Andy
"Yo ho,
Yo ho,
A Pirate's life for me!
We pillage and plunder and we rifle and loot,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
Yo ho,
Yo ho,
A pirate's life for me!
We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
Maraud and embezzle and even hijack,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
Yo ho,
Yo ho,
A pirate's life for me!
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
We burn up the city,
We're really a fright,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do well cads…
And really bad eggs…
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up, me hearties yo ho!"
Jack's amazing musical talent woke us the next morning as dawn crept over The Dauntless and the new day's breeze lifted her sails.
Will moaned from within the other room when awoken by the sound and clambered out of bed and on deck to meet Jack and me, both of whom had been up an hour or so earlier.
The sun rose radiantly that day, and as the remarkably bright rays lit up the waters, our path was laid before us for the day.
Our journey that day was made easier, thanks to a strong breeze that pushed our sails and sped us across the sea.
The sunset was red, and a deep enough shade to be the color of blood. The day had been unexpectedly fortunate for us, for it brought us nearer to our target. The Pearl became more then a speck seen only by telescope. It became a slowing mark on the horizon.
"Why is it getting slower?" Will asked me as we both stood on the starboard deck and watched the sun set, our eyes also turning to watch The Black Pearl as she sluggishly came into view.
"Perhaps she's stopping…or, um…" I let my voice trail off.
Will was curious. "What?"
"Well…" I turned to Jack on that one.
My brother had been standing a step behind Will, without the blacksmith even knowing. "Or, um…well…Maybe she's sinking because there's a hole in 'er from a cannonball and she's slowly sinking and losing speed, which is why we needed you to come in the first place and Andy was told not to tell you because we figured that you might not come all this way and leave Elizabeth alone, but if you didn't know why you were needed and it sounded urgent you might be interested enough to leave your bonny lass for a short time." Jack purposely rushed the words, so they seemed to come out faster then Will could comprehend, and in a long, run-on sentence. He put on a cocky smile then, hoping to at least attempt to soften the blow… if only slightly.
For a while, there was naught but silence on The Dauntless. Will broke it. "You wanted me to come so I could patch up a hole that is sinking your ship?"
Jack and I exchanged glances. "Yeah, basically." My brother replied.
"Is that all?"
"Yes." I answered his question when Jack hesitated.
"Then that's why we're short of time?" Will recalled my words 'it would cost time, and that we are short of' spoken the day we'd met.
I frowned. "Why else?"
Nodding, Will sighed. "I can't help you."
"We would've told you before, but then I thought you wouldn't come so…we left the fact unmentioned." Jack accurately explained.
"It's not that." Will assured before adding "I'm not a blacksmith anymore."
"Come again?"
"I gave up the trade."
Jack looked crestfallen. "Not good."
I stepped forward. The Pearl to me was as precious as it was to Jack. It was our freedom. "Surely you can still fix it! You may have stopped the trade, but you can't have forgotten the skill."
"I have not, but I have no tools, no supplies."
"Then what was it you had to pack before we left for Tortugas?"
Will tilted his head as if the answer should be obvious. "Clothes."
"Clothes? You packed clothes? What good're they? Clothes don't repair a ship, they don't keep watch for enemy ships, and they don't feed you!" Jack outraged. "D'ya know I've been wearing these," He plucked at his jacket and shirt, "for more then a month! I don't need anything else except a ship, a lookout, and food to fill my mouth." We both stared at him a moment while the only sound heard was the water splashing against The Dauntless' sides. "I did not just say that…that one part about these clothes."
"Anyway," Will continued. "If I can find equipment and we can board The Pearl, I can try to seal the fissure for you.
Jack came up behind me. "It doesn't matter now. In his hands, The Pearl is lost anyway."
I spun about abruptly. "What!"
His eyes were lit with a flame that did not give up. "We'll have to find a new ship."
"Huh?"
Will came over. "What?"
My brother turned and walked over to the wheel, then stopped, some twenty feet away. "Andy, come here."
I frowned.
"Come here."
I paused. What was going on?
Jack jerked his head, trying to make a gesture for me to join him. "Come on!" His last words were more desperate and order-like.
With a sigh, I bade his will and walked over.
Jack leaned in to whisper in my ear, making sure Will could not hear. "If he, meaning Will," He jerked a thumb at Will, "thinks that we, meaning you and me, don't care about The Pearl…then he won't expect us, also meaning you and me, to hijack The Pearl when we find it. Therefore, he won't be able to stop us when we do."
He was beginning to actually make sense…for once. "Are you sure about this?"
"Sure, I'm sure. Of course! We can find someone else to repair The Pearl after we get it back to Tortugas, and then we can drop Will off to be home with his bonny lass." He paused for a minute as if he expected applause. "And voila, The Black Pearl is ours again, and is fixed, and Will's happy to be home."
I cocked my head, thinking for a short time.
"So are ya with me, or against me?"
"So far, I'm thinking that this could actually work. I'm with you."
"You know, I'm glad, because if you were against me, then…you'd be against me."
I smiled; that was the Jack I knew. "Uh-huh. Who did you say has The Pearl now?" The question had just occurred to me.
"Cortez."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, it's him."
"Oh, no…" I muttered, but Jack heard me.
He immediately asked. "What is it?"
"Cortez knows how to captain a ship, and he's not stupid," I finished the sentence off in my mind, like we'd all hoped. "In fact," I continued. "He's not stupid at all. He will find what he's looking for. And won't stop at that. He'll be worse than Barbossa."
"Oh." Came the retort. "Is that all?"
What was he thinking? Did he have another plan stashed away in his mind that he wasn't sharing? "What do you mean 'is that all', Jack?"
He didn't give an immediate answer.
"Isn't that enough?" I persisted, waiting for an answer… any answer.
"Well…" He looked shrewdly at me, into my eyes. "We did beat Barbossa." A smile grew on his lips as his words finished.
He was right. He and Will had killed Barbossa, after breaking the curse. And the thought brought the light glimmer of hope to my mind.
"Yes." I agreed with a sigh. "You did beat Barbossa."