Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
Jack shakes his head.
JACK They’ll be no living with her after this.
EXT. H.M.S. DAUNTLESS – MAIN DECK – DAY
Norrington gives Elizabeth a hand disembarking from the raised longboat.
NORRINGTON Elizabeth, I’m relieved you’re safe. (re: Jack) Clap him in irons. And behind his back this time.
ELIZABETH Commodore, you can’t do that!
NORRINGTON You’re speaking up for him again?
ELIZABETH He can locate Isla de Muerta-but I doubt he’ll be willing to help us from the brig.
JACK (she’s right) We had time to get to know each other.
NORRINGTON We are bound for Port Royal, not Isla de Muerta.
ELIZABETH No. The pirates have taken Will- NORRINGTON Your father is frantic with worry. Our mission was to rescue you and return home. That is what we shall do. Mr. Turner’s fate is
regrettable. But so was his decision to engage in piracy.
ELIZABETH Commodore, please!
JACK Norrington, think about it … the Black Pearl, its captain and crew … the last pirate threat in the Caribbean. How can you pass that up?
NORRINGTON By remembering that I serve others, not only myself.
ELIZABETH Commodore, I beg you-please do this … for me. As a wedding gift.
NORRINGTON I am to understand that you will accept my marriage proposal on the condition I rescue Mr. Turner?
ELIZABETH Not as a condition-a request.
Norrington considers. To Gillette:
NORRINGTON Free Mister Sparrow, and prepare to come about. He’ll give you our heading.
Gillette unlocks Jack’s manacles. Jack raises an eyebrow.
JACK Congratulations, sir.
Crew men lead Jack toward the bridge. Sailors go about their tasks, and the ship begins its slow turn.
NORRINGTON Elizabeth, I hereby withdraw my proposal.
ELIZABETH What?
NORRINGTON I know where your heart truly lies.
Elizabeth looks at Norringtom, seeing him in a new light.
ELIZABETH And now I know … where yours does, as well.
They gaze at each other a moment. Norrington looks away.
NORRINGTON You may seclude yourself in my cabin. I’m afraid we do not have any ladies’ clothing aboard.
ELIZABETH Then I can wear men’s clothing.
NORRINGTON That would hardly be proper.
ELIZABETH Well, I am not going to stay hidden in some cabin, or I suppose it’s going to be heaving bosoms and bare for the remainder of the voyage!
Norrington is exasperated, but then can’t help but grin-this is exactly why he loves her. She grins back at him-she’s not going to change.
NORRINGTON Murtogg, take our guest below, and find her some trousers, and a shirt.
Elizabeth smiles, allows herself to be escorted away. Norrington watches her go … then turns his gaze to the sea.
INT. THE BLACK PEARL – BRIG – DAY
Pintel enters the cell. It appears empty-but that’s because Will is hanging from the rafters, trying to shove up the ceiling planks with his legs.
PINTEL That ain’t going to work. That’s the gun deck above yea.
Will drops lightly to the deck. Suddenly:
WILL What happened to William Turner?
PINTEL Ah, William Turner. Stupid blighter. He threw in with us after we relieved Jack Sparrow of his captaincy, but turned out, it never sat well with him- particularly after we found Cortes’ treasure, and its peculiar condition. He thought we deserved to be cursed, for leaving ol’ Jack to the fate we did. That’s why he sent off a piece of the treaure- to you, as it were: so it would never be recovered, and so cursed we remain.
WILL And then he ran. And he’s hiding out someplace where you haven’t been able to find him.
PINTEL That’s a nice thought, to be sure, and I wager your da wishes he’d thought it hisself. But, no. See, what he’d done, didn’t sit too well with Captain Barbossa … so he chained a cannon to his legs and dumped him over.
Will reacts with shock at the account of his father’s fate.
PINTEL Yep, last I saw of Bootstrap Bill, was his face looking up, as he sank down to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones’ locker. (sighs) It was only after, we found out we needed his blood to solve the curse. That’s what you call ironic.
Barbossa appears behind Pintel, flanked by several others pirates. He regards Will for a moment, then:
BARBOSSA Bring him.
EXT. H.M.S. DAUNTLESS – MAIN DECK – EVENING
Jack goes to the rail and waits, pretending to look out at the sea. Elizabeth, dressed in sailor’s clothes to excellent effect, joins him.
ELIZABETH You didn’t tell Commodore Norrington everything.
JACK Nor did you, I noticed.
ELIZABETH He might delay the rescue … and that would be too late.
JACK Exactly.
ELIZABETH These men will be facing an enemy that seemingly cannot be killed.
JACK I have a plan. If it succeeds, then any battle will be decidedly brief … and one-sided.
ELIZABETH What’s your plan?
LOOKOUT (O.S.) LAND HO!
Isla de Muerta lay dark and menacing on the horizon.
NORRINGTON Elizabeth-below decks. I will not compromise your safety.
She starts to speak; he turns away.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) Lieutenant, escort Elizabeth to my quarters, and make sure she stays there.
Norrington gazes through his spyglass, at the island. Jack watches with some amusement as Elizabeth is escorted away.
NORRINGTON (CONT’D) I don’t like the situation, Mister Sparrow. The island is riddled with caves. I will not put my men at a disadvantage.
JACK Funny, I was thinking along those lines. How about you let me go in alone, and while you’re setting up an ambush, I’ll trick the pirates out to you.
NORRINGTON You would do that?
JACK They left me stranded. Twice. What have you got to lose?
NORRINGTON (looks at him) Nothing I wouldn’t be please to be rid of.
JACK (smiles) I knew you’d listen to reason!
EXT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVE ENTRANCE – EVENING
Torches are lit. Barbossa leads Will, guarded by Pintel and a band of pirates, into the caves.
INT. H.M.S. DAUNTLESS – MAIN DECK – NIGHT
A longboat is prepared to be lowered over the side. Jack wraps his pistol securely in an oilskin pouch.
JACK That chart I drew up’ll get you past the reefs. If you’re steersman’s good enough, that is.
NORRINGTON I’ll be at the wheel myself.
JACK I’ll slip in, talk them into to come out, and you’ll be free to blow holy high heaven the whole lot of them.
The crewmen release the lines, and the boat drops- INT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVES – NIGHT
The pirate group moves deeper into the caves. Will moves along unwillingly.
PINTEL No reason to fret. It’s just a prick of the finger and a few drops of blood.
BARBOSSA Turner blood doesn’t flow pure in his veins. (grins) Best play it safe, and spill it all.
PINTEL I guess there is a reason to fret.
EXT. ISLA DE MUERTA – NIGHT
The Dauntless drifts into the lagoon. Norrington and his men prepare to go ashore.
INT. ISLA DE MUERTA – CAVES – NIGHT
Lit by torchlight. Will notices: a crack runs between the floor and the wall of the cave, widening into a ravine.
BARBOSSA Careful, now. You could fall in and still be wonder’n when you’ll hit dirt.
Will makes a decision. He intentionally stumbles. Pintel shoves him forwad-Will continues forward, grabs the pirate in front of him, swings him into the wall of the cave. Catches the pirate’s torch, and uses it to ward off the others.
WILL You deserve to be cursed-and remain cursed!
He steps to one side-and drops into the ravine. The wall of the ravine becomes a loose gravel slope; Will hits it, and tumbles down, disappeats into black.
BARBOSSA Blast him! A pox on him, and his father, and the whole damnable line! Fan out! Find him!
