When Worlds Collide

“You idiot!” Elizabeth yelled at the new captain of the Pearl.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Andy, not turning around from the large helm of the ship, one hand steering, and one interlaced with Karissa’s.

“You most certainly know exactly what I’m talking about.” Elizabeth said through a clenched jaw. “Without Jack this crew will fall apart, and you know it. You can never replace Jack. Everyone on this ship knows it too.”

Andy now turned and gave Elizabeth a cold look. “And where again is Jack right now, Miss Swann?”

“Probably not where you think he is. No doubt he’s done something by now you wouldn’t have thought.”

“I know what I’m doing, Elizabeth. Everything is for the better of the crew, and that includes you, so if I were you, I’d be quiet and get to work before you’re the next one off the ship.”

“You think you know what you’re doing, do you?” Elizabeth asked with a smile. “If you’d have known what you were doing, you wouldn’t have put Jack and Bella on a deserted island together.”

Andy swallowed hard, and it was easy to tell that he hadn’t thought about this.

“And I’ll be glad to be the next one off the ship, honestly.” She said defiantly.

“As will I,” Will said, coming behind Elizabeth and wrapping his arms around her.

“Aye, me too,” John said, stepping up from his work to stand by the couple.

By now, the entire crew put down their ropes, mops, rags, and various other supplies, and stood to watch the scene.

“Back to work you filthy scoundrels.” Andy said angrily to the crew. No one budged.

Andy quickly and swiftly grabbed Elizabeth, wrapping his arm around her so she couldn’t move, cocked his gun, and put it at her temple. “Back to work, or she’s gone.”

Will swallowed and nodded his head. “If that’s how it’s got to be.” Quickly he took hold of Karissa in the same manner, gun at her temple.

“William!” Elizabeth cried out in protest.

John stepped between Andy and Will. “Here’s what’s gonna happen.” He said in a deep, serious tone. He looked straight into Andy’s eyes. “You’re gonna put this girl down.” He turned around and looked at Will this time, “And you are too, boy.”

Will looked shocked “But-I-I was just-”

“I ain’t never gonna have respect for a man that treats a lady this way. I don’t care who he is. He ain’t gettin respect from me, nor from no men who got any class.”

Will lowered his gun, and let Karissa go, and Andy did the same.

“Fine.” Andy said, “Then I want the three of you off my ship.”

“Gladly,” Will said, “But she’ll never be your ship.”

John dove off the ship first, followed by Elizabeth, and finally Will, who gave a spectacular dive.

“Well. I can’t say I didn’t expect something like this to happen sooner or later.” Elizabeth said. “So now Jack and Bella are stranded. Who knows what they’re doing. And the three of us are stranded too. Great.”

“Why don’t we try and stay positive, eh?” Will said in a frustrated tone.

The three swam to the nearest island, which wasn’t far, and began to squeeze the water out of their clothes and hair.

“If my eyes’r tellin me the truth, I been here before...” John said, looking all around him, eyeing each island he could see in the distance.

“Well it’d be a good help if you could figure out exactly where we are.” Elizabeth said.

John looked out at the sea, at the piece of land far in the distance, and all around the island.

“I think...” he began. “I think that land out there is the Pícaros. Any of you know Spanish?”

Three hours later, Elizabeth, Will, and John were huddled together on a tiny raft made of branches from trees and vines. Will and John were paddling with their arms the eleven miles from the island to the unknown land John called the Pícaros.

Finally, the raft gave out, with one mile left to go. They swam to the dock, and climbed up onto the wood surface. John led the way, walking up the deck, when they ran into a small young man, with parchment in hand.

He smiled and said, “Buenos dias, y bienvenidos a los pícaros. Necesitaré sus nombres, por favor, y unos chelines de pareja para el atraque.”

John looked at Elizabeth and Will. They shrugged back at him.

John cleared his throat and managed to cough out “Hablar Inglès?”

The man laughed, and said with a thick Hispanic accent, “Good day, and welcome to the pìcaros. I’ll need your names, please, and two shillings for docking.”

“Jonathan Emmanuel,” Will said.

“Bethany Robertson,” Elizabeth responded.

“John Haysel.” John said.

Elizabeth and Will looked at him, astonished. He gave no response and said to the man, “And uh, we don’t have no ship, sir.”

The man looked apprehensive. “Sì...how did you get here, then?”

“Swam” Will said loudly.

The man looked the three up and down, noticing their soaking wet clothes, and stepped to the side.

“Welcome.” He said as the three walked by.

“Well.” Elizabeth said. “What now?”

John looked at a compass on a chain that he took from his pocket. “’f I remember right, we been travelin southwest the past day and a half...” he paused, thinking. “So Cap’n and Miss Wright oughtta be somewhere northeast...” he looked back at the sea and at the several ships in the water. “so all we gotta do is get somebody to take us in that direction.”

“And who do you propose we ask?” Elizabeth said in a huffy tone.

“How bout him?” John said, pointing to an old man wearing a tri-corner hat with a wooden leg heading towards the dock. He walked slowly and swayed side to side with each step. He was muttering to himself a list of objects that had no correlation whatsoever.

“Boots....eh...apple...mmm...hat...mmhmm...got me hat...”

“I don’t think he’s all there...” Will said slowly, watching the man with a furrow in his brow.

“’xactly.” John said with a small smile.

“Excuse me, sir.” He said politely and quietly.

“Cant understand a thing these goddamn people’r sayin to me.” The old man muttered.

“Excuse me.” John said a little louder.

“Nah, these people ain’t got nothin ‘tween them ears.” The man said.

“Excuse me.” John said loudly.

“What you want boy?” the old man said.

“A proposition.” John replied with a smile. “M’name’s John Haysel. Like the nut. Jus’ not spelled the same.” He stuck out his hand to the man.

The old man eyed him up and down. “Cap’n Roger Davis.”

--------

“Aye, so it’s settled?” Davis said, walking out of the bar with John, Will, and Elizabeth behind him. “I take you to this island where this so called – treasure – is hidden, and you give me half the loot?”

“Aye,” John said with a smile.

“And what if there ain’t no loot?”

“Then none of us are any richer. You’re just gonna hafta trust me” John replied.

Thirty minutes later, Will, Elizabeth, John, and Davis were on the water, heading northeast. The ship they were on was small. But it’d do. Its name was the Burkette, and it was a great deal slower than the Pearl.

Will had his arms around Elizabeth as the sun went down. “I can’t believe you got us into this.” He said with a smile.

“And how is this my fault again?” she replied softly.

“‘You idiot!’ ring a bell?” he said jokingly.

“Oh shut up.” she said laughing.

“But I do wonder,” Will said, “what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t gone after you. I could have been a happy blacksmith in Port Royal, and be living in ease.”

“True,” Elizabeth said. “But what would I be?”

Will kissed her softly as the sun finally set over the horizon.

The night was cool and brisk as the four took turns sleeping. The stars twinkled high above, and the wind blew softly and silently. Not a sound was heard apart from the slapping of the water against the side of the ship.

A day passed quickly. The four ate stale, hard bread from the tiny galley of the ship, Davis got to know John, Will, and Elizabeth, and John sang from morning to night.

In the evening of the second night, an island came into view in the distance. John saw it first and immediately went to Will’s side.

“Look ‘ere.” John said, rushing to the edge of the ship. There was smoke coming from in the trees.

Will smiled and ran to get Davis. “Treasure’s this way, captain.”

“Aye. Drop the anchor.” Davis said with a smile.

Will and John dropped the anchor, and dove off the plank, followed by Davis, and finally by Elizabeth.

“Since when can men with wooden legs swim?” Elizabeth whispered to Will.

Will shrugged and began the half-mile swim to shore.