Chapter 7
Elizabeth Turner sat down, shell-shocked at the revelation of the true reason why Calypso had taken Will. She and the crew of the Pearl were still inside Tia Dalma's shack, as only mere minutes had passed since the fortuneteller had revealed the information. Jack was standing by, idly twiddling with his hat and staring at both Elizabeth and Tia Dalma in a curious manner. Meanwhile, Elizabeth placed her head between her hands and massaged her temples.
"I...just can't believe all this is actually happening," she said in a hollow voice. "Calypso's taken Will and who knows what she intends to do to him."
Michael was by his mother's side and he placed a hand on her knee, which she took graciously; it had suddenly become a difficult time for the Turners. "Mum...is Dad going to be alright?"
Elizabeth raised her head, her eyes full of emotion. "I don't know, darling. I honestly don't know."
Jack, seeing this moment between mother and child, replaced his hat on his head and walked over to directly face Tia Dalma. "Tell me, Tia Dalma, why is it that you didn't seem fit to trust us with this information at an earlier time?"
Tia Dalma preluded her verbal answer by smiling a smile that showed off her rotten teeth. "Fact in point, Jack Sparrow, I have provided fair warning of these events."
Jack looked at her quizzically now. "When, exactly?"
"You misunderstand. The warning wasn't provided to you." Tia Dalma shifted her gaze to Elizabeth. "But to her."
"What?" Elizabeth asked sharply yet curiously as she looked into the bard's eyes.
"Mrs. Turner, did you really think that those nightmares of yours involving you dueling your husband were only that? Nightmares?"
Elizabeth kept eye contact with Tia Dalma as she racked her brain to get on track with what the fortuneteller was talking about, and she soon found the meaning. "My dreams? You planted those dreams in my head?"
"The extent of my abilities can surprise you, Mrs. Turner."
"Apparently so," Jack commented in a rather loud mumble. He then received a look from Tia Dalma and put on an innocent expression. "Apologies. Please...continue on with your conversation. Has me on pins and needles, it does."
Tia Dalma eyed Jack narrowly for a few more seconds before turning back to Elizabeth. "They weren't merely dreams. More like visions of events to come."
"Then, let me ask you this...What was the point of showing dear 'Lizbeth here these visions?"
"She needed to know. It's as simple as that."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Simplicity is a rather complicated term. There is never a simple reason for anything. And nightmares have a curious way of throwing certain fears one possesses into sharp relief. So, why don't you offer a more vivid explanation, eh?"
"Very well. I felt she needed to be aware of the task ahead of her. What Elizabeth Turner saw was what lies ahead if nothing is done to try and prevent it. If you do nothing to regain William Turner, then he will be forever bound to Calypso. But if you try and defeat the sea goddess, then there may be a shred of hope left."
"So what you're basically telling us is that we need to formulate a plan to release brave William from Calypso's grasp and then help him fulfill his destiny to kill her as The Angel Assassin?"
"Pretty much," Tia Dalma said matter-of-factly. "But of course, Calypso will not give him up easily. Even if you do manage to get William Turner back, you must make sure that he stays free of the goddess until such a time when his destiny is to be carried out."
Jack nodded. "And, by some astronomical circumstance that particular plan fails, is there a contingency plan that we may also rely on?"
"Now that Calypso has returned in human form, she will no doubt hunt down the source of her power."
"What do you mean by that?" Gibbs interjected. "When she attacked earlier, Calypso seemed to be in complete control of the ocean."
"That's because she is in possession of a locket which contains a sufficient amount of her abilities. But when the Brethren Court first imprisoned her, they decided to store the wealth of Calypso's powers inside a certain diamond-like object they named The Hurricane's Eye. Wanting to keep this diamond in as secret of a location as possible, the Court decided to entrust the duty of protecting it to the Pirate Lord of Singapore; the Brethren Court figured that Singapore was a perfect choice since it was near the edge of the world."
"So...what exactly is the significance of this diamond, this...Hurricane's Eye if we're discussing ways to kill Calypso?"
Tia Dalma looked at Jack again, but this time it was with her trademark mysterious expression that made it known that more was to come. "The significance of the artifact is that while it can fully restore Calypso's powers to her, it can also permanently kill her if it is destroyed. Because if you kill the source of anything, you also kill that thing in it's entirety."
"Then...we're goin' after this diamond," said Gibbs.
Jack turned to him. "It would seem so, mate." He spun on his heel to face Tia Dalma once again. "And you said that The Hurricane's Eye is located in Singapore, eh?"
"Correct."
"And...where exactly is it in Singapore?"
"The Hurricane's Eye is in the possession of the Pirate Lord of Singapore, and he or she decides on a hiding place for it. So, in order to find The Hurricane's Eye, you must travel to Singapore and in turn the Pirate Lord of that region and force them to reveal the location of Calypso's source of power. But, I feel that I am on safe ground when I say that Cheng Lo will not cooperate willingly. That in mind, you must force the confession out of him."
Jack was currently staring at Tia Dalma with a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "Well, when you put it that way..." he said sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth leaned in closer to Gibbs. "Who's Cheng Lo?"
"That be the current Pirate Lord of Singapore," Gibbs answered. "Cheng Lo was elected ta' the position after the former Lord, Sao Feng, was killed. Some say that Cheng Lo wasn't the first choice as Sao Feng's replacement, that the other Pirate Lords believed there ta' be a more suitable candidate but Cheng Lo forced his way ta' the title. Some figure he murdered anyone under the Brethren Court who opposed him, that he became Pirate Lord only because the Brethren feared what he would do if he wasn't selected. Mark m' words, if we have ta' confront Cheng Lo in order ta' rid the world of Calypso, then what we really need ta' be worryin' about is if Cheng Lo will try ta' take advantage of Calypso and her powers."
"Then The Hurricane's Eye is to Calypso what the Dead Man's Chest was to Davy Jones; whoever possesses it possesses leverage over Calypso." Elizabeth was starting to piece everything together.
"Yes," confirmed Gibbs. "But obviously, Calypso wouldn't want to make it known to Cheng Lo that she has returned in human form."
"Otherwise Cheng Lo would try to exploit that by commanding Calypso to carry out any dirty work of his since he has the one thing she wants." It was as if Elizabeth and Gibbs were taking turns reading lines from a piece of paper they were sharing.
"Besides my ship," Jack cut in. "If Calypso manages to obtain not only The Hurricane's Eye, but also the fastest ship in the Caribbean, she'll be an unstoppable force of nature. Quite literally."
Elizabeth stepped closer to Tia Dalma. "What's the fastest way to get to Singapore that you can provide us?"
"Wait," said Jack suddenly. "How certain are we of this plan?"
Elizabeth glared at the pirate captain. "Jack, Calypso has Will. And Will is the only person who can kill her and once she obtains The Hurricane's Eye, what's to stop her from just killing Will? He's my husband, and we took vows, vows you recited, to protect and love each other no matter what. Saving Will from danger qualifies as part of those vows and I'm going to make sure that I can do everything in my power to bring him back not only to me, but to his son as well." Elizabeth put her hand lovingly on Michael's shoulder.
Jack looked down at Will and Elizabeth's son, taking in the hopefulness and desperation in Michael's eyes, and there was no denying the child's desire to get his father back. Jack then looked over at his own child, the one who had suddenly just been permanently placed in his life, and recognized the same hopeful expression on Jacquelyn's face. And at that particular moment, something that Jack couldn't quite place welled up inside of him. He suddenly felt the need to make Jacquelyn happy. Was it parental instincts? Jack just couldn't be sure.
"Cap'n?" Gibbs' hesitant voice broke Jack out of his reverie. "Jack...what're we gonna do?"
Jack tore his gaze away from his daughter and turned his attention now to Elizabeth. Jack had known Will and Elizabeth for eight years now, and if he was certain of anything about the two of them, it was that he knew exactly how much each of them loved one another and to what lengths they would go to guarantee the other's safety.
Jack sighed. "Give us what is required for immediate passage to Singapore, then," he said to Tia Dalma. "Don't what to keep our lovesick birdie here waiting any longer than is necessary now, do we?"
Elizabeth and Michael smiled. "Thank you, Jack."
"Don't mention it. Really, I mean that. So, we're headed to Singapore...their rum better be decent."
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At that very moment, just beyond the strait which led to Tia Dalma's shack, Calypso's ship was anchored and by means of Calypso's powers, shielded from being spotted by the naked eye. Aboard the vessel, the sea goddess herself stood at the helm and was accompanied by her newest minion...Will.
Before now, there had always been a calm and controlled look about Will that clearly signified his devotion to good. However, after being possessed by a demon, courtesy of Calypso, Will Turner's appearance of a noble and trustworthy warrior had been replaced by a calculatingly cold expression that also made one thing perfectly clear: Will was no longer good, but bad. Will, even though he was in some way possessed, still retained the knowledge he had gained in his lifetime. So, he had been able to tell Calypso Jack's most likely course. His merciless eyes stared unblinkingly ahead at the Black Pearl, which was anchored a short distance away from them.
Calypso, keeping her hands on the wheel, looked at Will with an expression of satisfaction. "Commendable work, William. Sparrow's ship is exactly where you said it would be."
"Was there ever any doubt concerning the reliability of my knowledge?" Will's voice was terrifyingly devoid of any sense of emotion.
"Of course not," replied Calypso. "Since we have the advantage of stealth on our side, we can simply wait for your old friends to return to the Pearl. And that is when we'll attack."
Calypso looked up at the sky. It was now close to nighttime, so the sky had taken on a haze which crossed red with purple and made the first of the many night stars visible. There was an almost ominous feeling that coursed through one's veins at the sight of a pre-night sky such as this. Next, Calypso deeply breathed in the fresh night scent.
"Ah, the smell of the ocean is so intoxicating yet empowering at the same time. Gives you a stimulating sense of purpose. Wouldn't you agree?"
Will was still staring ahead at the Black Pearl. "The only thing I find intoxicating is the ability to kill someone with a sword. That's my purpose."
Calypso smirked nastily. "Then I think it redundant to tell you to show absolutely no mercy during this assault. Slaughter them...in every aspect of the word."
"Consider it done." Will then unsheathed his sword and began to carefully examine the sharp edges.
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Tia Dalma placed a piece of parchment with rip marks around its edges on her table and revealed the inscriptions that were on said paper. They were all of Singaporean and/or Chinese design and looked as if they had to be properly lined up in order to make sense.
Jack eyed this parchment knowingly. "I take it this is the map that will give us passage to Singapore?"
"Yes," Tia Dalma answered.
"Funny," said Jack. "I don't see how a simple map can move the voyage along any faster. It will still take considerable time to arrive there either way."
"Ah, but you see...that's where you are mistaken, Jack Sparrow."
"Mistaken? Au contraire, my fellow bard."
"You say that this map to Singapore is simple. That is a gross understatement. There is nothing simple whatsoever about these charts."
"Care to expand upon that?"
"Not at all. All charts of Chinese origin are created by employing puzzles into them, meaning that every Singaporean map must have its specific secret unlocked before it can be used."
"So it's not so much a map as it is a Chinese puzzle box?" asked Jack.
"In a manner."
"Then what is it we're lookin' to unlock in this map?" Gibbs queried.
"The image of a dragon," said Tia Dalma. "You must rearrange the pieces of the map so that it shows a dragon. And that dragon happens to be in the shape of Singapore."
"Coincidental? I think not."
"Jack," Elizabeth said as she gave him an exasperated look. "Please."
"Sorry, luv. Just doing my best to lighten the unnerving serious tone in this shack. Tia Dalma, continue if you will."
"Cheng Lo is said to stay on the island that serves as the dragon's left eye; Shipwreck Cove is the right one."
"Why is being able to locate Shipwreck Cove on the map of any importance?"
"Not sure exactly, but it could prove useful."
Jack nodded. "Any other useful information you can provide us with?"
"Only this: so that you can have a good sense of your bearings, you will enter Singapore through what serves as the tail of the dragon inscribed on the map."
"Alright." Jack scooped up the map, rolled it back up and tucked it underneath his arm. "If that's all, I believe me and my crew will be on our way."
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A few minutes later, Jack and his crew were in their longboats once again, but this time they were sailing back to the ship. Elizabeth sat inside the ship she shared with Jack and a few other crew members, fiddling around with the Singapore charts, which were spread across her lap. She, by now, had grown accustomed to their special nature and was twisting and turning every part of the map that was movable in order to form the dragon shape that would gain them passage to Singapore. Elizabeth had been able to get small portions of it completed, but the ultimate picture was far from complete.
It was now sunset, and the purple and red colors that had blanketed the sky before had now become deeper and more vivid. Currently, the longboats had reached the Pearl and they were being secured with the ship as the crewmen began to make their way back up onto the deck. But before Elizabeth started to climb up, she rolled the charts back up and tucked them inside her belt, lending helping hands to Michael and Jacquelyn along the way.
If any of Jack's crew were expecting to return to the same ship they had departed from earlier, then they received quite the surprise upon finding Calypso, her crew, and Will waiting for them aboard the vessel, weapons drawn and at the ready.
Jack quickly took in the sight and made to draw his sword, but stopped upon hearing the sounds of pistol hammers being pulled back almost in unison. Realizing that there was nothing he nor any of his crew could do at the moment, Jack smiled his trademark roguish yet charming smile. "Calypso," he greeted the sea goddess, using a mock-polite tone. "My, what ever are you doing aboard my ship? Now, I believe we had an agreement –..."
"Yes, we had an agreement, but that was before I realized exactly who I had in my company." Calypso briefly indicated Will with a smug expression on her face before turning back to face Jack. "Now, since I'm well aware that you truly are a man of your word, I'll kindly take what's rightfully mine, if you please."
"Bugger off. You entered our little agreement under false pretenses, and in case you don't know...dishonesty has no place in matters of business. You're not getting my ship!" Now fully confident, Jack drew his sword.
Calypso eyed Jack's weapon without any indication of being threatened. "Your naivety amuses me. But...if you think this is an absolutely necessary thing, then I'll play along. However, my pawns will do my dirty work for me at the moment."
"Good. That means it'll be easier for me."
And as if everything had suddenly been sped up, the two crews leapt into battle with every conceivable weapon at the ready. Jack jumped into action, literally, and landed the hardest punch he could afford directly into the face of the henchman he faced first. Calypso's cronie went falling backward, revealing an awaiting sea monster/human to Jack, one with considerably ugly features.
"You're not that much of a looker, are you, mate?"
The crewmate attacked with a loud outcry of rage, going in for an overhead kill. Jack parried the blow when the blade was mere inches from his face, shoved it away, spun around and brought his blade back up to meet his opponent's once again. What followed was a series of swipes in which Jack and the person he was dueling had their swords clash and clang in midair. Finally, frustrated, Jack distracted his adversary with more fancy swordsmanship while carefully and discreetly moving his foot closer to his opponent's leg. The moment he had gained the perfect vantage point, Jack pulled his leg inward, causing it to come into contact with the other pirate's leg and fall to the deck hard. In the same instant, Jack twisted around again to come face-to-face with his next adversary, and he both blocked the incoming sword swipe and knocked out Calypso's henchman. Next, Jack dashed forward and felt his hunched-over form come into contact with the stomach of an enemy pirate. This particular action created a sort of domino effect in the sense that it mushroomed from having just one crewmate fall over to many others behind him, most of whom were dueling, to follow suit. Jack straightened up, observed the damage, and smiled to himself.
"Perhaps I've just gotten too good!"
Elsewhere aboard the Pearl, however, prospects weren't too bright for those who were forced to Will. Before he had been turned by Calypso, Will Turner showed some sense of fairness in whatever battle he fought. But now, an uncontrollable lust for violence had consumed him and had anyone from Jack's crew bothered to observe his progress, they would have noticed that Will was fighting their own people, instead of Calypso's. He had already killed three Pearl members, and was ready to kill more; Cotton was one of the unlucky few who had been caught in Will's path.
From a short distance away, Gibbs caught sight of Will and noticed that his young friend was battling the wrong people. "Will!" he called out while still dueling his current opponent. "What are ya' doin'?" With a quick movement of the elbow, Gibbs landed a hard blow to his adversary's face. He then raced over so that he now stood in front of Will and he held up his sword to halt Will in his tracks; it worked.
Will eyed Gibbs venomously, showing Gibbs that this wasn't the same Will Turner he knew. "Get out of my way," Will said in a dangerously calm tone.
"No! I can tell something's wrong with ya', otherwise ya' wouldn't be fightin' our own crew members!"
Will stared at Gibbs unblinkingly for a few moments, a look that was rather unsettling inhabiting his eyes. Finally, he spoke again. "You're right."
And without warning and with no trace of hesitation evident in his actions, Will plunged his sword directly into Gibbs' chest, exerting even more force when he was positive that the weapon had emerged from Gibbs' back. Then, Will pulled Gibbs close so that he could utter two last words into Gibbs's ear with the old man's dying breath.
"I've changed."
Will pulled his sword free of Gibbs' chest, allowing the dying man to drop to the deck with a shocking sense of finality. Showing absolutely no signs of remorse, Will began to wipe his bloodstained blade clean.
From elsewhere on the deck, Elizabeth finished up a duel of her own as she swiped her sword across the legs of the pirate she was fighting, causing the brute to slump to his knees in pain. Elizabeth then looked around to find Will and she did. However, Elizabeth couldn't believe what her husband was doing; he was virtually slaughtering every member of Jack's crew he came into contact with. She looked around the deck to discover the dead bodies of every Black Pearl crewman, except for Jack, Bootstrap and herself. But it wasn't until Elizabeth's eyes fell upon the body of Gibbs that she felt icy coldness sweep over her heart. Elizabeth dashed over and knelt beside Gibbs.
"Gibbs!" she cried out. "Gibbs, can you hear me?"
Gibbs, his chest covered in fresh blood, weakly opened his eyes to see Elizabeth kneeling over him. "Miss Elizabeth." His voice was barely above a whisper.
"You're going to be alright." Elizabeth said this, and she soon realized that she was not only attempting to reassure the dying man in her arms, but herself as well.
"Will...Will..." Gibbs could barely speak.
'Will what?" asked Elizabeth, her eyes now brimming with tears.
"He...did this."
"What?!" Elizabeth was astonished.
But she couldn't get anything else out of Gibbs; he was dead.
As if in a trance, Elizabeth laid Gibbs' body down to rest on the ship's deck, got to her feet, and made her way over toward Will. Once she was close enough, Elizabeth grabbed Will and turned him around, proceeding to pound her fists on his chests.
"What have you done?!" she wailed. "You killed Gibbs! You murdered him!"
Everything surrounding Will and Elizabeth had come to a dead stop.
Whatever Elizabeth was expecting Will to do or say, it certainly wasn't what he did do. With a surprising grip, Will forcefully grabbed both of Elizabeth's arms, and grabbed them in a way he had never done before. Then, he shoved Elizabeth just as hard to the deck as someone would a mortal enemy. Elizabeth hit the wood hard and stared back up at Will with utter disbelief and confusion.
"What's happened to you?" she said in a tone laced with genuine hurt. "You kill our friends and you treat me like dirt; you shove me away. You're not the same person anymore. You're not the man I married."
Will said nothing; he just stared down at Elizabeth emotionlessly. But the one thing he did do was bend over and swipe the Singapore charts from Elizabeth's belt and toss them to Calypso, who seemed to be anticipating them. As Elizabeth continued to stare at Will in disbelief, Calypso opened the charts and smiled.
"I knew that the bard would give you these, Jack. But no matter. I'll get us to Singapore faster and make good use of this map. After all, I believe they can lead me to what I require." She turned to her first mate and gave him orders. "Tow the ship. And put the three survivors in the brig."
The three survivors were Jack, Elizabeth, Bootstrap, Michael and Jacquelyn. Jack was now without a crew.
The orders were carried out without any problems or deviations.
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Hours later, they were in Singapore and waiting just outside the island where Cheng Lo currently was. Jack, Elizabeth, Bootstrap and the children were about to be handed over to the notorious Pirate Lord.
