Thanks so much for your review, Le Suze. It helps me know that people are actually reading this fanfic. Thanks again. And was it really that good? Here is the next chapter after so long of waiting.

CHAPTER TWO

PIRATES YE BE WARNED

It was at that moment that the thing that would change the lives of the people of Port Royal happened. It was out at Port Royal's harbor that day.

The skeletal remains of four pirates, still clad in buccaneer rags, were hanging from gallows erected on a rocky promontory. There was a fifth, unoccupied gallows, bearing a sign that said: PIRATES – YE BE WARNED.

The top of a billowing sail passed regally in front of the skeletons. On the landward face of the sail, high in the rigging, was a man for whom the term "swashbuckling rogue" was coined: Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack gazed keen-eyed at the display as it passed. He raised his tankard in salute. Suddenly, something below caught his attention. He jumped from the rigging, and landed on the deck of his small fishing dory with its single sail, plowing through the water…the Jolly Mon.

It leaks. Which is why he had the tankard: to bail. Jack stepped back to the tiller, and, using a single sheet to control the sail navigated the Jolly Mon around the promontory, the whole of Port Royal laid out before him.

The huge British dreadnought, H.M.S. Dauntless, dominated the bay. But Jack's attention was on a different ship: the H.M.S. Interceptor, a small sleek vessel with rail guns and a mortar in the middle of the main deck. It was tied up at the Navy landing, at the base of the cliffs below Fort Charles.

Smoothly, and with no wasted movement, Jack hauled down the sail, stowed it, and guided the dory alongside a dock. The harbormaster, a long ledger tucked under his arm, was there to catch a line and help Jack tie up. "If you're out rolling scuppers in this tub, you're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," said the harbormaster.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," replied Jack. He started up the dock, strapping on his sword belt as he went. The harbormaster cut him off.

"It's a shilling for the dock space, and you're going to have to give me your name," said the harbormaster. "What do you say to three shillings, and we forget the name?" asked Jack. He tossed three shillings onto the ledger the harbormaster was holding. The harbormaster considered this, and then shut the ledger on the coins, stepping aside. "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith," said the harbormaster.

Jack gave him a half-salute as he went passed. He looked across the water toward the Interceptor and smiled. Above the Interceptor, among the parapets of Fort Charles, a ceremony was underway.

With choreographed precision, Swann removed the sword and scabbard from the presentation case, held by a uniformed Navy man. He slid the sword into the scabbard, and held it out vertically to Norrington, who was in full dress uniform.

Norrington grasped the scabbard above Swann's hand, and Swann let it go. Norrington drew the sword, flourished it, and snapped the blade up in front of his face. Swann stepped forward, pinned a medal to Norrington's jacket, and stepped back.

Norrington nodded, turned smartly and nodded to his fellow officers, and then turned again and nodded to the audience of dignitaries, merchants, plantation owners, and their families. Another flourish, and he returned the sword to its scabbard.

The silence was broken by loud applause. The Navy men closed in for backslapping.

In the audience, Elizabeth wasn't doing so well, out beneath the hot sun. She applauded briefly and winced. She discreetly tried to adjust the corset through the material of her dress, and then resumed clapping, trying to hide her discomfort.

Two sailors on sentry duty, Murtogg and Mullroy, were taking advantage of what little shade there was on the dock. But when Jack sauntered up, they became immediately on the alert.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians," said Murtogg. "Sorry, I didn't know," replied Jack. Music drifted from Fort Charles. Jack looked up, shielding his eyes. "Some sort of to-do up at the fort, eh? You two weren't invited?" asked Jack.

"No…someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians," said Murtogg. "This must be some important boat," said Jack. "Ship," corrected Mullroy. "Ship," said Jack, nodding. "Captain Norrington's made it his flagship. He'll use it to hunt down the last dregs of piracy on the Spanish Main," said Murtogg.

"Commodore," corrected Mullroy.

"Right. Commodore Norrington," said Murtogg.

"That's a fine goal, I'm sure… But it seems to me that a ship like that makes this one here just a wee superfluous," said Jack, pointing to the Dauntless. "Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough…but there's no ship that can match the Interceptor for speed," said Murtogg.

"That so? I've heard of one, supposed to be fast, nigh uncatchable…the Black Pearl?" said Jack mysteriously. Mullroy scoffed at the name of the ship.

"There's no real ship as can match the Interceptor," said Mullroy. "The Black Pearl is a real ship," said Murtogg, suddenly.

"No, it's not."

"Yes it is. I've seen it."

"You've seen it?"

"Yes."

"You've seen the Black Pearl?"

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it."

"Yes, I have."

"You've seen a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?"

"…No."

"No."

"But I've seen a ship with black sails."

"Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails and therefore couldn't possibly be any ship other than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?"

"…No."

Mullroy turned to Jack and said, "Like I said, there's no real ship as can match…Hey!" Jack wasn't there! Murtogg and Mullroy looked around, and spotted him.

Jack was standing at the wheel of the Interceptor, casually examining the mechanism. "You!" shouted Mullroy. Jack looked over in exaggeratedly innocent surprise at them. The sailors hurried toward the gangplank.

"Get away from there! You don't have permission to be aboard there!" shouted Mullroy. Jack spread his hands in apology. "I'm sorry. It's just such a pretty boat. Ship," said Jack. The sailors studied him suspiciously.

"What's your name?" asked Murtogg. "Smith." "What's your business in Port Royal, 'Mr. Smith'?" asked Mullroy. "And no lies!" added Murtogg.

"None? Very well. You've rumbled me. I confess: I intend to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, and go out on the account, do a little honest pirating," said Jack.

"I said, no lies," said Murtogg.

"I think he's telling the truth," said Mullroy.

"He's not telling the truth."

"He may be."

"If he were telling the truth he wouldn't have told us."

"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth if he told it to you," said Jack. Murtogg and Mullroy stood there and considered that point.

Elizabeth, pale and perspiring, fanned herself weakly, oblivious to the music and chatter. Norrington approached her and asked, "May I have a moment?" He extended his arm to her. She took it.

Norrington walked Elizabeth away from the party, toward the parapet. There was rather too long of a silence as Norrington worked up his courage. "You looked lovely. Elizabeth," said Norrington in a burst.

Elizabeth frowned, unable to focus. Norrington, who mistook her expression for disapproval, bit his lip. "I apologize if I seem forward…but I must speak my mind," said Norrington. He stopped to work up his confidence.

"This promotion confirms that I have accomplished the goals I set for myself in my career. But it also casts into sharp relief that which I have not achieved. The thing all men most require: a marriage to a fine woman. You have become a fine woman, Elizabeth."

"I can't breathe," groaned Elizabeth. Norrington smiled. "I'm a bit nervous, myself…" Elizabeth suddenly lost her balance, and stumbled away from Norrington. She reached a hand out to the parapet to steady herself, but it slid off. Then, as quickly as she had been standing next to Norrington, Elizabeth vanished over the wall. "Elizabeth!" exclaimed Norrington, traumatized at what he had just witnessed.

Jack reacted, pushing Murtogg aside to see. Elizabeth plummeted from the top of the cliff. She seemed to fall in slow motion.

Elizabeth hit the water, narrowly missing the sharp rocks. A wave broke, and she was washed out away from the cliff, struggling feebly.

Back at the fort, Norrington looked down over the side of the wall. "ELIZABETH!" he shouted. Norrington leapt to the top of the parapet, prepared to dive, when Lieutenant Gillette caught his arm. "The rocks, sir! It's a miracle she missed them!" he said.

Norrington shook off Gillette, and looked down. Gillette was right. Norrington jumped to solid ground, and ran to find an alternate way down.

Jack, Murtogg, and Mullroy were still staring in shock from the sight. "Aren't you going to save her?" asked Jack. "I can't swim," said Mullroy. Murtogg shook his head…neither could he.

Rolling his eyes, Jack mumbled, "Sailors." Above where Elizabeth was struggling in the water, several other men were picking their way down the cliffs. They were too far away to get to her in time.

Jack scowled at nothing in particular. He had no choice, and it made him mad. "Fine," he growled. Jack pulled his pistol from his sword belt and chunked it to Murtogg. He then threw his sword belt to Mullroy. "Don't loose these," he growled. Jack dove into the water, and swam towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth struggled to keep above water, gasping for air. Then, a swell rolled over her, and she submerged. Elizabeth drifted down to the bottom, unconscious. The current turned her, and the medallion slipped loosely from her bodice.

The medallion turned slowly, until the skull was facing the surface. A shaft of filtered sunlight sparkled off of it, and it glinted menacingly.

At Fort Charles, the British flag flew, blown from an offshore breeze. Suddenly, the wind died, and the flag went limp.

On the docks, wood and metal fittings on lines were banging against their masts. The wind died down, and there was silence.

On the edge of town, a woman was feeding her clucking chickens. She frowned when they all went suddenly quiet.

In the village, a weather vane moved slightly in the wind. The wind stopped and all was still. And then, the weather van turned, and held steady. The wind had picked up again, but was now blowing from the sea towards the land.

On the beach, an old salty man was pulling on a rope line. He paused, then turned and gazed into the sky, frowning. The mangy hound at his side suddenly started barking meanly.

On the docks, the lines were now banging against the other sides of the masts, the wind far stronger now.

At Fort Charles, the British flag was flying in the opposite direction, snapping in the new onshore breeze.

Norrington rushed down the cliff, intent on the climb. Beyond him, past the rocky pint, far out to sea, fog was gathering.

The medallion hung below Elizabeth's unmoving form. Then, Jack was there. He wrapped his arm around Elizabeth and made for the surface.

OOC: As usual, read and review, PLEEEEZEEEEZZZ!!! (Puppy dog eyes). Hm? What about now? Now?