17. Two Minds are Stronger than One
Disclaimer: AWE material still displayed in this chapter! It's a long one--I hope you all enjoy!!
Aboard Sao Feng's ship, Elizabeth is dressed as a queen, and I am placed in beautiful Asian sailing clothes. I have no idea why she is treated with such extravagance, but I feel it wrong to ask any questions. We appear to be in a good circumstance and I don't want to blow it for us.
I am sitting on a wooden stool below deck with Elizabeth and Sao Feng enters from above.
"My ladies," he greets us, and summons his two other women to leave. He immediately ventures towards Elizabeth. I listen intently to their conversation and quickly gather why he was so set on taking Elizabeth. I hear him apologize to her, referring to her as Calypso and it is very clear to me that he believes her to be Calypso bound in human form—not Tia Dalma. My heart sinks, not knowing what Elizabeth is to say at this. I keep listening and hear her play along—pretending to be the goddess in human form.
I decide to venture to the main deck. Once up above, I join the crew for a short while, until there is a horrible wreckage at the ship. I look to my left and notice the Flying Dutchman hurling cannon balls at us.
"Man the guns!" I cry out immediately and notice that not one crew member is even listening to a word I say. Suddenly Elizabeth emerges from below deck with a charm around her neck. She looks white as a ghost and I run up to her.
"Elizabeth—what's happened?!" I exclaim over the deafening cannon balls.
"Sao Feng is dead—he made me captain," she says blankly, not knowing what to do.
"You're joking, right?" I ask, my eyes wide in horror.
"Who is your captain?!" A voice bellows from behind me. I turn around and see Davy Jones standing on the ship in all in tentacle glory along with James Norrington and a few others from the Royal Navy. The crew points to Elizabeth.
"James!" She exclaims.
"You're captain?" he asks her, a bit shocked. I turn around, my stomach churning at the thought of Elizabeth as captain. I suddenly wish I were appointed captain. I think of her being captain—just like Jack, who is also captain. The jealousy rages through me as I know he is going to love her more once he knows she is now captain of Sao Feng's ship—one of the nine pirate lords with the pieces of eight.
"We're being taken aboard the Dutchman," she says to me finally. I turn around, my heart dropping.
"Very well then," I say coldly as we walk with the crew from the Dutchman.
Once on board the Dutchman, we are locked in the brig below deck. I am sitting on the opposite side of the brig as Elizabeth, still contemplating the situation. I am still in shock that she is captain—but then again, Sao Feng thought she was Calypso. That's the only reason he made her captain.
"I can't do this alone," I hear a voice next to me. I look up and see Elizabeth standing next to me. She leans down next to me and looks me in the eyes.
"You can't do what?" I ask her, my voice low.
"I can't be captain by myself," she says finally.
"Yes you can, Elizabeth," I say, strong heartedly.
"I can do it, but if we do it together, two minds are stronger than one," she replies, a smile forming on her lips.
"Can there be two captain of a ship? And besides, there are only 9 pirate lords for the pieces of eight," I reply, glancing at the charm around her neck.
"Yes, but we can act together. We only need this piece of eight. It doesn't matter how many captains there are," she says, "please, will you join me?"
I sit there for a moment and ponder the situation further.
"Lindsey please—if either of us should have been captain, it is you! He believed me to be Calypso and I lied to him in his final hour. I can't have that on my conscience," she pleas.
"I'm in," I reply finally, looking up at her and smiling, "Calypso" We both chuckle at that remark but stop suddenly when we hear footsteps coming down to the brig. She and I stand to our feet and walk to the door of the brig. James Norrington's face appears in the dark light.
"What are you doing down here, James?" She asks him, her face cold.
"Choosing a side," he says, holding up the keys and opening the brig door.
Before I know it, we are out of the brig and climbing the side of the Flying Dutchman to the bow, where there are ropes for us to escape back to an open ship. I can't believe my eyes and the audacity with which Norrington portrays as he helps us to escape.
"Come with us, James," Elizabeth pleas with him as we shimmy up the ropes.
"I'll follow," he replies. I loose most of their conversation except visuals that I am able to glimpse: a stolen kiss between Elizabeth and James, then Elizabeth on the rope, and then bustle on the Dutchman, then a gunshot that sends us plunging into the sea, followed by Norrington's untimely death aboard the Dutchman. Elizabeth shrieks out to Norrington as he lays aboard the ship with a plank of wood through his heart. I swim quickly over to her and grab onto her, helping her swim to the ship.
Once aboard the ship, Elizabeth tells me information James had told her on the Dutchman—that Beckett is on his way to Shipwreck Cove with his fleet and is going to ambush the court. We decide to try and meet up with Jack, Barbossa and the Pearl at Shipwreck Cove. It is our last hope.
"Do you know how to go?" Elizabeth asks suddenly, her voice stifled.
"Actually, I do recall a map I saw on the Pearl of how to get there. I also have some information on the Cay from a friend back in New Providence," I say, remembering all that Anne had taught me in my time in New Providence.
"Then let's make way," she states firmly, her hair still dripping from the water.
"You change into dry clothes and get some sleep. I'll be to the helm," I reply, leaving the quarters still dripping wet. I reach into my pocket and find my compass. I know the direction of Shipwreck Cove and immediately point us in that direction. By the assistance of the stars above, I am able to point us on the direct path to the cove, knowing we will be there late afternoon the following day.
Daylight breaks the horizon from the endless ocean and Elizabeth emerges from the cabin.
"You're still wet from the night!" She exclaims to me as I stand at the helm.
"It's fine with me—the air is hot and humid and it feels good to be damp with ocean water," I reply, my eyes on the horizon.
We sail until it is late afternoon and we reach Shipwreck Cove—just as I predicted. Once inside the impenetrable pirate fortress, we lower the anchor.
"You must dress yourself," Elizabeth says, standing in front of me wearing Asian-style pirate garb, a thick belt locked around her waist and a small Asian hat. She looked stunning and I hadn't planned on dressing special for the occasion, but since I would be seeing Jack, I would want his attention more focused on me than her.
"Alright, you got me," I say, giving in to her consistent pleas. The crew members take me below deck and dress me similarly to Elizabeth in the finest Asian pirate captain clothing. While she is dressed in dark blue with yellow embroidery, my clothing is a sultry red with black embroidery. A thick black belt is also fastened around my slender waist. While Elizabeth's hair is fastened up with shorter pieces of hair coming down around her face, my long curling hair is loosely bound on top of my head, while loose pieces hair fall from the bun framing my face. I am not wearing a hat.
I emerge from the cabin below deck and join Elizabeth in the long boat to Shipwreck Cove where the Brethren pirates are meeting. Members of our crew join us on our mini voyage to shore.
Outside the Court room, we hear loud voices, one of them Jack's.
"I'm content as a cucumber to wait for Sao Feng to arrive!" we hear him project to the Brethren Court. I look at Elizabeth and we both take a deep breath and strut into the room.
"Sao Feng is dead," I proclaim loudly. Jack whips his head around to see Elizabeth and myself as pirate captains in Sao Feng's place. His eyes widen, as do Barbossa's. The entire court is in a uproar.
"He has proclaimed Lindsey and myself captains in his stead," Elizabeth announces over the cacophony of pirates.
"We have been informed that Lord Beckett and his ship are on their way here as we speak. We must fight!" I exclaim firmly. The pirates all pause and then erupt into laughter. Jack glances over at me expecting to see me wince from their cruelty, but I stand there and take it. I know I can get them to do anything with Elizabeth at my side as co-captain—and with Jack's intense gaze on me. I am determined to show them I am a strong woman and captain and Elizabeth feels the same. We glance at each other as Barbossa speaks about releasing Calypso from her human form. The pirates seem to agree with this, but Elizabeth and I argue to fight.
Jack then begins walking around the gathering of pirate lords explaining something random about cuddle fish and how we all can't be like the cuddle fish. Finally, at the opposite end of the table from Elizabeth, Barbossa and I, he stops and looks at us.
"I can't believe the words that are going to come out of my mouth, but I have to agree with...Captains...Ferrara and Swann," he says finally. She and i exchange a glance of relief and then look back at Jack.
"Well only the pirate King can make the final decision," Barbossa declares.
"What?!" Jack asks, his eyes wide in wonder, knowing very well what it to come. There is a bustle and murmur throughout the Brethren Court as an older pirate clad in a rather decorative ensemble emerges from the shadows. His voice is low as he approaches Jack from behind. Jack's eyes look as though they are to fall out of his head and he is about to vomit as the voice of the pirate behind him summons for the Pirate Code, written by Morgan and Bartholomew.
I glance over at Barbossa as the apparent Pirate King opens the enormous Code book and thumbs through the pages, finally stops and makes a note of Barbossa's statement as truth—the Pirate King once voted for in the Brethren Court makes the final decision.
"It's ridiculous! Each pirate only votes for himself!" Barbossa remarks, rolling his eyes.
"But it is in the Code, nonetheless," I say, eager to get on with the meeting. Each pirate then speaks his/her own name as the voting moves about the table.
"Elizabeth Swann," she shrugs as she speaks her name.
"Barbossa," he says sarcastically.
"Lindsey," I speak with a grin as the vote turns to Jack.
"Lindsey and Elizabeth Swann" he says, a smirk of satisfaction spreading across his face. The room goes into a sudden uproar, but Jack and I maintain eye contact throughout it all. We smile at each other through all the confusion and finally Elizabeth and I break the rumble.
"What is your decision, Captains Ferrara and Swann?" Barbossa asks, his eye low.
"Prepare the ships," Elizabeth says.
"At dawn, we fight," I state firmly, my eyes in line with Jack's—his gaze powerfully burning into mine as we stare each other down.