POTC Book 3: Together At Last

Chapter 7: The Brethren Court

We are sailing into Shipwreck Cove and there are pirate ships everywhere.

"Look at them all!" Pintel exclaimed.

"There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime." Barbossa commented.

"And I owe them all money." Jack looked uncomfortable.

We entered the main room where there was a long table and all the pirate lords were seated around it, except for Barbossa who was standing at the head of the table and Jack, who was standing behind him.

"As he who issued summons, I convene this, the fourth Brethren Court.  To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of eight, my fellow cap'ns." Barbossa said loudly.

Ragetti goes around the table with a wooden bowl collecting the pieces of eight, which weren't actual coins.

What?

"Those aren't pieces of eight, they're just pieces of junk." Pintel pointed out.

"Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight to bind Calypso, but when the first court met, the brethren were to a one, skint broke." Gibbs explained.

"So change the name." Pintel said.

"To what?  'Nine Pieces of Whatever We Happened to Have in Our Pockets at the Time'?  Oh yes, that sounds very piratey." Gibbs rolled his eyes.

Barbossa held out his hand, "Mr. Ragetti, if you will."

"I kept it safe for you, just like you said when you gave it to me." Ragetti smiled.

"Aye, ya have, but now I need it back." Barbossa nodded and wacked him on the back of his head so the wooden eye would come out into the bowl.

The eye is Barbossa's piece of eight!

"Sparrow!" another pirate lord called.

Jack fingered an actual piece of eight that hung from his hair and came forward, "Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord, and I'm content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"Sao Feng is dead.  He fell to the Flying Dutchman." we turn to see Elizabeth standing there.

"And made you captain?  They're just giving the bloody title away now." Jack threw up his hands.

"Listen.  Our location has been betrayed.  Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett, they're on their way here." Elizabeth informed us.

"Who is this betrayer?" a black lord stood up.

"Not likely anyone among us." Barbossa said.

Elizabeth looked around, "Where's Will?"

"Not among us." Jack replied.

"And it matters not how they found us.  The question is, what will we do now that they have?" Barbossa held up his hands.

"We fight!" Elizabeth stated.

A female asian pirate stood up, "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress, a well supplied fortress.  There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us."

"There be a third course.  In another age, at this very spot, the first court captured the sea goddess, and bound her in her bones." he paused, looking around, "That was a mistake.  Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett and his ilk.  Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldridge creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone.  Y'all know this to be true.  Gentlemen, ladies.  We must free Calypso."