Asteria: Thank you. Norrington fans unite.
Chapter 20: More Trouble
-
James Norrington was silent after Jones and his men had left. He watched the cursed crew move around on the Flying Dutchman as it sailed away and he didn’t lower his spyglass until the decrepit ship had sunk beneath the sea.
“Sir?” Lieutenant Hall stared at him. Next to him, Reynolds, was still unblinking. “What are your orders?”
“As you were, gentlemen.” Norrington placed his spyglass back. He needed a drink to calm his nerves and was ready to return to his cabin. His cabin. River! Since she was able the sense the presence of Reynolds and his crew, she would have been able to sense Jones and his men. He had be there to comfort her, knowing she would have been frightened. “I will be in my cabin.”
“Commodore?” Reynolds followed after him. The fear was lost from his eyes and replaced by a look that Norrington wasn’t sure if it was confusion, or anger, or both.
“It would be best if you go back to your post Mr. Core.” James did not stop.
“I want some answers.”
“I’m certain Lieutenant Hall can fill you in.”
“No sir,” Reynolds grabbed him by the shoulder. “Now.”
Norrington spun around to face him. “It would be wise not to grab me in such a way.” He nodded towards some of the other soldiers who were staring at them.
“Are you having trouble sir?” Commander Hamiton approached them. James tried to ignore the way the commander was staring at the two of them. “I could have him sent to clean the lower decks if he is proving to be a problem.”
“That won’t be necessary,” James answered. “Mr. Core and I are having a discussion.”
“Really?” Hamiton raised one of his thin eyebrows. “That isn’t what it looks like.”
James glared at him. “He had his first encounter with Davy Jones. He is a bit shaken up.”
“Indeed.” Hamiton’s smug tone caused Norrington’s scowl to increase. “I will be below deck.”
“I am finished with the pretenses,” Reynolds dropped the accent as soon as Hamiton had left. “Now what the hell was that back there?”
There was no use trying to avoid the man. “Follow me.” He continued his way back to the cabin. “That was Davy Jones.”
“The guy with a squid for a face?” Reynolds asked. “That was real wasn’t it, not make up or a costume or anything like that?”
Norrington nodded. “I am sad to say it is all too real. He and his crew are cursed.”
“Cursed to resemble an all you can eat seafood buffet. How does that work?”
Norrington shrugged. “I do not know the precise details. All I know is that Jones began the curse when he removed his own still beating heart and buried it into a chest. He roams the sea and takes dying men aboard to be his crew for a century’s worth of work. Once you agree to serve under him the curse begins.”
“What does he exactly do?”
“From all that I could gather he makes deals. He gave Jack Sparrow his ship for a certain amount of time and went after Sparrow when the time was up. He sent his kraken after the Black Pearl and that is what killed Sparrow.”
“A legendary Scandinavian monster killed Jack Sparrow?”
“I have been told it was Scandinavian,” Norrington nodded and remembered the conversation between those two idiots on the long boat when he, Sparrow and Elizabeth went to Isle Cruces. “It resembles a giant squid.”
“He seems to know you and Beckett pretty well.”
“Jones works for Beckett and the Royal Navy,” Norrington explained. “He, his crew, the Kraken and the Navy have been hard at work ridding the Caribbean of pirates.”
Reynolds grabbed him by the shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me about this guy sooner? You put me and my crew at danger. My temporary ship could be destroyed. My first mate and Jayne is on that ship. My new crew is on that ship.”
“You do not have to fear him,” Norrington removed Reynolds’s hands from his shoulders. “As long as they do not fly pirate flag nor have been signaled out by Beckett they are safe.”
“And what will keep Beckett from signaling us out?”
“He is still in his office. Do not worry.” He paused by the door to his cabin; both Murtogg and Mullroy were guarding it. “Do not allow anyone besides the commanders, lieutenants and Mr. Eavesdown to enter.” He instructed before he turned to Reynolds. “Mr. Core you are to report back to Lieutenant Hall.”
Reynolds just stood there and glared for a full minute. His hands were forming into fists.
“I gave you an order.”
“Yes sir,” the man from the future regained his adopted accent before he turned around. The man was not a fool. If he had given into anger his disguise would have been useless
Norrington could understand how that man felt. If the situations were reversed and he found himself in the far future where Reynolds had been working with intergalactic monsters he would have wanted to know right away. He will explain himself much better later, but he had to check on River.
“Miss Tam?” He called out once the door to his cabin was closed. “Are you hiding under the desk?” He approached his desk and looked around. He could not see the frightened young woman. “Are you in the bed chamber?” He opened the door to the chamber. “Miss Tam?”
“They are the great old ones, but they did not come out of the sky. They came out of the sea.” River’s voice came out from under the bed.
“Miss Tam. I am sorry you felt their presence. I didn’t want you to see them, yet you already did in your dream.” He bent down. “And you probably don’t want me to see Reavers, but I saw them in a dream.”
“You see if you look into his face you will go insane. He should not be. He is broken far more broken than you and I. His data is all wrong.”
“Miss Tam please come out. Your brother will be here.” He paused when he heard a knock on the door. “Right now in fact.” He left the room and ran to the door. “May I ask who it is?” He was certain it was Dr. Tam, but he still had to ask.
“It is I sir,” Dr Tam said. “Mr. Eavesdown.”
“You may enter,” Norrington opened the door and quickly closed it once Dr. Tam had entered. “Your sister is terrified.”
“She knew what we saw,” Tam nodded. “Where is she?”
“In the bed chamber,” Norrington led the way. “She is under the bed and she won’t come out.”
The doctor kneeled beside the bed and removed both his hat and wig. It was something James should have done. “Mei mei you can come out. The monsters are gone.”
“They won’t lie down either. They should have, but they won’t.”
Norrington removed his wig. “River, please come out. I will not allow that beast to come near you.”
“None of us will,” Dr Tam didn’t look at James. “You have a lot of people here who care about you and love you. You know we won’t let anything happen.”
“You both take good care of me. No one took care of them. They were about to lie down when he showed up. They are dead. Those were the pearls that were his eyes, look.”
Dr Tam leaned his head to the side for a minute. “She is quoting Eliot.”
Norrington shook his head. “Those last words were from the Tempest.” He could understand why River was quoting that line. The transformations of Jones’s men were similar to the transformation that happened to the hero’s father.
“Actually it would be both,” Tam said. “Eliot’s poem did have a line from Shakespeare.” He faced James. “It’s a poem from the 20th century.”
“Ah,” that would explain why. “My future and your past.”
“This isn’t exactly helping her. River, what can we do to convince you to come out.”
“James must not listen to the bad voice,” River said. “Those who listen to the bad voice never lie down like they are supposed to.”
“Or become like the small man?” James asked. He knew she was referring to Beckett. “I promise to do the right thing. I will do anything to help your friends. Beckett will not have them and I will protect you.”
“And I will not let you disappear.” River said as she crawled out from under the bed.
“Disappear?” Tam blinked.
James shrugged. “She had a dream where she came across some text that said I disappeared. She is afraid it will come true. Maybe it’s because she dreamed of Davy Jones.”
“David Thomas Jones, born in Manchester in nineteen forty-five,” River said. “He was a Monkee and he cheered up Sleepy Jean.”
James just stared at her. Why would anyone name their child after that monster, even if it had been nearly two centuries and he was regulated to a mere legend?
“The Monkees were a musical group, created soulfully for a television show,” Dr Tam tried to explain. “Television was something pre cortex. Basically it’s a box with a glass screen and wires and electricity inside and that makes pictures appear on the screen.”
“You don’t have to explain your technology,” James held up a hand.
“Tell him about your dream,” River said. “Before you met me.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said. “I am sorry to peek.”
“No it’s quite all right,” James held up his hand. “I dreamed I was on an island and surrounded by Jones’s men. I turned around and see a young woman, I didn’t know who she was at the time, but I can see now that it was Miss Tam. She was being chased by a group of barbaric men with bleeding faces and two men in suits and blue gloves.”
“Two by two, hands of blue.” She shuddered.
“We have come across both before,” Simon said. “The barbarians were Reavers.”
“I came to that conclusion.” James closed his eyes. “I don’t have her gift and even if I did I had that dream before we even met.”
“It’s not a gift,” River said. “I don’t want it.”
“I really don’t have any explanation,” Simon said.
“The intended of the she who broke James should make it accurate. The old one should not be. He has no heart. It is illogical.”
Dr Tam stared at his sister. “What do you mean?”
“She called Jones and Elder God.”
The doctor nodded. “He does look like the monster from another 20th century author. He has no heart?”
“He had it cut out and buried.”
“He was a man once but he forgotten what it means to be a man, no emotion, no tears.” River said.
“This Davy Jones used to be human and removed his heart?” Dr Tam asked. “And he can still function? That is imposs-“ he paused and closed his head. “Of course it’s possible. Why not?”
“We should both get back to work,” James brushed his fingers across River’s shoulder. “You are going to be fine now, Miss Tam?”
“I know you will listen to the good voice,” she smiled.
“I have to go and play pretend some more,” her brother kissed her forehead. “If something happens you ask for me.”
“You do not have to talk down to her,” James could not understand why River’s crew treats her like a child. “She is a woman of eighteen years.”
“A traumatized woman who had some of her youth stolen from her,” Tam said. “She still has child like wants.”
“I want to grow up,” River said as she grabbed the hem of her gown and curtsied towards James. “I have a job. I keep her flying. I want to learn to play grown up games like cards and chess.”
“And you are skilled chess player,” James smiled.
“You are slowly growing up,” Tam said to his sister. “Don’t do it to fast.”
James nodded. “Mr. Eavesdown shall we be on our way?”
“Yes sir,” Tam said as he replaced his hat and wig.
-
“This way,” Jack Sparrow commanded his small group through the town. “We need to find supplies and some information.” He turned around to face his group. It consisted of Turner, Pintel, Ragetti and a handful of the pirates he had gathered in Singapore, Sri Lanka and Yemen. He sent Elizabeth along with Barbossa and sent Gibbs to trail after Anamaria.
“Why do we need to split up?” Turner asked as they entered a bar. “And you shouldn’t be bringing me to place like this. If you remember the last time.”
“We cover more ground this way,” Jack explained. “And trust me I remember last time.” He pointed to the fading bruise under his eye. “You are a bit of a light weight and a mean drunk.”
“Then why did you bring me here?”
“I clearly need a good fighter such as yourself to watch my back.” He turned to Pintel and Ragetti and handed them a list. “I need you to find these things.” He nearly handed the scrap of paper to Ragetti, thought better of it and gave it to Pintel. “You take it.”
“Good idea,” Pintel nodded at him.
“You two.” Jack pointed at two of the Yemen pirates “Go with them.” He handed another list of supplies and gave it to the remaining pirates. “You take this list. We will meet back here in an hour.”
The pirates nodded before they left.
“Right that will leave us to gather the information we need.”
“What about the other ships we are to meet up with?” Turner asked.
“That is why we are here,” Jack explained before he sat down at the bar and waved over the bar tender. “I’ll take a pint,” he turned towards Turner. “And it best to be giving him a coffee.”
“Right,” the barkeep said before he walked off.
“I believe you have some words you want to say.”
“Why did you ask me to come with you,” Turner asked as he sat down. “I struck you.”
“Because now I know ye got that bit of aggression out of yer system. I also know that you and Lizzie had a nice little heart to heart and you are kissy kissy again, savvy?”
“We did make up,” Turner nodded.
“The coffee will be ready in a few more minutes,” the bar tender said as he slammed a mug down in front of Jack.
“Thanks mate,” Jack said before he took a sip. The beer was a little less malty tasting than what he was used too. “I know you are not sorry about hitting me and not sorry about not seriously wanting to rescue me.”
“If you let me stab the heart we wouldn’t be in this mess. Killing Jones may have also freed the Kraken from Jones’s control and would have left you alone.”
“Then again if you had successfully stabbed the heart I may still have died and the only difference is that I would be in here with Norrington and not you.” He took another sip of beer.
“And Elizabeth said I was the selfish one.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “She said that because she doesn’t expect you to be selfish, me she does.”
“And here is the coffee,” the barkeep handed Turner the steaming cup. “Will that be all?”
“No,” Turner said. “We came here for some information.”
The barkeep squinted at him. “And what would the information ye be seeking?”
“I want to know the whereabouts of the following four captains,” Jack said. “Raiden, Hart, Wolf, and Ram.”
“I’ve seen them. They usually hang around here. Were told to be waiting for a Captain Jack Sparrow.”
“Tell them they no longer have to wait.”
“Where are they?” Turner asked.
“They are no longer here. They went down to the docks when they heard you were in town.”
Jack shrugged. They must have missed each other on the way. “They probably are waiting for us.” He said. They needed supplies and he needed a drink.
“There are other people looking for you,” The barkeep said in a cautioning voice.
“Who?” Jack raised his eyebrows. He thought of Norrington and the navy.
“A strange crew, most of them seemed normal but were lead by two strange folk, a man and a woman.”
Jack glanced over towards Turner. Will seemed as confused as he was.
“They dressed strangely, the woman wore pants, but they were not a man’s pants, fit her form better than the pants of a man. The man looked strong, had a bit of a beard and a mean look to him.”
“Were any of them wearing a brown coat?” Turner asked. Ah yes, the mysterious brown coat that Lizzie had dreamed Jack had said to her.
“She was wearing a brown jacket. I told them you were not here, but they also heard the news you had arrived and went down to the docks.
“It seems everyone is looking for us.” Jack said before he took a long drink from his mug. “Best we don’t delay them then.”
“But you told the others to meet back in an hour.”
Jack nodded. “I did, didn’t I?”
-
Jack and will had finished their drinks, paid the barkeep and met up with their small group before they made their way to the docks.
“Hopefully these captains we need to meet haven’t decided to go back,” Jack chuckled as they neared the place where they were to meet up with Barbossa and Anamaria. “Don’t want to be running around trying to find each other.”
“We may also come across the Brown Coat,” Turner said, his eyes were on Pintel and Ragetti.
“We’ll figure out why Jack said it,” Pintel said.
“I did not say anything,” Jack said. “It was the I in a dream that said it.”
Anamaria’s group was waiting for them. Their arms were filled with as many supplies as Jack’s group were.
“What did ye find out about our new friends?” Gibbs asked.
“At the docks, waiting.” Jack replied.
“Where is Elizabeth?” Will asked.
Jack rolled his eyes. The boy’s one-track mind would never let him down. “She is with Barbossa.”
“And where is he.”
“They are still on their way, may be she stalled him and asked for a new dress for herself, or maybe a new dress for you.”
“Or new dress for me?” Ragetti asked.
Jack shrugged. “She might have done that.”
“Someone is coming,” Anamaria pointed towards the direction Barbossa and Elisabeth had taken. They heard the sounds of twigs snapping and a man groaning.
Barbossa approached them, half limping and leaning on the other two pirates for support. His leg was bandaged and he had cuts and bruises on his face. The other two pirates had similar injuries.
“Barbossa,” Jack ran up to him. “What happened to you? Where are the rest of your men?”
“Dead,” Barbossa said weakly.
“No,” Turner shook his head. “Not Elizabeth.”
“Still alive,” the battered pirate said.
“Where is she?”
“They took her.”
“Who took her?” Jack asked.
Barbossa stared up into his eyes. “Sao Feng”