Chapter 12: 1740 - The Flying Dutchman
It was already the dead of night when the "Pearl" dropped anchor at the position Tia Dalma's oracle had predicted as the one where the "Flying Dutchman" would most likely be to appear.
Thanks to Jack's extraordinary feeling for the sea and its currents, it had taken them little more than a day's journey under full sail to reach the distinctive rocks which rose like a reef from the depths of the sea and only seemed to wait for an unsuspecting captain to stray into these waters. And that was exactly what had happened...
As the "Pearl" neared her destination, the first thing the crew saw was the wreck of a ship that ran aground and crashed on the sharp cliffs of the rocks. And as if the moonless night wasn't enough, some lanterns aboard the unfortunate sailer still gave some light and made the scenery appear even more eerie than it already was.
Only shadowy figures could be made out aboard the "Pearl", silhouetted against the black night sky, as they attempted to prevent the ship from drifting around the anchor while launching the longboat. The rough sea made man-high waves roll against the ship's walls, almost as if they wanted to prevent the proud galleon from holding her position, and the changing, blustery winds blew spray on deck incessantly.
Jack stood at the rail and blinked into the darkness, tried to keep seawater from running into his eyes. He exchanged a thoughtful look with Gibbs and ordered: "Turn out all the lights!" while both watched the boat slowly scull away from the "Pearl" on its way over to the wreck.
Eventually, one by one, the light in all the oil lamps and lanterns went out, until the "Black Pearl" lay in wait, like a shadow amidst the troubled sea.
Jack knew what he was doing - he wanted to see without being seen although he was well aware that this would no longer be his decision, as soon as the "Flying Dutchman" would appear alongside them.
And at that there was no doubt that she would show up: The wreck in front of them, the ship apparently blown off course due to a damaged helm and run aground in heavy weather, would attract her like the glow of a lantern the moths.
Through his spy-glass Jack was able to see that the tremendous force of the impact had torn the wreck in two, and yet some poor devils aboard seemed still alive - closer to death, though, than to life, but their souls not yet ready to leave their bodies.
He knew Davy Jones would give those too clinging to life a choice, though that choice might very well be worse than death itself.
What he didn't know was how Davy Jones would react when he'd find out that one of the souls aboard the wrecked ship was neither dead nor dying.
And what he also didn't know was how Will would react, when he'd find out that he, Jack, had sent him aboard the other ship without letting him in on the whole plan - again!
When Will disembarked had he done it in the naive belief the ship that ran aground on the reef would be the "Flying Dutchman". He had been convinced he'd just have to fight his way through some crew members, outsmart the captain and return aboard the "Pearl" with the key.
He was probably also convinced that it would be of help to convey Jack's words to the captain, should he get captured despite his best efforts.
"Should something go wrong or should they get hold on you tell Davy Jones, Jack Sparrow sends you to pay his debt! This might save your life!"
That was, what Jack had told the boy, and that was why Jack felt torn inside.
He wondered if it was really right to send the boy aboard the "Dutchman", putting his life at risk, but if he was honest, he hadn't seen any other way able to give them all a comparable advantage in the long run.
Of course he was aware that once again he had kept to himself some important details of his plan and adapted some truths to the circumstances, but what made him feel confident about what he had done to be the right thing was that it would be doing Will a favour - even though it would certainly take the boy some time to figure out what kind of favour it was.
Since his admittedly somewhat depressing encounter with Bill Turner aboard the "Pearl" a few weeks ago, Jack couldn't get the thought out of his head of how he could make something possible for his fatherly friend, that had so far been denied to him: Getting to know his son.
Jack knew Bill would have sold his soul a second time just to speak to his son once, and he honestly believed that it was now his turn to repay him some of what he, along with Patrick Swallow, had bestowed on him in kindness and affection after he had fled Shipwreck Island.
Bill had been a father figure to him, just as he had been a father figure to Will for a while, and he was convinced they both deserved to finally meet each other after what seemed to be half a lifetime. And if this encounter would also help him find the island where Davy Jones had buried the chest containing his heart, it would be of use to all of them in the end.
However, should this plan go wrong, they would all end up aboard the "Dutchman" or in Davy Jones' Locker anyway.
Then, suddenly, as if to confirm his last thoughts, the sea around the "Pearl" began to roar - and like a ghostly arrow rose a ship from the depths of the sea, the sight of which made every sailor's blood run cold: The "Flying Dutchman"!
Her sails in tatters, her rotten wood overgrown with shells and barnacles, and glowing within an eerie, Saint-Elmo's-fire-like light - that was how she went alongside the hapless wreck like a predator in pursuit of a promising prey.
Everyone aboard the "Pearl" stared in disbelief at the legendary ghostly galleon, and Jack knew this would be the moment where Will would once again begin to doubt him...
Van Dijk leaned against the rail next to Jack and beheld the ship with a mixture of fascination and a certain apprehension, he thought he'd known from all those countless legends from his childhood days. So, seeing it now with his own eyes and up close, felt almost a bit unreal to him, and he wondered what Jack intended to do next: "I hope you're in the know of what you're doing lad!"
"Believe me, van Dijk, that's what I hope as well!"
"Do you think your young friend over there is capable of finding a way out of this dilemma scot-free?"
"Honest answer? That's not what worries me. As you have seen for yourself over the last few days, Will is neither a coward nor a fool. So, what worries me is that he tends to act impatiently and rashly. It's something that could derail our whole plan before I've even thought it through."
"Does he have any reason then to be impatient or to act rashly?"
"Reason enough! After all, he'll find out pretty soon that his father serves aboard the 'Dutchman'. The father he believed all his life to be an honourable seaman on a merchant ship, only to find out that Bill was just another bloody pirate on another bloody pirate vessel."
"Sounds like a story from an adventure novel." Van Dijk grinned and added in a more serious voice: "I can't help but think, that this reunion of father and son might give us an immense advantage. Ever thought of that?"
"I've thought of nothing else since Bill showed up aboard the 'Pearl' to remind me of that ill-fated bargain. It will all depend on how much is left of the 'old' Bill Turner who once fished me out of the sea. If there's enough of the man left who he once was, I agree with you. Then he will do anything to protect Will and us with him. But I have no idea what happens to those who choose to serve aboard the 'Dutchman' and who are willing to swear an oath to her." Jack shrugged: "However, I'm sure Will will be of more use to us over there than he would be here. The question for us will now be how we'll get out of here unharmed. Savvy?"
Jack ventured another look through the spy-glass and didn't like what he saw: Davy Jones had succeeded in luring some of the few survivors aboard the wrecked ship into his service. Those who would not be seduced by his promises had been summarily killed and thrown overboard. And of course Jones had discovered that Will was neither dead nor dying - which also meant that Jones now knew that he, Jack, had sent the boy.
It was at that moment that the notorious captain turned to him and seemed to look straight into his soul.
Startled, Jack lowered the spy-glass only to find Jones standing face to face with him - and his crew also faced figures, who had once been men, but had been transformed into hideous-looking fish-people by the curse placed on the "Dutchman" and her captain.
So this was what happened if one decided to accept Jones' offer...
Jack shuddered at both the thought and the sight of the men - and he involuntarily fell back a few steps when he heard Jones say: "You have a debt to pay. I raised the 'Pearl' for you from the bottom of the sea! Thirteen years of time! That was our agreement. You've been captain of the 'Black Pearl' for thirteen years. Time to pay your debt"
Jack felt the pulsing in his palm, and he didn't need to look to know that the black spot seemed to react vividly to Jones' presence. Tried not to let his uneasiness surface, he now turned to Jones' unearthly face with its tentacles and watery blue eyes and replied: "Technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon."
"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless," Jones snorted: "Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain Jack Sparrow?"
Nothing to add, Jack knew. So it was time to raise the stakes: "Now, what's there to bargain over, mate? You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there."
But Jones didn't seem in the mood to engage in any kind of discussion: "One soul is not equal to another."
Jack understood! Hence the wind blew: "Aha! So we've established my proposal is sound in principle, now we're just haggling over the price. Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"
The answer left even Jack speechless for a split second: "One hundred souls. And you'll have three days."
Three days wasn't much, but three days was three days and this haggling bought him time: "You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off."
Unfortunately, Davy Jones was no half-wit and knew what Jack was getting at. And so he just grinned and replied: "I keep the boy. A good-faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go."
Jack knew he had no choice. Jones would want to keep Will on board at all costs. So there was only one thing left to try, and he knew it was something that could not only become dangerous for him and Will, but also for Elizabeth and... Caith: "Have you not met Will Turner? He's noble, heroic, terrific soprano. Worth at least four precious souls ... well, maybe three and a half."
He snuck around Jones like a cat around a bowl of sweet cream and added: "And did I happen to mention... he's in love. With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him... would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?"
His voice grew quiet. A whisper for Jones only: "I know that you take pleasure in tearing apart those who have found the happiness that was denied to you. You cheated me out of it. And you know that I know that you won't let my girl go because it gives you pleasure knowing us to be kept apart from each other. So how about I help you enjoy that kind of pleasure again...?"
Jack felt his heart pounding in his throat when Jones' eyes focused on him and he realised that he had struck a chord with every word he said.
So it was true!
Jones had separated him from Caith on purpose and enjoyed it - and Jack knew he would do it again when he received the answer to his question: "I keep the boy. Ninety-nine souls. But I wonder, Sparrow, can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent man - a friend - to a lifetime of servitude, in your name while you roam free?"
Oh yes!
He could live with this because, unlike Jones, he knew that Will Turner was the piece on the board which the sinister captain would underestimate. And while it must have sounded to everyone aboard the "Pearl" as if he was willing to abandon the lad to his fate, the boy was exactly where he should be - aboard the "Flying Dutchman" and within reach of the key that would lead them to Davy Jones' dearest treasure...: "Yep! I'm good with it. Should we seal it in blood? I mean ink?"
"You have three days!"
With that, slimy tentacles wrapped themselves around Jack's hand and the black spot disappeared - as did Davy Jones and his crew...
Once the "Flying Dutchman" was gone, the men aboard the "Pearl" came back to life, each trying to shake off the memory of the eerie encounter as quickly and as best they could.
Gibbs seemed equally concerned and relieved when he asked: "What was that, cap'n?"
Jack looked at him and his eyes spoke volumes: "That, Mister Gibbs, will set the seal on our fate if we won't comply with its request!"
"I see! And how do you intend to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?"
An adventurous grin crept back onto Jack's lips: "Fortunately, he stayed mum about the condition in which these souls need to be."
"Means, we'll set course for Tortuga?"
"Means, we'll set course for Tortuga!"
Gibbs returned the grin and disappeared, immediately passing the orders on to the crew - and while everyone else was busy hoisting sails, weighing anchor and setting the "Pearl" on course, van Dijk held Jack back: "Wait a moment lad! Did I get you right? You really want to deliver ninety-nine souls to this creature?"
"What makes you think so, van Dijk? All I want is to find that chest and use it to negotiate my freedom. I have no intention of handing over a single soul to Davy Jones, however poor that soul may be. But since I can't think of anything better at the moment, a detour via Tortuga seems to make the most sense to me! And by now you should know that a detour via Tortuga can be quite helpful when it comes to finding a solution to a problem, eh?"
"What are you thinking about, Jack? A bottle of rum or a slender body snuggling up against you on a passionate night, while a pair of tender arms wraps gently around your neck?"
Jack grinned broadly: "All together, I think! However, we shouldn't forget to take fresh water and supplies aboard either..."
This said he disappeared below deck and the Dutchman looked after him with a smile: This lad did not seem to fear anything or anyone, and whatever one might say about him, or whatever he wanted to make others believe about himself - his actions spoke a completely different language...
