Chapter Nine: The Treasure of Cortez

Elizabeth and Torika look out the window toward the island. They look up at the sound of a latch: Koehler and Twigg stand in the doorway holding rope; Pintel is behind them.

Pintel: (to Elizabeth) Time to go poppet.

Elizabeth: What about Torika?

Twigg: She'll be with us as well.

Twigg tightens a rope roughly around both of their wrists. Bound so they can walk only forward. Barbossa drapes the Medallion around Elizabeth's neck. He tilts her chin to judge the look of it, smiles.

They sit in the prow of a longboat, one of several rowing away from the Black Pearl, all laden with booty. Behind them, the ship fades into the fog. And ahead of them, a dark sea cave opening looms. The longboats glide in, and are swallowed by darkness. Into the caves of Isle de Muerta, and island shaped roughly like a human skull.

The Interceptor glides through, coming out of the fog like a ghostly image.

Cotton's Parrot: Dead men tell NO tales!

The crew becomes watchful and tense.

Gibbs: Puts in a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage.

Will and Li nod in silent agreement. Suddenly there is a low scrape. At the wheel, Jack shuts the compass, concentrates on navigating the graveyard.

Li: How is it that Jack came by that compass?

Gibbs: Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of Isle de Muerta. That was before I'd met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl.

Li and Will: What?

Will then makes a suspicious glance at Jack.

Will: He neglected to mention that.

Gibbs realizes he's made a small faux pas, hides it with:

Gibbs: He plays things close to the vest now. Hard learned lesson it was. See, three days out on the venture, his first mate comes to him and says, everything's an equal share, that should mean the location of the treasure, too. So Jack gives up the bearings. (nods his head) That night there was a mutiny.

Gibbs' voice is a whisper, now, so Will and Li have to lean closer.

Gibbs: They marooned Jack on an island, and left him to die. But not before he'd gone mad from the heat.

Li: Ahh. And that's the reason for all the ... (imitates Jack, and it was a pretty darn good one too)

Gibbs: Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot, that won't do you any good hunting, or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst... that pistol start to look real friendly. (mimes helpfully: Gun to the head, pull the trigger.) But Jack... he escaped the island. And he still has that single shot. He won't use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate-

Will: Barbossa.

Gibbs: Aye.

Li: How did Jack get off the island?

Gibbs: I'll tell ya. He waded out past the shallows and waited there, three days and three nights, 'til all manner of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence. And then he roped himself a couple of sea turtles and lashed 'em together and made a raft.

Will and Li can't believe they heard that. He peers at Gibbs. Gibbs holds his gaze steady.

Will: He roped a couple of sea turtles.

Gibbs: Aye. Sea turtles.

They're notably not buying it. Gibbs doesn't finch. Jack has ambled over during the story; They look at him. Jack nods, confirming the account.

Li: (to Jack) What did you use for rope?

Gibbs starts to answer but then realizes he doesn't know. But Jack now stands near them, and supplies the answer:

Jack: Human hair. From my back.

Gibbs knew there was a perfectly logical answer. They're still not buying it. Jack holds his gaze with a poker face.

Jack: (to the crew, cutting off any further questions) Let go of the anchor! (turns to the three) Mr. Turner, Mr. Showron, and me are to go to shore.

Gibbs steps close to Jack, unaware that the two are listening.

Gibbs: Captain. What if the worst should happen?

Jack: Keep to the code.

Gibbs: (agreeing) Aye. The Code.

They part. The two watch Jack speculatively.

Through a spyglass, the Black Pearl lies at anchor. Mostly empty, movement of a few pirates on board.

Will: Are they there?

Jack lowers the spyglass. He, Li, and Will are in a longboat just off a rocky point.

Jack: No.

Jack continues to gaze at the ship. Li looks from him to the Pearl, back, putting the pieces together and doesn't like the picture he sees.

Li: Where are they?

Jack: (grabs the oars) It's begun.

Barbossa steps smoothly from his boat onto shore as the two female prisoners are yanked roughly from the boats. Barbossa continues directly into the main cavern. Pirates use double oars to carry chests and other booty. Pintel and Ragetti haul a large hope chest between them.

Pintel: Ten years of hoarding swag-

Ragetti: (way too excited) and now we finally get to spend it'

They dump the chest, pick through it, finding out that it's full of dresses. Ragetti finds a parasol.

Pintel: once we're quit of the curse­- we'll be rich men, 'n you can buy yourself an eye what actually fits and's made of glass.

Ragetti is genuinely moved. He reaches up to wipe a tear.

Ragetti: This on does splinter something terrible...

Pintel: (slaps his hand away) Stop rubbing it!

Ragetti slaps back with a parasol. Pintel parries with his own parasol. Ragetti opens his with a FOOMP! To use as a shield. They look over... the Bo'sun stares at them darkly.

Twigg shoves Elizabeth roughly forward into the caves...

...Revealed is the spectacular treasure: piles of coins, gold and silver ingots, jewelry, objects d' art, jade and ivory, brightly colored silks, furniture, jewels and pearls, mirrors and swords ... At the center, a hole in the ceiling lets in a column of sunlight, which illumines: an Aztec stone chest. Filled with coins similar to the gold center of the medallion; across them lies an Aztec stone knife.

The tunnel is illumined by a lantern on a pole. Jack rows, back to Will. To one side, Li spots a skeleton, face down and half buried in the sand; its rib cage partially stove in, a sword stuck in its back. A crab clicks its claws in the light. They drift past.

Li: What code is Gibbs to keep to, if the worst should happen?

Jack: Pirates' code. Any man who falls behind is left behind.

Will: No heroes amongst thieves, eh.

Jack: You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one. (intentionally goading) Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga...

Suddenly, several small bright circles appear on the cave walls and roof and then dozens more. They're everywhere. Will glances down... beneath the water, thousands of coins reflect light onto the cave walls.

Jack: ... and you're completely obsessed with treasure.

They pass through, approach the landing area where the pirates' boats are moored

Will pulls the boat ashore; Jack hops out followed closely by Li.

Li: That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure.

Jack leads up a short rise.

Jack: Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.

They climb to a cave opening, and beyond it there's Elizabeth and Torika, being shoved to the top of the central treasure pile by Twigg and Koehler, where Barbossa waits beside the stone chest at the top. Pirates surround the scene.

Barbossa: Our torment is near an end!

Barbossa: For ten years, we've been tested and tried and every man jack here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again!

Some pirates voice their approval: Yeah! Aye! Etc.

Ragetti: Suffered I have!

Barbossa: Punished we were, the lot of us, disproportionate to our crime!

A louder response: Aye!

Barbossa: Here 'tis.

The stone chest is opened. Inside are hundreds of gold coins, identical to the medallion. A stone knife lays atop them.

Barbossa: The cursed treasure of Cortez himself! Every piece that went astray we have returned. Save for this! (points to medallion around Elizabeth's neck)

The pirates, including Bo'sun now cheer.

Will scrambles for the cave opening.

Will: Jack!

Jack: (restrains him) Not yet!

As Jack moves away from the cave opening:

Jack: We wait for the opportune moment.

Will hesitates a moment, then follows.

Barbossa picks up the stone knife, raises it high.

Barbossa: Who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed the heathen gods?

All pirates: (thrust fists in the air) AYE!

Back near the boats, Will catches up to Jack.

Li: When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?

Jack: May I ask you something? Have I ever given you any reason not to trust me? Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you, but, please, stay here and don't do anything stupid.

Jack moves away

Barbossa: And whose blood must yet be paid?

All pirates: (pointing to Torika and Elizabeth) THEIRS!

Jack comes around a cave wall.

Li: Sorry Jack, but Will's not going to be your leverage.

Jack's eyes go wide... he turns, rolls to defend himself... too late. Will brings an oar down across Jack's head. Jack slumps. They slip away.

Barbossa steps toward Elizabeth. Torika shrinks back, but is held by Koehler. Barbossa leans close to her.

Barbossa: You know the first thing I'm going to do after the curse is lifted? (grins) Eat a whole bushel of apples.

Twigg and Koehler grin at that. Barbossa raises the knife. Torika turns her head away, shuts her eyes.

Barbossa grabs Elizabeth's wrist and slices her palm. He claps the medallion into her hand and closes her fist around it, then removes it, now stained with Elizabeth's blood.

Elizabeth: That's it? That's all?

Barbossa: Waste not.

He holds the medallion above the chest.

Barbossa: Begun by blood, by blood undone!

He drops it into the chest. The pirates tense, waiting, expectant. A long beat. They all look at each other, look at themselves. Nothing happens.

Koehler: Did it work?

Ragetti: I don't feel no different.

Pintel: How do we tell?

Barbossa frowns, draws his pistol, and shoots Pintel square in the chest. Pintel grabs his chest ... but doesn't die.

Koehler: You're not dead.

Pintel: No. (realizes) He shot me!

Twigg: It didn't work! The curse is still upon us!

Barbossa searches for an answer ... turns to Elizabeth.

Barbossa: You. Maid. Your father. What was his name?! (grabs her roughly) Was your father William Turner?!

Elizabeth: No. And neither is Torika, in fact, she isn't even my daughter.

The pirates cry out. Barbossa gathers himself, getting his rage under steely control.

Barbossa: Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner?! Where?

Barbossa slaps them hard, sending the two sprawling.

Bo'sun: (to Pintel & Ragetti) You two. You brought us the wrong person!

Pintel: No, she had the medallion! She's the proper age!

Ragetti: She said her name was Turner! You heard her! (suddenly realizes it) I think she lied to us. (slow isn't he?)

Twigg then whirls on Barbossa.

Twigg: You brought us here for nothing?!

Underwater, we see Will and Li, waiting for their moments.

Barbossa: I won't take questioning or second guesses, not from the likes of you, Mister Twigg.

Koehler: Who's to blame him? Every decision you've made's led us from bad to worse!

Nameless pirate: It's you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!

Bo'sun: And it was you who brought us here in the first place!

The pirate argument grows. Suddenly a hand comes over Elizabeth's mouth; she has the presence not to scream. It's Will, soaked. Torika feels a hand come over her mouth as well but is relieved to find it is her father. Will nods toward the water.

They crouch down and Elizabeth sees the medallion on the water's edge. She grabs it. Takes a breath, slips underwater. The Monkey spots them and screeches.

Barbossa: If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Any more talk, I'll chain ye all to a cannon and send ye to the watery depths!

The Monkey's screeching echoes throughout the cavern.

I say we cut the witch's throat, and spill all her blood, just in case.

He turns they're gone. The Monkey jumps and howls, pointing toward: Will, Elizabeth, Li, and Torika, just disappearing out of the cavern. Barbossa looks around, sees-

Barbossa: The medallion! They've taken it! Get after them you worthless pack of ingrates!

The pirates race out of the main cavern.

The pirates scramble to launch their boats, only to realize:

Bo'sun: The oars have gone missing! Find 'em!

The pirates search the cave, overturning chests and upsetting piles of treasure. Jack wanders out into the middle of this, dazed, holding the oar Will hit him with. He looks around without comprehension. Ragetti notices him, and blanches.

Ragetti: You.

Jack looks behind him, then back at Ragetti.

Jack: Me.

Pintel: You're supposed to be dead!

Jack: I'm not?

Pintel draws his pistol, so do the other pirates. Jack's eyes go wide. He thinks, tries to remember something.

Jack: Parlum. Parlaliuum.

Many of the pirates are clueless as to what Jack is trying to say.

Jack: (to himself) Pari, parlip, parslee, parsleet, parla, parla...

Ragetti: Parlay?

Jack: Par- That's the one! Parlay. Parlay!

The pirates lower their weapons, except Pintel, who really wants to shoot this guy. He keeps his pistol raised.

Pintel: 'Parlay'! Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought up 'parlay'!

Jack: French. Latin based. And vintes en mayonnaise.

Pintel: I like mayonnaise.

Jack: Obsessed with raisins, really. Think about it. (does a wired hand gesture)

Pintel: Don't know.

Jack: Terrific saying as the French, enunichs. All of them.

Grapple: That's not right.

Pintel: I state enunich.

Jack: I'll get me coat.

To be continued...