Chapter 4
Jack, Will and Elizabeth all braced themselves for the collision they were about to make with the roof of the Governor's mansion, grabbing Michael and Jacquelyn tighter as they did so. The five of them were only inches away from the solid roof, still being carried by the mysterious tornado...but the crash through the roof never came. Instead, when they were supposed to collide hard with the roof, their fast pace of falling slowed considerably, and Jack and the others floated through the roof instead of crashing into it; the roof itself opened up as if it were an enormous mouth. Once that was done, Jack, Jacquelyn and the Turners floated down safely and came to rest upon the hardwood floors of the mansion.
Jack was the first to pick himself up and observe their entry point. The roof from which they all had fallen in from was solid and smooth, with no visible signs that it had magically opened up to allow five people to fall through it. Then, Jack cleared his head and helped Jacquelyn to her feet as Will and Elizabeth picked themselves up off the floor as well, along with Michael. Everyone was soaked to the skin as a result of being in the relentless rainstorm. And Elizabeth still had the stains of fruit juice at different places all over her clothes. Jack eyed her and spoke up.
"Like I said, when you're with me...the impossible is always possible." Jack tried to quell his sense of unease by taking in his new surroundings. "Charming decor." He then pulled his pistol from its holster and checked to make sure that it was loaded.
"I take it we should be expecting company?" asked Will.
Jack finished checking his weapon and pulled back the hammer. "Well, seeing as Calypso is now in human form, I would presume that she's susceptible to injuries, since she's in such a vulnerable state and all."
Raising his pistol so that it was level with his head, Jack let his eyes scan the room that they were currently in. The only light came from what was outside and spilling in through the open windows, and considering that it was very cloudy outside, the room was only dimly lit. But all of a sudden, the fireplace on the far wall roared to life with great flames that illuminated the entire room.
Will and Elizabeth looked around and realized that they were in the Governor's study. And as a precaution, Will once again placed his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword; he had managed to slip it back into its sheath before being whisked away to here.
"You know," said Jack, "if we weren't in this current predicament, I would've said that was unsettling." He indicated the now crackling fireplace with his pistol.
"You mean it's still not unsettling either way?" said Elizabeth sarcastically.
Jack shrugged. "Valid point, luv."
"But that's precisely what dark magic needs to be: unsettling," came an eerily calm female voice from the shadows.
Everyone whipped around in the direction the voice had originated, but couldn't see anything at first glance. Even though the fire cast a brilliant orange light around the study, there were still some parts of the room that were enshrouded in darkness. And that was where the cool female voice had come from.
Jack leveled his pistol, aiming it in the direction he was facing. "Calypso?" He could do nothing to mask the tone of fear in his voice.
From a shadowy corner of the study, Calypso emerged from the darkness, almost as if the blackness was a blanket that she carelessly removed in one graceful motion. The firelight brought her features into absolute clarity, giving the Goddess the appearance of a woman whose beauty could be used as a tool of deception. A woman who could charm and deceive in the same instant; a woman whom you instinctively felt you should hate, but couldn't help be enchanted by at the same time. Calypso's face was angelic, accentuated by the lustrous blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. And if her face wasn't enough to convey the fact that this woman was a Goddess in human form, then her physical build certainly would have made it apparent.
Calypso's body was one that only a Goddess could have. Her curves could be described as both elegant and simply perfect. Her slender form was enough to make any man infatuated over her, desiring the pleasure of exploring that body more intimately the moment their eyes came to rest upon her. And Calypso's wardrobe only enhanced that sense of lust for the men she entranced. Calypso then moved into the light from the fireplace, so as to make her presence more pronounced, and yet another feature about her was thrown into sharp relief. Her movements were graceful and intoxicating, in the sense that Calypso could mesmerize a man with something as simple as placing stray strands of her hair behind her ear. But even more intoxicating was her smile, which possibly had the power to hypnotize a man easily.
And right now, Calypso used that to her advantage as she smiled at Jack as if his aiming a gun at her was a form of flattery. "So, we meet again, Jack Sparrow." Calypso made her voice as sweet as possible. "And much like our previous convocation, it's under decidedly desperate circumstances."
"How d'you arrive at that conclusion?" asked Jack with as much bravery as he could muster.
"Well, last time we met, you were in desperate need of a way to escape the clutches of the British Royal Navy. And now, you're in desperate need of an alternative option so that you may elude fulfilling your end of a certain bargain we made. Do you remember that bargain, Jack? And the specific terms of it?"
Without lowering his pistol, Jack answered. "Actually, my memory is rather spotty, so I can't be completely sure ab–..."
"Jack," Calypso interrupted, "there's no use trying to talk your way out of this. We made an accord, and I expect you to uphold your end of it."
Jack didn't miss a beat. "And if I don't?"
"Then, suffice it to say that the consequences of your refusal to cooperate will be unpleasant."
"What consequences are you talking about, exactly?"
Calypso shook her head sadly and smirked. "What I'm talking about is if you don't decide to hand over the Pearl, then I'll coerce you to do so by forcing you to watch as I allow my men to torture your friends."
She indicated where Jacquelyn and the Turners were standing, and Jack turned around to see four ghoulish figures emerge from the wall behind them. They surreptitiously crept up on Jack's compatriots and suddenly grabbed them all by their shoulders, proceeding to place sharp blades at each of their throats. Will and Elizabeth struggled the hardest against their captors, but Calypso's goons showed no signs of relinquishing their hold anytime soon.
"Now," said Calypso, her voice tearing Jack's gaze away from the Turners and Jacquelyn, "can we conduct our business properly?"
Jack spent many silent moments staring at Calypso with calculating eyes, before a thought suddenly sprang to mind. "Tell me, what's to stop me from simply shooting you?"
Calypso shrugged. "Well, as you said, since I'm in such a vulnerable state...I am more prone to being affected by mortal weapons such as pistols." She lowered her gaze to the item in question, which was still being held tightly in Jack's hand. Calypso then continued on in a suspiciously relaxed tone of voice. "However, considering the fact that I was more than able to create that nasty storm a while ago, I would presume that it would have something to do with this interesting locket." Calypso's voice had now become sarcastic, and she fingered the locket draped around her neck rather proudly. "Curious thing, wouldn't you say, Jack? I mean, after all, I am a Goddess. And being a Goddess, wouldn't it make sense for me to possess an object...much like a locket, that could allow me to harness a desired amount of my full power so that I would be able to carry on with my ability to do anything?"
Jack didn't say anything; he just kept looking at Calypso with an unreadable expression. So, Calypso carried on.
"So, be my guest and fire your best shot. But I highly implore you to consider that my locket will not allow me to die at the hands of a mere mortal such as yourself, Jack Sparrow." Calypso paused to present Jack with the opportunity to do just that, but he hesitated. "No? Very well." Calypso then extended her hand, and Jack's pistol flew from his grasp and soared straight into the awaiting hand of the sea goddess. "I'll just hold onto this for the time being."
Jack made himself relax and he felt his muscles do so as well because they had been incredibly tense moments before.
"Now do I have your complete attention?" Calypso asked expectantly.
"Alright Calypso...I'm listening intently."
"Indeed," said Calypso, smiling while nodding. "Well, I believe that I've effectively gotten my point across: I want your ship, as we agreed upon."
Jack took a moment to answer, partly because he was thinking about something that Calypso had previously said. He spread his arms wide. "And I'm more than willing to hand it over."
The response elicited sounds of shock from Will and Elizabeth, who were still being restrained by Calypso's henchmen. "Jack!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "What are you doing?"
Calypso, meanwhile, was eyeing Jack suspiciously. "Yes, what are you doing?"
Jack shrugged innocently. "Nothing. Simply negotiating. That's how these things work, after all."
"But there is nothing to negotiate. You either hand over the Black Pearl, or watch your friends suffer immensely."
"Au contraire," said Jack as he raised a finger. "Before we carry on with our little business transaction, I require something to be clarified for good measure."
"That being...?"
"You said no mere mortal could kill you. Exactly who, or what, possesses the ability to do that?"
Calypso narrowed her eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"No particular reason," Jack said casually. "But let's think hypothetically for a moment, shall we? Suppose you died at the hand of the person, or thing, that has the power to kill you. And suppose that it happens while my ship is in your possession. Would I get my ship back then?" Jack glanced at Calypso, who was looking at him curiously. "This is all hypothetical, of course," he added quickly.
"And how is it that you arrived at the conclusion that there is something –..."
"Or someone."
"...out there with the power to kill a Goddess?"
"That's easy," replied Jack airily. "You just said that a mere mortal couldn't kill you. But what if there was a mortal who wasn't mere at all?"
Calypso tried her best to skirt around the subject. "Meaning...?"
"Meaning what if there was a mortal who had been chosen as the one to kill a certain God, or Goddess, whose thirst for power was so insatiable that the other Gods decided to do just that? Entrust a mortal with the power to kill a Goddess." Jack took on a mock interested expression. "Sounds farfetched, doesn't it?"
Calypso shrugged. "Highly."
"But somehow, my theory seems logical...which surprises even me, I might add." Jack stopped to observe Calypso, whose demeanor had suddenly turned nervous. "And it's all true, isn't it? There is someone out there just destined to kill you."
Calypso and Jack then became engaged in a staring contest until finally, Calypso gave in. "Very well, Jack. What is it that you want?"
"An extension, seeing as how I'm not quite ready to hand over my ship." As Jack said this, Calypso crossed the length of the study to come to stand directly in front of the captives. Once she reached them, Calypso spun around on her heel.
"And what exactly do you plan on doing during this extension if I so choose to grant it to you?"
"Let's make one more deal, shall we?" said Jack professionally. "During this extension, I admit that I'll be desperately searching for this unknown assassin. However, if I'm unable to locate said person in the allotted time, I'll willingly hand over the Pearl...therefore upholding my end of our original bargain. It'll give me one last fighting chance, eh?"
Calypso smiled, patting the barrel of Jack's pistol against her left palm. "An interesting proposal, to say the least. But I'm curious as to what you'll offer me that'll ensure your dedication to this new bargain."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying during your little escapade, what can I keep as collateral? After all, if I give you something, you have to give me something. Standard business protocol."
Jack continued on in his business-like tone. "Before I offer you anything, we need to establish a time window for my search."
"Indeed," Calypso nodded as she thought. "I believe one week should be sufficient?"
"Fair enough," agreed Jack. "But first, I need to be given assurances that whatever I give to you will be returned to me in one piece once I complete my task or my time period expires."
Calypso smiled a smile that seemed to combine venom with honey. "You have the word of a Goddess, Jack Sparrow. And I assure you that the word of a Goddess is genuine."
"I'll take your word for it, then."
"But...I think it'll only be fair if I choose what I get to keep of yours. I mean, if you were to choose, I'm afraid your opinion would be biased. Wouldn't you agree?
"I...suppose," Jack mumbled suspiciously.
"Excellent." Calypso then swivelled back around on her feet to once again face the captive comrades of Jack. Her eyes went from person to person, taking in their appearances with an air of patience. While still keeping her gaze fixed upon his friends, Calypso addressed Jack again. "I would think that taking a person who could be considered close to you more influential than simply taking a precious item of yours."
From behind her, Jack narrowed his eyes penetratingly at Calypso.
Meanwhile, Calypso paced purposefully in front of the Turners and Jacquelyn, carefully considering whom to take as a hostage. Finally, she stopped in front of Michael and Jacquelyn, her expression clearly stating what was on her mind.
"These children...who are their parents?"
"Us," Elizabeth spoke up, telling the lie with expert coolness. Both Will and Elizabeth knew that they couldn't risk having Jacquelyn kidnapped again, especially now that Jack knew he was her father.
"Both of them?" Calypso queried.
"Of course," Elizabeth replied evenly.
"Then tell me...how old are they?"
"Michael and Jacquelyn are both six." Elizabeth supplied the answer with no hint in her voice of it being a lie.
Calypso then trained her gaze upon Will to make sure that this was the truth. Of course, it wasn't, but neither Will nor Elizabeth were going to show any indication of that. Will's face was a complete mask, as he was able to let it be free of any giveaway signs. He stared back at Calypso sternly, and the intensity in his eyes intrigued Calypso deeply.
"You," she said to Will. "What's your name?"
Will hesitated a moment before answering, trying to figure out Calypso's game. Seeing no harm in revealing his name, Will obliged. "Will Turner."
Calypso proceeded in examining Will's physical structure, taking in every muscle that made his body so desirable to a woman. However, Elizabeth noticed what Calypso was doing and spat at her feet.
"You filthy woman!" Elizabeth snarled.
Quick as a flash, Calypso grabbed Elizabeth by the throat, wrenched her from the henchman's grasp, and shoved her against the wall. Will tried to do something, but was stopped by the minion holding onto him.
"Elizabeth!"
"Mum!"
Elizabeth was struggling to breathe now because Calypso was slowly tightening the hold she had on her neck. "If you ever treat me with such blatant disrespect again, I'll do more than just cut off your air supply. Do I make myself clear?"
Elizabeth nodded frantically, and to the best of her ability, given her current situation. She was then let down as Calypso suddenly relinquished her grip on her throat. Elizabeth hit the floor on her hands and knees, coughing and breathing in air at the same time.
Out the corner of her eye, Calypso spotted Will pull himself free of his captor's massive arms and rush forward to help Elizabeth; but Calypso was one step ahead of him. From the inside of her sleeve, Calypso summoned forth a small knife that fell from its confined hidden place and right into her awaiting hand. The moment the hilt was firmly within her fingers, Calypso furiously slashed at Will's oncoming chest. The sheer force of the surprise attack caused Will to stumble backward and fall to the floor. Fortunately, the tip of the blade only made contact with Will's shirt, instead of his flesh.
The resulting gash in Will's shirt revealed much of Will's upper chest...including a certain scar close to his neckline that was in the form of an hourglass with all of the sand inside of it located at the bottom half. Spreading out from behind the hourglass were two angel wings, with a frame surrounding the hourglass. And passing through that frame was the Grim Reaper's staff/blade. It was actually more of an imprint than a scar, and this imprint caught Calypso's eyes and glued them to it.
"The mark of The Angel Assassin," the sea goddess breathed in fear and awe.
Will looked down at his chest and saw the imprint, and his reaction to it was one of genuine surprise. "What is that? How did it get there?" He tried to move, but his body was frozen in its place out of shock.
By now, Elizabeth had picked herself up off the floor and was looking at what was causing the silence that had enveloped the study. She stared at the imprint on Will's chest and gasped, placing her hand to her mouth.
Calypso turned to face Jack, clearing her throat. "I've made my decision. I'll take Mr. Turner."
Jack let his gaze travel back and forth between Calypso and Will, gradually coming to the conclusion that the new imprint on Will's chest resonated with Calypso somehow. He smiled kindly. "Done," he said, confirming that they now had a deal.
"Undone," Will countered abruptly. "Jack, what do you think you're doing?"
"Negotiating," Jack answered briefly. "Redone." He confirmed the deal for the second time.
"Undone again," Elizabeth interjected. "Jack, do you even have the faintest idea of what you're doing?!"
"Don't I always? Will goes with Calypso for one week while my crew and I search for the person who can guarantee me a reprieve. Non-negotiable," he added, more for the benefit of Will and Elizabeth.
The couple in question fixed Jack with the sternest of stares, their displeasure made abundantly clear.
"Time and tide, mates." Jack shrugged innocently to both of them.
Calypso, however, was leaning toward Jack expectantly. "So...do we have an accord?"
Without hesitating, Jack stuck out his hand. "You bet."
Calypso smiled and took Jack's hand, shaking it in turn. "Remember, Jack...one week. If you haven't succeeded by then, our deal expires and the Black Pearl becomes mine."
"There's really no need to stress that point more than need be. I fully understand what's at stake here."
"Good."
And with that, Calypso snapped her fingers. From out of thin air, iron chains appeared and magically secured themselves around Will's ankles and wrists. The henchman who had been securing Will earlier stepped forward and roughly grabbed Will by the shoulders, beginning to haul him away.
Elizabeth ran forward to try and stop it, but was thrown backward against the wall by one casual sweep of Calypso's hand.
"Mum!"
Michael raced over to his mother's side in order to help her up, but by that time, Calypso had vanished into thin air along with her bulky goons and Will. Where they all once stood was now empty space.
"WILL!" Elizabeth's voice was full of anguish and desperation. She tried to run after them, but Michael held her down and hugged his mother tightly. Eventually, Elizabeth calmed down and draped her arms around her son, hugging him close.
Jack then approached them, a serious expression on his face. "Listen, we don't have much time. We need to get going now."
Elizabeth looked up at Jack with pained eyes. "Don't you dare speak to me." Her voice wasn't sharp, but it still carried the aching feeling inside her heart. "You gave Will up for your own purposes...with absolutely no consideration for how we felt about it. Now, who knows if we'll get Will back at all? Calypso may just decide to kill him in one week."
"All the more reason for us to get back on the Pearl. I'm going to need your help here, Elizabeth."
"Why should I help you?"
"Because you want Will to stay alive and because you want him back. Now, c'mon. We need to visit an old friend."
