Chapter 10: Jack's Plan

Chapter 10: Jack’s Plan

The Endeavour’s sails were repaired and the ship was following the Black Pearl. Lord Beckett stood on deck. Suddenly, he saw a lot of birds above the water.

“Sail over there,” he ordered.

As the Endeavour sailed closer, the noise of the birds grew louder. They were flying around a dead body that was tied to a piece of wood. “This isn’t an accident-it’s a sign,” Beckett thought. “Someone is leaving the bodies for us to follow. They’re taking us straight to the Black Pearl.”

On another part of the ocean, Will Turner tied another dead body to a piece of wood. He lifted it to push it over the side of the ship. Then a voice spoke from behind him and he stopped. “I knew the prison couldn’t hold you,” said Jack.

Will dropped the body, and lifted his sword.

“Stop, William,” Jack said. “I’m not going to call anyone. What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving signs,” Will said. “For Beckett.”

“Hmm,” Jack said. “Very smart. What will you do when Beckett arrives at the Brethren’s meeting place?”

“Ask him to free my father.”

Jack laughed. “Now that’s not smart! Beckett won’t help you. There’s only one way to free your father.”

“I must kill Davy Jones,” Will said sadly.

“And you know the price for killing Jones,” Jack said. “You’ll be captain of the Dutchman. You’ll take the souls of dead people to the next world. You’ll only step on land every ten years…”

“I know,” Will said unhappily. “If I help my father, I lose Elizabeth.” In a low voice he added, “She wanted to save you. She felt bad about killing you.”

Suddenly, Jack had an idea. “You don’t have to choose between Elizabeth and your father,” he said. “Another person can kill Jones.”

“Who?” Will asked. “I don’t understand.” Jack smiled. “You?” Jack Sparrow became excited as he explained his plan. “I’ll go onto the Dutchman, and find the wooden box. I’ll put a knife through Jones’s heart and your father will be free. You’ll also be free for Elizabeth. And I’ll be free to sail the oceans.” He smiled.

“You’ll have to do Jones’s work,” Will said.

“So I won’t be completely free… but I’ll never die. I died once and I didn’t like it. I don’t want to do it again.”

He put his Compass into Will’s hands. “Here,” he said. “Say hello to Davy Jones for me.” Then he pushed Will over the side of the ship and smiled down at him.

“As usual, Jack’s following his own plan,” Will thought. “It’s going to be a very long night.”

Elizabeth Swann was in the small prison room on the

Dutchman. The ship sailed smoothly, pulling the Empress behind it. Suddenly, the door opened. It was James Norrington.

“Be quiet,” he said. “Come this way. Hurry.”

Elizabeth jumped to her feet. Her sailors were also free. Silently, they all ran up toward the deck.

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth asked Norrington.

“Helping you,” he answered.

Inside the prison room, a pair of eyes opened in the side of the ship. Bootstrap Bill saw the open door. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the wood, and stepped forward.

Norrington took the Chinese sailors to the line that tied the Empress to the Dutchman. Hand over hand, Sao Feng’s sailors pulled themselves back to their own ship.

Norrington turned to Elizabeth. “Don’t go to Shipwreck Cove. Somebody has told Beckett about the meeting of the Brethren.”

“It’s too late to earn my forgiveness,” Elizabeth said.

“I know,” Norrington said. “But I still love you.”

“He’s sorry for everything he’s done,” Elizabeth thought. She took his hand. “Come with us,” she said.

Almost all of the Chinese soldiers were on the Empress now.

“Who’s there?” a voice said from the darkness. Somebody walked slowly toward them.

Norrington turned quickly. “Go!” he shouted to Elizabeth. “I’ll follow you.” Quickly, he took her in his arms and kissed her. Then he pushed her toward the line. “Go! Now!” he shouted.

Elizabeth stepped over the side of the ship and took the line. She was the captain of the Empress and her sailors needed her.

“I hope that James follows us soon,” she thought.

Bootstrap stepped into the light. He saw Elizabeth, his son’s true love. “That’s not right,” he thought. “Sailors on the Dutchman must stay with the ship until the end of time.” Suddenly, he started to shout: “Help! A prisoner’s escaping!”

Sailors quickly ran across the deck. Elizabeth was halfway across the line. She heard the noise and looked back. The Dutchman’s sailors were moving toward Norrington.

“James!” she cried. She started to climb back toward the Dutchman. Norrington saw her and pulled out his gun. He shot through the line and cut it into two pieces. Elizabeth fell into the water.

As Norrington faced the Dutchman’s sailors, Bootstrap moved forward. He still remembered his purpose as a pirate. He had to protect the ship. He pushed his sword through Norrington’s heart.

Elizabeth pulled herself up the line to her ship. She looked back at the Dutchman. “James!” she cried again.

Norrington fell to the deck, dying. There was nothing that Elizabeth could do.

The Empress sailed away into the dark, leaving the Dutchman- and the dead body of James Norrington-behind.

“The Admiral’s dead!” one of the Dutchman’s sailors shouted.

“Can we take command of the ship again?”

They ran to the captain’s room, where Davy Jones’s heart was held prisoner. Mercer and a group of soldiers were standing with their guns pointed at the heart.

“Nothing has changed,” Mercer said calmly.

Jones watched angrily as Mercer relocked the box. The heart-and the Dutchman-still belonged to the East India Trading Company.