A/N: A huge great thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I really appreciate every comment :)
Enjoy!
Chapter 16: Fate worse than death
Sylvia was finally freed from her torturous corset and put to bed at once with much fuss and bother which was borne with unusual good grace by Mrs Spencer. It was widely believed amongst the crew that Sylvia was more shaken up about the incident than she was letting on and this was true to a certain extent. As Sylvia lay in bed and tried to sleep all she could think about was Jack. She saw him as he had been in front of her, pistol smoking at his side, but worse was when her imagination seized on her darkest thoughts. She saw him in pain, she saw him suffering for what he had done for her. She must have fallen asleep for the images became true dreams. Sylvia saw a huge crowd of people, their faces all in darkness, she saw them watching a set of gallows and with a sinking heart she looked up at it too. There was Jack looking about as brave as a man can do when facing the end of his life. She heard empty words being read out and then she saw Jack fall. She woke with a start and sat up bolt upright, her eyes wild and staring in the pitch dark.
"Sylvia?" Sylvia heard the slight rush as Nathan lit his oil lamp. The room was suddenly filled with flickering yellow light.
"Are you alright darling?" Nathan asked as he noted Sylvia's face which was shining slightly as a film of perspiration glinted in the light, "Did you have a bad dream?" Sylvia nodded slightly. Her breathing was still uneven, that horrible last image was still pasted in the front of her mind.
"It's alright now," said Nathan soothingly and he wrapped his arms around his wife. Sylvia felt his moustache brush against her ear as he whispered, "It's all over now." But Sylvia knew it was not over, not for Jack.
Exhaustion caused her to fall asleep in Nathan's arms but she woke again at first light. Sylvia could see the glow of the sunrise but she could also see dark ominous clouds gathering on the horizon and they made her shiver. Despite her worry and fear Sylvia also felt a strange kind of hope. She had seen Jack; she had seen him despite the chances of them ever meeting again being phenomenally small. Surely that meant something. Surely now she had found him again he would not be taken away. Sylvia found herself on her knees beside the bed, she was praying, something she had not done since she was a little girl. She thanked whatever power had brought Jack to her but she also pleaded for the safety of the one she loved.
'If we have to be separated then so be it but don't let him be hurt, oh please don't let him be hurt,' she said over and over again in her head. By the time she stood up her knees were aching from being in the same position in the cold for so long. Her eyes went to the row of her leather bound diaries but did not linger. She could no more have written anything down than fly, she was far too nervous for that. Better to voice her prayers in her head than write them down anyway.
It was almost three hours later before Nathan stirred and Sylvia was becoming almost frantic. As he stretched lazily she stopped her pacing and tried to look like she had just risen too, but even she did not think she could pull that look off effectively. The moment Nathan opened his eyes, Sylvia opened her mouth.
"Nathan dear," she said ignoring the shocked look on her husband's face upon her usage of a pet name, "I would very much like to learn the fate of my rescuer, I think we should certainly reward him for what he did for me, don't you think so?"
"Er…" said Nathan sleepily as he struggled to digest the information, "Yes, yes, of course." Sylvia pressed on.
"Do you think you could find out this morning?" she asked, "Only I've been thinking about the incident all night and I just cannot bare the thought of him slipping away without the proper thanks being given. I could have died after all." She slipped the last sentence in to add a bit of drama and it did seem to shake Nathan up a bit.
"I understand completely," he said though he could not possibly have understood anything about the situation at all, "I will find out what has happened to him this morning." Sylvia waited but Nathan did not seem like he was ready to rouse himself.
"It was odd," said Sylvia determined not to stop until Nathan was out of bed, "I could have sworn I saw them arresting him, why would they have done that?"
"Oh, I'm sure they didn't arrest him," said Nathan and he paused to allow himself a yawn, "I expect the scene was a confusing one, especially for you. You would have had other things to think about than him after such an experience." Sylvia would dearly have loved to say that she never thought about anything else but contented herself with saying it loudly in her head. Still Nathan did not look ready to leave the warmth and comfort of their shared bed.
"It looks like it's going to rain," Sylvia said desperately, "You had better head out straight away if you are to avoid a downpour, darling." Nathan stared at her, blinked a couple of times and then sat up wondering what on earth he had done to warrant such attention. As he looked at his wife it came to him. Of course, it was rather obvious. He resisted the urge to smile. It was only to be expected that an ordeal such as Sylvia's would shake up the way she valued certain things in her life, perhaps this little event was what had been needed to make her see what he could provide for her. Sylvia smiled at him, seemingly confirming his belief.
"Don't you worry, a bit of rain will not stop me from finding your rescuer," he assured her, "I certainly want to show my sincere gratitude, when I think of what could have happened…" He shook his head and muttered something which sounded distinctly like 'dear, dear, dear'. Sylvia was reminded of her three maids for some reason. She watched like a hawk as Nathan got dressed and right before he was due to leave she planted a kiss on his cheek. Nathan was so surprised he blushed. He certainly had a spring in his step as he headed off into town.
Sylvia got dressed herself and waiting impatiently for Nathan to return. The sounds of distant thunder could be heard but no rain fell. The air became oppressively close instead and Sylvia could feel her hair sticking to the back of her neck. Maids appeared at regular intervals, all ready to fuss around her. Apparently they were still convinced she was suffering from the events of the previous day, Sylvia wondered what they would have been like if something had actually happened to her and whether their attention would have been any more welcome. She doubted it. Eventually she saw no alternative but to order them all to leave her alone, a move that was sure to be unpopular but she did not really care about that right now. She simply could not bare their useless faffing about. Waiting for Nathan's return was torturous; Sylvia just could not keep still. She knew what she had seen had been correct. Jack had been arrested but maybe Nathan could do something before anything happened to him. A sudden thought struck her, what if he brought Jack back with him? What would she do then?! She tried to dismiss this thought from her mind but just like all the other thoughts she had tried to hide it bounced right back again. It was far too unlikely to dwell on though, and although Sylvia wanted to see Jack so badly it was hurting her, she did not think she would be able to hide her affection for him from Nathan. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she continued to wait.
The sky continued to threaten rain which did not come. Nathan felt hot and sticky in his clothes but you would never have been able to tell that from his face. He walked with determination towards the centre of town. He was sure that someone would be able to tell him what had become of Sylvia's rescuer and he was all set to reward him handsomely for their efforts. Of course, when, half an hour later, he did find out the rescuers' identity these thoughts were wiped clean from his mind.
It seemed like hours to Sylvia before Nathan finally returned. She was on her feet immediately, her face already enquiring. When Nathan proved to be unforthcoming Sylvia spoke.
"Did you find him?" she asked trying to sound curious rather than anxious. Nathan removed his coat slowly. Sylvia knew he must have heard but she repeated the question anyway. Nathan looked at her solemnly. Sylvia's mouth went dry. She was sure she would scream if Nathan did not speak soon.
"I have some rather shocking news," he said seriously. Sylvia's face lost all its colour in an instant and for one rather scary moment Nathan was sure she was going to faint, though why she should have such a reaction before he had told her the news was something he could not figure out.
"The man who saved you last night," he continued getting ready to catch Sylvia should her legs give way from beneath her, "Was a pirate." Sylvia waited for him to continue before suddenly realising that she was supposed to be shocked by this announcement. She raised her hand to her mouth which seemed to satisfy Nathan. He nodded gravely.
"I know," he said in an understanding tone, "It came as a shock to me too. Of course this changes everything." Sylvia felt every muscle in her body tense up.
"But what will happen to him?" she asked, "He did save me after all." Nathan gave her a kind smile. He loved the way she could be so compassionate about a man she must despise.
"He's been spared from the noose of course," he said and Sylvia felt her heart give a great leap but then came that word that everyone fears, "But…" Her heart dropped like a stone.
"But?" she repeated weakly barely able to stand the tension. Nathan looked suddenly apprehensive. He seemed to have guessed that Sylvia was not going to condone punishment of any kind but there was no way he could back out of telling her now. The only thing he could do was to try and reassure her that what had been decided was for the best.
"He is a pirate," he reminded her, "He might have tried to hurt you and…" Sylvia knew it was no use arguing about this so she cut across him to get straight to the point.
"What's going to happen to him?" she asked again fearfully.
"They are going to keel haul him," replied Nathan grimly. His tone implied something terrible and Sylvia wished she knew what he meant but to find out she had to ask.
"Keel haul?" The words felt strange and unfamiliar in her mouth.
"Yes," said Nathan. He swallowed hard before explaining. When he spoke it was with a lot of long pauses as if he would rather not have been talking at all.
"It's when the…er…unfortunate victim is tied by the arm to a rope, the other end of which is held onto by the…er…well, by people on a ship. The victim is dropped into the water and pulled underneath the boat which can often result in…er….death."
"Death?" gasped Sylvia. Hadn't Nathan said Jack had been spared from hanging? This sounded even worse! Nathan looked even more uncomfortable, if he had been reluctant to define keel hauling he was even more reluctant to explain how it could result in death.
"Drowning is common," he said, "Even the shock of the cold water can kill and there's the injuries the victim sustains from the boat itself or rather from the barnacles that grow underneath the ship, they are sharp enough to cut a person to ribbons." He stopped as Sylvia swayed on the spot.
"My dear, are you alright?" Sylvia tried to say something but there did not seem to be any air in her lungs. She was shaking as Nathan gently sat her down.
"I tried to tell them that what happened," said Nathan, "I tried to tell them how grateful we both were but they wouldn't listen to me. The pirate's fate is sealed."
"He has a name," said Sylvia passionately and it almost formed on her lips but fortunately Nathan got there first.
"I'm sure he does darling," he said quietly, "Even a pirate deserves a name." Sylvia began to tremble worse than ever. She had to keep her mouth firmly shut for several minutes to ensure she did not say something that would get herself or Jack in further trouble. Nathan had his arm around her and was holding her closer to him, and strangely Sylvia did find his touch comforting.
"We have to be there," she said at last and there was such resolution in her voice that Nathan knew that he would never be able to change her mind. Sylvia stood up and pretended to sort through a pile of books so that Nathan would not see how upset she was becoming. One thing was for sure, she wasn't going to let Jack be alone.
It had not been a good night for Jack. His body ached from the beating it had received and that had kept him awake. He had not had the energy to worry about what the morning would bring; he was finding it difficult to believe that there could be anything worse to come his way at the moment anyway. The door to the prison opened and Jack looked up. He seemed to be the sole occupant of the place so as a result Jack had every reason to be interested in whoever was about to enter. It was a marine, but a weedy one so Jack was not overly concerned.
"On your feet pirate," the marine commanded. Oh right, they beat him senseless and then wanted him to get up of his own free will. Jack yawned instead; he was not in the right frame of mind to be cooperative. Apparently the marine had expected this behaviour because he did not repeat the command; he simply opened the door and pulled Jack up with a surprising level of strength. If Jack had been in pain while he was sitting down it was nothing to what he felt now he was upright. A stream of curses came to mind but he wisely refrained from sharing them. He was in enough trouble without adding to it.
Jack was led, limping heavily, onto a large, official looking ship. The thunder clouds brought an ominous air to the whole scene, something which Jack could have easily done without. He was used to sizing up situations and this one was no different in that respect. There did not seem to be any gallows anywhere, which was encouraging. If Jack had not been limping he would have been walking perfectly casually, a fact that did not escape the notice of the gathered onlookers who began to whisper to each other. Jack had taken heart from the lack of visible looped rope and felt quite calm as he was led up to a man who appeared, from his more important looking uniform at least, to be the General in charge. He was watching Jack's approach with an ugly sneer on his face. Jack's temporary confidence faltered as he took note of everything around him; the General's expression, the large number of waiting marines, the gathered crowd of spectators.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," the General addressed Jack who was pleasantly surprised to hear his full title for a change.
"And ye are?" he asked fixing his face into an expression of polite curiosity.
"Your worst nightmare," hissed the General. Jack rolled his eyes; he could have predicted that one. Two marines came from behind and grabbed Jack's wrists. Jack felt one twisted behind his back and secured there with rope which was passed tightly around his abdomen. The other wrist was tied tightly with another rope. Jack's mouth went very dry. Surely they weren't going to do what he suspected, were they?
"Ah yes," said the General seeing Jack's look of comprehension, "You've done this before, haven't you?" He rolled Jack's sleeve up to expose the maze of jagged scars that already existed there. Jack looked up with a weak smile on his face.
"Ye wouldn't be thinking o' killing me now, would ye?" he asked a little faintly.
"Well," said the General with a nasty smile, "You did kill a convicted rapist, some might call that bravery." Jack's smile widened nervously. The General leaned in closer to Jack clearly enjoying every moment.
"But other people think that pirates are the scum of the earth, which group of people do you think I belong to?"
"I'd be reluctant to speculate either way," said Jack but keeping up his airy attitude was becoming increasingly difficult. The General did not back away. His warm breath smelt stale.
"Oh, don't worry," he said, "You're definitely being rewarded. Instead of certain death, which would have been my choice, you are being given the chance to live. After all, you did survive keel hauling once before, didn't you?" Jack's smile faltered.
"I'm plannin' on surviving again," he said after a moment's pause. The General's nasty smile just got bigger.
"If you survive Captain…" He stressed the word testing its meaning.
"If you survive, you'll wish you hadn't."
The General backed away and Jack concluded that if he was going to escape, now was probably a good time. Unfortunately the gathered crowd looked far from willing to lend a helping hand. 'Nothing like watching a torture victim,' Jack thought dryly. He tried to move his left hand but it was tied too tightly to his back. Time to face facts, he had no chance of escape alone and no one was coming to help him. This was not looking good.
The General was talking to the crowd, spewing out a speech about piracy and its association with hell. It sounded like he had spoken it without variation at least a thousand times before. Jack tried to prepare himself but dread was creeping up on him. He remembered the last time he had been in this situation with painful clarity. The long buried memories crept up on him and made his blood run cold. Jack knew there was a high chance he would die and he was frightened, but he was not accustomed to showing fear, it would never have occurred to him. At least this time he was anticipating everything that was coming to him, small consolation though that was. The General had just started his final damning paragraph and was droning on about how there was no redemption if your life had descended so low as to commit piracy when Jack saw her shining like a beacon in the crowd. Sylvia was standing to his left, her eyes firmly fixed on him, her hands clasped tightly together at her breast. Sylvia, the woman who had once been his, was watching and that made all the difference in the world. Jack felt his fear fall away from him because this time, he was not alone.
Sylvia saw Jack look over to her and her heart stopped. Their eye contact was just as intense as it had been in the alleyway. She tried to tell him everything she wanted to with that one glance. She tried to tell him how grateful and scared she was, and above all, she tried to tell him how much she still loved him. Their eye contact was broken as the General stepped in front of Jack's line of vision. Sylvia felt her eyes fill with tears which did not fall.
"Any last words in case you do not make it?" the General asked evidently hoping that these would be Jack's last moments on Earth but there was nothing that could make Jack believe that now.
"I'm not goin' t' die mate," he said his bravery returning to him in full strength. The General's eyes shone with surprise but it did not take long for it to turn to amusement.
"What makes you so sure?" he asked. Jack grinned, gold flashing.
"Because I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?" The General scowled and called the marines to attention. Jack braced himself, he knew this was it. Unprompted, his mind focused on Sylvia as the General barked out his orders and the crowd held their collective breath. Jack closed his eyes, he knew what to do. A millisecond before he was plunged into the water he took a huge breath of air to give him the best chance, the rest was out of his control.
Sylvia could not stop her body from leaning forwards and a gasp from escaping her lips as she realised that the marines were really going to go through with this. She closed her eyes tightly, and despite the huge clap of thunder than boomed out overhead, she still heard the splash which meant Jack was now fighting for his life.
A/N: Oops...another cliffhanger.....I couldn't help it, I'm sorry ;).
Watched Don Juan de Marco the other day and fell helplessly in love once again with Mr Depp. What makes it even better is that I found the DVD in the sales ;D!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)
