Chapter 10: 1740 - Tia Dalma's Cabana


He inhaled a deep breath and said: "Aboard the 'Wench' there was a girl. My girl ... the girl, I love ... I think she ... died ... together with me..." Jack paused for a moment, then he looked straight into Jones' unearthly face and asked: "Can you bring her back as well?"

Jones glanced at him, and it was the glance of a man who had come to terms with the loss of love several lifetimes ago.

"No," he mumbled: "I cannot. She had moved on to the other side before the ship went to the depths, but if you believe in fairytales, you might possibly find her soul within your ship."


"The compass doesn't point north?"

"No!"

"But, it's not damaged?"

"No!"

"So, it will lead me to an aim or a destination?"

"Yes!"

"If it doesn't point north, what does it show me...?"

"What you desire most...!"

"You know what I desire most...

"And you know that it is the only desire that can no longer be satisfied..."

"So it must be, if neither Davy Jones nor his voodoo–priestess from the swamps are able to return my girl to me, aye? Prove me wrong, love, but you're not an ordinary voodoo-priestess, aren't you?"

Tia Dalma startled, and she stood like rooted to the ground. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she kept silent for a while before she asked: "You know?"


The "Black Pearl" was anchored in the shallows near the mouth of the river. Her draft did not allow her to sail upriver, and so the crew had launched the longboats to take on the day's journey through widely branched swamps and dense jungle, at the end of which there would wait an encounter with the woman, most took for nothing more than an eerie voodoo priestess.

Jack knew better, and he looked forward to this encounter with Tia Dalma with mixed feelings.

Since his return from Davy Jones' Locker, and since she had given him his magical compass, he had visited her a number of times, but at that time he had not yet known what he knew today - or what he at least suspected.

The thought that both she and Davy Jones might have lied to him when he had asked them about Caithleen's fate, had occurred to him repeatedly over the years, but since he had settled his score with Barbossa and reclaimed the "Pearl", he couldn't help but suspecting that it was the truth.

The pounding heartbeat of his ship, the whisper in the sails, the warmth that flooded through him whenever he held the helm in his hands - all this could not be based on pure imagination.

Nor the images that came over him, when he closed his eyes and looked into the face of the woman, he would have been willing to give anything for, his life included.

And certainly not the dreams which meanwhile accompanied him through almost every night he did not spend on deck.

He wasn't able to control them and they seemed to increase in frequency as the day drew closer, on which the delay would run out, Davy Jones had granted him.

"You haven't said a word since we left the 'Pearl' this morning, and your mind seems to be everywhere but where it's supposed to be. Now, Jack, speak up before you choke on it! What's the matter?"

Van Dijk exchanged a look with Cotton, who was on the first of the two boats with him and Jack, and the weather-beaten seaman nodded his agreement.

Jack shook his head: "Not here, van Dijk! These swamps have eyes and ears, and I am not willing to divulge what is not meant for those eyes and ears. It'll do that Gibbs seems all the more willing to tell stories to the others. So, let's leave it at that! If what I suspect is true, we're all about to hear more stories before long than we'd like."

In fact, Gibbs and the others who followed them on the second boat weren't nearly as close-lipped as Jack and the shrewd sailor readily answered any questions put to him by Will, Marty, Pintel and Ragetti.

Not just to satisfy the men's curiosity, though, but also to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling of getting watched by a myriad of unseen pairs of eyes as they went deeper and deeper into the swamps and the dense jungle.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?"

Will recalled having seen Jack deep in thought a number of times since they went hunting for Barbossa together the year before, but as restless and tense as over the past few days - that was unusual...

Gibbs hesitated, before he, under the incredulous looks of the others, began to tell: "Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness. The Kraken! They say the stench of its breath..." He shuddered at the thought: "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odour of a thousand rotting corpses! Well, if you believe such things..."

It took Will a moment to process what he had just heard, but one thing didn't seem to fit the man he thought he'd known since his childhood days in London: "Never thought of Jack to be the type afraid of dying."

Gibbs nodded, but...: "Aye! But with Jones, it ain't about the dying. It's about the punishment. Think of the worst fate you can conjure for yourself, stretching on forever. That's what awaits you in Davy Jones' Locker as the legends have it..."

"And the key will save him that?"

"Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit... Her..."

"Who is she?"

"That's a question, many tried but failed to answer. Some say she's a witch, others claim she is able to summon the dead. But, mark my words, no one strays into this swamp unless they have a really good reason."

Will nodded and looked at Jack: "It seems we're lucky that we have a good reason, then, aren't we?"

"Aye! Lucky we are indeed for that. Let's just hope, we'll remain that lucky..."

Gibbs had not yet finished his thought, when they reached the hut hidden deep in the swamp under tall trees and thick undergrowth, which mysterious occupant was apparently the reason for the deep worry lines on the old salt's brow.

It was Jack who now tried to allay their concerns, except that he didn't sound overly convinced himself: "No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before..."


Jack heaved a sigh, inhaled a deep breath, and finally entered the rather unimpressive little shack, wherein Tia Dalma seemed to brood over her mysterious predictions and riddles for several lifetimes - and nothing seemed to have changed ever since he first stumbled through that door ages ago.

A little boy, barely tall enough to see over the wheel of his ship, but already curious and inquisitive enough so as not to fear the woman who lived in that strange cabana in the most remote corner of these swamps. His friends had warned him about her, had told him horrible stories about her and how she used her supernatural powers to turn anyone who strayed into her part of the swamp into mindless zombies. But even as a child he hadn't given a damn about these stories, as the supernatural had always been part of his life - ever since he was first told the legends surrounding his birth.

He hadn't even started to fear her after he found out who she really was - and why would he, as he had always loved the sea and the freedom it meant to him. Even today he didn't fear her, but rather the questions he would ask her - and the answers he hoped to get from her in response to those questions...

As soon as he took the first step inside, it felt as if time stood still.

The shelves that lined the sloping walls were still crammed with jars, bottles, and cans of all shapes and sizes, and the liquids, tinctures, and powders stored inside were still most likely used for all sorts of things, both thinkable and unthinkable.

Chests and caskets were still stored on the floor, cages and lanterns were still hanging from the ceiling, and where there was still room candles and oil lamps gave off enough light, which otherwise could not find a way into this strange little shack.

The larger room inside was still filled out by the huge round table at its centre, and some simple beaded curtains still separated two smaller chambers from it, where Jack had never set foot in before - just as little as into the attic, where a narrow staircase led up to.

Strange creatures of all kinds, dead and alive, crawled and wriggled through the hut, or were kept in bottles and jars - and yet the strangest sight within these rooms offered the woman herself, sitting at the table absorbed in her oracles.

Tia Dalma hadn't changed since Jack last saw her, and neither time nor tide had been able to touch her. Even the dress of lace and tattered brocade seemed the same as what she had worn before, when he first met her and thought she was a rather odd princess - beautiful and terrifying like the sea...

A breath of eternity surrounded her and in everything she did there was something irrepressible and wild as well as something calm and gentle. The knowledge of past centuries was reflected in her eyes, and yet there were times when she seemed just a woman.

A woman, capable of winning over any man who seemed worthy to her.

A woman, even a legendary sailor like Davy Jones had not been able to resist...

Jack knew all this but had no intention of disclosing this knowledge thoughtlessly.

As if reading his mind, Tia Dalma turned from her oracles to her unexpected visitors. Her eyes brightened when she recognised Jack and she rushed towards him, ready to give him her hug without hesitation, or more if he just wanted: "Jack Sparrow. I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day."

He grinned in response, "Tia Dalma!", but before he could say anything else, Will entered the room, and Tia Dalma was instantly drawn to his presence like a moth to a flame: "You! You have a touch of... destiny about you, William Turner..."

While the others entered the eerie and at the same time extraordinary shack one after the other, Ragetti in particular seemed to be fascinated by all the herbs, berries, claws and other oddities that were standing and hanging around in their jars all around the room.

At first, Jack had been puzzled to find the experienced gunner and his no less experienced mate, Pintel, aboard the "Pearl" as they hastily left Pelagosta's Island, but meanwhile, after the cannibals had again decimated his crew, he was not unhappy to have four more hands on deck.

Will, on the other hand, still seemed unsure about how to handle Tia Dalma's unexpected greeting: "You know me?"

She didn't answer, but asked him a question in return: "You want to know me?"

Much to her displeasure, Jack eventually pushed his way between her and the boy and remarked: "There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." And he added quietly, while giving her a piercing look telling her to stay away from Will: "I will never claim again that I know you!"

She frowned and turned her attention fully back to Jack: "You know much more about me than any other person all around the world, Jack Sparrow!"

"And you about me, love," Jack's gaze still held out against hers: "I never told anyone about what I'm in the know about concerning you, and I'm not interested in changing my attitude. But it's not the fate of the boy that leads me here, today!"

"Not? That's strange," Tia Dalma replied: "Don't you know that your fate and that of the boy are closely intertwined? Far closer than you can imagine...?"

Jack kept silent, knowing for a long time already that this was the case, and she added: "Very well! But I hope you remember that I require reasonable payment for my advice."

"Oh, I brought payment." Jack grinned and waved for someone to bring the cage they had carried with them the whole journey upriver. He then removed the cover and his grin grew even wider: Inside the cage sat Barbossa's malicious little monkey. "Look!" Jack cocked his pistol, aimed at the animal, and shot - without any effect: "An undead monkey! Top that!"

Tia Dalma nodded. She took the cage, opened its door and Gibbs, on the other side of the table, paled: "Oh no! Don't! It took me years of my life to capture that beast!"

However, to everyone's astonishment, the monkey did not flee, but immediately sprinted towards one of the two chambers to disappear behind its beaded curtain.

Jack couldn't contain his curiosity and tried to get at least a glimpse of the chamber and of what lay behind the curtain: Someone was lying on a long, narrow table, legs stretched out - and on that someone's outstretched legs, the monkey crouched next to what appeared to be a large, black hat with tattered feathers...

A thought immediately crossed Jack's mind: 'Barbossa?' But he didn't get around to pursuing that thought, as Tia Dalma motioned for everyone around the table to be seated: "The payment is fair! And now what brings you to me..."

Impatient and still not aware of what was really going on around him, Will grabbed the piece of cloth Jack was now holding out for him and threw it on the table so that the drawing of the key became visible: "We're looking for this. And what it goes to..."

Without being able to prevent it, Tia Dalma winced, and both Jack and Will noticed that she seemed startled to the core. She caught herself quickly and sank her gaze into Jack's eyes. Deep! Deeper than he would have liked! And her voice sounded harsh as she asked: "The compass I traded you back then. It cannot lead you to dis?"

Jack felt caught - at least, that was what everyone thought they gleaned from his reaction: "Maybe! Why?"

Tia Dalma leaned back in her chair and a strange smile appeared on her lips - the same knowing and sneering and in a way even satisfied: "Ah, I see...! The inimitable Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or... do you know, but are loathe to claim it as your own?"

As before, Jack held her gaze effortlessly and replied: "You know that I know what I want and you also know that I know that I can't find it. Therefore, you also know that this," he pointed to the drawing: "has nothing to do with what I want..."

"Are you so sure about that? Well, then...! Your key goes to a chest, and it is what lays inside the chest you seek, don't you?"

Everyone pricked up their ears at these words, each with their own idea of what might be in the mysterious chest.

"What is inside," Gibbs was eager to know.

"Gold! Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature," was what Pintel had in mind.

"Nothing... bad, I hope," was what concerned the always rather deliberate Ragetti.

It was van Dijk who robbed them of some of their illusions: "None of that. Inside the chest there is the heart of Davy Jones!"

Everyone held their breath and then stared first at the Dutchman and then at Tia Dalma. Could it be true what the otherwise respectable merchant said?

Tia Dalma turned her gaze to van Dijk while everyone else was glued to her every word as she began to narrate: "You all know of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea. A great sailor, until he ran afoul of that which vex all men..."

"What would that be," Will asked.

Jack rolled his eyes when his crew started to come up with the wildest speculations and quickly put an end to the spook: "A woman!"

Tia Dalma agreed: "A woman, indeed! He fell in love..."

"No, no, no!" Gibbs didn't seem convinced: "I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

She dismissed his protest with a gesture of her hand and continued unimpressed by it: "Same story, different versions, and all are true. See, it was a woman, as changing, and harsh, and untameable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it caused him was too much to live with. And not enough to cause him to die."

Will looked at her, foreboding in his words as he asked: "What exactly did he put into the chest?"

Tia Dalma turned her gaze back to van Dijk: "Him heart. It was not worth feeling what... small fleeting joy life brings, and so he carved out him heart, locked it away in a chest, and hid the chest from the world. The keys, he keeps with him at all times..."

"It also says that he didn't just lock his heart in the chest," van Dijk added: "They say he keeps everything in it that reminds him of his past life and the woman who caused him so much sorrow..."

"How do you know so much about this legend," Tia Dalma wanted to know.

Van Dijk just shrugged: "Almost everyone in my country knows the story of Davy Jones and the 'Flying Dutchman'..."

Will looked from one to the other until his gaze settled on Jack: "You knew this."

"I did not," Jack disagreed: "At least, I didn't know where the key was. But now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonny lass, eh?"

Will sighed! Jack was probably right again but he wished that the notorious pirate had at least once fully let him in on his plans before he began to put them into action - and so he addressed Tia Dalma once more: "It seems we have a need to find the 'Flying Dutchman'..."