"Row, men, row!" Gibbs yells over the smashes of the sea against the Pearl's sides.
Jack bends low over his map with Elizabeth and Will waiting for him to come out of his reverie to figure out what they are going to do. Jack's eyes fix intently on the word TORTUGA, then ISLA DE MUERTAS, then PORT ROYAL. His hand glides over the easy passage ways from Tortuga to Port Royal and smirks. He stands upright quickly and looks at Elizabeth and Will.
"I think we have a winner," he says triumphantly, "we'll take the direct course from here—" He points on the map where they are, "—to Tortuga—" He points again, "—and then to Port Royal to finish the job." He throws down his pointer in triumph.
"Finish the job?" Elizabeth asks.
Jack nods. Elizabeth and Will don't nod along. Jack rolls his eyes.
"To regain Gerdy's skull," Jack says nonchalantly.
"How are we to obtain an immortal man's skull?" Will asks, "Do you know where it is?"
Jack laughs. "Of course not. That's why I need you two."
Jack sets off to the main deck, barking orders, while Will and Elizabeth discuss why they may be needed in finding Gerdy's skull. By nightfall, Elizabeth and Will still have no idea what they are supposed to do but are sure it cannot be good if it contains Jack and a binding oath with immortal men. Jack comes into Elizabeth's and Will's cabin early in the morning, before dawn, and tells Will to get up and follow him.
"Don't bother with Elizabeth, she doesn't need to see this," Jack says.
Will dresses quickly and follows Jack out onto the main deck. Several men are still working at the boat, making sure it sails properly while everyone else sleeps. Jack leads Will to the edge of the Pearl and motions below. Will looks down and sees two petrifying green eyes staring back at him. He yelps and falls backward, almost falling down the steps. Jack steadies him.
"That was Gerdy," Jack says.
"Gerdy? The man we saw yesterday?" Will asks.
Jack nods. "The man's curse is the worst curse of all. It was a werewolf-type curse. At nightfall, like Barbossa and his men, he turns into a...well, that."
Will doesn't look over the railing again but nods. "What exactly is...that?"
"It isn't a squid or a monster but somewhere in between," says Jack.
Nodding, Will squints into the blackness. He make out some land approaching. He goes to say something but Jack nods.
"Tortuga, my home away from the Pearl," he says, smirking.
Will goes over to the map that lies near the wheel and sees a star on Tortuga, Port Royal, and someplace else near the Isles de Muerta. Jack closes the map quickly.
"I've already shown you where we're to go," he says and stows the map in his pocket.
Supicious but too tired to question Jack, Will bids Jack a goodnight and goes back into the cabin. Elizabeth is sitting up with the candle lit, reading. She sees Will come in and puts the book on the table.
"Where did you go?" she asks.
"Jack wanted me," he says.
"For what?" Elizabeth settles herself against her pillow.
"He wanted to show me who Gerdy actually is."
Elizabeth sits straight up. "And?"
"He's a monster," says Will, collasping on a chair, "he turns that way at night."
"Like Barbossa's crew," Elizabeth says, remembering her terrible visit to the Pearl when it was under Barbossa's control and the eerie spell that had been put on them for stealing cursed Aztec gold.
"Yes, exactly," says Will, waking Elizabeth from her reverie, "and apparently, he dwells in the sea when he becomes this... creature. It was watching me and Jack tonight."
"Does it watch us every night?" Elizabeth asks, concerned.
"I don't know." Will slumps farther into the chair.
"Oh, Will, I didn't mean to worry you," she says, "I'm worried myself. It's just that, all these things seem to happen when we're with Jack. Our wedding was ruined because I vouched for him and we haven't been to Port Royal to get remarried since. And now I doubt we'll be getting there anytime soon because of this little trip Jack's decided on taking us. However, I have no idea why we'd be of any help. We don't know this Gerdy at all, besides that he's an underwater demon at night."
Will sighs and gets into bed. Elizabeth blows out the candle but Will doesn't go to sleep at all.
"The Compass says that way," says Jack, pointing emphatically.
Gibbs shakes his head and his small curls shake with it. "That's not what the map shows."
Jack rolls his eyes. "It doesn't matter what the map says, it matters what I say, and the Compass points that way." He points again. "So turn her a quarter-stern. And hurry. Time is not our friend here."
Gibbs nods and hurries below deck while Will comes up to talk to Jack. Jack says good morning and then walks off but Will follows him. Jack turns to Will.
"Do you need something?" he asks.
"Yes. I need your honour."
Jack's eyebrows go up in bemusement. "My honour?" he repeats.
Will nods. "No more lying, no more cheating, no more bargaining." Will holds out his hand. "I need this from you, Jack, in order for this to continue."
"Or you can just bargain with me to get what you want and then get my honour," Jack says.
"Fine." Will lets his hand fall to his side. "When we return to Port Royal after a short trip, preferably a few days, in Tortuga, Elizabeth and I are to be married. You will finish the job without us."
"And what I get in your stead?" Jack asks.
"Gibbs," Will says, motioning to the old man as he barks orders.
"Not who, but what," Jack clarifies.
"What is that you want?" Will asks.
"Well, Norrington being commodore again won't help me much," Jack says, "so I'll need some leverage. And I think I have a very good plan. It involves Elizabeth and since she's usually the one getting us into these messes, she'll be happy to be of good use."
Will rolls his eyes but listens to Jack's plan intently. At the end of the entire scenario, Will nods.
"That's just crazy enough to work," he says.
"One can only hope," Jack snickers.
