Chapter 5
It was dark, and above the sails and rigging of the Black Pearl the stars shone bright. The ship's deck was illuminated by lanterns, which cast as much shadow as they did light. All her crew were on deck, lounging comfortably against the rail and on coils of rope, most of the men cradling tankards of rum.
Billy was seated against the rail wrapped in a blanket someone had found for him. He had drawn his knees up to his chin and was listening, entranced, to Captain Jack Sparrow tell the tale of how he had met Will and Elizabeth Turner, one summer twelve years earlier. He found some parts of the story were familiar to him - it seemed his mother had told him extracts, painting them as if they had happened to somebody else. But he had never been told the whole tale before.
The pirates were also listening, intent on the yarn Sparrow was expertly spinning. Now and then one of them called out a comment - it seemed a few of them, including little Marty, had been involved in the adventure themselves.
Sparrow himself was perched on top of a barrel so he was elevated above his men, the lantern-light throwing an orange glow on his face. His eyes seemed to shine as he spoke.
"So there we were, out on that island," Sparrow said, halfway through his story. "The Black Pearl," he gestured grandly at the ship, "had gone, looking mightily upset to see me off when she'd just got me back, with not only me crew but also young Turner aboard. Me and the lovely 'Lizabeth were stranded, without hope of rescue."
"Better the island than the brig!" Marty called.
"That's as maybe," Sparrow said. "Now, I'll confess that being stuck on an island in the comp'ny of Miss Swann was a sight better than being stuck on the self-same island in the comp'ny of just meself. But," he held up a finger to accentuate the point, "I should note we both behaved with perfect propriety."
There was a chorus of catcalls and laughter from the men.
"Honest pirate," said Sparrow. He looked over at Billy. "And I ain't just sayin' that 'cos the lad's here. The worst that happened was we both got drunk, on the rum left by the rumrunners. Leastways, I got drunk, and thought she was; turned out the lass got the better of ol' Jack. I woke up to find she was …" he paused, and swept his gaze over his audience, "she was burning the rum."
"Good girl," said Mr Piper, from his spot on the deck close to Billy.
"Ah, doctor, you'll have us all sober yet!" exclaimed Sparrow. "Aye, she burnt all the rum. And the shade. That was truly the closest I came to shooting meself. But I never got the chance, as Elizabeth's little beacon got the attention of the Navy."
He took a swig from his own tankard of rum. "They'd brought the Dauntless. Lovely ship, bit slow. Not that they were planning on using her for anything other than a gentle cruise back t'wards Port Royal, not until Miss Swann spoke up." Sparrow shook his head in admiration. "Clever girl, that. Although it was as clear as day to any fool who'd look that she was as much taken with Will Turner as he was with her, she agreed to marry that stick Norrington if he'd sail after Turner and rescue him."
"My mother was going to marry the commodore?" Billy asked, amazed.
"That he was, lad," confirmed Sparrow. "I reckon Norrington did like her, and 'tis true he'd have been a better match for her than a pirate's whelp. So I gave up me bearings and off we went to Muerte.
"The Pearl was a bit ahead of us, but she'd been hurt in the battle with the Interceptor and wasn't making her best time. She was at anchor when we arrived. I suggested me plan to Norrington, we all hopped into little boats and went off to float near the cave."
"What were the plan, cap'n?" someone called.
"'T'were a good one," returned Sparrow, leaning forwards. "See, I was to row into the cave and alert Barbossa of the Navy's presence, which'd get him and his men out there under the Dauntless's guns. Then I was going to use the lad's blood, end the curse, row back to the Pearl and away, savvy?"
The pirates exchanged glances. "And what did 'appen?" asked Hooper.
"Ah," said Sparrow. "Well, it started out all right. I got me boat, paddled into the cave, interrupted them just as they were about to cut poor Will's throat," he demonstrated with a finger across his own neck. Billy swallowed. "Persuaded Barbossa he ought t' send his men out."
Sparrow paused. "I'd reckoned without the curse, though. Barbossa sent 'em out walking. They walked right out to the Dauntless on the sea-bed!"
"Under the sea?" said Billy.
"Didn't need to breathe," explained Sparrow. "That left me and young Turner in a bit of a conundrum, as it were. But I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow for nothing. While I'd been chatting with Barbossa I'd pinched a coin, and though he tried his damnednest he couldn't kill me." Sparrow leapt off his barrel and drew his sword, and punctuated the next sentences with parries and thrusts of the blade. "We danced around that cavern trading blows for a while - me winning, o' course, though it wasn't worth anything - until I thought the opportune moment had arrived." He mimed slicing his palm with the sword and throwing an imaginary coin across the deck in Billy's direction. "Turner had his wits about him, added his own coin, and poof! end of curse. Just as I used that single shot."
Sparrow sheathed his sword and sat back down on the barrel.
"Barbossa was dead. Aboard the Dauntless, they clapped the survivors in the brig, threw the others over the side.
"Now, what I'd not seen was that Will'd been joined by his lass at some point during the fight, and she'd helped him out a bit. Your mother ever tell you she could fight?" he asked Billy.
"Papa's taught her to use a sword," Billy said.
"Got some spirit in her," Sparrow said. "She'd also nipped across to the Pearl and had set me crew free from the brig. So when me and Will and 'Lizabeth came out of the cave, there she was sailing away."
"Seemed the best thing to do, at the time," put in Marty.
"It wasn't a bad idea," agreed Sparrow. "Apart from the fact it left me at the mercy of bloody Norrington and his merry men in red. Sure enough, a few days later, there I was in Port Royal awaiting my fate on the gallows, where, had it not been for dear William in his hat, I'd've swung. As it was I didn't swing, and the old lady plus crew were waiting off the point." He spread his hands. "And that, gentlemen and Master Turner, is the story of how Captain Jack Sparrow avenged 'imself on his mutinous crew, met the son of his old shipmate and the governor's daughter, and got his ship back."
There was a round of applause. Piper held up his hand.
"And which was most important, Captain Sparrow?"
"Eh?" said Sparrow, breaking off a swig of rum.
"Of the vengeance, the regaining of the ship and the meeting, which was most important?"
Sparrow's lips twitched, and he met the doctor's gaze before swinging off the barrel. "Ah, now that'd be telling, wouldn't it, Mr Piper?" He clapped his hands and said, "someone get out a fiddle and let's have a spot of music, eh?"
The doctor frowned into his mug, shaking his head slowly.
"What's the matter?" asked Billy.
Piper started. "Eh? Oh, nothing's the matter, young man." He smiled reassuringly, getting to his feet as Sparrow crossed to them. "I'll go and check on the wounded," Piper told the captain.
"Ta," said Sparrow.
They watched the doctor make his way across the deck. Up on the poop deck one of the pirates had produced a fiddle, and now struck up a lively tune which was met with cheers from the men.
Sparrow settled down next to Billy.
"So what'd you think?" he questioned.
"It's a good story," said Billy. "Was it all true?"
The captain held out his left hand, and in the blinking lantern-light Billy saw a thin straight scar across the palm. "It's all true, lad. Ask your parents. They'll say the same."
"But … curses, and skeletons …" Billy said. "And you killed Barbossa?"
Sparrow looked away, gazing at the rigging. "Aye, I shot him. It's what happens, young Turner. I killed Barbossa. Norrington was going t' be quite happy to hang me. What d'you think your dad's swords are used for?"
Billy pulled his blanket a little closer around him, and decided to change the subject.
"What was my grandfather like?"
"Bill?" said Sparrow. "He looked like your father - or your father looks like 'im, which I s'pose is more likely. I first met Bill Turner when I joined the Black Pearl as a cabin boy. Dunno how old he was, or how long he'd been aboard; but he was good to me when I didn't know one end of a rope from t'other. Taught me me knots. Gave me me first knife. That was afore he went back to Portsmouth to marry his Elsie -"
"My grandmother?" said Billy, eyes wide.
"Your grandmother. Never seen a man so in love, apart from your father with his 'Lizabeth. Problem was, she didn't want him away at sea, and he wanted to be at sea. Eventually the sea won. It always does." Sparrow twisted a ring round his finger. "Bill Turner was my first first mate, when I became captain of the Pearl," he patted the deck, "and he was me second mate when we set out for Cortés's cursed gold."
Sparrow fell silent. Wondering where that left his grandfather in terms of the mutiny that had lost the captain his ship, Billy asked the question.
"Not sure that's a tale for dark nights," said Sparrow, in response.
"If he wasn't marooned with you he must have mutinied," Billy pointed out. "Did he … was he cursed?"
"Don't rightly know, lad," said Sparrow lightly. "All I know is he wasn't with Barbossa when I got the Pearl back, so he must've died somewhere along the way. Ain't it your bedtime?"
Billy sensed that no more answers were to be forthcoming, so he nodded and allowed Sparrow to take him to his cabin. A hammock had been hung in the corner, and Billy climbed in and rolled himself up in more blankets. There was a faint sound of music and dancing from the deck, and a gentle roll as the ship shifted in the quiet waters of the harbour. Sparrow bade him a good night, and left the cabin on soft feet. Alone, Billy fell quickly asleep to dreams of adventure and piles of cursed Aztec gold.