Chapter 11: Into the Vortex
-
Elizabeth knew she shouldn’t have taken the bottle. It was something she didn’t need, couldn’t afford to have her mind to be numbed by the bottle’s contents, but she didn’t care. She wanted to taste the hard liquid, feel it burn the back of her throat and warm up her insides as it traveled down. She had finished her work at securing the rigging for the Luna Ghost and decided to sit with her back against the captain’s cabin. She could afford to drink, especially since they were less than an hour away from their primary goal.
“Elizabeth.” The sound of her fiancé’s voice made her sit up and tried to hide the offending bottle. “Is there something wrong? You seem to be down.”
“Oh my sweet William,” She pushed the bottle deeper down her jacket and smiled at him. She had only a few sips of the rum, not enough to impede her thoughts just yet. “I am just worried about if this would work or not.”
His smile widened. “Is that all?” He paused when she frowned. “I’m sorry you are still worried, but I thought you might be ill or something else.”
“I am perfectly healthy.” She sat up. “Are you not the least bit concerned if this will work or not. Do you not worry that we will not be able to rescue Jack at all, or we might just find his body with no life inside, do you not worry about Davy Jones, or my father or how we will confront Beckett when we return to Port Royal?”
“I thought this was just about rescuing Jack,” Will sat himself beside her. “I do worry about how we are going to defeat Jones, or rescue my father or the state of your father, or Beckett.”
“He’s probably sick with worry,” Elizabeth had been thinking of her father more recently, nearly every day since they started their expedition. “He has to put up with that man’s desires.” She wiped the few tears that formed and had begun to roll down her cheeks. “I have seen that man before in England. He wanted to be the governor of Port Royal but lost.”
“We will worry about Beckett later,” Will said. “We need to focus on getting Jack and finding Jones’s heart.”
“We don’t even have the letters anymore. Jack had them with him.”
“Jack has the letters and we are about to get him back.” Will smiled. “There is not much to worry about. We raised the Pearl didn’t we?”
“Incomplete. We brought her back incomplete.”
“Because she needs Jack. You need to have more faith. Try to smile, for me.”
“I do have faith.”
“Then what is this?” He pulled the rum out from where she had it hidden. “I can’t believe you would think of touching this foul liquid.”
She raised an eyebrow. “It is okay for someone like James Norrington, but not me?”
He didn’t reply. Instead he tilted the bottle back himself and took a sip. “Ugh,” he closed his eyes and shuddered. “It is worse than I thought. How do they drink it?”
“William Turner, are you telling me you have never tried rum before?” She had never seen him try the stuff; the only alcohol she had seen him try was ale and a little wine. He participated in sampling various wines along with her father to determine what would be best for their wedding. Nobody told Will he was supposed to spit it out after he tasted it.
He took another sip of the rum and had the same reaction as before. “Never,” he coughed.
“Ye two better not be getting drunk,” Gibbs walked up to them. “Can’t have you both loose and out of control, now can we?” He winked.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “We are not thinking of loosing our inhibitions before we are rightfully wed.”
“I am just joshing with ye.” Gibbs kneeled down and took the bottle. “Best not to take any chances.” He stood up and faced the bow. “We have many a news from Marty in the crows nest. He had been noting several local ships, one with red sails seems to be appearing more often,” he frowned briefly. “We are also approaching the vortex, if ye haven’t wept into the bottle of tears by now then ye best be thinking about it.”
“We have both shed tears into the bottle,” Elizabeth stood up.
“How close are we?” Will asked before he joined her.
“See for yourselves,” Gibbs handed Will his spyglass. “You can see the spinning water not far from here.”
-
James Norrington cautiously entered his cabin. He did not want to surprise River, or do anything that might upset her, not after what she had told him and knew what had been done to her, despite the lingering question of how they were able to cut into her skull and strip the precise area of her brain.
He had no idea of how long he held onto her and her allowed her to cry onto him. He had wished he could do more to comfort her. More than just brush his hand against her back and repeat how sorry he felt for what was done and apologized for even upsetting her in the first place.
“You are filled with worry,” River’s voice came from the direction of his desk. “You worry about a haunted ship, about the small man. You worry about she who broke you and now you worry about me. I do not need to be in your thoughts. Do not worry about me.”
“I just want you to be comfortable.” Norrington said as he removed his hat and set it on the wooden dummy head. After staring in the mirror for a few seconds he removed his wig. River didn’t like it for some reason. She said it hid the green. He had no idea what it meant; his hair wasn’t green, unless she meant his eyes.
“I am comfortable. I would be more comfortable if you listen to the good voice instead of the bad one. The bad one is made out of pride and greed and is fighting your good voice. You fear the walking fish of the haunted ship, but there are more ghosts haunting you, your memories. I’m sorry if I see them.”
“You see them because you can’t help it.” He slowly walked to his desk. “Where are you?”
“I’m where it’s safe.”
“My whole cabin is safe. I will protect you, and you can protect me. Make sure I won’t disappear.”
“I won’t let you disappear.” She crawled out from under his desk, pausing to see he had removed his hat and his wig. “I can see the green. This is more you.”
“You mean my eyes?” He smiled. “As commodore I have to dress this way. I have earned this rank.”
“The first time you earned, not the second time.”
She meant how he traded in Jones’s heart in order to get the charges dropped and gave him back his old life. “I did earn this.”
“By being someone you are not. You were something you hate.” She grabbed onto his sleeve and pulled back, exposing the scars and his brand. “This is where those like the small man hurt you.” She tried to touch the lettering. “And where you hurt your self.” Her fingers found the scars.
“It was a painful past.” He pulled his arm back. “But that is where it is.” He noticed the way she was staring at him. “And you want me to tell you.”
“I rather hear it from your mouth because it means you want to share,” she smiled. “I only peeked by accident. I was waiting for Christmas.”
“Christmas?” It only took him a second before he figured out what she meant. “A metaphor, of course.” He motioned to the sofa. “It might be best if we both sit down.” He waited until she sat down first before he joined her. “Where would you like me to start?”
“You always start at the beginning.”
He smiled briefly. “Of course. I was born Suffolk, England as the son of a carpenter. My father’s skills of carpentry were primary for making furniture. Both he and my mother made the upholstery on chairs and sofas and managed the shop where they sold them. My parents made and sold basic designs for commoners and made special custom designs for the wealthy. Not long after I turned fourteen my father received an invite to sail to the Georgia colony. My father enjoyed the new world and decided to move his family there and move his business.”
“This is where the first hurt happened,” River said.
James nodded. “My mother was so excited about the move. My father made sure there was enough money to pay both my mother’s and my way and to have the remaining furniture shipped.” He inhaled deeply. He remembered the way his mother kept smiling as they climbed aboard the ship and the dresses she selected to travel in and how he kept bothering the sailors, asking questions about the ship, all the parts and what they did. “We were nearing Georgia’s coast when we were attacked by pirates. No one escaped. They killed nearly everyone. My mother pleaded for them to spare my life. They did and took hers instead.” He closed his eyes when he felt the burning sensation of the tears form at thought of his mother crying. They slit her throat right in front of him. “I wanted to kill them after and” he paused again. He tried to keep from crying. “They threw me in the brig.” He opened his eyes when he felt River’s hands grab his.
“It means you feel, makes you human,” she said. “Tears are natural.”
“Yes they are.” He rubbed the corners of his eyes. “They kept me in the brig for a few weeks before they forced me into labor. When I swept and mopped they would throw rotten fruit at me. You already know what No Nose Paul did.” He waited for her to nod. “For the following four years I served under them. I cleaned, I worked the rigging and the sails I was taught how to use the cannons and I learned all that I ever wanted to know about ships and sailing. I also hardened, and was slowly becoming more and more like them. I was a pirate.”
“Your love for you mother would never let you be like them.”
“She was always on my mind and was the reason why I knew I couldn’t take the life of an innocent.” He paused before he continued the story. “One day we were attacked and captured by the Royal navy, only seven members of the crew escaped, including Pauly. We were all given brands and threw into prison. I told the captain of the ship that captured us and the judge of how I was forced to join them. They told me I wouldn’t hang if I agreed to join the navy.”
“You joined because you wanted to. You did not give in by force.”
“The idea of joining the navy was intriguing and even if death wasn’t the alternative I would have still joined. I climbed the ranks rather quickly.” He stared down at his wrist. “After becoming a lieutenant I tried to remove my brand. After The Dauntless made port at Port Royal I was promoted to commander. I have visited my father several times before he died from diphtheria a few years ago.” He closed his again at the mention of his father and remembered how relieved he was to discover his son was still alive and a member of the Royal Navy. He leaned back. “I don’t think I have ever told that story to anyone, besides my father, not even to Elizabeth.”
“Did anyone ask?”
He smiled weakly. “No they didn’t.”
-
China Sea
The time the others had been expecting was getting close. Captain Hector Barbossa knew that as he knew the different kinds of waves that nuzzled underneath the Luna Ghost, and the kinds of winds that are needed to create them.
“Captain Barbossa,” Anamaria said from behind him. “The anchor has been dropped sir.” She no longer had an annoyed look on her face or the tone of someone who should be the captain. She was genuinely concerned.
“Is the longboat ready?” Barbossa asked as he strokes his tangled beard.
“It is ready for you and those who are going with you.”
“That be the least of my troubles.” He fished out his spyglass from his pockets and stared out at the spinning waters of the whirlpool. The whirlpool did not seem to generate a gravitational force strong enough to pull the Luna Ghost. In fact it didn’t seem to be pulling anything at all. Barbossa and Anamaria did not want to take any chances.
“And there are others?” Anamaria asked.
Barbossa nodded. “Do you not feel it? It’s in the wind, there is something a bit unsettling in the wind and it’s shifting the sea.”
“Davy Jones?” Anamaria suggested.
Barbossa nodded as he made his way to. “There be that. I also have a feeling we are being followed.”
“I know I’m that last person to suggest that ye are just being paranoid,” Gibbs said. The man was tying the end of a coiled up pile of rope to the Ghost. “But ye are the only one who feels it.”
“I am the only one who has been taken out to the black and returned.” He padded insides of his coat where he kept the finger of the figurehead and the bottle of fine rum. “Ye have the tears?”
“Aye.” Gibbs nodded.
“Ye’ll be coming with me in the long boat as will the lass here,” he nodded towards Anamaria.
“So will I,” Elizabeth was at the railing, ready to climb down towards the boat.
“Not today, Miss Swann.” He waved his finger when she glared at him. “This best place for you will be on this ship where ye will be in charge in me stead.” He could see Anamaria open her mouth in protest out of the corner of his eye, but she did not say anything. Turner will accompany us.”
“Why me?” Will asked.
“Don’t be asking why.” Barbossa pointed towards the longboat. “Climb aboard now.”
He waited until the others had begun to scale down the side of the ship before he joined them. Both Anamaria and Turner had used the rope connecting the longboat to the ship to climb, but he had Gibbs climbed down the sides of the ship instead. He was half way down when he felt the familiar lightweight of an old friend jump onto his shoulders.
“So ye like to join us, do ye Jack?” Barbossa asked the monkey and received the confirmation sound of a monkey screech.
Both Turner and Gibbs rowed while Anamaria kept the rope slack and made sure the knot did not come undone. Barbossa sat near the front. His eyes were on the approaching whirlpool.
“We are getting too close,” Anamaria said as they were nearing the edge. “We are going to be pulled in.”
“No we are not,” Barbossa told her. “This isn’t a mere whirlpool. This is the vortex to the locker.”
“And shouldn’t we be more afraid of it?”
“Yes and no,” Barbossa grabbed onto the end of the second long amount of rope the brought. “It does not pull you in. You can sail to the very edge and not being pulled in unless ye want to.” He wound the end of the rope around his middle and tied a knot to secure it. “Best not to be taking any chances though.” He pointed to the other rope. “Which is why I have us tied to the Ghost. Mr. Gibbs, the tears.”
“Here ye go,” Gibbs handed him the nearly empty wine bottle. There was not a single drop of the burgundy liquid Barbossa had favored. The only liquid inside was clear like water.
“Jack Sparrow,” Barbossa shouted towards the whirlpool once he had received the bottle. “We call to you because we need you and we care. We release you from Jones’s locker by showing you that we care. May the sacrifice of the concerned break away the barrier and let the locker know there are those who miss ye.” Barbossa threw the bottle into the vortex.
The bottle spun around in wide arcs several times before it disappeared beneath the blue. All was quite for a few seconds before the vortex stopped moving for a few seconds and a ring of light flew up from the center.
“I know ye want ta kill me now for this.” Barbossa lifted up the finger. “I had to bring ye a piece of The Pearl. I know ye love her and I loves her and she was yers first. We have to get ye back somehow and we tried to bring her back. Maybe when ye see this ye know she is hurting right now for ye.” He threw the finger into the vortex. “I also have yer rum. I replaced the one that I drank and wasted. I know ye missed this taste as well.” The bottle of rum joined the finger and tears. The same ring of light shot up at first. “Now there is only one thing left fer me to do.”
“What is that?” Will asked.
Barbossa handed the other end of the rope to Gibbs. “Mr. Gibbs I suggest he tie on that rope around ye, fasten it tight.”
“You’re mad,” Anamaria gasped. Leave it to a woman to figure it out. “You won’t be able to survive.”
“I may not survive a whirlpool, but I will be able to survive this.” He touched the rope. “As long as Mr. Gibbs makes sure it’s nice and tight.”
“I’m making sure there is double knots,” Gibbs said as he fastened the second knot around himself. “Might have a bit of trouble breathing for a bit.”
“Don’t have to be that extreme,” Barbossa smiled at him before he turned to the others. “I want ye to help him and hold on tight. Whatever you do, do not let go of the rope.”
“We will hold on with our very lives,” Anamaria assured.
Barbossa gave his pet a small pat on the head. “If ye are coming with me, Jack then ye best hang on. Pull me back after I give the rope three tugs.” He checked the rope that held onto him. “Ye better be there Sparrow. I hate to be waiting.” He closed his eyes before he dove headfirst into the vortex.
-
Barbossa did not remember being carried around by the pull of the whirlpool and barely felt the water. He did remember dropping, sinking beneath the surface and ending up somewhere dry. Where he was didn’t feel like water, nor did he feel like he was soaking. He opened his eyes.
Darkness surrounded him. He could see nothing in front of him or at his sides. He couldn’t feel anything either, not even little Jack and when he tried to breath he could draw in air, not that he needed any.
Where was Jack Sparrow? He spun around, repeatedly. He could not see anything or any sign of Jack. Did the spell work? He stared up; his eyes followed the rope and could see a circle of illuminate blue far above him. That still didn’t tell him where Jack was. He continued swimming around the darkness until he could find something.
He did find something after a few minutes. A glowing reddish orange sphere. It was almost like the sun. He watched as the sphere expanded and retracted, several times. It did not stop until a small piece was fired from it.
The same piece floated up from the sphere. As it neared Barbossa it seemed to form a resemblance to a figure, lying on their back and covered in fire. The burning figure was only a few feet away from Barbossa when the flames faded out, revealing a man with tan skin and dark hair woven into braids with several beads. There were more beads in the two braids from his beard. He was dressed in a off white dirty shirt, dark breeches, dark waistcoat and dark leather boots. A crimson headband was wrapped around his forehead and familiar tri-corner hat was nestled on his head.
Barbossa tried to call out Jack’s name but silence came out of his mouth. He swam closer to Sparrow and reached out to grab his hand. That was when he noticed that Sparrow was wearing the same ring he gave to Tia Dalma for payment in bringing him back.
That was also the exact moment the monkey leaped from his shoulder and landed on Jack Sparrow.
Sparrow opened his black lined lines and stared at the monkey in a look that was a mix of bewilderment and disgust. He slowly moved his eyes to Barbossa and widened at the sight of his former enemy. His mouth parted. He spun around and began to swim in the opposite direction.
What was that man thinking? Barbossa forced himself to move faster. His arms milled as he tried to catch up to Sparrow. He had to grab him and pull on the rope, and then it will be over.
Jack finally paused and reached out for something. He did not try to get rid of little Jack who continued to cling to him.
Now was his chance. Barbossa grabbed Jack by the belt and pulled him closer so he could have a firm hold of his arm. He could also see what Jack had grabbed onto. It was the bottle of Néctar Oscuro. Jack smiled sheepishly.
Barbossa rolled his eyes. This was Jack Sparrow without a doubt. He used his other arm to tug on the rope three times.
_
“I don’t remember what happened after I was swallowed,” Jack Sparrow said after he climbed aboard the longboat. “I remember chargin’ in, trying to cut open the beastie from within. Kill it before it kills me. Then I see you.” He nodded to Barbossa who was as drenched as was. When they were pulled through the vortex entrance they had come in contact with actual water. “I figured I was in hell. Then I see this.” He held up his bottle of Néctar Oscuro. Frankly left me without knowing what was what till we were pulled out of there.”
“Jack,” Gibbs was one of the smiling faces who helped both Jack and Barbossa into the boat. “When I saw the Pearl being dragged under I had thought ye were gone for good.”
“I can see ye forgot the code again,” Jack tried to look disappointed, but there were no words to describe the gratitude he felt towards his crew. “Or ye remembered them as guidelines.”
“Jack Sparrow,” Anamaria’s smile faded as she reached out for him.
“Ana love,” Jack held up a hand to keep her from slapping him. “I know ye missed me, but can we perform the formalities later.”
“I’m not going to hit you.” Anamaria grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to her. Her lips met his and while she closed her eyes he widened his and sought out the rest on the longboat.
“I don’t know if I deserve that,” Jack said once the kiss ended.
“Would be nice if we had a warning,” Barbossa looked at her. “Ye were rocking the boat.”
“We need to get back to the Ghost,” Will said as he grabbed one of the oars. “Jack is alive.”
“Ah, William Turner with his one track mind as always,” Jack said. “My most likely skills of deduction have me to believe that your little bonny fiancé is waiting for you on that ship, hmm? And she probably asked you to participate in this little task. Now am I wrong in my guessing?”
“You are wrong,” Will glared at him. “I wanted to rescue you so we can get the heart of Davy Jones.”
“Is that why ye were out here?” Jack blinked and raised his eyebrows. “And what of Gibbs and Anamaria. I know ye wanted ole Jack.”
“There is that,” Gibbs nodded. “And we do need to get the heart of Jones away from whoever has it.”
“I know ye are being paid.” He pointed at Barbossa.
His former enemy shook his head. “I need ye because the Pearl needs ye and if I want to make an honest living as a humble pirate I need to make sure Jones has been defeated.”
Jack rolled his eyes up as he tried to process everything. “I never been this wrong before, have I now?” He stared at the four of them. “Didn’t any of ye want to rescue me because you just missed me?”
The only one who raised his hand was the damned monkey.
Jack shrugged. “As for the heart I thought young William here had it.”
“I thought it was with you,” Will said. “And Jones got it back after you were killed.”
“Well that just leaves only one suspect left,” Jack couldn’t keep from smiling at the thought of who had taken it. “The only other man who fought us for the heart.”
“The Commodore?” Gibbs asked.
“That bastard had it in him,” Jack smiled proudly. He was upset at the fact that Norrington had the heart and not himself, but he couldn’t help but to feel amused that Norrington did a very pirate like task. “He became a pirate after all.”
“And you think this is amusing,” Ana snapped. “None of you have noticed we have company.” She pointed to the Luna Ghost. Another ship was by its side. It was one of the local ships that had red sails that resembled fans.
“That ship looks almost familiar,” Jack tried to remember where he had seen that ship last. He couldn’t put a finger on it.
“Best we see what is going on,” Barbossa said.
The five of them rowed the longboat to the side of the Ghost and climbed the side of the ship.
“By the way does Tia know ye stole the payment I gave her,” Barbossa said as the neared the upper deck.
“Does she know you took the payment that I gave her?” Jack asked, his eyes were on the monkey.
“You two can discuss this later,” Will said as he reached the side of the railing and froze.
Jack furrowed his brow at the sight of Turner at the others pausing when they reached the railing of the upper deck. He had to climb faster to see what was going on.
The rest of the crew was as motionless as Turner. Their hands were raised while another group of pirates pointed their swords at them.
“Oh bugga.”