Disclaimer: I own no part of Pirates of the Caribbean. Original characters and plots belong to me.

Chapter 14

More Precious Than Gold

The shock of finding Pike on the Medusa nearly stopped my heart. Keeping my hat pulled low over my ears, I turned away and frantically looked about for a place to hide. I spied a tall stack of crates and almost stumbled in my haste to slip behind them. Then, safe from observation, I began to breathe again as I considered my predicament.

We were short one man, and it was clear to me that Jeremy intended to fill that vacancy with Pike. In my mind's eye, I could see the various consequences of this, all of them unpleasant.

Although he didn't know our names, Pike would explain how his hand had been stabbed by some violent brigand bent on impressing his fancy woman. Unfortunately, the moment he laid eyes upon me or Hector, he would recognise us and pass the word to Jeremy.

And how Jeremy would love it! Relishing the prospect of a scandal, he would probe and pry endlessly, until at last he uncovered our clandestine marriage. After that, I would be in his power, to be used for spying and other unsavoury schemes hatched by whomever he served at court.

If I refused, he could spread the scandal amongst the courtiers. King George might ignore a distant piratical connection, but this would be too much. I would be dismissed from service, and the King would let the law do its work.

Fear and helplessness made knots in my stomach.

Whilst I stood paralysed, wondering what to do, the door to the great cabin flew open, and Hector appeared. He saw Pike at once and strode towards him, with Jack the monkey perched atop his shoulder.

I peeked out from behind the crates, holding my breath.

"What're ye doin' on me ship?" Hector demanded loudly.

Pike's jaw dropped. "Bloody hell!" He turned to Jeremy, waving his bandaged hand. "There's the bastard wot done this!"

I groaned. Nothing could stop Pike telling his story now.

"Next time 'twill be yer guts!" Hector declared. "Now take yer thievin' hand and get off me ship, ye cockroach!" The monkey screamed as his master took a step forward. Pike cowered back.

"Captain Barbossa! Please!" Jeremy stepped between them, rather bravely, since Hector looked ready to draw his pistol. "This man is an able seaman and I've offered him a berth on the Medusa," he said. "Now what is this about his hand?"

Hector glared at Pike as though he would burn a hole through him. "He was three sheets t' the wind and bent on a spree. He tried to take me lady's winnin's and I pinned his hand to the table."

"Ow was I to know she was yer lady?" Pike whined. My throat went dry. An intolerable number of details seemed to be emerging, and would eventually point to me.

Jeremy, trying to calm Hector's temper, glanced about for reinforcements and noticed me hovering behind the crates. Before I could draw back, he summoned me with an insistent wave.

There was to be no escape. I approached, my legs feeling as heavy as lead.

Pike, who had begun to tell his story, suddenly noticed me. His speech slowed and his voice trailed off. He stared, squinting as though trying to recall something.

I stared back at him blankly, as if at a total stranger, but desperate thoughts raced through my mind. Perhaps I could kill him before he identified me. Exactly how I would explain my murderous attack was another question. Still, I flexed my hand, ready to draw my scimitar.

Time seemed to pause. I stood motionless, muscles tensed, waiting for the light of recognition to dawn. Instead, Pike frowned, gave his head a puzzled shake, and looked away. I exhaled slowly, trying to conceal my amazement.

He didn't know me! My house of cards was still standing.

Before Pike could get another sentence out, Hector interrupted. "Shut yer gob! I'll not pay for the work o' two hands an' get the work o' one. And I don't let lyin', scabrous dogs spread their filth on me ship. So take yerself off, before I make yer belly match yer hand."

Jeremy seemed ready to object. With eyes downcast, I took one step closer to his side.

"Do you know what I would advise?" I said quietly. Jeremy clasped his hands behind him and leaned over slightly, to hear what I would say.

Softly, I delivered three succinct words of advice. "Find . . . another . . . deckhand."

He turned his head, darting a quick, surprised look at me, then gave an officious little cough. "Sorry, Pike," he said. "Captain Barbossa raises good points. We shall have to make other arrangements."

As soon as Pike and Jeremy were both out of earshot, I turned to Hector. "He didn't recognise me, thank God – but how is it that he knew you and not me?"

Hector gave a short laugh and indicated my boy's clothes. "'Tis the way ye were dressed. Ye looked different, an' he were drunk as a lord that night." He grinned. "But every cur that crosses me remembers it - if they still be drawin' breath." Jack chirped agreement.

Jeremy may have been discomfited by Pike's dismissal, but within the hour, Hector had found a substitute and signed him on. When I reported to the captain's quarters to meet our new deckhand, I nearly laughed out loud – it was none other than Digger, the pirate who had insisted he knew me from somewhere.

We shook hands, and he grinned smugly. "I ain't forgot ye, miss. Yer Nina, and we met in Tortuga." Hector looked slightly startled, but quickly recovered. Digger was hardly a worthy rival, being exceedingly squat and heavy, with a pronounced resemblance to Pintel. But he was very polite, almost obsequious, to Hector, and generally presented himself as an agreeable sort of shipmate.

The Medusa and the Pearl slipped their cables just after dark, and we were on our way to the mysterious lost city. I abstained from supper that night, and so found myself at the starboard railing, mesmerised by a quantity of jellyfish that swarmed alongside the ship. In the black water, their tentacles glowed with a soft, purplish light, and the only visible sign of each body was a cluster of luminescent green circles. I extracted a small bundle from my pocket, opened it, and began to eat the cool, refreshing grapes I had purchased in Tortuga. When they were all gone, I retired to my cabin for the night.

-o-

The next day, I remembered that I needed an inventory of my supplies, and I went down to the narrow surgery. As I worked, I kept a large surgical knife just by my hand – advice given me long ago by Rufus. In general, pirates turn to the ship's doctor only in dire situations, but occasionally one comes looking for something other than medical care. The work went briskly at first, but as time passed, thoughts of my troubles with Hector distracted me, and I fell to musing.

I wondered if my trust in him could ever be restored. Perhaps we would need a fresh beginning. I recalled our first meeting and tried to imagine what might have happened if circumstances had been different. What if there had been no cursed gold? What if Hector and I had never fought, if we had allowed those strong feelings to bind rather than divide us? I closed my eyes, transported by the idea of an easy, languorous surrender to Mr Barbossa, First Mate of the Black Pearl.

I was still lost in my dreams of what might have been, when I heard the surgery door open behind me. My eyes flew open and I spun about, knife in hand, to find Hector regarding me with some surprise. He was holding four small apothecary bottles.

"Ready t' go t' work, eh?" he observed, looking at the knife. "Rufus sent these over."

"Thank you for bringing them," I said awkwardly. His hands brushed against mine several times, as he gave me the bottles and made absolutely sure that I was holding them securely.

"Yer friend's borrowed me day room t' study his map in private, so I was at loose ends," he said, with a deprecating shrug.

He laid his hand on the doorknob as I turned and put the bottles away. The door squeaked, then closed quietly. I turned back, expecting to find him gone, but he was still there, watching me with a tentative air.

"Yes? Is there something else?" I didn't move, but my heart took a little skip towards him.

"I need t' see the doctor." He leaned back against the edge of the surgery table and I noticed that he had bolted the door.

"Oh? What ails you?" I stepped towards him, and felt my pulse throb. Why could I not maintain my detachment?

"I've a pain in me chest," he replied. "Here." He indicated his heart.

A blush began to colour my face and soften my gaze. I looked away. "I'm afraid there's nothing here to ease that."

"Nothin' at all?" He peered at me and, for an instant, there was a pleading look in his eyes. "I did what ye asked. What be makin' ye so unkind?"

"You would call me unkind?" I said. "After what you did?" I took another step towards him, and my resolve wavered. I cast languishing looks at the rise and fall of his chest, and felt the soft exhalation of his breath on my skin.

He took my hand and held it against his chest. "What would put things right?"

I shook my head. If only I knew the answer! I sensed that there was something indefinable – a word, a deed, a kiss (I closed my eyes). And when that sign manifested itself, all my doubts would be swept away.

"The thing I cannot understand," I said, "Is why. We made an accord on our wedding day. I've never known you to break one, so why did you break ours?"

He shrugged wearily. "Ye were gone fer months. When ye came back, I wondered if the reason be yer royal errand instead o' me. Ye might've had second thoughts. Regrets. Ye didn't care t' go searchin' for the Fountain o' Youth with me; that was plain enough." Then he gave me a quick, sharp glance and cleared his throat. "An' Norrington said once yer work were done, ye'd go back t' London fer good."

"You should have asked me!" I replied. I thought of how he had behaved towards me ever since Havana – pushing me away, too proud to ask if Jeremy's tale was true. Instead he had decided to spare himself the heartache, taking charge of his situation. Yes, that was how Hector did things.

I touched my finger to his chest where he had complained of pain. "I tried to warn you about Jeremy. He looks for a weakness in everyone - a doubt, a secret, an old wound. And when he finds it," I added, moving my finger in small circles, "He begins to dig. That's how he gets what he wants. And you believed him."

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied. "Between those two worlds – the pirates and the courtiers -why wouldn't ye prefer the pomp an' the glitter? Pirates don't live long, an' don't die abed. What does a pirate's life gain ye?"

"It gains me you," I replied. "I care not a louse how we live. A pirate's life? I'd follow you to the gates of Hell itself." I exhaled a deep sigh. "And now look at us . . ."

"Tell me what ye want," he urged me.

"I want us to trust each other again," I replied. "I want us to join forces as we used to. Jeremy is up to something – I can sense it - and we need to find out what it is. And after that"-I took a deep breath-"I want to explain something about the Fountain. Perhaps you'll understand better after that."

He began to smile. "Done, sweetheart! 'Twill be our own venture." He drew his fingers lightly along my jawline and we exchanged a tender, lingering kiss. I rested against him in perfect contentment, enfolded by his long, sinewy arms. "I mean t' change yer mind," he whispered in my ear. "Nothin's beyond mending."

I stroked his cheek with my hand. "When we need to talk privately, we should meet here," I said. "You've as much right as any to see the ship's doctor."

He gave me a sly, wolfish grin. "So there be somethin' here after all, to ease me pain."

"There might," I replied, a bit flustered. "In the meantime, if you think Jeremy is still in your day room, then perhaps I should interrupt and see if he'll tell me more about this mission." I sighed. "After all, we're supposed to be serving the same royal master."

-o-

Upon entering the great cabin, I found Jeremy studying his map. He invited me to look it over, and I stood staring at the rough lines and tiny letters for a long time. I couldn't overcome the feeling that I had seen it before. I thought of what Hector had said about Jeremy wanting something more precious than gold.

"Now that we're underway, can you not tell me anything of this artefact you're seeking? Am I to occupy myself only with the gold and contribute nothing to your mission?"

Jeremy beamed, the picture of a satisfied man who sees Fortune as his obedient servant. "Your initiative is most encouraging, my dear. I shall tell you more once we arrive, but for now, let us say that I am seeking the key to a door."

"Is that all?" I raised my brows. "I've hunted for many a key. What does it look like?"

He laughed. "Many would love to know that. But this is a most singular key, and we are not the only ones pursuing it." He paused, then added, "I see by your expression that you've encountered some of these others."

Indeed, I was rapidly putting together many strange events. The men watching Elizabeth's house after I visited her. The horseman who had chased us. The dark ship following the Pearl. Perhaps even . . . "The ship that took the Berwick!" I exclaimed.

"It's possible, of course," Jeremy shrugged as he folded the map. "By the by, I had no idea our Captain had a particular lady in Tortuga."

It was my turn to shrug. "I'm sure he has many, in many ports. Is that not the way with most pirates?"

He laughed. "No doubt you're right. For now, let us return the great cabin to him, whilst we take the air on deck. I trust you'll join me for a promenade?"

-o-

Jeremy made one final attempt to learn more about Pike's confrontation with Hector. That night at supper, he asked Hector to tell him about his gallant rescue of the gambling lady.

"Apologies, but much of it seems to have slipped me mind," Hector replied with an amiable laugh. "There be so much rum and pleasin' company in Tortuga, ye can't expect me t' recall everything."

Digger had been put in charge of serving supper, and he piped up. "I remembers playin' cards in Tortuga with Nina 'ere. That's where we met."

"Did you really?" asked Jeremy with a smile.

Digger was clearly encouraged by Jeremy's interest. "Aye! Might 'ave even been the same card room!"

"We played at whist, I remember," I said to him. "But I don't recall seeing the Captain there." I had been quietly breaking up my food and pushing it about on my plate, preoccupied with disguising my lack of appetite and wondering what Hector would do when he realised my condition.

"Perhaps Digger saw him," Jeremy suggested. "And the mysterious lady. What do you say, Digger?"

Digger laughed and shook his head. "Nah, an' I think I'd 'ave noticed 'im, with the monkey an' all."

Hector smiled, and Jeremy looked slightly disappointed, like a cat who discovers a long-watched mouse hole has been empty all along.

-o-

Late that night, I wandered out on deck as before, my pocket stuffed with grapes. Although I had barely touched my supper, I had developed a great craving for this particular fruit and a large quantity was stored in my cabin. As I stood looking at the stars, eating one grape after another and spitting the seeds off the side of our ship, I was joined by Maroto.

"May I offer you some grapes, Padre?" It was something of a relief to be in conversation with the only person on the Medusa who had more secrets to keep than I did. He smiled, but seemed rather tired.

"You know," I went on, "I was surprised when you signed on for this voyage, but I'm very glad of your company." Taking a closer look in the moonlight, I frowned. There was almost a suggestion of gauntness about him.

"I hope this venture doesn't prove too much for you, Padre. Afterwards, I still mean to hunt for the Fountain and destroy it."

He turned his sad, dark eyes to me. "Then you do not know about Cuidad de Huesos Blanqueados?" I shook my head. "Señora, we are hunting for the Fountain at this very moment."

I put my hand on the railing, suddenly uncertain of my footing. When I found my voice, I managed to stammer, "I don't understand."

Maroto looked about to make sure no one could overhear us, then proceeded to explain. "Before it was abandoned, Cuidad de Huesos Blanqueados was known by another name – Cuidad Blanca. It was the city I told you of, where Ponce de Leon discovered the way to the Fountain, and also where he captured many of his victims."

"How do you know this?" I asked. "Why would it not still be called the White City?"

He spoke slowly, seeming to weigh his words. "In the time of Ponce de Leon, there were rumours of an ancient drawing in Cuidad Blanca that showed the way to the Fountain." He shook his head. "Not even the city's inhabitants knew if it truly existed. But my ancestor found it, and copied it." He paused. "And then the disappearances began."

I waited for him to continue, but he kept a troubled silence. "Do you mean the people he took as his captives?" I asked.

Maroto continued reluctantly. "No. It was only after he departed that the . . . the activity, began. Always at night."

He sighed. "First a few, and then more people began to vanish from their beds. In the morning, bones would be found on the sand. Locking windows, barring doors – nothing helped. The years passed, and when Ponce de Leon returned for more victims, only a few people remained. Most had fled, leaving even their gold, for fear it was infected with the terror. At last, no one was left, and the city was called the City of the Whitened Bones."

He stole a look at me, and murmured, "Ibi cubavit lamia et invenit sibi requiem."

I nodded, repeating faintly in English, "There hath the night-demon lain down and found rest for herself."

He sighed. "Yes. And somewhere in those ruins, if one can find it, is still that drawing." He nodded his head slightly, as if making up his mind. "That is what your friend Norrington wants, the purpose of his mission."

My blood felt like ice water. I could see it all now. Hector was right; Jeremy was after something far more precious than gold. Let us say that I am seeking the key to a door, he had told me.

I had made a terrible and costly mistake. Don't be a fool, Teague loved to say. Always find out every detail before you set sail. But I hadn't known the details of Jeremy's mission before I jumped in, taking husband and brother with me.

"Jack and Hector want to find the Fountain as well," I said, fighting the sick feeling in my stomach. "That's why I begged them to help me first – to keep them away from it!"

And now I had led them both straight into the very danger I was trying to avoid.

Maroto saw the anguish on my face. "Don't despair," he said. "There is an element of Fate about these things, señora. If your friends are not meant to find the Fountain, they won't – despite everything. But if it is their destiny, you could not have prevented it."

"Wait!" I cried. A sudden ray of hope had appeared. "Even if they find the Fountain, they don't know the ritual! The Fountain has no power without the chalices and the sacrifice, does it?"

Maroto lowered his head and said nothing.

"What else does it do?" I asked urgently. Then I remembered something else. "Maroto! Please - why do they call it the Garden of Darkened Souls?"

His gave a sigh that was almost a groan. Then, shaking his head, he turned and walked away from me.

Next: Chapter 15 – The Lure of Green Apples – Nina reaches a turning point and makes an important decision, as she and Barbossa work to repair their relationship.