Ad Infinitum - Chapter 10: Tolerabiles ineptiae
Chapter 10 - Tolerabiles ineptiae
****
“Calypso. What a pleasant surprise. How nice of you to drop in...again. Staying long?”
The smile on Jack’s face faded as the sea goddess sharply pointed her finger at him, her words a statement more than a question.
“You will take him place aboard the Dutchman?”
“No!!”
The exclamation came in unison from Will and AnaMaria, as they both balked at the idea.
“Oi!” Jack started, affronted, but was quieted by Calypso’s sharp hiss.
Calypso turned her head and eyed the other woman curiously. Reaching a hand towards Ana, the sea goddess smiled seductively. “Come here, girl,” she beckoned.
Ana folded her arms and glared, standing still. “Who are you calling girl?”
“You dare argue with me?”
Ana shrugged. “I am not afraid of you.” She squared her shoulders and looked the goddess in the eye. “You have already taken the one thing I valued most in this world.”
Calypso‘s smile widened, turning warm. “And him part of the crew, on the Dutchman.”
“Mon Dieu!” Ana slapped Will on his arm in dismay. “You did not tell me Andre was there.”
Jack, unable to restrain himself, stepped up and waved a hand at Ana. “There, you see? A perfect candidate for the job!”
“Who?” Will furrowed his brow in confusion. “Ana?”
“No.” Jack nodded cheerfully. “Her dearly beloved.” He swayed around the deck, bejeweled fingers weaving a tale. “A man of the sea, a great sailor.” He mimicked, smiling sweetly at the sea goddess before turning back to Will. “Who better to take your place at the helm, aye?”
“Him cannot.” Calypso glared at Jack and swept over to where Ana was standing, adding in a softer voice. “Him not but a shade, as are all the crew.” She turned to Jack and pointed a finger. “The Dutchman needs a living heart.”
“Mister Gibbs!” Jack offered brightly. “He’s strong, loyal, and still breathing, last I checked.” He sidled up next to Will. Resting an arm on Will’s shoulder, Jack tapped him several times. “There. You see? Problem solved.”
“Cap’n?” Gibbs turned a worried face to Will and Jack. “Don’t think I’m ready to…”
‘I’ll do it.” Ana stepped up, chin out, eyes blazing.
“You?” Jack’s eyes widened, head bobbing when he tried to see past Ana, expecting someone else to pop up.
Will nodded. “Ana would make a fine Captain.”
“And you do still owe her a ship,” Gibbs pointed out helpfully.
“And she has Andre and my father to help her,” Will added, his voice telling that it was as good as done. “Unless you are keen on taking the job yourself?”
“Already got a ship, mate.” Jack waved a vague hand at the Pearl, apparently appalled by the suggestion.
Calypso gathered her skirts, stepping next to Ana she turned to the men and pronounced, “It is settled.”
“Now, wait a minute…” Jack held up a hand. “What about the whole heart thing?” He mimed, helpfully, “You know, the chop chop, thump thump in a box routine?”
“Her does not need to give her heart, her heart already part of the crew.”
Jack persisted. “And what about Will?”
“The terms remain the same,” Calypso said sharply. “If him love be true, then him be free.” She gave a chilling smile, her eyes narrowing knowingly. “You will help him find what him seeks, hmmm?”
Will stepped forward and gestured to the forgotten corpse on deck. “What about Elizabeth?”
“Will’s right.” Jack nodded. “We can’t just shove her overboard, what if we find ourselves needing some more bits and pieces?”
Uncertainty passed over Calypso’s features before speaking. “She goes with Ana on the Dutchman.”
Ana put a gentle hand on Will’s arm. “I will watch over her.”
Calypso smiled wistfully. “Ana has much to learn, but her heart be true.”
“I will show her,” Will said, accepting the terms. “Introduce her to the crew.”
“No.” Calypso halted him. “You cannot return.” She brushed a finger along Will’s cheek. “The Dutchman can only have one Captain.”
And with a wet *splock,* she disappeared, taking AnaMaria and the remains of Elizabeth along with her.
****
“So where do we start?” Will stared out at the empty sea in frustration. “Elizabeth could be anywhere.”
Jack said nothing, only tapped the wood under his fingers.
“How do we find her?”
Looking at Will from the corner of his eye, Jack grew worried.
“How do we even know it’s her?”
Yep. Definitely an alarming pitch had appeared in Will’s tone.
“What if it’s not her, what if there’s been a mistake?”
“Calm down Will-” Jack’s words rang on deaf ears.
“Jack! She could be alive! We must find her!”
Watching Will turn from forlorn to frantic in mere seconds, Jack took a look around and found a few crewmen watching the developments with interest.
“Right.” Jack grabbed Will’s arm determinedly, pulling him away from the railing and turning him around. “Come on, William, lemme show you something.” With a firm hand to his back, he pushed Will, still protesting, ahead of him, every step to the Great Cabin a small struggle, all the while Will kept convincing himself that Elizabeth was alive, that the woman’s corpse didn’t even look like Elizabeth, that God only knew who the poor soul even was!
Jack kicked the door closed and shoved Will against the wall just as Will’s lividness turned into wide-eyed panic.
Taking a step back, Jack shook his head apologetically before drawing his hand back. “I’m sorry William.” An open-palmed *whack* across Will’s face resounded in the cabin right after the whisper died in the air, followed by a bellowed “Stop it!”
Will lift his hand to his cheek, surprised, shocked, shaken, eyes raking over Jack, who apprehensively withdrew to a safe distance.
“I-” Will uttered weakly, cradling his rapidly paling face, swaying on his feet. “Jack, I’m not feeling very well…”
“Will!” Jack shot forward and caught Will from under his arms as his knees buckled and he started to fall.
Lowering the unconscious man to the floor, Jack rushed to the door and barked, “AnaMaria! …Fuck.” He clenched his eyes shut, hands in tight fists upon the realization of his mistake. “Mister Gibbs! Anyone!” Not waiting for someone to turn up, Jack whirled around and dashed to the table, sweeping it clear of assorted items, barely registering the clink of a bottle with a finger clattering over the boards.
“Cap’n, what happened?” Gibbs stood horrified next to Will’s limp form.
“I don’t know.” Jack said anxiously. “I swear it was only a brush.” He motioned Gibbs to grab Will’s legs, ignoring the questioning look on his face. “Help me lift him up onto the table.”
The men maneuvered the flaccid body onto the surface, and Gibbs stepped aside, giving Jack room to check on Will’s condition.
“At least he’s breathing,” Jack said uncertainly, fingers hovering over Will’s face, not having the faintest clue as to what to do next.
A miniscule movement of Will’s chest between even breaths suddenly caught Jack’s eye.
His brow lifted under the brim of his hat in disbelief. He hastily pried it out of the way, leaning down and pressing his ear against Will’s chest. Hardly daring to breath, Jack listened carefully as the thudding sound confirmed his suspicions. “Impossible…”
The gasp startled Gibbs, who leaned forward with guarded intrigue. “Cap’n?”
Jack snapped his head up, planted his hat back on and turned slowly, swallowing hard.
“He has a heartbeat.”
****
After getting a second opinion that it was indeed a case of the now apparently former Ferryman having a pulse, and a steady one at that, Jack lost whatever patience was left lingering inside him.
Storming out the cabin, he stomped to the side where the Dutchman still floated, muttering curses laced with hellfire under his breath.
Jack gathered a lungful of air and leaned back, spreading his arms invitingly. “Come on, you old hag! At least have the decency to explain yerself for once in your bloody existence!” The yell sprung across the smooth surface of the sea, gaining no response for the fury.
The lack of a reply set Jack onto another try.
“This is all your doing, innit? You get off on this, don’t you, you rotten, conniving, torturing witch! Well I wish I could say the same for meself!”
Unspeakably frustrated, Jack ripped his hat off his head, waving it around, enraged, and ultimately biting into it with a repressed growl before tearing out another scream; “I’ve had enough of this!”
He tossed the hat into the sea and promptly deflated, tumbling down from his defiance. Shoulders slumped, subdued , his eyes fluttered shut as he caught his breath. “I’ve had enough of all of this,” he sighed, turning to trod back to the cabin, resigning to his fate.
“Ah!” A small rush of relief struck through him when finding Will leaning to the doorframe, weary, but standing. “You alright there mate?” Inquiring, Jack squeezed Will’s arm as if to ascertain he was really there.
“Yes.” Will said quietly, then pulled a suffering face, closing his eyes. “It’s just…so loud.”
“The heart?”
Will nodded, then opened his mouth to say something but instead lifted his chin to indicate somewhere behind Jack.
Jack frowned, puzzled, then grimaced. “Again?”
“Yeah.” Will straightened his composure, acknowledging Calypso’s presence.
Jack rotated on his heels charily as if expecting a blow and was face to face with the goddess.
“You know,” he bit through his gritted smile. “We really have to stop meeting like this, people are going to talk.”
The lip fell flat on his audience as Calypso only handed Jack a dripping wet tricorn, and sashayed to Will, sparing Jack a mere cold glare.
“It is so that you can walk on land, William. You are not free,” she apprised. “De change has been made, de dead follow der Captain,” Calypso paused, tilting her head. “You follow you heart.” Hand raised to underline her words, her lips broke to an appraising smile.
“You heart,” Calypso purred, sweeping her fingers over the collar of Will‘s shirt. “It is but an illusion, a fleeting joy.” She waited for Will to understand, and her lips formed a melancholy curve.
“Good luck, William Turner.” Splaying her hand across his chest, covering the jagged scar, she added, “Go. But remember, you must return before de tide turns twice.”
Calypso turned her black, piercing eyes to Jack. “Use de time wise.”
With an artful smile, and a dismissive bow of her head, she was once again gone.
****
The group of three men watched as the Dutchman was engulfed by the roiling waves, none of them the wiser than they’d been in the morn.
“Where to, Cap’n?”
“Orders… Sir?”
Jack met two expectant faces looking at him on each side, one nearly terrified, the other nigh on amused, and fished out his compass.
He snapped open the box, pursing his lips into a chagrined pout at the needle, which was wavering to and fro, not settling on any heading. Frowning, he closed it and shrugged. “We got nowhere to go but back to the beginning.” He turned to Gibbs to deliver new orders; “Set a course for Dead Man’s Cay.”
“Aye, Cap’n,” Gibbs said sorrowfully, looking as if that were the last place on earth he wished to return. Collecting himself, he squared his shoulders, walked across the deck and began barking orders to the crew. “Let go and haul!”
The ship became a flurry of activity, the lull they’d been set in breaking instantly as the braces sang through their blocks, the course yards creaked and chain sheets rattled, as the crew went to work. “Avast heaving on the royal there! Well the t’gallant! Check the upper tops’ls! Get that main topmast stays’l-sheet over! Belay the main brace! Set up the force braces now, lads!”
Gibbs shrugged at seeing Jack vividly explaining something to his newly swapped First Mate, Will’s head inclined in concentration.
“Well, I’m supposin’ it could be worse.” Gibbs established to himself, scratching his chin. “We could be bein’ chased by the Kraken.”
****