The Map

Aftermath

The Black Pearl

June 7th 1692

The loud rumbling was enough to have very man on the Pearl  lift his head.

"Hold on!" Someone shouted as the whole boat tilted to one side. A scream came from above as Oliver fell from the crows nest into the sea.

"Compensate!" Jack screamed and ran with his hands flaying towards the opposite side. "Compensate, for God's sake!" The ship righted itself and Jack looked out over the still churning water.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Dwent came crashing over to Jack for orders.

"Earthquake, watch the sea! Watch the sea..." Jack leant over the side and watched the sea carefully.

 "Raise the anchor, man the sweeps and pull against the tide as soon as she's a'trip!" he yelled, as suddenly the water began to move in one direction like a channel. The ship was being pulled in the direction of the suction. Jack watched as his men scurried to their tasks; he looked up at the masts.

 "Tie the sails fast; I'll not give this bugger any hold!" he ordered and raced towards the capstan joining the men as they pushed with all their might to raise the anchor.

"She's a'trip!" came a shout and the sweeps moved with earnest against the pull.

It seemed like hours that the men pulled against the direction of the tide and Jack could see that they were still being pulled inexorably closer to land. But eventually they won the fight and the ship began to slow in its movement towards the rocks that lined the Cay.

"Make fast and hold on tight!" Jack bellowed knowing that a lot of water would soon be returning on the tide. Sure enough the waves crested against them and pushed them towards the Cay's beach. They were billeted and buffered about on the waves like a piece of driftwood on the tide. The sweeps were useless now and were retracted into the ship as everyone waited for the water to calm again. But at least Jack knew that the worst now would be for them to wash too far onto the shore.

"We make for Port Royal at all speed!" he ordered when the water was calm enough to navigate in. He watched as his men hurried to obey, although he knew they were surprised by his words; he made his way to the wheel where Dwent was standing.

"That quake was in Port Royal," Jack muttered as he took the wheel from Dwent. "I want a party ready for the long boats."

Dwent knew he was right; the pull of the direction of the tidal waves had told them in what general direction the quake was. With a worried frown he turned to go down the steps to the deck below; he turned and looked back up at Jack.

"Might have been further out," he shrugged.

"Aye, but that water was headed in one direction only."

Nell came too with a groan; she was soaking wet and freezing cold. She opened her eyes, uncertainty filled her as she lay looking up at the blue sky above her; her mind was hazy and at first she was disorientated. But then, memory reasserted itself and she sat up with a gasp; looking around her she could see where the others were beginning to recover too. She sighed with relief as she realised that they had made it; they had survived. A low groaning brought her attention to Elizabeth who was clutching her stomach with obvious pain now.

"Elizabeth?" Will crouched beside her, his hand on her back. "Elizabeth?"

"I think the baby is coming!" she hissed and arched her back as a wave of pain seized her.

"NO!" Norrington moved forwards from where he was slumped next to Bryant by the outer wall. "No, you can't have the baby here! You must be mistaken."