Chapter 7: Purification
Gibbs heard the cannonballs zooming toward the Black Pearl and realized this would be his crew's last stand. This filled the old man with renewed vigor as he resolved to go down fighting, taking out as many Spaniards as he could on his way.
Two cannonballs each grazed the undersides of the bow and stern, largely missing their marks, as another sailed through the air right over the ship, missing it entirely. One cannonball passed through one of the main sails and fell in the water on the other side, as another exploded through the side wall of the scullery, and one more came through the window of Jack's ready-room, blowing the door off. The blast of flying wood and glass sent both Sparrow and Ruiz flying to the deck, with Ruiz falling over the railing and Sparrow tumbling down the stairs. They steadied themselves despite the confusion and lunged at each other again with swords drawn and a loud "Aaaaaaarghhh!" from Ruiz.
Bandy Jim was fighting two Spaniards with his one hand at the opposite end of the deck, and looked skyward just in time to see a cannonball hurtling toward him. The two pirates he was fighting, both with their backs to the incoming cannon fire, never knew what hit them as Bandy Jim threw himself sideways and the cannonball struck both men and sent them through the railing to Davy Jones' locker. Bandy Jim used this lucky break to bind the stump where his left hand used to be.
As the final cannonball from the El Puro came flying over the ship, Jack Sparrow and Hector Ruiz were fighting in the wrong place. However, the cow, of course, was still mooing loudly and thundering wildly around the deck. Jack saw the cow coming straight for him, dove and somersaulted out of the way as the cannonball struck the cow squarely on its side, and the cow shrieked its last and fell over with a nauseating thud. This sight was even too surreal for Jack Sparrow, whose mouth opened in shock as he sat cross-legged nearby on the deck. Before Sparrow could stand up, a blade was at his neck. He looked up at El Cruce, who was smiling savagely. "Whose wheel is it now, you indignant son of a sea squid?" he said. "It would be so satisfying to run you through, Sparrow," crooned Ruiz. "but…you must be purified for your sins. And the cross shall purify you and your crew."
In a short time, the Black Pearl was beside the El Puro, the ships tied together and anchored. About a dozen of the Spanish crewmen now eagerly worked to move the stash of bounty from the hold of the El Puro to that of the Black Pearl. Jack, Gibbs, Bandy Jim, Cotton, and the other few survivors from the Black Pearl's crew were seated and bound with ropes to barrels on the deck of the El Puro, as the other half dozen surviving crewmen from the Spanish ship worked to nail planks horizontally to the masts, about ten feet in the air.
"Well Jack," said Gibbs, looking glumly up at the crosses being erected for their execution, "We made a fine show of it, me boy. It's been a pleasure." A large gash over Gibbs' eye was matted with dark, dried blood.
Sparrow turned his head toward his old friend and merely grinned, wryly.
"You old dog," whispered Gibbs with an excited smile. "You HAVE got a plan!"
"Will you hush up already, mate?" asked Jack. "We don't want these carpenters to nail us, now do we. Our success depends on waiting…"
"Aye," answered Gibbs. "For the opportune moment!"
"Good thing I still pick my teeth," said Jack slyly, as he wriggled free his small dagger from up his shirt sleeve. He felt the blade slide into his hand, cutting him only a little as he began to slice his way through the heavy knots that bound him. No matter, he thought, as a little blood would make his hands more slippery and all the easier to escape. It stung like hell, though. Once his hands were free, Sparrow passed the dagger to Gibbs, making sure to act as though his hands were still bound to the barrel. Gibbs and the others took Jack's cue, and the escape was underway.
Eliza and Annamaria had been crouching on the far corner of El Puro's bed when he returned. While the women had no idea what had happened on the Black Pearl, they gathered it hadn't gone well when they saw three boats returning to the El Puro, and heard the shouted directions to the crew of victorious Spaniards.
It hardly mattered now what would happen to them, Eliza thought numbly. Jack was dead, and she and her friend were trapped in the stateroom of the most dangerous and savage pirate in the world. She didn't want to think about what might happen to her now; thoughts of the despicable giant forcing himself upon her were too terrible for words.
"Annamaria," she said softly.
"Aye, miss," said the pretty Jamaican, looking drowsily over.
"The sea was supposed to claim me that night on the Esperanza. I know that now. It was my destiny. I got more time than I was supposed to…I met you, I met Jack, it was the best adventure of them all, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
Annamaria drew back in horror at Eliza's words. "What you be sayin'?" she asked nervously. "Surely you don't mean to…"
"I can't let Ruiz put one hand on me, Annamaria. I can't bear it. I'd sooner jump into the sea and let destiny take its true course. If he tries, I'll jump. I wanted you to know that. You've become a wonderful friend to me," Eliza said bravely, with resigned self-assurance. Annamaria's eyes glazed over with tears.
"And you to me, miss…you to me." The two women were holding hands as they heard a key in the door. El Cruce stomped into the room, stroking his beard and smiling. He gazed down upon the two shivering women. Annamaria looked back and forth, from Eliza, to Ruiz, and back again. Eliza's face was calm and sullen, but full of resolve. The hand behind El Cruce's back was brought forward to reveal Eliza's cream and green dress, the one Jack Sparrow had bought her in San Miguel what seemed like a century ago. He tossed the dress to Eliza.
"This will assist you in making yourself more presentable," he suggested with a grin. "When you have finished, my girl, please join me on deck. I've a present to give you."
"Present?" asked Eliza.
"Surely you don't expect me not to earn you, lass," said Ruiz. "Now…Vasco will bring in a pitcher and some cloths, and you may clean yourself up. And then, you will receive my gift to you. I think you will find it to your liking, my lady." With that, the giant captain affected a clumsy bow, turned on his heels, and left the room. Soon, as Ruiz had promised, Vasco entered with everything the women needed to tidy themselves up, including two steak dinners in covered dishes.
"Steaks for everyone today," said Vasco. "Captain's orders! Steaks all around!" The pudgy pirate giggled and crowed all the way out of the room, closing it behind him. Eliza, feeling sorry for what she knew could only be the cow from the Black Pearl, began to get dressed. The sensation of running her fingers over the green fabric gave her heartbreaking pause, as the image of Jack's face hopefully holding out the dress to her for the first time, that long ago night in San Miguel, entered her mind. Oh, Jack, she thought desperately. If only my efforts had saved you. Eliza knew it was only a matter of time until she would join him, in the great beyond. She began to wash herself, stinging tears falling into the bowl of water before her.
Eliza, freshly washed and looking worn but still very lovely in her cream and green dress, opened the door as El Cruce stepped aside with an outstretched hand to receive her.
"My dear," he began, turning toward Eliza. "I give you the gift of revenge. Revenge upon the one who took such unfair advantage of you and treated you so savagely. Have a look, my darling." Ruiz led Eliza down the stairs to the deck. Her eyes left Ruiz and blinked with disbelief as she saw Jack Sparrow and other of her crew tied to barrels, with large crosses now constructed on the masts behind them.
Jack was alive! Eliza couldn't breathe. She had never felt so happy before. Her mouth opened, face contorting with pain, joy, confusion all at once. Tears began to well in her eyes.
Jack looked up and saw his angel in the green dress floating down the stairs toward him and smiled radiantly. In all the fighting, he had utterly forgotten about Eliza and was overcome to see that she survived.
As Eliza's eyes met Jack's, a private and very emotional moment passed between them, as they were both glad beyond reason to see the other again, after both having believed the other dead. Eliza's tears freely flowed as she smiled at her pirate. Jack decided he had never seen a woman as lovely to him as she was at that moment and realized there was no betraying this on his countenance. For the first time, Jack Sparrow didn't care.
Ruiz, for his part, was still pontificating on about the terrible evils committed by Jack and his crew, as well as how and why they must now be crucified, and how this was to be his wedding present to Eliza. As the immense man removed his hat and looked down at the girl, preparing for a dramatic proposal, he noticed something. The evil man looked at Eliza, then at Jack Sparrow, then back at Eliza.
"Well, I'll be deviled," said El Cruce, quietly simmering with rage. "What a treacherous little lady have we?" He snarled and slapped Eliza roundly on the face with a mighty crack, which sent her to the floor.
"No!" yelled Jack, starting forward. "Leave the lady alone, Ruiz. This doesn't concern her."
"Oh yes it does, Jack," snapped Eliza, returning to her feet and wiping blood from the edge of her mouth. She wheeled on Ruiz. "He killed my father, sank the Esperanza, and left me for dead, and now he's got you. And I might not get revenge here today, captain, but I assure you I will jump into the sea before I ever let the likes of you lay one hand on me."
Ruiz' eyes widened as he suddenly got a maddened look about him. He began to laugh a laugh so sinister that even his own crew became frightened. "Well, Sparrow," announced Ruiz through gales of maniacal laughter. "it seems the best purification for you is to have to watch the lady of your heart sacrificed for your sins. There's nothing nobler, you know…" Ruiz laughed and laughed, waving his crew over to where Eliza stood.
Before she knew it, Eliza was being carried, kicking and screaming, over the heads of three pirates toward one of the makeshift crosses. She screamed with rage and twisted her body around as ropes bound her feet together and were tied around each of her wrists.
Gibbs looked incredulously over at Jack Sparrow. How far was he going to let this go before the crew of the Black Pearl intervened? They were all untied now. Jack set his jaw and looked at Gibbs sternly. Wait for the opportune moment, he thought with all his might. Fortunately, the others understood.
El Cruce brought over a ladder and roared orders to be brought a hammer and nails. He ascended up the ladder with his eyes firing with insanity. He began to hum a Gregorian chant to himself as he approached Eliza, whose hands were now tied to opposite ends of the mast-cross. Eliza began to brace herself. El Cruce chanted a prayer in Latin, as he lifted one nail to her right hand and the hammer in his other. With a fiendish gleam in his eye, Ruiz lifted the hand with the hammer high over his head in preparation to drive the nail through the girl's hand.
At that very moment, Jack Sparrow rose to his feet and flung his dagger, hard and true, into El Cruce's back. The humongous Spanish pirate fell from the ladder with a horrible crash and landed on his back, with the cracking of bones evident to all in hearing range. The rest of the Black Pearl's crewmembers sprang to the attack and proceeded to take out the half dozen Spaniards on deck with their bare hands and whatever else they could find. El Cruce made a deep and horrible noise, just as Jack Sparrow strode up to him.
"I told ya, mate…" he sang, swaying and gesturing. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. And nobody, right, NOBODY steals me ship, me cow, OR me girl. Savvy?" And with that final word, Jack assumed a brutal countenance and reared back on his left heel as he brought forward his right toe and gave Ruiz a mighty kick backward to the chin. Ruiz' head jerked back, and, as he fell to his deck unconscious, Jack Sparrow removed his hat, bowed to his foe, and said, simply but triumphantly, "Adios."
Sparrow glanced up the ladder at Eliza, hanging from the cross above, and still shaking breathlessly with panic. The victorious captain ascended the ladder, unfastened Eliza's hands, and carried her down the ladder to the deck as she stared into his face dreamily. Jack smiled lovingly at Eliza when he set her down. She bent forward to reward him with her kiss, intending to kiss him with all her might, but shrieked as he suddenly crumpled to the floor beside El Cruce.