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Description
The Code

(…)
   Elizabeth saw the bearded Indian pirate nudging the servant to his right, who started to talk for his master. Elizabeth started wondering why didn’t the man just spoke for himself.
   ‘Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly!’ the Indian man said, banging his wrist against the table. His master didn’t even seem to be listening to him. ‘Hang the Code! Who cares a—‘
   A loud bang was heard and the man fell down, dead. Sri Sumbhajee and his other servants looked at him falling, but did not move. A short man, looking European, took off his hat in respect, but quickly put it back when he saw all the other Pirate Lords had gotten up from their seats and were looking at the other end of the room, where the man who shot was standing, blowing the smoke out of his gun.
   ‘Code is the law’ he said with a low, deep voice.
   Jack didn’t look at him, but he seemed even more terrified by hearing this voice.
   Slowly, the old pirate walked away from the platform he was in onto the point of attention, where Jack was standing. His thick dreadlocks balanced as he walked, such as the many golden crosses and jewelry hanging from his hair, ears, neck and hands. Beyond his shaggy eyebrows, his black moustache, his short beard and his many scars, a vague expression of a mix of anger and boredom could be spotted. He was protected by large red robes that were only used by the noblemen of those times, and wore a big hat with faison feathers. Over all, he seemed to be a bigger, older, more respectful version of Jack Sparrow.
   When he reached Jack, who still hadn’t move, he whispered ‘You’re in my way, boy’. Jack moved over to let him pass without a word, without even looking at him, looking embarassed.
   This man, Captain Teague, called two elderly men, who brought a huge, dusty square thing that at first seemed like a box; but then, as they layed it heavily on the table, where everyone could see it, it became clear that it was actually an enormous book, closed with a lock, its cover having the inscription «PIRATA CODEX» in golden letters.
   ‘The Code’ Ragetti said to himself, astonished of actually seeing it for the first time.
   ‘The Code...’ Pintel repeated.
   ‘As set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew’ said Ragetti.
   Teague whistled and waved. A shaggy brown dog, the very same dog who guarded the keys for Port Loyal’s prison and who had been abandoned in the Pelegostos’ Island, appeared from a corner with a new set of keys in its mouth, as it always had, which it handed to Teague.
   ‘Hey, that can’t... how did—‘ Pintel and Ragetti started to say, wondering how the dog had escaped the Pelegostos. Teague shrugged and simply said: ‘Sea turtles, mate.’
   The dog barked happily twice and ran away. Jack gave out a little smile.
   ‘Sea turtles...’ Pintel and Ragetti repeated to themselves.
   With the keys, Teague opened the lock that enabled to open the large book. When opened, it released a lot of dust, which made the Chinese woman sneeze and turn her face the other way.
   Captain Teague searched the right page and looked for the rule that confirmed that only the Pirate King could declare war. He humbled a vague song while he did this, while everyone else in the room awaited with ansiety. He kept passing his fingers, adorned with old rings with skulls, through the old yellow pages like he was used to do it everyday, with Jack peeking over his shoulder. The book was filled with small notes on the sides, and many small parchments with death warrants and translation notes rested between the pages.
   At last, Teague found a chapter with the inscription «Article One – Our Lords and Our King».
   ‘Ah...’ he said finally, pointing at a paragraph of the enormous page ‘...Barbossa is right.’
   Barbossa smiled, not appearing to be surprised at all, and made a grateful vain. Jack approached the Code as Teague moved aside, starting to read silently what he had pointed at.
   ‘Hang on a minute... “it shall be the duties as the King to declare war...” ’ he read, stopping at the end of the sentence, ‘ “...Parley with shared adversaries”... Fancy that.’
‘There’s not been a King since the first Court’ the Frenchman said. ‘And it is unlikely to change.’
   ‘Unlikely...’ Teague repeated, looking at Jack and starting to move away.
   ‘Why not?’ asked Elizabeth.
   ‘Ah, see’ Gibbs explained, ‘the Pirate King is elected by popular vote—‘
   ‘And each pirate only ever votes for hisself!’ Barbossa completed.
   ‘I call for a vote!’ Jack said immedeatly. If he couldn’t get these pirates to go out and fight, he’d be serving in the Dutchman until ships started being built in iron.
   All the pirates started protesting, and Barbossa rolled his eyes. Why would this idiot be wanting to waste time like this? In every voting made, every pirate always tided with all the others; everyone of them had always one vote only, their own.
   Meanwhile, Teague had sitten down in a chair a bit distanced from the central table, decorated with skulls, and pulled out of a small wooden guitar. As he started playing a calm melody, a melody to remember quiter, simpler times, the Prison Dog fetched the Code’s keys again and layed down near Teague’s feet.
   One of the Pirate Lords, with black long beards and a Persian-looking cloth in his head got up.
   ‘I vote for Ammand, the Corsair’ he said.
   The French, painted man standed up and voted:
   ‘Capitaine Chevalle, the penniless Frenchman.’
   Another of Sri Sumbhajee’s servants, standing on his left, said without even being told by his master:
   ‘Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee.’
   And so Teague continued playing, apparentally not paying attention to what was going on.
   The Chinese woman shouted, looking around:
   ‘Mistress Ching!’
   The African Lord voted:
   ‘Gentleman Jocard!’
   Elizabeth, seeing how it was her turn, thought to herself to go with the flow.
   ‘Elizabeth Swann’ she said.
   Captain Barbossa quickly said, a bit tired:
   ‘Barbossa.’
   The Spanish chubby man got up and said violently:
   ‘Villanueva!’
   Teague continued playing calmly, as it was Jack’s turn to vote.
   ‘Elizabeth Swann.’
   Barbossa seemed astonished, such as everyone else, except for Teague.
   ‘What?’ Elizabeth asked, surprised.
   ‘I know. Curious, isn’t it?’ Jack said, with a smile on his face.
   All of the other pirates started yelling and protesting to each others, mainly to Jack. A pirate voting for someone else? This would mean there would actually be a king. Quickly they started to tell Jack to take it back, or, if he wanted to vote for someone other than himself, to vote for them instead. Mistress Ching started crying in despair, Gentleman Jocard started to threaten Jack and Chevalle insulted him in French.
   And still Captain Teague continued playing, very calmly... even the dog seemed to have fallen asleep, despite all the noise.
   Jack tried to yell louder than the others so to get silence.
   ‘Am I to understand you will not be keeping to the Code, then?’
   Teague’s song stopped violently, as one of the guitar’s string broke. He looked with anger to the Pirate Lords, who sitted down once more, afraid of the Keeper of the Code. Only Mistress Ching remained up.
   ‘Very well’ she said to Jack, before turning to Elizabeth. All eyes turned to her as well.
   ‘What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?’
   Confidentally, she looked at every pirate in the room.
   ‘Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn... we’re at war.’
   She looked to Jack, who smiled.
   A small whisper started to run through the now-scared pirates.
   For the first time, Sri Sumbhajee got up. Now it could be seen he was a short man, but with a strong, confident look. However, when he spoke, a very high-pitched voice was heard:
   ‘And so, we shall go to war!’
   Jack looked at him, surprised. That’s not how he had imagined the man’s voice would be.
   Now excited, all the pirates started crying, some anxious to the good fight they would have in the morning, others mad about the conclusion that was taken, especially Barbossa. The decision was taken. In the confusion, no one saw him looking at Ragetti, who was still holding all the pieces of eight, and telling him to guard them. Pintel quickly covered Ragetti, who guarded the objects in his coat as the other pirates walked away to the entrance, back to their ships, shouting and singing loudly.
   Jack felt good. His plan was going fine. Confidentally, he looked at Captain Teague, still sitting in his chair. The old man looked at the pirate with melancholic eyes.
   ‘What?’ Jack said. ‘You’ve seen it all, done it all. You survived.’
   Teague put the guitar down on the floor.
   ‘That’s the trick, isn’t it?... to survive.’ Jack said to Teague.
   ‘It’s not just about living forever, Jackie’ Teague told his son. He got up and walked to Jack. ‘The trick is... living with yourself forever.’
   Jack thought about this for a second, not knowing what to answer.
   ‘How’s mom?’ he asked, a bit frightened she would show up there as well.
   Teague took from a pocket a black, shrunken head of a woman with two sticks stitching her mouth.
   Jack said, scared: ‘... She looks great.’

Description
The Code

(…)
   Elizabeth saw the bearded Indian pirate nudging the servant to his right, who started to talk for his master. Elizabeth started wondering why didn’t the man just spoke for himself.
   ‘Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly!’ the Indian man said, banging his wrist against the table. His master didn’t even seem to be listening to him. ‘Hang the Code! Who cares a—‘
   A loud bang was heard and the man fell down, dead. Sri Sumbhajee and his other servants looked at him falling, but did not move. A short man, looking European, took off his hat in respect, but quickly put it back when he saw all the other Pirate Lords had gotten up from their seats and were looking at the other end of the room, where the man who shot was standing, blowing the smoke out of his gun.
   ‘Code is the law’ he said with a low, deep voice.
   Jack didn’t look at him, but he seemed even more terrified by hearing this voice.
   Slowly, the old pirate walked away from the platform he was in onto the point of attention, where Jack was standing. His thick dreadlocks balanced as he walked, such as the many golden crosses and jewelry hanging from his hair, ears, neck and hands. Beyond his shaggy eyebrows, his black moustache, his short beard and his many scars, a vague expression of a mix of anger and boredom could be spotted. He was protected by large red robes that were only used by the noblemen of those times, and wore a big hat with faison feathers. Over all, he seemed to be a bigger, older, more respectful version of Jack Sparrow.
   When he reached Jack, who still hadn’t move, he whispered ‘You’re in my way, boy’. Jack moved over to let him pass without a word, without even looking at him, looking embarassed.
   This man, Captain Teague, called two elderly men, who brought a huge, dusty square thing that at first seemed like a box; but then, as they layed it heavily on the table, where everyone could see it, it became clear that it was actually an enormous book, closed with a lock, its cover having the inscription «PIRATA CODEX» in golden letters.
   ‘The Code’ Ragetti said to himself, astonished of actually seeing it for the first time.
   ‘The Code...’ Pintel repeated.
   ‘As set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew’ said Ragetti.
   Teague whistled and waved. A shaggy brown dog, the very same dog who guarded the keys for Port Loyal’s prison and who had been abandoned in the Pelegostos’ Island, appeared from a corner with a new set of keys in its mouth, as it always had, which it handed to Teague.
   ‘Hey, that can’t... how did—‘ Pintel and Ragetti started to say, wondering how the dog had escaped the Pelegostos. Teague shrugged and simply said: ‘Sea turtles, mate.’
   The dog barked happily twice and ran away. Jack gave out a little smile.
   ‘Sea turtles...’ Pintel and Ragetti repeated to themselves.
   With the keys, Teague opened the lock that enabled to open the large book. When opened, it released a lot of dust, which made the Chinese woman sneeze and turn her face the other way.
   Captain Teague searched the right page and looked for the rule that confirmed that only the Pirate King could declare war. He humbled a vague song while he did this, while everyone else in the room awaited with ansiety. He kept passing his fingers, adorned with old rings with skulls, through the old yellow pages like he was used to do it everyday, with Jack peeking over his shoulder. The book was filled with small notes on the sides, and many small parchments with death warrants and translation notes rested between the pages.
   At last, Teague found a chapter with the inscription «Article One – Our Lords and Our King».
   ‘Ah...’ he said finally, pointing at a paragraph of the enormous page ‘...Barbossa is right.’
   Barbossa smiled, not appearing to be surprised at all, and made a grateful vain. Jack approached the Code as Teague moved aside, starting to read silently what he had pointed at.
   ‘Hang on a minute... “it shall be the duties as the King to declare war...” ’ he read, stopping at the end of the sentence, ‘ “...Parley with shared adversaries”... Fancy that.’
‘There’s not been a King since the first Court’ the Frenchman said. ‘And it is unlikely to change.’
   ‘Unlikely...’ Teague repeated, looking at Jack and starting to move away.
   ‘Why not?’ asked Elizabeth.
   ‘Ah, see’ Gibbs explained, ‘the Pirate King is elected by popular vote—‘
   ‘And each pirate only ever votes for hisself!’ Barbossa completed.
   ‘I call for a vote!’ Jack said immedeatly. If he couldn’t get these pirates to go out and fight, he’d be serving in the Dutchman until ships started being built in iron.
   All the pirates started protesting, and Barbossa rolled his eyes. Why would this idiot be wanting to waste time like this? In every voting made, every pirate always tided with all the others; everyone of them had always one vote only, their own.
   Meanwhile, Teague had sitten down in a chair a bit distanced from the central table, decorated with skulls, and pulled out of a small wooden guitar. As he started playing a calm melody, a melody to remember quiter, simpler times, the Prison Dog fetched the Code’s keys again and layed down near Teague’s feet.
   One of the Pirate Lords, with black long beards and a Persian-looking cloth in his head got up.
   ‘I vote for Ammand, the Corsair’ he said.
   The French, painted man standed up and voted:
   ‘Capitaine Chevalle, the penniless Frenchman.’
   Another of Sri Sumbhajee’s servants, standing on his left, said without even being told by his master:
   ‘Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee.’
   And so Teague continued playing, apparentally not paying attention to what was going on.
   The Chinese woman shouted, looking around:
   ‘Mistress Ching!’
   The African Lord voted:
   ‘Gentleman Jocard!’
   Elizabeth, seeing how it was her turn, thought to herself to go with the flow.
   ‘Elizabeth Swann’ she said.
   Captain Barbossa quickly said, a bit tired:
   ‘Barbossa.’
   The Spanish chubby man got up and said violently:
   ‘Villanueva!’
   Teague continued playing calmly, as it was Jack’s turn to vote.
   ‘Elizabeth Swann.’
   Barbossa seemed astonished, such as everyone else, except for Teague.
   ‘What?’ Elizabeth asked, surprised.
   ‘I know. Curious, isn’t it?’ Jack said, with a smile on his face.
   All of the other pirates started yelling and protesting to each others, mainly to Jack. A pirate voting for someone else? This would mean there would actually be a king. Quickly they started to tell Jack to take it back, or, if he wanted to vote for someone other than himself, to vote for them instead. Mistress Ching started crying in despair, Gentleman Jocard started to threaten Jack and Chevalle insulted him in French.
   And still Captain Teague continued playing, very calmly... even the dog seemed to have fallen asleep, despite all the noise.
   Jack tried to yell louder than the others so to get silence.
   ‘Am I to understand you will not be keeping to the Code, then?’
   Teague’s song stopped violently, as one of the guitar’s string broke. He looked with anger to the Pirate Lords, who sitted down once more, afraid of the Keeper of the Code. Only Mistress Ching remained up.
   ‘Very well’ she said to Jack, before turning to Elizabeth. All eyes turned to her as well.
   ‘What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?’
   Confidentally, she looked at every pirate in the room.
   ‘Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn... we’re at war.’
   She looked to Jack, who smiled.
   A small whisper started to run through the now-scared pirates.
   For the first time, Sri Sumbhajee got up. Now it could be seen he was a short man, but with a strong, confident look. However, when he spoke, a very high-pitched voice was heard:
   ‘And so, we shall go to war!’
   Jack looked at him, surprised. That’s not how he had imagined the man’s voice would be.
   Now excited, all the pirates started crying, some anxious to the good fight they would have in the morning, others mad about the conclusion that was taken, especially Barbossa. The decision was taken. In the confusion, no one saw him looking at Ragetti, who was still holding all the pieces of eight, and telling him to guard them. Pintel quickly covered Ragetti, who guarded the objects in his coat as the other pirates walked away to the entrance, back to their ships, shouting and singing loudly.
   Jack felt good. His plan was going fine. Confidentally, he looked at Captain Teague, still sitting in his chair. The old man looked at the pirate with melancholic eyes.
   ‘What?’ Jack said. ‘You’ve seen it all, done it all. You survived.’
   Teague put the guitar down on the floor.
   ‘That’s the trick, isn’t it?... to survive.’ Jack said to Teague.
   ‘It’s not just about living forever, Jackie’ Teague told his son. He got up and walked to Jack. ‘The trick is... living with yourself forever.’
   Jack thought about this for a second, not knowing what to answer.
   ‘How’s mom?’ he asked, a bit frightened she would show up there as well.
   Teague took from a pocket a black, shrunken head of a woman with two sticks stitching her mouth.
   Jack said, scared: ‘... She looks great.’