AN (12/23): Twas the day before the day before Christmas, and all through the house, Erica was scrambling to complete her surprise for all loyal reviewers. This is part of it...your little pre-Christmas Eve present, as it were.
Chapter 24: Mutiny
"It apparently is much larger than the las' treasure we found, wiv the help of a map." Jack paused for a moment, breathing deep enough to continue addressing his whole crew. It was quite a feat, really, for the swarthy men would stop every once in a while to discuss amongst themselves the rumored treasure on the island that couldn't be found. Jack didn't know if he really wanted to mention the curse to the men (for sailors had always been very superstitious, because of the uncertainty of the sea) now. He didn't believe in curses…there was no way that some heathens would be able to curse gold. Magic didn't exist, much like miracles. The galley was crowded and quite hot because of all the people crammed into the place intended for about half of them at one time. Every single table was surrounded by interested crew men sitting on the chairs that would need replacing before long. Jack made a slight mental note about that.
"So there's no map, then?" Skip guessed after a few thoughtful moments of intense contemplation. The rest of the men apparently hadn't made the connection, and Jack was a bit grateful that someone had caught that. Made him feel like he'd chosen his crew well.
"No…there's no map." Jack looked almost sad for a moment as he reached into his effects and pulled out the wrinkled bit of parchment he'd been carrying for over a year now. "However, I do 'ave these coordinates, t' a location tha' doesn't exist."
There were a few brief murmurs of approval as the crew discussed the new development amongst themselves. Jack shuddered slightly as he noticed the look on Koehler's face. It was one of complete greed. Jack had really disagreed with Barbossa, when he'd hired Koehler, Simbakka, and Nipperkin, but he'd lost the argument, mostly because he didn't want to admit that the three had beat him up for "cheating" all those years ago. It'd taken him about a month to remember where he'd seen the three of them, anyway, and it would've been a breach of contract for him to fire them so soon. He sighed and shook his head, wondering why Barbossa had even called this meeting in the first place.
"Well, I, for one, think we should go after the treasure," Bootstrap said softly. The bickering stopped abruptly as almost everyone turned to pay attention to the weathered pirate. The crew really respected Bootstrap and looked up to him as a leader after Barbossa. "The wors' tha' can happen is that there's no treasure."
"There's treasure there, I'm sure of it," Barbossa snapped, uncharacteristically impatient with the whole situation. There was a rather disturbing look of greed in his eyes as he glanced around the crew a few times. He almost seemed to be waiting for something.
Twigg shook his head. "I don' think so, Barbossa…Cap'n…well, he's no' exactly a trustworthy man. I think 'e made this whole bloody story up." A few of the men gave rather hearty ayes as the atmosphere inside the gently rocking galley abruptly changed to that of right before an electric storm.
Jack turned his head abruptly to face Twigg. "Wha' was that?" he asked coldly, a sudden fear gripping his heart as he realized that all but a few of his crew were staring at him in much the same way. The boredom in their eyes had been replaced with anger and hatred. His crew shouldn't be looking at him this way…no, he was a good captain. Or, he had been a good captain, until he'd accidentally killed Meagan…it'd changed him.
"Jack, I think its time ye realize tha' you don' know how t' be a captain," Barbossa said coldly, glaring holes into Jack's muddy eyes with his malicious glare. He stood up and pulled his gun out, aiming it directly at Jack's heart.
Jack's jaw actually dropped open in surprise. Was this really happening? Surely he hadn't made them so unhappy…they had made a few weak pickings. "An' ye really think you can do a better job?" he asked incredulously, fighting his reflex to put his hands in front of his heart (as if he could catch a bullet).
"Aye, Jack, I really do," Barbossa replied with a tired sigh, cocking the gun. "An' the crew does as well." All of the crew, save Skip and Bootstrap, slowly nodded their agreement.
Jack looked at all of them slowly, not really caring that he had a gun aimed at his heart. None of them softened, and Bootstrap seemed to be saying that he'd warned Jack. "Bloody…why…Mutiny?"
"Yes, Jack, this is called a mutiny. Now, I sugges' ye stand still, while Ragetti ties yer bloody hands t'gether an' takes tha' piece of paper from ye." Barbossa nodded Ragetti forward, who quickly and gleefully pulled a piece of rawhide out of his pocket and walked next to Jack after making his way through the crowd of hostile faces, forcing his hands together and tying them with as much force as he could use with rawhide. Jack frowned and clutched the paper, but Ragetti easily forced his grip apart with a knife.
"Ye'll pay for this," Jack commented with more venom than he'd used ever before in his life as he stared at Barbossa. The evil man was finally showing his true colors again, and Jack realized he'd been lulled into a false sense of security. Blast his natural trust in people!
"I really doub' tha', Jack." Barbossa laughed cruelly, joined by the rest of the crew as he kicked Jack in a rather sensitive area and ordered Koehler, Twigg and Pintel to take Jack down to the brig, to await his punishment. They were only three days out, after all, and it was open water on all sides.
"Ye know, Jack, you really should've seen this comin'," Pintel commented as he sat next to the brig door. Legends of Jack Sparrow (no longer captain) were such that Barbossa (though he'd known Jack since the man had first turned pirate) ordered Jack to be watched at all times, so that he couldn't pull off any of his rather famous escapes.
"Oh, an' tha's supposed t' make me feel better?" Jack responded tiredly, slowly opening his eyes and staring up at the wooden boards that made up the ceiling. He'd only been trapped in here for a day, but it felt like an eternity. His ship…the Black Pearl wasn't his ship, was it? How could that be? He'd been racking his mind for ways to get the Pearl back…but he couldn't. Not with almost the whole crew against him.
"Well, no," Pintel responded with a rough shrug and a crude gesture. "Bu' ye shouldn' act so bloody surprised. Doesn' make sense, for a man like ye t' be surprised."
Jack sighed and shut his eyes again. He realized that Barbossa was merely tormenting him, by making him listen to the mindless ramblings of such men as Pintel. Of course, he couldn't talk to anyone he really wanted to talk to: Bootstrap, Skip or the demon himself, Barbossa…that would be too nice, for a man who technically should be dead. Besides, Jack would definitely try to arrange some sort of attempt at getting out of prison with Skip and Bootstrap. They couldn't be trusted alone together. Jack really didn't understand why Barbossa hadn't just shot him…it would be better than this. Anything would be better than this Hell…sitting aboard a ship that you loved more than anything else, but unable to see any more of it than the closet reserved for prisoners. He felt dead on the inside.
Pintel sighed to himself, tapping his foot against the floor as he leaned back on the simple chair next to the wall, grabbing a rather illicit drawing he'd purchased somewhere in Tortuga and staring at it.
Jack frowned, barely able to muster up disgust at what Pintel was doing. Honestly…he would really rather be dead. He was being caged up inside of his only vessel to freedom, being forced to listen to something he didn't want to listen to after killing the mother of his daughter…how could life get any worse?
Of course, life has an interesting habit of getting worse exactly when individuals don't want it to, for as Jack tried to drown out the grunts from Pintel, he completely missed the sound of boots on the stairs leading down to the brig. Jack didn't even notice the door open and Pintel's astonished squeal as he quickly put the picture away and mutter something before leaving the room. In fact, Jack almost resembled a dead man-if he'd had any less color, it would've been hard to distinguish him from a fresh corpse.
"Jack," the new figure said, his voice mocking the very word as he put his hands on the cold iron bars keeping Jack from his freedom.
Jack frowned as his mind processed the new sound…well, it wasn't a new sound. But it was less disturbing than the other sound that had preceded it, and it definitely wasn't Pintel. "Aye, Hector?" Jack asked back, his voice as bitter as earwax.
"I bet you're wonderin' why I haven't killed ye," Barbossa guessed shrewdly, sitting down with pomp and circumstance on the chair that had just been vacated. His voice was far too cold…this couldn't be the same man who'd once offered advice to Jack. How much of that had been an act?
"Jus' a bit," Jack replied, trying to sound as normal as possible as he slowly sat up. "I'd really rather be dead," he remarked, so serious that it was scary.
"I'd really like t' oblige tha' request, Jack. I would. Bu' I can't." Barbossa glanced at Jack contemptibly, as though he hated the fact that Jack wasn't dead as well. He stopped talking, a new glint of pure hatred in his eyes as he stared at Jack, coldly analyzing him.
"Why no', pray tell?" Jack responded a few moments later, upon discerning that Barbossa would say nothing further. Jack wasn't sure how to read Barbossa anymore…clearly he'd been wrong before, when analyzing what he'd said.
"A promise, long ago, tha' I made t' someone." Barbossa put a rather lewd emphasis on someone, as though thinking of a woman. But what sort of woman would Barbossa make a promise to, concerning Jack?
"Wha' are ye talkin' about?" Jack asked tiredly. He was in no mood for games. "Jus' say whatever it is you wan' t' say…you've won, Barbossa. End my misery, for life isn' worth livin' wivout the Pearl." Jack frowned slightly at himself…he hadn't meant to sound that impassioned.
"Well, if ye insist," Barbossa replied with a laugh. Apparently the predictable way Jack was responding was amusing to the man. "Well, ye see, Jack, I used t' visit your mother, whenever Calico Jack would stop in White Magnolia." He paused purposefully, carefully watching Jack's reaction.
Jack made no outward sign indicating that he'd heard what Barbossa'd said. Well, that would explain whose familiar voice he'd heard, that day he'd nearly drowned. His jaw clenched imperceptibly as he pictured his saintly mother…doing that sort of thing with Hector Barbossa.
"One day, when you were a mere whelp of a boy, you followed…and I saved your life. Made some bloody promise to your mother (who really was a wonderful woman, in bed at least) that I would do all in my power to keep you alive. I've never been a man t' go against my word…so, I've been tryin' t' keep you safe. Mos' of the crew wanted t' kill ye outright, Jack…but I think there's a more fitting punishment for you."
Jack didn't say anything in response. Blast his mother! Blast…blast everyone! Couldn't he live his own bloody life? Couldn't he die, when he wanted to die? Was all of his freedom gone, now that he was disposed of his position? He merely shook his head. Was it supposed to surprise him that his mother hadn't been the saint he'd always assumed she was?
padme17: Here's another update for you to enjoy! I actually...well, I shouldn't say this, but I actually finished this on the twenty-second. And I hope this is suitable...there will be another scene, where Jack is made governor of that little isle...and then this book will be over, for the mutiny will be complete. Of course, I'll write a little epilogue, tying the prologue into the story more...
And Jack has to be in for it...or I'd be changing the movie. Can't have that. Thanks for the review!
CrazyPirateGirl: The new crew...that's what threw Jack off the most. He never did relate to the newbies, as it were. I feel sorry for poor Jack...but I can't very well have it end nice, since it is a tale of mutiny, after all. And I hope you knew what would happen in this chapter (though I probably did surprise you, by not having Barbossa throw him off the same day and by explaining the flashback...) Thanks so much for the review!
sunkist3208: I think more people should be potato shaped, actually. -grin- I know...it is so hard to believe that I've been writing for over a year...scary. And I'm glad you liked that I've returned to the original storyline (though he technically didn't fire a shot in Nassau, save for the one that killed Meagan, and Jack's been known to exaggerate) finally...I liked most of the side stories, though. Makes Jack seem more like a real person. In my crazy mind, at least. And he would've said something...but their relationship is a bit strained...
And it is the first copy of the last story...all handwritten, with various notes (and a rather good title I didn't use) and missing a part of the first chapter... And go a pickle and a potato! -bounces-
orcachick2005: Perhaps I like to confuse you, Daisy, and make you remember what you last wrote. Or do some research. I do a lot of research, for this story...and I feel like I have to make you do some of your own, to fulfill some sort of crazy fancy that I ...just kidding. I'll try to be better about stating the question/comment with the answer. Thanks for the criticism, though. I appreciate it.
And I'd hope that you like this mutiny...and don't look at it in a twisted way, though I did throw in that rather disturbing thing about Pintel...silly of me, really. And if you don't like it, then you should start over. I do that sometimes, on my chapters (okay, maybe more than I'd care to admit). If you don't like your fanfic, start over. I happen to like it, but that's me.
Jack's-Island-Angel: Shady characters like the old potato face man are always more fun to write than just some guy missing an eye or something talking about the cursed treasure of Cortez. One generally doesn't hear about curses from handsome men. Odd, eh? And thanks for the belated birthday thingy! I'm not entirely sure what to call it...but, meh. And Merry Christmas to you!
meggumscat: I like leaving people in suspense, if you can't tell. Horrible habit of mine. -evil grin- Thank you oh so much for the review, Megan! I'm glad you liked my potato man...he lives on the left side of my brain's apartment complex...
Aliana Archer: Yep, birthday cake for you. This time you get a pretty snowflake ornament, for leaving a review first on the last chapter. Thank you so much for leaving such nice compliments and a review! And the curse thing will come back to haunt him...