Chapter 09: 1740 - A Breath of Fate
The encounter with Bill Turner had not been unexpected, it had just caught Jack off-guard and on a day, where everything that possibly could go wrong already had gone wrong - and that didn't even included the compass, which seemed almost deliberately to deny him any service ever since his escape from the dungeon off the Turkish coast.
Also, the fact that his crew expected a little more piracy and a little less adventure from him, didn't make manoeuvring between what he wanted to do and what he had to do any easier. Added to this was the knowledge that Davy Jones had sent a monster from the deepest depths of the sea at their heels.
All of this taken together really didn't do much to lift Jack's spirits, and so, after Bill Turner had disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared, he rushed out of the hold, driving the crew with might and main to set sail and to leave the waters in which they were presently drifting.
As soon as the crew got to work, a completely confused Gibbs caught up to him just as he was wrapping a scrap of cloth around his palm to hide the black spot on it: "Cap'n! What's this sudden departure about? Didn't you say we were going to drift until you'd have plotted a course?"
"No need for a course, mate! Just let's get as many miles as possible between here and there as quick as possible!"
"That's understood! But, Jack, do we have a heading?"
Jack looked at his first mate, a hint of panic in his eyes, and replied: "Land!"
"What port?"
"I didn't say port! I said land. No matter where! Just land!"
"But..."
Before Jack could give him another reply, the cursed monkey, being constantly up to all kind of mischief all around the "Pearl" since Barbossa's death, jumped onto his shoulder, grabbed the tricorn, and climbed onto the rail - only to throw the eye-catching hat overboard with a more or less malicious screech...
Gibbs reacted immediately: "Jack's hat! Bring her about!"
But Jack held the men back: "No! Leave it. It's just a hat! And now, run!"
All eyes turned to him - including the monkey's: The matter must be way more serious than they first thought. And while Jack scurried off to lock himself in his quarters, Gibbs urged the crew: "Mind your stations, the lot of you!" - only to find that the captain did vanish into thin air...
A few hours and a bottle of rum later, Jack was back to brooding over his sea charts.
In the meantime, he had set a new course, but he was not sure if this decision had been the right one, because the "Pearl" sailed under full canvas directly towards that island, where he and Caithleen had encountered the tribe of the Pelagostas some years earlier.
It had not been a lie what he had told the two soldiers, Mullroy and Murtogg, back in Port Royal:
The natives of that island had indeed made him their chief, but it was only after several of their crew members had inexplicably disappeared that it had begun to dawn on him and Caith that there was a connection between the prodigious amount of bone jewellery, the opulent meals, and their missing crewmates.
Therefore, it didn't take them long to get to agree that they had to take flight swiftly if they did not want to end up as the main dish at one of the innumerable tribal gatherings.
Jack couldn't remember having ever gotten the "Wing" ready for sea again as quickly as on that day, when they fled from Pelagosta's Island, and he knew returning to the island held many dangers, but the alternative that would await them if they remained at sea was no less dangerous.
Of course he had heard rumours about Davy Jones' creepy monster from the depths: It was said that the dreaded sailor kept a mighty kraken, which he sent after all those who tried to escape the bargain they once struck with him. Some even claimed the beast could drag a galleon the size of the "Pearl" down to the bottom of the sea but Jack decided not to believe in that, for now - at least, not as long as it could be avoided somehow...
He looked up as the door to the captain's cabin opened, but it was only van Dijk who now entered: "I must say, that was an interesting spectacle that you offered us earlier, lad."
The Dutchman grinned as he closed the door behind him and sauntered over to the table.
Jack returned the grin: "Did you enjoy it?"
"You could say so!" However, before van Dijk could add anything else, he spotted the bottle on the table: "Mind if I have a sip?"
"Help yourself, and then out with what it is you want!"
"That's a deal!" Van Dijk took a deep sip from the bottle and remarked: "So much for the reawakened spirits and now for you! You didn't really seem like the Jack Sparrow I hired years ago. What did you see down there in the hold? A ghost?"
"Worse," Jack replied: "I've discovered a complete fool."
"Will you let me in on who that is supposed to be?"
Jack made a gesture which meant to the Dutchman that he, Jack, was the fool himself, and van Dijk laughed: "Wherefrom did you get that peculiar insight, lad? And how did you come up with such a strange thought?"
"The truth is hard to deny..."
"Ah! I see! That would definitely explain which is why you set course for this cannibal island, right?"
"Keep telling yourself that, mate!" Jack shook his head: "No, calling on that island just serves to buy me some time, until I'm able think of something! I'm just afraid this is the very moment where I have to take responsibility for having wasted too much time on chasing after Barbossa and my ship, instead of worrying about something much more important..."
Van Dijk frowned: "You know, as long as I've known you, I've always felt like everything you do follows some strangely well-directed path - as anfractuous as it sometimes may seem. Ever thought of the idea that you would be in need of your ship before you would be able to face Davy Jones? Not just any ship, Jack! Your 'Pearl'! And what about all the people you met while hunting for Barbossa? You told me quite a bit about this young couple - Will and Elizabeth?"
"I'm open to any strange explanation, mate, as long as you spare me any mention of Jones' sea monster! This will certainly be enough to attract it sooner or later."
With that, Jack removed the scrap of cloth from his hand, so that the black spot became visible, which had now spread like a blain over the entire palm, and which seemed to be alive in a very peculiar way. Van Dijk glanced at it, grabbed Jack's hand and covered its palm with his own: "Don't let this drive you crazy, son. Use it as an incentive. I know you well enough by now to know that situations like this use to give you the best ideas."
"Might be," Jack admitted: "but that's exactly my problem: Right now, I don't have any. Savvy?"
The idea found him – in the shape of Will Turner...
After he and Caith fled Pelagosta's Island back then, it had been Jack's original intention to never return to this cannibal island again.
Chief or not he felt no desire to run into danger once more, to be invited to dinner at some point in time, where he himself would become the dinner. But as is so often the case with good intentions, this one, too, only lasted until the facts changed - and Davy Jones' terrifying monster from the seas seemed reason enough for Jack to throw his earlier decisions overboard for the time being.
Not much did change in the years since his first unplanned visit to the island, and his status as chief was still neither challenged nor contested - which he found to be a rather arguable honour, knowing what it would mean for him in the long run...
As feared, his crew got decimated this time too, and just as Jack was wondering how much longer his role as the tribe's chief would protect him from the inevitable, the Pelagostas dragged into the village a young man whose face was not only familiar to him but also exceedingly welcome: Will Turner!
The boy had tried to explain everything to him in a few moments, but a little too preoccupied with himself and his own destiny, Jack had only understood a fraction of what Will had tried to explain to him.
What he understood was that something was wrong with Elizabeth, that the boy wanted his compass, and that both already had their heads half in the noose for helping him.
And so the inevitable happened:
It was not in the thoughts of the Pelagostas that their chief, whom they also worshipped as a kind of divine being, fled a second time and thus escaped the comparatively unpleasant procedure of being freed from his fleshly prison. And while Will, Gibbs, van Dijk and the part of the crew who had survived this adventure got the "Black Pearl" ready for sea, Jack ran for his life - the whole tribe of the Pelagostas hot on his heels!
As soon as he reached the shore, he didn't dare look back. With his gaze firmly fixed on the "Pearl", he rushed along the beach. He didn't even get to wonder where the mangy wolfhound came from he had last seen within the cell corridor of Port Royal Jail. All he wanted was to get aboard his ship and then get away from this island!
He almost got roasted, narrowly escaped dozens of arrows and spears, had fruit and coconuts thrown at him and did finally fall into a ravine. That he didn't break all his bones, he owed solely to the fact that half a dozen plank bridges had repeatedly softened the impact of his fall!
No!
He really had enough of this island!
With the "Pearl" within reach, he finally grabbed one of the mooring lines and climbed aboard as quickly as possible - a last greeting to his tribe on his lips: "Alas, my children! This is the day you shall always remember as the day you almost..." before a wave washed over him: "...Captain Jack Sparrow ..."
He wasn't really back on board yet when Gibbs was already hurrying towards him: "Let's put some distance between us and this island, and head out to open sea..."
Basically, Jack was not averse to this idea, but he was unwilling to take another unnecessary risk just after having overcome one not even an hour earlier: "Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible."
Gibbs looked at him obviously not fully able to follow the spirit of this order: "Um, that seems a bit contradictory, sir, doesn't it?"
Jack's mind was already elsewhere when he replied: "I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Mister Gibbs."
However, before he could disappear below deck and to his quarters, he stumbled across Will, who obviously had no intention of wasting any more time: "Jack!"
He glanced at the boy, hesitated for a moment, and then motioned for him to follow: "Whatever it is you want to tell me - not here!"
"But Jack..."
"No ifs and buts, mate! Come with me if you want to talk! Otherwise don't!"
Ignoring the boy's protests, Jack headed for the captain's cabin, and Will followed, albeit unwillingly. Jack slammed the door and noticed while he peeled off his wet clothes and threw on dry ones: "Here we can talk undisturbed. And, Will, please from the beginning, yes, that is, from where it starts to matter."
"Elizabeth is in danger and to save her I need your compass!"
Jack regarded Will thoughtfully and frowned: "I've already noticed that much, so how about you give me one or two more details? For example, an answer to the question, what do you need my compass for?"
"The compass is the guarantee of Elizabeth's life and safety!"
"Say, all this sounds like I've heard it before. Didn't we have all this just a year ago? And now you're standing here in front of me again asking for my help to save your girl? Honestly, Will, you should consider locking her in a cell and throwing away the key!"
"Jack! A cell is right where Elizabeth is! She's under lock and key in the Port Royal garrison!"
"If you know where she is, then what's the compass for, mate?"
"That is a long story..."
"I already told you last time: The one thing we have in abundance is time! Now, will you tell me what happened, or do I have to dig up the details myself?"
Jack curled up within his berth and watched Will, who was obviously fighting an internal battle with himself over what he could, should, or was allowed to tell him and what not.
After a while the boy heaved a sigh and said: "Beckett has her!"
A shadow darkened Jack's eyes, when he immediately sat up again at the mention of that name: "Lord Cutler Beckett?"
"He turned up in Port Royal on the day of our wedding, along with half a dozen heavily armed warships and countless soldiers. Anyone suspected of being a pirate, associated with pirates, or even knowing a pirate got arrested immediately. They dragged me out of my workshop and instead of a priest, Elizabeth and I suddenly found ourselves standing in front of this arrogant prat with his powdered wig! It turned out he was carrying warrants signed by the king - one for each of us: me, Elizabeth and Norrington - accusing us of helping a notorious pirate escape. The way I see it, Norrington can name himself lucky that after the sinking of the 'Dauntless' he made off!"
"So Beckett already knows that Norrington defied his order to hand me over to the East India Trading Company at all costs. Reason enough for Beckett, to regard our good ol' Commodore as a traitor!" Jack mused about that before asking: "But what I still don't understand is: Why are you here?"
"Beckett left me a choice: Either I search for you and your compass and bring both of you back to Port Royal, or Elizabeth will face the gallows according to the verdict on freeing a pirate. So, I have to decide what to do now: Take the compass to Port Royal together with you or just the compass, without you..."
"I don't like either of those two variants..."
"Please, Jack, leave the compass to me! I couldn't bear the thought of seeing Elizabeth at the gallows!"
"Better her than me!"
"Jack!"
"All right then! Suppose I give you the compass what's in it for me then?"
"General pardon and letters of marque signed by Beckett and the King!"
"Beckett offered that to convince me?" Jack smirked: "And you believe him?"
"I have no choice, Jack! Either I betray you or Elizabeth!"
"Ah! As I can see, the choice wasn't difficult for you, eh?"
"Do you really think I would betray you? If that's what you think, just give me the compass and you'll be rid of me next time we make port!"
"I didn't think anything, Will! I just wonder what Beckett wants with that compass!"
"He made some vague indications about your compass being worth more than gold, silver and treasure!" Will looked worriedly at Jack: "I assume, you know what that means?"
"I know what that means, mate, and it's right because I know what that means, why the thought worries me immensely!"
"What is all this really about, Jack?"
"Power, Will! It's all about power!"
Jack knew what Beckett was looking for and also that he would find what he was looking for, should he ever get his hands on that inconspicuous little box containing the compass.
There was only one way to prevent this, and Will had to help him with it. Whether he wanted it or not: They had to forestall Beckett at all costs!
Therefore, he cleared his throat and turned back to Will: "All right then, I'll tell you what we're going to do next. I'll help you save your bonny lass if you help me in return to find this..."
That said, he handed Will the piece of cloth containing the drawing of the key.
"A key," the lad asked.
"That's what it is."
"And you want me to find that key?"
Jack inwardly rolled his eyes. Most of the time the kid was really clever, but sometimes he got in his own way so much that he didn't seem to think twice: "No! You want you to find that key, because if you will help me to find that key, I will trade you my compass for it in return and you can scurry back to Port Royal, hand the compass over to Beckett and free your Dotty Belle. Aye?"
"So, this is going to save Elizabeth...?"
Jack frowned as he asked: "What do you know about Davy Jones?"
"Not much..."
Jack knew this meant the boy knew nothing about Jones except that there were tales and legends about the man and his ship. He quickly considered all the possible ways how Will could learn more about the legend, but immediately came to the conclusion that on the one hand this would take time and on the other hand there was no guarantee that the boy would really understand what was really going on. And so he shrugged and replied: "Yes! This is going to save Elizabeth!"
Jack was aware that once again he had not put all his cards face up on the table, but knowing Beckett all too well, he also knew that had he told Will all the details of the plan that was just beginning to unfold behind his brow, they would all end up in grave danger. And in far more grave danger than any of them did realise right now.
Beckett wasn't interested in doing business with pirates or with those who once helped one of them - he wanted to root out piracy as a whole, and he, Jack, was the one he hoped to hurt most in doing so.
He remembered only too vividly Beckett's satisfied expression, when he told him he had chosen to leave Caith aboard the "Wench" when he set the ship on fire. No, he would never again underestimate this man and what he was capable of!
That was why he stopped Will when he wanted to return on deck: "One more word, Will! Let me warn you: Should you return to Port Royal - don't make the mistake of trusting Beckett!"
Will turned on his heel and watched Jack for a moment. And just like about a year ago, aboard the "Interceptor", this time, too, he had the feeling for a split second that Jack looked vulnerable and exhausted. Hence he asked: "What happened between the two of you that you despise the man so much?"
Jack raised his gaze, and what Will saw in his eyes made him involuntarily take a step back: "This man has ruined my life so thoroughly that there was no way back for me. He killed the woman I loved beyond measure! He killed Caith, Will! And I'll tell you one thing: He holds nothing he could offer me. Nothing he could do to persuade me ever to return into the service of the king or the East India Trading Company ever again!"
"What about his promise to guarantee your freedom?"
"I am free William! He can't promise me anything I already have..."
As night fell Jack went up on deck to join Gibbs and van Dijk at the helm and relieve the Dutchman later that evening.
Gibbs looked at him and asked: "What about Will? Is the lad going to help us?"
"He is, Mister Gibbs, but first we have some other business to deal with! We have a need to sail upriver."
Much to van Dijk's surprise, Gibbs didn't look too happy at this prospect: "By need, do you mean a trifling need, fleeting, as in, say, a passing fancy?"
Jack shook his head: "No, a resolute and unyielding need." He looked at van Dijk and added: "We have to call on her..."
