Chapter 18: 1740 - At Wit's End


Time seemed to stand still when Jack stopped rowing.

Behind him lay Isla Cruces.

The island that would grant him shelter and safe ground under his feet. At least for the time being, and hopefully long enough for him to figure out some other way to escape Davy Jones' wrath - and not just the wrath of Davy Jones, but also the fury of the giant sea monster from the depths of the ocean, the merciless captain had set upon him and his "Pearl" in order to pull him and his ship back down to the deepest circles of hell. Down to the endless white deserts and the hard-baked sand of the Locker!

In front of him lay the "Black Pearl".

Motionless, though favourable winds swelled her sails. Unable to navigate, though the tide was fair and her rudder intact. She seemed to have run aground on an invisible reef, but he knew better. Everyone on board knew better - at least since the very moment when the Kraken's mighty tentacles began to wriggle up the proud galleon's black hull.

A sight he could scarcely endure, and which threw his conscience into conflict.

Something he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Panic had grasped him with icy claws, when the sand-filled jar he had received from Tia Dalma shattered on the deck of his ship, and when he had neither been able to find the heart among the shards nor in the strewn sand.

Panic had stretched out its skinny fingers when he realised that not only was the heart gone, but so were the signed letters of marque Elizabeth had successfully extorted from Beckett.

And so he did jump into the longboat without hesitation, which was still moored alongside the "Pearl", to row back to the island while his friends and crew prepared to battle the monster. The effort it took him to row the boat against the current all on his own slowly got him back to thinking clearly again.

There was only one explanation for the disappearance of both the heart and the letters of marque: James Norrington had decided to buy his freedom at any cost. Even if this meant throwing himself at the feet and relying on the mercy of a man whom he deeply despised - Lord Cutler Beckett.


After having found the buried chest wherein Davy Jones kept all the treasures reminding him of his deceitful lover, and after it turned out that among all these memorabilia was indeed the still-beating heart of the legendary captain, a heated duel for the key had broken out between him, Will and Norrington - and each of them wanted to prevent the others from opening the chest at all costs.

Jack knew he could not allow Will to kill Jones before they knew more about the heart, neither could he allow Norrington to take the heart back to Port Royal to hand it over to Beckett.

Of course, he understood that Will wanted to free his father. He even understood that Norrington was looking for a way to restore his honour. But both were so willing to do anything they deemed necessary for the goal they wanted to achieve that they did not give a single thought to what consequences such rash and thoughtless actions could have for all of them.

And so they had rushed each other up and down the beach and to and fro the jungle, until they finally faced each other in the ruins of the former Spanish mission.

It was just as Jack had managed to snatch the key from Norrington once more, that a targeted stroke from the former soldier knocked the sword out of his hand, before he turned to Will to clarify once and for all: "Do excuse me, Mister Turner, while I kill the man who ruined my life..."

Much to Jack's surprise, the boy seemed to agree: "Be my guest."

So he felt it was time to clear up some of the misconceptions to which his two opponents seemed to be clinging, noting: "Before we continue blaming each other up here at dizzying heights for everything possible and impossible let us examine that claim for a moment, former Commodore, shall we? Who was it, who at the very moment you had a notorious pirate safely behind bars, saw fit to free said pirate, and take your dearly beloved all to hisself, eh? So who's fault is it, really, that you've ended up a rum-pot deckhand what takes orders from pirates?"

His gaze shifted to Will...

Norrington couldn't help but do the same and while Jack, key in hand, dared a daring jump including somersault from the roof of the mission to safe ground, he heard James' voice from above: "Unfortunately, Mister Turner... He's right!"

A fall into a dug but never completed grave and a wild duel in a broken mill wheel later, Jack finally succeeded in reaching his aim: He knelt in front of a small chest in the middle of the jungle, the rhythm of the beating heart resounding within his ears and the key in hand.

For a split second he hesitated, not sure if what he was about to do was really the right thing to do, but then he carefully inserted the key into the intricately wrought keyhole. One twist and the heart-shaped lock opened into a crab, which legs connected the chest's lid and body. Inside the chest, unprotected on the rough wood, lay the heart - alive, beating, vulnerable.

Jack reached out, picked the bodiless organ up and beheld it for a moment, before he realised what it really was he was holding in his hand: It wasn't just a heart without a body, it was the life of a man who once cut this heart out in anger at his spurned love.

Verily this heart was something with which his fate, his life and his freedom could be negotiated - and not only his own, but also the fate, the life and the freedom of the woman he loved. If he succeeded in his plan, he would finally hold her in his arms again and then he wouldn't let her go again...

Loud voices and screams tore him out of his thoughts, and he hurried to hide the heart in the folds of his shirt, before he started running down to the beach, taking the chest and key with him.

He was alone as he arrived and took the opportunity to hide the heart within his jar of dirt - just before Elizabeth, Pintel, and Ragetti came running, Jones' crew hot on their heels. It didn't take long before they were all engaged in some kind of duel - until the giant mill wheel came rolling across the beach with Will and Norrington still fighting each other - making them all stop in utter bewilderment.

The surprise didn't last long, and soon Jack found himself facing another of Jones' men, when he became aware of Will, who was right about to reach for the key and chest. A well-aimed blow with the oar put the boy out of action, while they all crowded around the boat one by one. At that moment Norrington surprised them all - as he grabbed the chest and went running inland, telling them not to wait for his return.

But it wasn't until the jar of dirt smashed on the "Pearl's" deck and the heart couldn't be found that Jack knew his plan had failed...


The thought that Norrington would indeed take the heart of Davy Jones to Port Royal, thereby giving Beckett unlimited dominion over the world's oceans, made it easier for Jack to overcome the fear of everything that lay ahead of him from now on. In fact, he had already made his decision long before he even knew if the key, the chest, and the heart were truth or legend. It was only the knowledge of what this decision would mean for him that had made him hesitate in the end.

But he knew he still had a choice:

He could row over to Isla Cruces and watch from a safe distance as his ship and friends paid the debt, he had once loaded upon himself, due to the vague hope of being able to settle all his outstanding scores within those thirteen years time, Davy Jones had granted him as a delay.

He could try to save the "Pearl" and his friends by luring the mighty Kraken away from his beloved ship, but he doubted Jones would settle for that.

Or he could return aboard the "Pearl" and face his fate together with her, while allowing his friends to escape...

Whatever he would do he didn't deny to himself that he was afraid to do it, but what had he told Caith in his dreams:

"You know, love, I'm afraid of it. Of that place. Of this decision, I'll have to make to find you. I'm more afraid of it than I am of death! But if our freedom is the price I can get for us - how dare I not...?"

Once more he looked over his shoulder at Isla Cruces, then his gaze wandered back to his beloved "Pearl".

The small, fragile figures aboard fought desperately for their lives, while the monster's tentacles yanked down man after man, and while they were digging into his ship's innards as if to tear it apart.

He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and reached for his compass.

When he opened the lid of the precious gem, he feared at first the needle would continue to rotate aimlessly, but just as he was about to give up all hope, it stopped - and showed him something he had already known deep down inside.

He felt as if he'd get pulled into a gentle hug, as if tender hands were cupping his cheeks, and as if a soft voice whispered something to him: "Have no fear and follow your heart! Things are not always as they seem..."

But this time, when he closed his eyes, he could neither see her shining grey eyes nor her beautiful face...

Jack snapped the compass shut.

His decision was made, and the moment he grabbed the oars to bring the boat about, the sea seemed to calm down. The Kraken let go of the "Pearl" - for the time being - as if it felt that her captain was on his way to return aboard. It was the calm before the storm, and Jack knew the second attack on his ship was about to come, and it would be far more furious and merciless than the first.

And he was right:

The crew aboard the "Pearl" had only little time to recover and to make new plans, when the Kraken launched itself at the ship again. The cracking and splintering of wood was carried across to Jack by the wind, and within this moment he wished desperately for not being forced to hear it.

Once before the wind had carried the terrible sounds of his dying ship over to him and with them the desperate screams of the woman Beckett and Mercer had left behind aboard the blazing vessel.

Not again!

He didn't want to watch helplessly again!

But as he poured all the strength he could muster into every single stroke of the oars, and as each of said strokes carried him toward his ship, he heard Will on deck giving orders - and he knew, there was still hope...


Jack tied the boat alongside the "Pearl" and hurried to climb aboard as fast as he could.

Chaos reigned throughout the ship, and those who didn't panic were either dead or struggling to survive. The sea monster's huge tentacles had smashed through the gun-deck hatches, ripped holes into the ship's hull, and turned the second dinghy into something that couldn't even be used for firewood.

Will was still giving orders, and it took Jack only a wink to grasp what the boy was up to: They had filled a net with whatever combustible they could get their hands on - powder kegs, ammunition and rum - hoping to inflict enough damage on the monster to somehow escape.

It was just a matter of waiting for the most opportune moment to take a shot. But the Kraken seemed to sense the boy's thoughts, and it seemed to prey on every man who wanted to make a try of shooting one of the powder kegs on fire. To make matters worse, Will got caught in the mesh of the net and was struggling to free himself with every breath he took before one of the men would get the shot off.

Somewhere Elizabeth could be heard screaming as one of the tentacles knocked her off her feet, but as Jack could tell from the shouts around them, Pintel and Ragetti had managed to free her.

He was about to make his way on deck and up to the helm when he stumbled into van Dijk. The Dutchman looked tired and exhausted. A bloody scratch ran across his forehead, but otherwise he appeared unharmed: "By all the ship's goblins! Jack! You're alive lad! I was already thinking of the worst when I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Van Dijk!" Jack exchanged a relieved look with the man, but immediately added: "I'll give you the answers to your questions later! First we've to get out of here!"

"I just wonder how! That Kraken seems to anticipate our every move. I'm afraid our chances are slim!"

"We'll think about that when our time's to come! What's the boy up to?"

"He wanted to ignite the powder as soon as the tentacles coil around the net, but if it goes on like this, we'll soon have no one left who's able to fire the shot!"

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"Will wanted her to take the shot but your men have only just saved her from certain death."

"Is there still a rifle or a musket to be found somewhere?"

"Come with me, lad!"

Jack rushed to follow van Dijk to where Elizabeth had been knocked off her feet earlier, and really: The musket she had lost in her fall still lay on the steps.

A grim smile appeared on Jack's lips as he fixed the gun with one of his boots - and he had a surprised look into the eyes of the young woman, who wanted to reach for it herself at that very moment. Desperation, anger and finally bewilderment were reflected on her face when she recognised him, but she made no further attempt to shoot herself. Instead, she clutched his boot to give him support as he grabbed the musket to aim.

She stared at him all fascinated as he stood there, waiting: Motionless, eyes fixed on his aim, waiting for the opportune moment. It came when Will finally managed to free himself, and the shot hit one of the powder kegs just as the boy hit the deck.

The explosion was not violent enough to seriously injure the Kraken, but it would buy them time. Enough time to abandon the "Pearl" and return to the Isla Cruces by boat.

Elizabeth was still staring at Jack in disbelief, but she didn't get to ask him anything, for a badly dishevelled Gibbs rushed towards him: "Captain! Orders?"

None of the bystanders wanted to believe what he heard, and yet it were Jack's words now echoing across the deck: "Abandon ship! Into the longboat!"

Gibbs' mouth almost dropped open. Could it be that he had misheard Jack's orders: "But, Jack! The 'Pearl'?"

"She's just a ship, mate!" Jack's voice sounded tired, but he didn't want anyone to notice this ahead of time: "So what are you waiting for! We have no time to lose!"

After some hesitation, Gibbs finally relented: "Very well then! Make haste! Abandon ship. Abandon ship or abandon hope."

Those who survived set about following Jack's orders, and one by one they got into the only remaining boat to make a try of getting ashore before the Kraken would return.

Van Dijk waited for Jack to follow too, but he seemed undecided, and the Dutchman recalled what they had discussed not long before. He felt the pang in his heart that thought gave him and he decided to make one last try: "Tell me, lad, is it really worth it? After all, you have nothing left to bargain with..."

Jack blinked a few times, slowly, as if waking from a deep sleep, then he smiled a bitter smile: "I have no choice, my friend!"

"I see!" The Dutchman wanted to turn away already to leave, but turned around once more and pulled Jack into a tight hug: "If you don't come back, I will come for you, son! And then I'll wring your neck with my own hands! Do you understand me?"

Jack grinned: "I do understand you! But now, if you would be so kind leave me one last moment with my ship..."

Van Dijk didn't miss the look filled with sorrow and grief Jack gave him as he climbed into the boat, but he decided there was nothing he could do but let him have his way.

Turning, Jack saw the lone figure that remained. She had waited until everyone else had gone because he was the one she wanted to be alone with.

Elizabeth approached him slowly and hesitantly, but her determined gaze didn't seem to match her soft words: "Thank you Jack!"

"What for?" Jack knew this wasn't the real reason she had stayed with him for: "We're not free yet, love."

"You came back. I always knew you were a good man."

So that was it?

He had proved to her that he was capable of doing something brave, something selfless?

He inwardly shook his head at this: No!

"Are you satisfied, now? Was this, what you expected me to be? A good man?" He smiled, "Believe me, love, this wasn't the first time..."

She didn't reply, instead taking another step towards him and wrapping her arms around him as she pressed a passionate kiss to his lips.

Jack looked deep into her eyes, trying to fathom her true motives, but made no move to pull her towards him as well. While he surrendered to the warmth of her body and the feeling that flowed through him as he surrendered to her kiss, he already knew that everything she was doing at that moment was calculated. And so he allowed her to push him backward, step by step until he felt the main mast on his back. He blinked at the faint sound that followed her tender touch after she slid her hand down his arm to his wrist - and locked the shackles around it. She broke the kiss and explained, lips still close to his: "It's after you, not the ship. It's not us. This is the only way, don't you see?"

"Tell yourself that, love. But..."

She didn't let him finish: "I'm not sorry!"

For a brief moment it seemed like she was going to kiss him a second time, but then she turned to leave and all that was left of him for her was the one word he whispered to her while he held her gaze with his own one last time: "Pirate!"

She didn't look back and Jack knew she had done what she felt she had to do.

She had left him to die...