two steps behind him, caught the door before it crashed to the floor.
"Will! I was so worried!" she gasped, looking in askance at the two men standing behind him.
"They're crew," Will explained briefly.
"So you found Jack?" Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded. "I went out earlier today... the town is in uproar Will! They hanged Gibbs and the men last night!" She looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with tears. She had known the gruff sailor since her journey from England all those years ago, the journey where she had also first met Will when they were both children. It had also been the first time that she had seen the then cursed pirate ship the Black Pearl that was to become so entwined in their lives.
"I know Elizabeth, I know... and so does Jack now..." Will assured her.
"How..." she frowned for the confirmation of their deaths had not been made until several hours after he had left the house.
"Murtogg told me just before I left town. He took a big risk in warning me as I think he was meant to still be on duty, but there was nothing that Jack could have done in the time. These men are here to try to get Kitty out." Will sighed.
"Just two men?" she gasped. "How can just two men help?" She looked at them carefully. "Who are you?"
Jean Claude took her hand, bowing low and kissing it formally. "Jean Claude Lact at your service Madame Turner," he smiled. "And my associate here is Isaac Hallam..."
"Lact!" Elizabeth hissed in shock. "Hallam!" Her habit of reading every bit of gossip she could find in the papers or in story books regarding the pirates and their exploits had not lessened over time and had heard many a tale of both names.
"I believe you have heard of my father, or my brother Joshua, Mistress Turner," Isaac smiled. "I have yet to come to the notice of the Kings Navy... but I hope to soon." He grinned. "Family honour you understand..."
"Ah, err, yes..." Elizabeth stuttered, unsure if Isaac was joking or not. "Pleased to meet you both..." she added politely.
"Madame Turner," Jean Claude smiled, smacking Isaac's hand as it sneaked towards one of the bowls of breakfast. "Do you know if there are any people within the town we can trust that would help us? I've heard that before the town refused to sell to the Governor the last time he jailed Kitty... would they do something like that again?"
"I think it has already gone further than that Jean Claude," Elizabeth worried. "The town is furious about this." She looked towards Will, her eyes full of worry. "Last night some marines that went drinking were been found beaten and I fear it is only a matter of time before one is killed." She sighed heavily. "I never thought Port Royal would come to this..."
"And how badly would they take it if they knew what had been done to Kitty?" Jean Claude asked quietly.
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth gasped fearfully for she had heard nothing of Catherine other than she had not been hanged with the men.
"Kitty was pretty badly beaten love from what I can make out," Will explained. "Murtogg told me that her face was covered in blood and her leg had been hurt in some way - and it is only the fact she could not walk that saved her from the gallows last night!" Elizabeth went so white that Will grabbed her, fearful that she would faint. "Elizabeth?"
"I think you need a new shirt Jean Claude..." she replied obliquely, brushing aside Will's concern. "If something is to be arranged then the best place is Tabitha the seamstress..."
Jean Claude looked at her in confusion. "This is my best shirt Madame!" he protested before realising what she meant. Obviously this Tabitha was somebody that could be trusted to help them try to free Catherine. "Oh," he smiled. "I suppose it is a little old now that you mention it - a new one would not go amiss..." he teased.
Elizabeth e looked at Jean Claude in exasperation before turning to Will. "And I must try to visit the Fort..." she said determinedly.
***
The Black Pearl quietly slipped from the cove, saddened but unsurprised to see four bodies swinging from Dead Man's Rock. The crew looked towards Jack for his orders. "Take a ships boat an' cut 'em down. A decent burial at sea is the best we can give them now..." he sighed heavily. "Well, that an' vengeance," he muttered. "Cotton, Booth, Kree, Fearnan - see to it now!" he ordered.
"Captain," the four nodded, climbing into the largest of the ships boats and rowing carefully out to the rock, aware of the razor sharp rocks just inches below them. Paul and Lonan held the boat steady as Oran and Cotton cut down the four bodies of their friends. They laid them gently down in the centre of the boat before picking up their own oars and rowing back to the Black Pearl where many hands reached down to lift the bodies onboard..
Jack looked at the bodies laid out on the deck, noting the cuts and bruises - evidence that they had not been taken without a fight. He frowned, wondering why Gibson and Mallory were not wearing their shirts but that was a puzzle he could not answer - well, not yet anyway he mused.
"Weigh anchor!" he commanded, striding angrily back to the quarter deck. "An' ready th' guns! I want that rock levelled!"
The crew hurried to obey and soon Dead Man's Rock was nothing more than a pile of broken rubble. No more pirates would hang there in warning at the mouth of the harbour of Port Royal. Jack ordered a single cannon to fire high, the cannon ball splashing harmlessly away from the smaller ships in the harbour as they passed. He wanted to let Catherine know he had not left, that he was still there even if he could not yet get to her. Happy that his message had been delivered he swung the Black Pearl towards the Windward Passage... they had four funerals to observe.
***
It was dusk when they eventually furled their sails and sat quietly in the centre of the Windward Passage, the mood of the crew dark and sombre. Cotton quietly oversaw the wrapping of the bodies, seeing personally to his old friend Joshamee Gibbs. He could not believe that apart from Jack he was the only remaining crew member from when they took on Barbossa all those years ago. Well, apart from Anamaria, but since she was no longer a crew member and was living ashore he supposed she did not technically count. He nodded to Jack when the crew had assembled on deck, sharing the silent pain in his Captain's eyes.
Jack sighed heavily. "Yer all know that such eulogies on th' Pearl have always been performed by Gibbs - but today I must speak th' traditional words of internment for him as well as fer Mallory, Gibson an' Brown. Their deaths were not in battle as we would expect, or in any just cause, but by treachery an' deceit. I am not Gibbs," he spread his hands in apology, "but I will do m' best..."
For a moment Jack stood with silent, his eyes closed. Eventually he raised his eyes, looking up to the sky. "Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh are in joy and felicity." He felt his voice break and paused to regain his composure - it would do him little good to be seen crying by the crew. He took a deep breath and continued. "We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our brothers out of the miseries of this sinful world, beseeching thee, that it may please thee, of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The crew, to a man, muttered "Amen" in response before continuing to stand in silence.
Jack nodded to the men assigned to the burial party, watching as they raised the bodies of their shipmates onto the trestles in preparation for internment. When he was sure they were ready, Jack continued. "In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our shipmates Joshamee Gibbs, John Mallory, John Gibson and Niall Brown and we commit their bodies to the depths..... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless them and keep them. The Lord make his face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them. The Lord lift up his countenance upon them, and give them peace. Amen."
All the crew stood with their heads bowed as the four bodies slid from the trestles into the sea and quickly sank beneath the waves, pulled down by the weight of the cannon balls at their feet. Even those that Jack had insisted remain on watch bowed their heads briefly before continuing to scan the horizons - Jack was taking no chances. He stood, quietly watching until the last body disappeared from view before he addressed the crew again.
"Thanks t' th' information brought t' us by Will we know that our accord with Port Royal has been broken by th' very Governor himself. It appears Spense has declared us pirates fer taking an English ship - but we all know this as a lie. They were hanged without a chance fer us t' prove themselves an' th' Pearl innocent." He paused, taking in the silent, angry faces of the crew. "An' Spense will pay fer their murders, believe me!"
"A member of th' crew is still held - our First Mate... m' wife," he continued. "Whatever happens we are not leaving her fer th' bastard t' hang too. From what Will was able t' tell me she was hurt bad an' they won't hang her until she recovers... so we have a month if we are lucky t' figure this out an' get her free..."
But for the first time in his life, that he could remember at any rate, Jack Sparrow did not have a master plan and had absolutely no idea how he was going to rescue Catherine. He ordered the sails unfurled and turned the Black Pearl in a slow circle back towards Port Royal. They could sit in the cove for a while and hopefully Jean Claude and Isaac would be able to bring some hope to him and that some desperate plan could be hatched.
***