Chapter 16

A compass and a lighthouse,

two devices created by the hands of men.

Supposed to stop the endless roam.

With both the same purpose,

always directing towards 'home'

The sky was as dark as the ocean below the Pearl's hull, stars reflecting in the waters. It was pouring rain, water coming down from the heavens above like bullets from a firing pistol. The deck of the Pearl was almost empty, the crew had returned to their cabins to get some sleep before the next day would start. It was only Jack standing at the helm, with Barbossa, Cutler, and Elizabeth sitting at one of the fancy decorated tables just underneath the inlet of the deck's double doors. Barbossa had a sense of taste, Cutler thought to himself while stirring his tea, that wasn't nearly as good as the teas he had at home, but for a pirate, Barbossa seemed to like the aristocrat's way of living. Even though the lace table sheet draped across the small tea table was dirty, some of the china teacups had chips and the apples Barbossa had made the cook slice and put on a small plate were brown and not nearly as fresh as Cutler would have wished.

'You know Captain, once the King is satisfied with the assist you brought us, after our journey that is, you'll never have the taste of stale apples one more day in your life' Cutler tried to speak as smoothly as possible while looking at Barbossa taking a bite from his sliced apple with a small silver fork, it almost felt like Barbossa was trying to make an impression on Cutler. After speaking Cutler thought to himself he seemed often to have lost the posh way of speaking the nobles did among each other, but Barbossa seemed to please himself with the way of Cutler's old life, and Cutler seemed in return quite entertained with it, after spending the brain killing conversations with these pirates for so long.

'Well, that only might be reward enough' Barbossa spoke showing his rotten teeth after taking in the last bites of his apple. Cutler nipped his tea, but quickly swallowed when Barbossa continued speaking.

'So tell me, Lord Beckett. What is it exactly that brings us to the Locker?' Barbossa watched him in a friendly-like gesture while pouring some more stale tea into Cutler's teacup. Cutler knew Barbossa had been informed by Jack after he had accepted their so-called King's mission to the Locker. But it seemed Jack had failed to inform Barbossa why they'd be going there in the first place. With Barbossa and Elizabeth, both two people who had found and experienced the Locker at first hand, Cutler knew their crew was complete. But Elizabeth had a personal connection to the reason why they would go to the Locker, and so did Jack. They both knew why Cutler wanted to go to the Locker because they knew who it was Culter wanted nothing more than to be saved. But Barbossa didn't. And Cutler wasn't quite sure as to how he would react knowing it was much more of a personal reason, and of course not on King's orders, they'd be going to the Locker. How Cutler was going to get Barbossa a pardon from the King was a worry for later, besides Cutler knew his connections. Before Cutler could open his mouth to react Jack, while standing at the helm in the pouring rain still, started mumbling loudly, clearly needing help but he didn't want it to be too obvious. Jack was not willing to admit he couldn't find the right course as he felt like not giving Barbossa the honor of finding out the way to the Locker. Jack had more than once mumbled to himself earlier this day that he was the only and true Captain of the Pearl. Cutler promising Barbossa to grand him a ship of his own, much stronger than the Pearl, which was letting Barbossa take a rest from the childish fight Cutler more than once had to come in between.

'What is it, Jack?' Elizabeth strolled in Jack's direction and watched him aggressively shaking his compass inside his hand, making the inside arrow of the compass rumble.

'It keeps on pointing the wrong way! I don't understand, earlier this morning it still pointed to what felt like the right course!' Jack was on the brink of screaming but seemed to contain his anger, like a child not getting his way his face was as red as a tomato when Barbossa and Cutler too made their way to the helm.

'Maybe you should allow the 'Captain' himself to take a turn?' Barbossa sped out and Cutler quickly rolled his eyes, ready for another argument that would lead to a fight.

'Where is the arrow pointing? Maybe it's a new hint to where we might need to go first' Elizabeth seemed tired too of the fighting and taking Jack's arm with the compass inside his hand she steered it into her own direction so she could see the red arrow clearly. Jack for a moment seemed to calm down and relax when Elizabeth took his arm.

'Can the both of you make some steps back, away from one another?' Elizabeth suddenly watched Barbossa and Cutler, both curious too, looking back at her in question.

'Why?' Barbossa growled. She seemed to be onto something so Cutler did as she asked. Barbossa watched him taking steps to the starboard side of the ship, Barbossa now slowly walking back to the port side.

'The arrow, it's following you' Elizabeth watched up from the compass and watched Cutler seriously into his eyes. Cutler felt his guts drop when he saw Jack's dark eyes watching him now too.

'I told you, Lizzy, he's a traitor! The reason it's pointing toward him is because the compass is telling me to get rid of him!' Jack screamed like he was about to have a fit.

'Who are you calling a traitor? The reason why we are here is because of your betrail in the first place!' Cutler felt losing his temper and quickly walked ten steps closer to Jack.

'Me?! You are the one who wasn't able to protect her, I did a better job at that than you!' Jack hissed back while he was now breathing down at the tip of Culter's tricone hat, keeping the rain from pouring down his face as the water was still coming down at full speed.

'Take that back!' Cutler yelled. Elizabeth for a moment wondered whether this had to be a normal daily conversation for Jack and Cutler, like an old married couple screaming at one another, and she imagined it was something Kate had to have dealt with quite often and for a moment the corners of her mouth curled upward.

'Her? Whom are they speaking of?' Barbossa looked down at Elizabeth as he seemed to be surprised she was almost looking entertained with their discussion. They'd both moved back underneath the inlet of the deck when the rain seemed to pour down even more than before.

'Long story' Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders while looking up at Barbossa who seemed to leave it at that. By now Jack tried to push Cutler's shoulder roughly, he dodged him, and the rain making everything slippery made Jack stumble. The compass leaped into the air and flew a few feet away from the men, making a soft splash coming down into one of the puddles on deck. Jack looked at Cutler and he looked back, both running at full speed they came down onto the wet deck, both reaching for the compass.

'Let's make some bets, Mrs. Turner' Barbossa whispered entertained by the sight, and smirked at Elizabeth while nipping his tea now. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and didn't even bother to stop the fight.

Suddenly there was a light, like a thunderstrike hitting the ocean's waves that curled itself up alongside the hull of the Pearl. The whole ship rocked, out of nowhere as the sea even though it had been pouring down, had seemed quite calm for now. Elizabeth stood tall from her place on the deck and too did Barbossa when for a moment they both saw Jack and Cutler disappear into the light that had come from the loud bang.

'Jack?!' Elizabeth called out in concern and lifting her skirt she ran in the men's direction. As the light had disappeared she came to a halt abruptly. Jack too seemed shocked as he had made room in between him and Cutler slightly. Cutler got a hold of the compass after the men's argument and struggle, and as soon as he'd touched it the compass had made the thunderstorm, that had seemed to come out of nowhere, make the sky only rumble and light up once. There was an orange gleam coming from inside the compass, Cutler still holding it tightly seemed astonished and watched the inside of the compass' arrow turn and turn uncontrollably, it felt like it went on for an eternity, till the arrows came to an abrupt halt. The orange gleam inside the little box of the compass seemed to form a line, the line grew longer and longer, like someone was painting the deck with an invisible brush the orange light beam started moving down the side of the Pearl's hull, and now touched the ocean beneath. The light line moved further and further across the dark sea, with the stars still reflecting in the water that had been their only guidance. But now the light beam seemed to guide them too as the orange light faded further along the sea weaves than they could see, it seemed to reach beyond the horizon.

'It's guiding us, the compass is guiding us!' Elizabeth moved away from the men, all with their mouths ajar, moving her hand on the balustrade of the ship to watch the string of light that reached further than Elizabeth could see.

'But, why only now?' Jack watched Cutler holding the compass tightly in his hand, still not daring to move.

'Because this is the first time since we started this journey that I touched it, Jack. That's why the compass in your possession was pointing to me' Cutler said.

'It's her.. She's calling for me..' Cutler whispered by now looking down at the gleaming compass, his eyes had become watery, something that made him lower his black tricone hat, still soaked from the rain, to cover his eyes in the shadow of it.