POTC Book 3: Together At Last

Chapter 5: We Meet Again

We are gathered around some maps figuring out what to do now.

"There's a freshwater spring on this island.  We can resupply there, and get back to shooting each other later." Will looked at the two captains.

"You can lead the shore party, and I'll stay with my ship." Jack said to Barbossa.

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command." Barbossa shot back.

"Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command..." they both look at him, "Temporarily."

They agree to that and Barbossa takes out his spyglass to look at the island, Jack comes over with a telescope that's so long he can't even hold it straight, I rolled my eyes.

He is so childish sometimes!

We go ashore and see the dead Kraken washed up on the beach.

"Crimety!" Pintel exclaims.

"Hods bodkins!" Ragetti says.

Pintel picks up a stick and starts to poke it.

"Careful, careful!" Ragetti cautions.

"You stupid fish!" Pintel spits.

"Actually, it's a cephalopod." Ragetti corrects.

They start talking about making money showing to people.

Oh brother!

I turn to listen to a more adult conversation.

"Still thinking of runnin', Jack?  Think you can outrun the world?  You know, the problem with being the last of anything, is by and by, there be none left at all." Barbossa pointed out.

"Sometimes, things come back, mate.  We're living proof, you and me." Jack also made a good point.

"Aye, but that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it?  There's never a guarantee of coming back, but passing on, that's dead certain." Barbossa said solemnly.

"Summoning the Brethren Court, then, is it?" Jack relented.

"It's our only hope, lad." Barbossa said.

"That's a sad commentary in and of itself." Jack commented.

"The world used to be a bigger place." Barbossa sighed.

"The world's still the same.  There's just less in it." Jack corrected.

We hike through the jungle and come to a spring with a dead body in it, Barbossa stuck his finger in and tasted the water then spat it out, "Poisoned. Fouled by the body."

Pintel turns the body over, "Hey, I know him! He was in Singapore!"

"Singapore!" Cotton's parrot repeated.

"Captain!" Marty said, pointing behind us.

Ragetti was back there pointing at the ship the was approaching, "Oi, we've got company!"

Tai Huang and his men turn their weapons on Jack, he points to Barbossa, "He's the captain."

Barbossa rolls his eyes and we are taken back to the Pearl, where we have our hands tied and he confronts Sao Feng, "Sao Feng, you showing up here, 'tis truly a remarkable coincidence."

Sao Feng ignored him and looked at Jack, "Jack Sparrow, you paid me great insult once."

"That doesn't sound like me." Jack said and Sao Feng punched him in the nose, "Shall we just call it square, then?"

Will walked up to us and pointed at Elizabeth, "Release her.  She's not part of the bargain."

"And what bargain be that?" Barbossa squinted.

"You heard Captain Turner.  Release her." Sao Feng ordered.

"Captain Turner?" Jack repeated.

"Aye, the profidious rotter led a mutiny against us." Gibbs snorted.

"I need the Pearl to free my father.  That's the only reason I came on this voyage." Will announced.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?" Elizabeth went up to him.

"It was my burden to bear." Will replied.

"He needs the Pearl!  Captain Turner needs the Pearl!" he looked at me, "And you felt guilty." he looked at Barbossa, "And you and your Brethren Court!" he looked a Elizabeth, "And I bet you just came to be with the traitor!  Did no one come to save me just because they missed me?" 

Marty, Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton, and Jack the monkey slowly raise their hands and Jack says, "I'm standing over there with them."

"I'm sorry, Jack, but there's an old friend who wants to see you first." Sao Feng said.

"I'm not certain I can survive any more visits from old friends." Jack flinched.

"Here's your chance to find out." Sao Feng motioned to another ship.

Jack was taken over to the other ship, it turned out to be Lord Beckett's, then a man whose name was Mercer came over and told Sao Feng that the East India Trading Co. were going to crew the ship.

"My men are crew enough." Sao Feng sounded angry.

"Company ship, company crew." Mercer replied.

"You agreed, the Black Pearl was to be mine." Will glared at Sao Feng.

"And so it was." Sao Feng nodded and one of his crewmen punched Will and dragged him away.

Sao Feng looked back at Mercer, "Beckett agreed the Black Pearl was to be mine."

"Lord Beckett's not going to give up the only ship that can outrun the Dutchman, now is he?" Mercer walked away.

"It's a shame they're not bound to honor the Code of the Brethren, ain't it?  Because honor's a hard thing to come by nowadays." Barbossa commented.

"There's no honor in remaining with the losing side.  Leaving it for the winning side, that's just good business." Sao Feng started to walk away..

Barbossa stopped him, "The losing side, you say?"

"They have the Dutchman, now the Pearl.  And what do the Brethren have?" Sao Feng asked.

"We have Calypso." Barbossa informed him.

"Hmph, Calypso!  An old legend." Sao Feng snorted.

"No, the goddess herself, bound in human form.  I intend to release her, but for that I need the Court, all the Court." Barbossa grabbed Sao Feng's necklace.

"What are you proposing, Captain?" Sao Feng asked.

"What be accepted, Captain?" Barbossa smiled.

"The girl." Sao Feng pointed at me.

"Pardon?" my mouth hung open.

Barbossa shook his head, "She's not Calypso."

Sao Feng's eyes shifted to Elizabeth, "Her."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Elizabeth is not part of any bargain!" Will sounded angry.

"Out of the question." Barbossa said.

"It was not a question." Sao Feng replied.

"Done." Elizabeth said.

"What?  Not done!" Will looked surprised.

"You got us into this mess!  If this is what frees us, then done!" Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

"Elizabeth!  They're pirates!" Will pointed out.

"I've had more than enough experience dealing with pirates!" she shoved Will.

Barbossa turned to Sao Feng, "So we have an accord?"

Sao Feng agreed and took Elizabeth over to his ship, then their was the sound of a firing cannon and Jack swung across from Beckett's ship, landing on the stern.

He smiled, "And that was without a single drop of rum."

Barbossa looked disgusted and walked away, Jack hopped down and looked at Will, "Send this pestilent traitorous cowhearted yeasty codpiece to the brig."