Emerald Seas II

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.