206Disclaimer: the same as Chapter 1.
Author's notes:
- This is the last chapter, and I would like to thank my wonderful readers and reviewers for their support. You are the best!
- Details about Chinese mythology come from Wikipedia.
- This chapter contains references to my stories "A cry in the darkness" and "In vino veritas".
- Italian writer Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt (1725–1798) escaped from "The Leads" prison in Venice, in 1755.
- Jack quotes Roman poet Publius Vergilius Maro alias Virgil (70 B.C. – 19 B.C.) from his book "The Aeneid", written between 29 B.C. -19 B.C.
Chapter 28: Good-bye, farewell
On the Black Pearl II's main deck…
Slowly but steadily, the sun appeared at the Eastern horizon, its rays chasing away the fears and the fights of the previous night. Every crewmember of the Black Pearl II paused in his chores to look at this glorious ball of fire shining just above the salty waters: just hours ago, they had been certain they would see the sun again only from the gallows' stairs; but thanks to Captain Jack and his friends, they had escaped in the most unforgivable prison break the Caribbean had ever witnessed and they were looking at the sun, feeling the wind in their faces and a rolling floor beneath their feet. Freedom had never tasted any sweeter!
Wang Tao silently praised the appearance of Xihe the sun goddess, travelling around the world on a carriage pulled by the last Sun-bird, offspring of Dijun, god of the Eastern Heaven. The Dragon-King's body had been committed to Mazu, the sea goddess, and the mighty ship bearing the name of a dark gemstone was tracing its course under a cloudless indigo sky, dutifully followed by the Soul Vessel.
It was a beautiful brand-new day and the Chinese spy couldn't even begin to imagine the fame Lord Captain Sparrow would acquire after his impromptu passengers had been disembarked in Saint-Barthélemy. As soon as their feet would hit solid land, the ex-pontoon prisoners would babble day and night about their rescue, bringing praise to the bird-named pirate and eternal shame to his fallen foes. Too bad Commander Chambers had lost his mind after the battle: it would have been exhilarating to see the disgraced officer being mocked for life in the streets of Port Royal! But the display of Lord Captain Turner's powers had been too much for Chambers' minuscule brains to bear.
Speaking of whom… Wang Tao turned about and saw Jack and Will coming out of the Great Cabin. Lord Captain Sparrow's gait seemed to be wobblier than before, suggesting another rum overindulgence… or maybe it was emotion from the imminent departure of Lord Captain Turner? Wang Tao knew the young commander of the Soul Vessel would have to leave the Black Pearl II's board soon, along with his Honorable Lord First Officer, as spirits' matters had to be dealt with the utmost discretion; alas, it didn't make the idea of a separation any easier. But before the Chinaman could ponder any further, Will walked towards Marty and Cotton while Jack called out:
"Mister Wang Tao?"
"I am here, Lord Captain Sparrow. How may I serve you?"
"Will and his old man are about to leave the Pearl, so I'd like you to take charge of the wheel. With that good wind at our back, we'll be able to reach Saint-Barthélemy before midday and we are in dire need of food and ammunitions. We've got extra hungry mouths to feed, too, and the only barrels left aboard are full of stale water… not a hearty breakfast to propose to the folks settled below deck, now, it is?"
"I approve your words, as I regret to inform you that during the seizing of your ship, Commander Chambers' men have also raided my personal provisions of rice," said the spy while observing from the corner of his eye Lord Captain Turner shaking hands with Little Big Man and Silent One.
"So, Mister Wang Tao, I trust your piloting skills in making the Pearl reach its destination in record time, so we could all enjoy a good meal at the Sirène éplorée (the tearful mermaid), the best tavern of Saint-Barthélemy! It is located in the area of Carenage because it provides good shelter for damaged ships and the Black Pearl II could use some repairs. The new Swedish colonists have the crazy idea to build a capital there in honor of their King Gustav number three… Well, at least it will keep them busy and away from our interesting persons so let's get on with it, savvy?"
"Savvy, Lord Captain Sparrow."
The Chinese bowed and climbed the helm's stairs before addressing Bootstrap Bill, who was still standing at the Black Pearl II's wheel:
"Honorable Lord First Officer of the Soul Vessel, Lord Captain Sparrow has asked me to take over the piloting tasks. My feeble person is unworthy of such an honor but I have accepted nonetheless, at the cost of being forced to ask you the favor to let me maneuver our ship's wheel. I hope you will forgive my intrusion…"
"You are too modest, Mister Wang Tao, and you constantly forget that I am in your debt for helping me saving my son from Red Hand Pete! There you go," said the elder Turner good-naturally, stepping away from the wheel.
"Thank you," said the Chinese, grabbing the pegs to help the ship in keeping a straight course. "As for the matter over Red Hand Pete, I daresay my participation has been quite small, therefore no debt can exist between us. I am a mere spy while you are a formidable warrior; until the day I draw my last breath, I'll never forget the image of you fighting enemies aboard The Conqueror. It was like watching a mythological hero!"
Bill shook his head, baffled by the small man's politeness towards him. During his whole life, the elder Turner had been the low man of the totem pole and he wasn't used to be praised for his courage or his fighting skills. In fact, Wang Tao's words unintentionally made him feel like a usurper.
"Er... Thank you, Mister Wang Tao, but you're mistaken. Whatever I did in the past, it is nothing compared to the actions Will has done in order to save me and the Dutchman's crew from Davy Jones."
"Truth is, Honorable Lord First Officer of the Soul Vessel; but still I allow myself to insist about your combativeness!"
"I was just trying to save my son; Red Hand Pete wanted the Dead Man's Chest for his own selfish purposes. But remember that Will would have been silent for years, no matter how many tortures he would suffer, just to keep us all safe from that would-be tyrant. Will is the real hero, not me. And for these actions, there is no doubt in my heart that he will be freed from his duties after ten years of soul-ferrying."
"Shi nian feng shui lun liu zhuang: luck will change in ten years. May Guan Yin, goddess of mercy, grant your wish... even if the Pure August Jade Emperor will be sorry to lose a perfect herald. But the Heavenly Grandfather's compassion is great and he knows a hero's actions must always be rewarded, in order to respect the equilibrium on which our world rest upon. Otherwise there would be only chaos, like the ones created by a herd of yaojing (demons) invading the Earth!"
Bill wasn't sure to fully understand what Wang Tao was referring to, but he preferred to let the matter drop and he extended his hand towards the spy.
"Well, anyway you have my thanks, Mister Wang Tao. If you haven't found the Flying Dutchman so quickly, we wouldn't have heard of Jack's ordeal and Will would have been forced to ferry his soul... it would have been awful for him to learn about his friend's demise in such a fashion."
"Quite so, Honorable Lord First Officer of the Soul Vessel, and I would have hated it if Lord Captain Turner had to suffer from any kind of hardships. The Dragon-King had no right to lay a paw on our rightful commander, anyway, so I am glad to have participated in its downfall. Besides, don't you think our lives would be very empty without Lord Captain Sparrow to enrich them with his charming personality?"
That brought a laugh out of Bill, who shook Wang Tao's hand before climbing down the helm's staircase – unaware the Chinaman was grimacing in pain behind his back. It would take a while before Wang Tao's fingers would stop hurting from Bootstrap's grip!
The elder Turner nodded to Marty and Cotton, whose parrot flapped its wings before squawking "Wind in your sails!", and then he noted Will saluting that pair of idiots Pintel and Ragetti. It was a surprising sight, since the dim-witted duo had betrayed Jack in the past and even played a part in Barbossa's sending his father to the depths; but Bill wasn't surprised, since Will was a forgiving being and he would never use his status of Captain of the ghost ship to terrorize former adversaries... He had even forgiven to Red Hand Pete's men before ferrying their souls, for Heaven's sake!
Bill wasn't so keen on forgetting past deeds, so he merely grunted in the direction of Pintel and Ragetti, making the former jump into the arms of his acolyte out of fright. Pintel protested and dropped the skinny pirate on the main deck's planks, which started another round of arguments the pair was famous for.
"What's the big idea? Go climb somebody else!"
"You're blind or something? Bootstrap growled at me!"
"He didn't growled, you nervous sissy, he grunted! Of all the stupid things..."
"Grunted, my foot! He barred his teeth and his fangs, just like a hellhound!"
"Well, I don't know how jumping into my arms would have helped you in this case!"
"Oh sure, whenever it comes to protect a fellow shipmate and comrade-in-arms from great danger, you're nowhere to be seen!"
"Repeat that?"
"You heard!"
One of Pintel's fists collided with Ragetti's good eye, and the argument developed into a demonstration of fighting techniques involving various kicks, punches, and the breaking of gun cleaners on the opponents' skulls, all this with the gracefulness of a bunch of schoolboys. Will had put the embroidered cloak back on his shoulders; he shook his head at this comical rumble and then he spoke to Jack:
"Some things definitively never change."
"Aye, but I would hate to deprive the Pearl from her favorite pair of buffoons. They create quite an ambiance onboard, and the men have been taking bets for months about which one will start the next fight. Marty told me the bets have been carried on during their stay at the pontoon, can you imagine?"
The two men exchanged a smile, but soon afterwards Jack's expression changed from playful to serious.
"Will... Are you sure you can't stay, just for an itty-bitty moment more? I mean, it isn't as if the Dutchman would depart from the area without you and Bootstrap onboard, so what's the hurry?"
The youngster's chocolate-brown eyes locked themselves on the silhouette of the Dutch's fluyt sailing close to the pirate ship.
"You forget one thing, Jack: men have died at sea last night, during our flight and the boarding of the Black Pearl II. I have to ferry their souls to the Other Side, and the sooner would be the better."
"All of them, including Beckett Senior and Charon?"
"Aye. Whatever they had done in the past, I want to offer them a chance to reach peace. If they adamantly refuse to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, it is their choice. But I will try my hardest to convince them I don't bear ill feelings towards anyone, so they won't become ghosts wandering on the ocean's surface for all eternity."
Jack was about to say he, the magnificent Captain Sparrow, wouldn't have this kind of scruples if he had become the leader of the Flying Dutchman, but he knew it would be useless to argue with Will about that point: the kid had too much noblesse of mind to be swayed by past grudges and his attitude was as unmovable as it was infuriating, at times!
"As you wish, William – but I hope you will never cross the path of that pair of nauseating-colored slimy slugs. So, I guess it is "farewell", eh?"
"It is only a "good-bye", Jack," said Will while shaking his friend's hand. "I hope you will come and see us on Shipwreck Island; Elizabeth would be very happy to see you again, and it is high time our son meets his Uncle Jack."
"Me, an uncle... Who would have believed it? Captain Sparrow has been promoted, even though he's beyond any distinction created by mankind!"
"You will take good care of the people we've broken out of jail?"
"Are you joking, whelp? How could I not take good care of them, the future weavers of my glory? With them gossiping in Saint-Barthélemy and around, my fame will grow in colossal proportions! I will be known the Robin Hood of the Caribbean, the outlaw who grabbed everything of the rich to give nothing back! I will be remembered as the master of escapology, who has beaten Giacomo Casanova by a nautical mile! Gosh, with the tales of my escape from the justice, the sky's the limit! So yes, I will make sure those good people would disembark safe and sound, since I need them in good health to become my zealous biographers."
Jack suddenly tightened his grip on Will's hand, as if he never wanted to let it go, and then he whispered:
"In three hundred and sixty-one days, you will be a landsman, kiddo."
Will had a beautiful smile, thinking how lucky he had been to befriend this crazy-looking, rum-imbibed, navel-obsessed and silver-talking pirate with the funny name who would rather be skinned alive than admit out loud how much he cared for the Turners; Bill came along and crushed Jack's hand as well, while his son waved at Wang Tao:
"Good-bye, Mister Wang Tao!"
"May the Pure August Jade Emperor fulfill all your wishes, Most Honorable Commander of the Soul Vessel!" replied the bowing Chinaman, his head barely missing the wheel.
Will turned towards his father and hugged him close. Immediately, he felt strong arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders.
"Ready, Papa?"
"Whenever you are, son."
Will closed his eyes… and the two Turners vanished from the Black Pearl II's main deck. All the sailors jumped in surprise – except for Pintel and Ragetti, who were too busy settling their accounts to notice whatever was happening right under their noses. But Jack climbed the helm's stairs at all speed, grabbing his spyglass on the way – ignoring the pain from Bootstrap's handshake – and then he rushed towards the rail to look at the Flying Dutchman through the lenses. Indeed, Bill and Will had "materialized" on the ghost ship's deck and they were warmly greeted by their crewmembers.
Jack noticed Bill didn't seem to have suffered from the rough landing following the magical "transportation" after being held by the kid – kind of strange, since the pirate's bottom could irrefutably testify of that fact. He also noted there were only a handful of sailors remaining aboard the Dutchman, meaning that over the years Will had been releasing his men from their duties, one by one… until he, their commander, would be freed as well. The kid was definitively a Captain: he'd be the last one to leave the ship.
"Good luck, matey," said Jack under his breath. "And don't think for a minute I would come to Shipwreck Island without my wedding present in tow!"
The pirate captain pointed his spyglass at the Flying Dutchman; as on cue, Will waved at him.
"Love you too, kid. You shouldn't worry so much about your future. Nothing can go wrong with Captain Jack Sparrow sailing around, and you can bet all the rum of the Caribbean that he'll be nearby Shipwreck Island in three hundred and sixty-one days! Oh yes, I will be here… making sure nothing interferes during your well-deserved and prolonged reunion with Lizzie. "Et ruit oceano nox", the night comes from the ocean according to that Virgil fellow, but the sunshine rises in full when the incredible Captain Jack is here, oh yes!"
The Flying Dutchman changed course to head West, where the sky was the darker. Jack kept watching until the ghost ship disappeared at the horizon, swallowing a strange lump that had formed inside his throat. He blinked furiously and then he roared:
"Mister Wang Tao!"
"Yes, Lord Captain Sparrow?"
"The Black Pearl II isn't sailing to my liking. In fact, everything is going to rack and ruin! Is it a pirate ship here, or a cockleshell? This is a disgraceful display of seamanship. All hands, lift the skin up! We have been held up far too much by Beckett Senior and his ambitions, so it is time for us to get back to good solid business. We are to reach Saint-Barthélemy at once and I won't be delayed by anything! Haul those sheets, we have an appointment with the rum served at the Sirène éplorée and I'd like the local Governor to pick up the tab. Scurry! Movement, I want movement! And will somebody please tell these two imbeciles to stop fighting like hoods, just for my sake? They are a poor example for children!"
"Agreed, Lord Captain Sparrow."
"Marty, go downstairs and inform our passengers they are free to go on the main deck if they wish. And if pretty lasses want to thank me personally for saving their graciously-curved necks from the noose, just make sure they are of age and their parents or brothers are not lurking in the background, savvy? I hate to be disturbed when in agreeable female company. Which reminds me… how about planning a trip to Tortuga after leaving Saint-Barthélemy? It has been a while since I have last paid a visit to Scarlett and Gisele."
Aboard the Flying Dutchman…
Will had a hard time to detach his eyes from the fading silhouette of the Black Pearl II. He was torn between joy at their success in freeing all the pontoon's inmates, and sadness at being forced to leave Jack again. As insufferable as he was with his constant drunkenness and his self-boasting over his exploits, the pirate had nonetheless played a big part in his life and Will sincerely hoped Jack wouldn't get into trouble anytime soon. It had been sheer luck to have been able to break Jack's cell door while still being condemned to not step foot on dry land!
Will sighed, and then he felt someone hugging him from behind. He didn't need to turn his head to know who the person was.
"Don't be sad, my Little One. You'll see Jack again, and sooner than you think," said Bootstrap Bill in Will's ear.
"I know, Papa. It is just… It may sound crazy, but when I was aboard the pontoon, and then on the Black Pearl II… Well, even with the great danger threatening us with Beckett and his minions barking at our heels, I felt free. I know it is silly from my part, but during the whole time of our escape I have completely forgotten about my bounding to the Dutchman."
"It isn't silly at all, son. You were frantic of worry about Jack and the prisoners, so your mind concentrated on making them escape the H.M.S. Justice. In a way, this adventure has been a welcome relief from your duties. You have been working non-stop for nine years now, consoling souls and ferrying them to the Other World but you are still a human being, Will! And you care greatly for the people you love, including that infernal rascal. So you shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed about forgetting your captaincy for a while: you had to save Jack from the wrath of Beckett Senior and no one would ever blame you for it. Besides, you are a hero to the core and you are not one for standing still like a figurehead when blatant injustice is about to be committed. Thanks God you have inherited your mother's brains: you have put up with the perfect rescue plan!"
"I can't take all the credit, Papa. You played a big part, and Mister Wang Tao's participation isn't to be ignored, too. I wouldn't have succeeded without you and that polite spy."
"Your concerns are my concerns, son; whatever upsets you affects me, and I don't take it lightly when something bothers you. As for Wang Tao, he certainly didn't want to lose a good business partner; he confessed his association with Jack has been very enriching!"
Will smiled at those words, and Bootstrap seized the occasion to press a kiss on the top of his son's head. The young man silently thanked his stars for having his caring, loving father back in his life after years of painful separation. Bill still thought of himself unworthy of his son's sacrifice to save him from a terrible fate, but Will knew otherwise. How could anyone let a man suffer martyrdom aboard a ship led by a monster, while living a good life ashore? Will knew he wouldn't have been able to abandon his father after witnessing the awful state he was in, even if Bill had begged to forget him: the young Turner would never have been able to live with himself if he had done so.
"Do you feel all right, Papa?"
"I do, my love. Why?" asked Bill, a bit puzzled by the question.
"Because when we came back to the Flying Dutchman, I've used my "transportation" ability while holding you in my arms and Jack said the landing can be pretty rough. It is true that after I got him out of the Justice and down the Pearl's mainmast, the shock made me drop him both times…"
Bootstrap snorted in derision: trust Jack to complain about trifling matters!
"It went fine, son. I landed on my feet, remember? I'm probably too heavy for you to drop me on the deck like a barrel full of gunpowder – unlike that grumbling mischief-maker full of fake imperial airs. Now, about you going to the Great Cabin, my darling?" said Bootstrap Bill, gently releasing his embrace. "You have an urgent business to attend there, since I remember a certain parcel being picked up from Tortuga recently and I'm ready to bet it is full of letters."
"Aye, and it probably contains one from Elizabeth for you."
The elder Turner shook his head affectionately: his daughter-in-law had always included notes for him inside the packages she prepared for her husband, and Will-Trey loved to add an extra drawing dedicated to his Grandpa. To think a little boy he had never set eyes upon to, and a courageous young woman would bother to send an old crook like him proofs of love… It overwhelmed Bootstrap Bill at times, making him cry of gratitude in the sanctuary of his tiny cabin which wooden walls were covered with Will-Trey's art.
"It can wait, son of mine. I know you burn to read Elizabeth's letters and you haven't had the occasion to do so since Wang Tao met us in Tortuga. You have been delayed enough, so go on now; I will take care of the ship."
"Thank you, Papa."
"No, son. Thank you."
THE END!
