Oldest Story in the Book

Chapter 35

Disclaimer: Not mine. I just love it like it was.

Author's Note: For anyone still holding on, thanks. I mean, really. I'm finally getting there. This had been a nightmare. I've had the end written forever. It's the middle giving me fits. I wrote most of this chapter, the last I had to do, and then noticed that Pearl's wedding on Jack's ship has disappeared. It's a pity because I remember it being very good, but I don't remember enough to rewrite it. I'm very sorry for anyone missing it. So in the course of trying to fix that, I deleted what I had of this chapter. Editing I can do but rewriting tears at my soul. So I'm sorry this has taken so very long, but I'm happy to finally get it out to you.

"Quietly now," Pearl said as she led the group up the steep winding path.

"They're never going to let us in the front gate," Norrington said. "It's later than I thought. They'll be closed up for the night."

"That's the entire point," Pearl said as she continued to climb. "I know a way in."

"We're breaking into a convent?" Norrington asked.

"Is that a sin?" Pearl asked innocently.

"Yes! In fact I'm reasonably certain it is."

"Chapter and verse?" Jack asked.

"I'm certain it's in there."

"Thou pirates shall not violate the sanctity of the church at any point after dark," Emmie said. "First Corrinthans, 44:56."
"So we may violate it in daylight?" Jack asked.

"There's no direct verse against it," Emmie said.

"There are only 16 books in First Corinthians," Norrington objected.

Jack and Pearl laughed. "She made it up. I don't believe God felt the need to speak directly to pirates, and I don't believe he cares whether the sun is up or not," Pearl joked. "Luc is going to love him."

"How do you know you can trust this Luc person?" Norrington asked. "I had hoped, I mean, I wished, you would tell me by now."

"You didn't tell him?" Jack asked.

"I wasn't certain he's believe me," Pearl sighed. "And he might decide there was hope for me."

"Didn't tell him what?" Will asked as he pulled Elizabeth up behind him, then slipped and had to cling to her.

Emmie sighed. "Luc is her uncle."

"How did your mother's brother get off the streets?" Norrington asked. "And why didn't he help her?"
Pearl shared a smile with Jack. "Actually, he's my father's brother. He's a Sparrow. So he can't give us up, we're family."

"Your uncle is a priest!" To Norrington's benefit it was Will gaping at them instead of the man in question.

"It's a long story," Pearl sighed.

"It's really not," Jack put in. "He was considerably younger. When the other Sparrow brothers went to seek their fortune he turned to the church."

"Other Sparrow brothers?" Will asked. "There's more than one of you?"

"You'd know that already if you took a bit more interest in Elizabeth's books," Pearl said as Elizabeth shook her head.

"I haven't read those since I got married," she said. "A good dose of the real thing has cured my interest in that."

"I'd call it a healthy interest," Pearl said. "No time to talk now, although I'd much rather be going to see Hal." She paused, suddenly stepping into a shadowy section of rock. "We have to be quiet. If the head whatsisname catches us, it'll be all fire and brimstone."

She led them into the dark corner, pressing a rusty gate out of the way with a great deal of squeaking.

"It's okay. They don't come down this low," Emmie said as she led the way.

"Unless they're having an inquisition," Pearl said, running one finger up the back of Norrington's neck as he passed. He glared at her, which only made her stick out her tongue at him. He couldn't resist a smile after that.

She squeezed up to the front, and led them out of the catacombs and into the church. Granite fell under their feet, columns rose around them. The pirates pulled to the corners and into the shadows, and the others followed.

Once again things grew less fine. The lamps turned to torches. Occasionally hunched men bearing candles passed, but none saw the party.

Finally Pearl grinned as she reached a door. Holding a finger to her lips she eased the door carefully open.

A man sat stooped low over the desk, a book open before him and an inkpot as well as a piece of parchment. Pearl crouched low as she stepped carefully toward the desk.

"Some day, Pearl, you are going to realize that I cannot be bested by your sneaking tricks."

"Some day you're going to realize all I have are those sneaky tricks," Pearl said, hands going to her hips.

"You have far more." He finally put down his pen to look up at her. "I do hope some day you find that."

"Now he sounds like Hal," Pearl sighed.

"You like Hal," Emmie said.

"I like parts of Hal," Pearl said. "Not this particular part, but--"

"Hello Jack," the priest said with a nod of his head.

"Lucifer," Jack answered with a nod.

Will chocked a bit, which made Emmie giggle. "Hello uncle Luc," Emmie greeted, hurrying forward to hug him.

"His name is Lucifer?" Will wheezed.

"I don't think I'm surprised by anything any more," Norrington said.

"Emmie, there are people in my room I do not know and your mother and grandfather are too rude to introduce them. Do you mind?" Luc asked

"Not a bit. The man chocking over your name is William Turner, and the lass is Elizabeth."

"Oh, honestly Will. It mean's "bright one." It means 'morning star.' Satan lost it when he fell for a reason," Pearl snapped.

"Right, the couple as raised you. I have every admiration for you. It was more than I could have done."

Emmie's eyes grew wide as she glanced around the cramped room. "Aye, and thank heavens for that."

"And the gentleman?" Luc asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Norrington asked.

"Ah, Luc made him tell a joke!" Jack cried. "The world may end!"

"He is Admiral Edward James Norrington. This is my father and at long last, my mother's husband."

"Congratulations," he said.

"Don't let his calm demeanor fool you. He wanted to meet you for ages," Pearl whispered to Norrington.

"Ages?" Norrington asked.

"Since I had him baptize Emmie," Pearl said.

"You had Emmie baptized?" Norrington asked.

"I'm not taking chances with my daughter's soul," Pearl said

"Were you baptized?"

"Never!" Pearl cried.

"So why were you so anxious to meet me?" Norrington asked.

"Now he's preening," Pearl 'whispered' to Jack, who nodded emphatically.

"You don't seem Pearl's type, nor does she seem yours. I was curious, naturally."

"He thinks you're too good for me," Pearl said. "Very much like Hal now. I hope he can set it aside long enough to marry us."

"I thought you said you were married," Luc said.

"I am," Pearl said. "We are," she added at his suspicious look. "But not in the eyes of his all-powerful, controlling, manipulative--"

"I think that's enough, Pearl," Norrington said.

"--bullying, overblown, holier-than-thou--"

"Of course he's holier than you. He created the universe," Emmie pointed out.

"Deity," Pearl finished.

"That was a lovely list," Luc said.

"I'm rather proud of it."

"I'm not saying it's right, but it's interesting."

"I always am. So will you marry us?"

"I'll consider it." Luc tilted his head. "After that comment I'm not certain you're fit to go before God and swear undying love. And I'm uncertain he deserves such a match."

"See? He's too good for me," Pearl said to Jack.

"Perhaps you're too good for him," Jack suggested.

"There are days that I wonder," Norrington said. "She's very good for me. She's perfect for me. She's everything I want. I truly believe God meant for us to be together. I would simply like to see the union confirmed in His sight."

"Why do you feel that way?" Luc asked.

"Because, as you said, you wouldn't expect us to do so well together. But we do. I feel for her…I can't explain it, but it's strong. I can't believe I wouldn't have these feelings if we weren't meant to be together."

"Pearl?" he asked.

"What?"

"Why do you wish to marry him?"

"Admiral's a good catch."

"Pearl," he sighted.

"There are worse reasons."

"There are, but that is not your reason."

She sighed. "Because I have never wanted to marry. Never desired a match, never imagined I would. And I had to live with the idea that this may never happen and I anguished. I was in pain over it. And he wants a union with God and I want a union that will bind him to me, so so be it. How is that?"

"I've heard better," he said. "But not much."

"Then is that to be taken as a yes?"

"I have not decided yet." He turned from her to go back to his table. "And you are interrupting my work."

"Your work!" she cried. "Your work is the Lord's work. Look, the man wants to be married right and true by a priest with our real names. He's a good God-fearing man, so he must be owed that much. God's work. Now you do it right this moment or else!" A dagger appeared in her hand.

"Pearl!" Norrington cried in shock while the rest of the group rolled their eyes.

"Or else what, Pearl?" he asked as he dipped his quill in the ink. "I do not fear pain, nor death, and those are the only weapons this life has seen fit to equip you with."

"Or else," she hissed, "I'll go find another priest and hold a knife to his throat."

"You most certainly will not!" Norrington cried in distress. "I would never be party to such a thing."

"Well, Mister Norrington--"

"Admiral," Pearl growled.

"--you certainly demand her motivations, do you not? So adamant in something she does not wish to do," Luc noted in a pristine tone. "Not many could put a Sparrow in such a position." He studied them for a moment. "Yes, I would well believe it would take God's ordination to accomplish such a feat."

Pearl's eyes narrowed and her hand flopped over, drawn dagger waving flippantly. "He's insulting me and offering me what I want at the same time."

"The specialty of all priests," Jack murmured.

"Not all," Luc put in. "Just the especially good ones." He capped his ink. "I'm going to go gather some writings by more learned men. It has been a long time since I have performed a wedding. I will return when vespers has cleared the majority of my fellows are in bed."

They watched him clear out. Jack sat on the edge of a round rug, pulling out a deck of cards. "So who's up for a game?"

"Gambling a house of God?" Norrington asked.

"I don't think it's gambling unless you have something to wager, Admiral," he said. "And what makes you think you have anything of value?"

"Nothing I'm be willing to gamble," he said with a smile for Pearl and Emmie. "But everything of value."

"Oh, stop being so sappy," Pearl moaned.

"I'm allowed. I'm about to get married. For a second time. To a woman I love."

"Well, at least be sappy and pay cards. God has not strictly forbidden that, and if he sees fit to I'll laugh at him for the pleasure."

Emmie whistled sharply and raised her smoking torch to better view the pillars disappearing toward the shadowy ceiling. Everywhere curling bits of frill and extra decoration loomed over them. Small toothy animals say in the corners, staring down at them from dead eyes.

"Might be worth the vows to live like this. It's beautiful."

"Mind your tongue," Pearl ordered. "Although it is nice."

"It's supposed to remind you of the overwhelming and looming power of God," Elizabeth said. "I attended a cathedral much like this in England. I was always terrified God was going to lose one of those spiked bits onto my head as punishment for my sins."

Pearl glanced overhead and took a step to the left. Norrington snickered, but Jack followed her carefully chosen path.

Luc stowed the torch he had used to light the candle, motioning them toward the alter. "Are we prepared to begin then?"

The crowd gathered behind the two. Norrington grinned, clasping Pearl's hand and grinning widely before nodding.

"We are gathered here this…night…to usher these two people into a new life. Marriage is a covenant. It is the ultimate gamble, this one ordained by God. To fail, to lose, to chose incorrectly, is to fall into misery. To win is to live a life of happiness. No treasure is so great outside the realm of God's risen kingdom, and He is forever on the side of a union entered. A life of ease and wealth cannot bring the joy of such a union. It is a treasure ship sought by many, that even the honest may take without remorse."

Jack whistled quietly under his breath when Luc paused. "If I'd know there were vows like that I may have considered marrying Diamond." Pearl turned to look at him. "Maybe," he added quickly.

"You should write this down," Emmie put in. "The pirate version. I may want to use it some day."

"They're my vows," Pearl said. "You can find your own."

"I'll write more," Luc said. "Are you ready for the actual vows now?"

"Absolutely," Pearl said quickly. Norrington raised an eyebrow. "This gets easier every time I do it."

"Do you, Pearl Sparrow, take Admiral Commodore to be your husband as ordained by God. To follow the precepts set down by the Lord above, to love him as we are commanded, with all due vows and honors afforded."

Pearl narrowed her eyes. "This sounds like a tricky way to get past the 'obey' part."

"So Miss Sparrow has been reading her Bible," Luc said.

"I hear rumors."

"Those are the vows I offer you. God does not strike deals, at least not through me."

Pearl sighed. "I suppose I do, if there's no way around it."

"So certain?" Norrington asked. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Mister Norrington, do you vow to honor Miss Sparrow as the Lord commands a husband? To follow all laws as ordained by His Holiness?"

"I do," he asserted.

"Then by the power of God I join the two of you with a bond even death will not break. Let no man nor woman stand between you, lest the Lord turn his back on them. Amen."

"You forgot the kissing part," Pearl said.

Luc glanced at Emmie. "I believe that bit has been well covered by this time, but do as you must." Pearl grinned, a nasty gleam in her eye as she threw an arm around Norrington. "Attempt to-" Luc said, too late as Pearl pounced for a kiss that would have made her mother blush- "restrain yourself," Luc finished with a defeated sigh. When she pulled away he ventured, "Do you intend to totally defile God's house or will you now return to the ship?"

Pearl put a hand around Norrington's waste to steady him. "We're shipping out right away. Pirates and all. We have what we want and now I'll be on my way."

"I am sorry for such a short visit. You will return?"

"The very next time we need to evade the Navy for a length of time," Jack promised.

"Why would you need to do that?" Norrington asked.

"No reason," Jack said quickly. "But it probably won't be too long."

Luc's eyes tracked mostly Norrington as he said, "I am available any time for spiritual counseling as well."

"We will bear that in mind," Emmie said quickly. "We still have a monastery to sneak out of."

"And it's my honeymoon," Pearl said.

"You had one already," Emmie said. "And you have another to go yet. Do try to control yourself."

Pearl blew a raspberry at her. "Do I tell you to control yourself? No. So you had best leave your poor old mother alone and let her get her kicks where she can."

"Hey, that doesn't sound terribly complimentary," Norrington said.

"Oh, hush. I've married you twice now."

"And one more to go," Emmie said. "The hardest as will take the most planning. We had best be off."