For the first time, Rachel fell asleep without doubts or fears. Her sleep was disturbed before dawn by voices on the deck.
The crew had apparently reached their destination.
Rachel stepped up onto the deck and looked around curiously.
Gibbs saw her first. "You had a suitcase with you, didn't you? Didn't you pack … more appropriate clothing?"
Rachel looked down at herself and her beige dress.
"I can walk in it," she said.
Elizabeth had packed her these more appropriate clothes, but Rachel did not expect her dress to be a problem. Besides, it was unusual to wear trousers and a blouse.
They were not far from a small group of islands. Everything was kept in the dark green of the fauna there. The whole area looked swampy.
Jack approached the two. His gait was springy and he gestured over-excitedly toward the island.
"Here we are. It's time to discuss a few things. It would be my pleasure if you would accompany me. I would like to visit an old acquaintance and ask her a few personal questions. Perhaps you would be interested in meeting her."
He went to a dinghy where Pintel and Ragetti were already sitting and held out his hand to Rachel. Without resorting to his help, she climbed over the low railing of the boat.
Pintel inspected his weapons. He stroked the blade of his cutlass and scanned his belt for several knives.
Rachel shivered.
"Don't I need a weapon?" she asked.
Jack looked at her as if she were a ghost. "I've seen you with a knife in your hand exactly once and it wasn't very promising in terms of your chances of success. To be honest, it looked more like you were endangering yourself."
Rachel could not deny this, and the boat was put on the water.
The Black Pearl would stay nearby, but for fear of Barbossa, Gibbs and Jack did not want to anchor.
They quickly arrived at the island, where a small hut stood in the middle of mangroves between two arms of the river. A few hundred metres away, they hid the dinghy in the undergrowth of the plants. They found their way through the mud and arrived at the hut.
When Jack climbed the small wooden staircase, the door was already open. Jack peered cautiously into the dark interior of the hut. He was not sure whether his visit would be tolerated.
Carefully, he put one foot in front of the other. No light entered the hut, and Jack knew from experience that it was easy to knock something over or even trample it.
The strangest things were everywhere in the room. On shelves were test tubes with indefinable contents. Strange little bundles were hanging from the ceiling, probably some kind of herbal mixtures. Accordingly, there was an intense smell in the hut.
Then a smoky voice sounded from the back room.
"Jack, … what do you want?"
The latter felt caught and he seemed to shrink physically.
Rachel, Pintel and Ragetti were still standing outside the hut waiting for the captain's instructions.
"Don't want to disturb you long, but I need answers and I need them quick. So don't give me any of your hocus-pocus. For your information, I don't believe in it anyway. You can't impress me."
Jack spoke very hastily, and he hoped to sound anywhere near credible. This hocus-pocus scared him.
Then a woman stood in the room. She had slightly matted black hair and her smile was a mystery. Not paying attention to Jack for a second, she promptly walked past him to Ragetti, Pintel and Rachel.
"I already know these two. One visit out of many was then. But that one is new." She stretched her finger in Rachel's direction.
"Tia Dalma, good to see you again …," Jack tried not to overwhelm the easily irritable woman.
He knew Tia Dalma was a recluse and did not like to interact with people often. Especially as Jack had helped to lock her into a human body for a second time with the Brethren Court.
Tia Dalma – or Calypso – was a goddess of the sea. The goddess of the sea. But bound to a human body, she was not quite so powerful. She could best be described as a witch or a voodoo priestess.
Jack had sworn then never to visit her again, because he knew how cruel Tia Dalma could be.
But if he wanted certainty, he had to talk to her, and most likely in private. He told Rachel, Ragetti and Pintel to wait outside and closed the door.
"Why are you doing this, Jack? Isn't what you want to talk about also a matter for the strange woman there in front of the hut?" Tia Dalma grinned wickedly and Jack could literally see sparks in her eyes.
Depending on her mood, they could pretty much reveal the witch's inner world. At the moment, they were beaming with amusement. Suddenly he regretted coming here. He decided to start with the most important thing.
"She wears your amulet. Or the amulet you once gave to Davy Jones."
Tia Dalma's grin became even more diabolical as she interrupted him.
"And that scares you, Jack. And that fear is all you should have left now. You helped bind me to this body again. Don't you think my revenge will be cruel? Do you think I'm going to talk to you about old days, tell you what you want so badly to know? I used to really like you, Jack. Things are different now. I don't hate you – not after you brought her here. Nor because I know I will outlast your pathetic life and, with her help, make every one of your remaining days a living hell. And believe me when I tell you there won't be many more of them."
Jack stared at his counterpart as if expecting to be hit by a curse. Then he pulled himself together and raised his hands protectively. "No! No curse."
"But you're still as funny as ever," laughed Tia Dalma, and at that moment his three companions came rushing through the door.
"Barbossa is coming. We'd better get out of here," Pintel hissed.
"No! You're not going anywhere!"
Tia Dalma seemed to grow, and a violent gust of wind whirled through the hut and slammed the door shut.
Jack pushed against it with all his might, but the door remained closed, not moving an inch.
He knew there was not much hope, but he gave his diplomatic streak a chance. "Calypso, I beg you to let us go. Barbossa has been following us for some time. I think we both – you and I – know what he's after. Do you want him to have it? This is Hector we're talking about, after all."
"Don't worry, Jack. He won't come in here. And anything spoken in this hut won't get out. He can try to eavesdrop on us. But it won't do him any good. And now …" She took a dagger and went towards Rachel, and at the same time Barbossa started to roar.
"Jack! I know you're in there! Don't hide with that witch! Don't let her touch your missy! Do you hear me? It'll release her!"