Chapter Two

The settlement was small with only 300 souls at any one time occupying its confines. Buccaneers doing only one of three things at any one time...drinking, partaking of pleasurable company, or preparing to go after booty. Much depended on the information that was available. Much also depended on if you could get a letter of commission from the Governor of either the French of English colonies. The French were more generous than the English. All that they demanded was that you steal from ships under a certain color. Bring them down and you could claim ship and booty.
Of course, pirating was much easier. You answered to no one, you owed no alliances. And since the French, English and Spanish were at each other's throats, there was no real way to tell who did the deed unless you left witnesses. Easily remedied.
Jack would have no problem getting a few more cremembers since he already had a ship. A detail he failed to share with Bill. And a beauty she was, too. She was a dark and fearful thing. Sails meters tall and sweeps to boot. Jack was rowing out to her now. A gem she was...a pearl so rare. "The Black Pearl...that's what I'll call her...for she is a dark and beautiful woman." He thought out loud.
"Captain Sparrow...how much longer before we set out after this treasure of yours" said this one as he immediately hit the deck off one of Jack's back hands.
"Watch your mouth, vermin! Lest I cut it away from the rest of your face. We'll be off soon enough. I have some more hands to bring aboard."Snapped Jack
"And then,sir, then will we be off to this Ilsa de Muerta?" asked the brave one again.
"Yeah, we'll be off...now out of my sight! I grow weary of your questions!" and Jack continued to his cabin. He liked this man's guts. He needed men like him to steel the crew. But it was Bill he wanted as his First Mate. It was Bill whom he could trust. Jack was in his cabin now. Feet on his table biting into an apple. "Not only do I want you Bootstrap, but you'll be wanting what I have to offer. Gold a plenty, Mate."
Next morning at the Inn, Bill couldn't believe his ears.
"A Ship?What do you mean a ship?" He was nearly choking on his food.
"A ship I say!" said the other man "and he's still looking for a crew to man it."
Bill realized that Jack wasn't kidding! He wasn't after an ordinary booty.; he was after a King's ransom! Bill had to be a part of it.
"Where be Jack?" said Bill rising from his seat.
"Why, right here," answered Jack wryly.
"Jack!" and Bill grabbed him around the shoulders.
"Whoa, Bill, we're friends but...I woo female things that go "meow" in the night...and besides your voice is too deep, Mate!" laughed Jack. Both men laughed, then found a corner where they could hatch the plan.
"So, Jack what is this Grand plan of yours? Where is it? Where did you get the ship?" Bill was too excited to stop.
"Why, old' Bootstrap, I believe I see the real pirate in ye...I say pirate Bill..." teased Jack.
"Don't taunt me Jack this is serious. And if the prize is what I hope it is you can call me Henry Morgan, lord of the pirtes!" Bill returned.
The grand plan is to be richer than you could ever imagine, where it is only I can tell, and where I got the ship...no man will ever know, savvy?" said Jack.
"Take me with you, Jack. I want to go with you." Bill declared.
"Bill," and Jack leaned forward, "I'll be needing someone to trust out there..."
And now it was time for Bill to taunt, "Oooh, the fearsome and terrible pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow needs to have someone to trust! Really, Jack? I guess you'll be needin' somebody who'll not just stick to the code but be a loyal and honest man."
"Right you are...because you can always depend on a dishonest man to be dishonest..but you never can tell what an honest man will do. Nonetheless, I want you to be me First Mate, savvy? Do we have an accord?" and he reached out his hand.
"We do..." and Bill took his hand and began to shake it briskly, "We do indeed!"

Bill rushed away from the Inn and up the path toward Mizz Tia's. He was glad that at last he'd have a chance to earn his monies to make it back to England. Out here in this God-forsaken spit of land, he missed the finer things that he so enjoyed. It wasn't like he was a blue blood, but he and Chandra had always seemed to manage at least a few nice things along the way. Who knows? If this booty is really as rich as Jack says then, he'll be able to keep his promise and buy back Chandra's family farm. But then again, first things first. This won't be easy. Things concerning Jack Sparrow never are. Bill still wanted to know just how did Jack come across a ship and what would it cost in the end?

Actually, Jack was feeling quite pleased with himself. It was rather brilliant, the way he escaped those East India Trading agents and took their ship to boot. He'd been captured while laying in a cathouse with one of his regular wenches. Exactly who told that he was in the settlement is not clear, but at any rate it meant his neck. When you were a pirate there was no trial there was just rope. Just rope and no formality. No formality and no jail. Since they had Jack hemmed up in a cathouse a few of them sought to enjoy the dainties on display. That leaving Jack tied in a backroom with the rum. Jack's wench, still stinging after not being able to complete her romp, convinced her cohorts to distract the agents. Whilst the agents, seven in all, enjoyed the pleasures Jack crawled between the bar room tables. Just short of his last few feet to the door one agent emerged to have more drink. Jack's wench, ever so quick and nimble, dashed to where Jack was, lifted her skirt and covered Jack with it. So there was Jack, in hiding in a place to be envied by most men. "Odd," he thought "if I had time I could explore this issue a bit more."
"You, wench..." and suddenly they stopped moving, Jack nearly running forward into her rear.
"Me, sir?" she asked
"Yes, you," It was the agent. "Aren't you the one who was with that Sparrow?"
"Why, yes, sir I was."
"And, I suspect you are a bit angry that we stopped all that." He moved toward her. "You know, women like you need to be satisfied. I could finish what he didn't...I suspect he wasn't even near the man I am."
"Why, no sir, I doubt it too...oooh!" and she jumped a little, a stab in an unmentionable place from beneath "...but then again, sir, its.aahh.hard to say."("Jack should stop that..."she thought "Not now...not now".)
"My dear, are you feeling alright?"
"Fine...I need air...g'day to you." And she moved quickly through the door.
"I shall call upon you tonight..." said the agent and then remarking to a man sitting near by "...a comely wench but quite broad on the stern, did you see her skirt?"
Once out and into the bushes, Jack cleared him self of the petticoats.
"Thank you. I shall not forget this darling," said Jack.
"I should hope not! Will you be coming back 'ere?" she asked
"Don't know, darling. Before I can come back I'll have to leave first. I need to commandeer a ship." And as he looked up and into the bay...he saw the object that would forever change him. "That ship." He said pointing at a beautiful dark Cog.
"That ship? That ship belongs to the agents." She gasped. "Jack you'll be killed!" she whimpered.
"Woman, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy? Fortune shines on me. Just look how it has worked out so far?" he pulled her close, "I'm free and now I need freedom. That beautiful thing out there is freedom."
"And me? What am I?" she asked.
"You, m'dear," and he released her, reached into his pocket and flipped her a coin, "are needing to be paid!"
The coin hit the dirt. "Its alright," she said leaning over, picking up the coin and handing it back to Jack, "you didn't finish." She was dejected. Walking away her back to him she said, "I don't think you even remember my name."
"Its Margarite...and it's a name I won't soon be forgetting," he said
Margarite turned quickly to look at him in amazement, but he wasn't there. He was already gone. And where the one coin had landed in the dirt, there was now a small bag. She picked it up and it was full of coins enough that she could not work for a month.
"And I won't ever forget you Jack Sparrow. I won't ever forget you."

Jack was off like a flash from a Long Nine. First he into the water up to his waist, then a small boat there. He rowed calmly to the ship. There was no alarm raised because...well Margarite's girls really knew their crafts. Once to the ship there was only a skeleton crew . The rest were on shore at the various settlements around that island. Jack had two knives. He pitched first one and then the other into the side of the ship pulling himself up with each thrust until he reached the railing. He crouched awhile, some to recover and some to evaluate the situation. Nightfall had come so he eased onto the deck. All at once he heard voices. It was the merchant sailors talking. At first Jack thought he'd been discovered and then realized they were excited about something else.
A map...he heard them say, a treasure worth 10 kings ransoms, an island...the island of the dead, Ilsa de Muerta...Jack's curiosity and greed got the better of him.
"The bearings aren't written here." Said the first
"No, but that old slave he knows, Mate...I'll get him to say if I have to cut it out of him." Said the second.
"Where is he now?" asked the first
"In the brig with them pirates we picked up during the attack." Said the second.
Jack drew closer and sank back into the shadows. One of the men disappeared and he watched as the one who'd been talking about the map held it near a lamp. Jack would have to kill him to get it. Oh well, he would have to kill him anyway to get the ship. No worries. The other sailor brought up a black man. He was broken and beaten already.
"See here, lad," began the first dancing his knife around the man's neck, "we know that you can tell us about the island of the dead, where is it now... Isla de Muerta?"
The man bucked and a muffled sound came out... "No, no, no...I cannot tell you." He was speaking French and Jack could understand him.
"Listen," and the first sailor drew closer to the man who was shaking, "I can't understand that gibberish! " He turned to his cohort. "We'll have to get someone who can speak French!"
"We can trust no one!" said the other sailor
"We have no choice! Get the cook, he can speak to these slaves." Said the sailor with the map.
And the man once again disappeared. The slave began to sing:
"In the place most forgotten where the moon smiles,
Travel 2 days and 200 miles,
Once at the end turn to the North Star,
Take you no compass or you will go too far,
When you reach the place nearly,
Hold your life dearly,
When you can smell death and rot,
You'll know that you've got,
Only but coast along,
Waiting to hear the mermaid's song,
The silence will scream at you,
The dead will scream for you,
There you will find the curse, the cursed,
And that what belongs to those who will be cursed."

Jack was good at songs. He remembered them well. Used to sing when he was a boy. Jack began to sing along silently with the slave. For these were the bearings to the island. Now Jack had them and no one else. He'd have to keep it that way.

"What's taking them so long?" asked the sailor "Stop the singing you heathen."
And then Jack heard the other sailor and the cook approaching. He'd have to stop them but without a fuss. How to do it? All at once, one set of footsteps seemed to turn and go back and the other sailor materialized alone once more.
"What happened?" asked his friend
"He had to check on his dinner for the Captain. Says they'll be back anytime and he's having a special treat." Said the sailor.
Jack seized the opportunity! Throwing a bucket past the sailors and over the rail into the water.
"What's that?" asked the first and both started to move toward the railing. They drew their guns. As they did the most reckless thing...look over the rail. Jack, knife in each hand, stabbed them both in the back simultaneously and pushed them over into the blackness. He turned to the slave, who was smiling now.
"Your name?" demanded Jack in French
"Okowabi." Said the slave
"Why are you smiling?" asked Jack
"Because, now you own the curse, the cursed, and those who will be cursed." Said Okowabi
Jack looked over and saw that the map was still by the lamp. He picked it up and put in his coat. He reached for the slave,
"No, Mate, I'll still be needing you to lead me to the island."
"No, you own the curse now, I am done. You have heard the song, for this island can only be found by those who already know where it is. You will know it when you are near it. It will call you...." Said Okowabi
What nonsense was this man talking? Too much heat, too many beatings? With that the slave broke from Jack with sudden strength and vigor. His eyes shining in the moonlight. Jack stood there amazed and for some reason unable to move.
"I am free and this ship is my freedom, Jack Sparrow. And now she is bound to you." He said in English and then he was gone off the railing and into the night...but yet Jack heard no splash.
Jack's feet were free now he ran to the railing and there was no trace of Okowabi.
"I'll be needing some rum after this." Said Jack aloud.
No time to think. Jack heard the cook coming and pulled away. The cook was calling for the sailors. They weren't answering. Jack made his way to the brig. There weren't many sailors on board and so this could be easy. Once there he cut the throat of the mate with the key. The men in the brig cried out in a cheer.
"You men! Do you want to sail under my command? I'm taking this ship and going after a treasure that is a King's ransom. What say you?" called out Jack in his strongest voice.
"Yeah!!!" said the men in one voice.
Jack opened the doors and every man advanced overtaking the skeleton crew and cutting loose to set sail. The sails on the ship were black. Those who fit her thought it made for a harder nighttime target. They were right.
"Douse all lights!" called Jack, "Let her be dark!"
And it was done. The ship pulled away with the crew dumping bodies as they sailed. Jack took off his hat and bowed slightly. Sometimes you just had to kill. Before anyone could miss them...ship and crew were off. Jack turned to one mate:
"We'll need to make time. Make cry but make her fast."
"Roll out the sweeps" said the crewman to the others.
"Sweeps!?" said Jack
"Yeah, she be having 2 banks good for 20 hands." Said the crewman.
Jack turned sour almost evil at once, "Captain to you, dog," and he pulled his gun, "I'll be sir to you, Captain to you, Lord to you on this water, savvy?"
"Yes, captain," said the man almost spitting it out. "Sir, what is your name that I might tell the men." He asked.
Jack turned and grinned that evil smile. "Tell them I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."