Norrington's Darling

Agony

POV: Zuri Sparrow

I climbed up the side of the ship and made it over the side just in time to hear Gibbs ask, "Where's the Commodore?"

I almost kissed his cheek at his use of James's old title that James had loved and missed so very much.

Jack was clutching his jar of dirt very tightly to him. "Fell behind," he replied curtly and his eyes flicked to me. He looked away quickly upon meeting my steely gaze.

"My prayers be with him." Gibbs was silent a moment. He shook off his grief, shrugging. "Best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is: you're back. And made it off free and clear." Just as he finished speaking, the Flying Dutchman explodes out of the water beside the Pearl.

"You spoke too soon," I said bitterly.

"Lord, I done that," Gibbs said with a massive sigh. 

Jack pushed Gibbs out of the way. "I'll handle this, mate." Across the gap between the two ships, he yelled, "Oi, fish face!" He holds up his jar of dirt. "Lose something, aye—?" Jack lost his footing on the stairs and falls down them. The crew winced and let out gasps. Then Jack holds up the jar of dirt. "Got it!" He stood back up and looked back to Jones. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git. Look what I got." His voice turned sing-songy. The crew stared after him, completely bewildered. "I've got a jar of di-irt, I've got a jar of di-irt, and guess what's inside it?"

"Enough!" Jones snarled. The cannons of the Flying Dutchman slide out and I can visibly see Jack's smile melt off his face.

"Hard to starboard?" Jack ordered, but his voice is more questioning than ordering.

"HARD TO STARBOARD!" Elizabeth yelled, making up for Jack's quiet questioning of himself. Gibbs hurriedly attempted to turn the Pearl.

"Raise up the foreyard!" Will yelled, the crew scrambling into action.

"Rack the starboard!" I heard Jones yell. "Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths."

"MAKE FAST!" Will yelled.

"Calm down," I muttered under my breath. He didn't hear me.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth cried. The pure wonder in her voice makes me wonder how much she really knows about the Black Pearl.

"Aye, we've got her," Gibbs agreed.

"We're the faster?" Will asked. Again, I want to smack him.

"Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us, that's how she gets her prey," Gibbs explained. "But with the wind..."

"We've got her advantage," Will finished.

"Aye," Gibbs said.

The Dutchman falls behind.

"They've given up!" The shout spread through the crew, who took up a cheer.

A foreboding feeling in my stomach keeps me from cheering as well.

Will whipped around to Jack. "My father is on that ship. If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should turn and fight."

I snorted. "There is no fighting the Flying Dutchman, Will."

Jack spoke over me. "Why fight when you can negotiate? All one needs is the proper leverage." He placed the jar of dirt on the banister and stroked the glass like one would a pet. Suddenly the Pearl shuddered and stopped. The jar falls and the glass shatters. In a panic, Jack ran down after it. I followed him. "Where is it? Where is the thump thump?" He looked wildly at me.