18. Calypso's Heart

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"Damn you, woman!" Jack pushed Rose away, and pounced on Elizabeth and Gibbs

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"Damn you, woman!" Jack pushed Rose away, and pounced on Elizabeth and Gibbs. They apparently had kept their weapons in hand for they met his attack without delay.

Rose sank to her knees as the bravery abandoned her. She felt an odd mixture of anger at Jack's threatening her and relief that she had judged him right. He had not hurt her, and now she knew for sure he never would.

But what if he wounded any of the others? She cast a frightened glance at the fight. Elizabeth was pregnant, she must not get hurt either. When fencing with sharp weapons anything could happen.

Then Rose got an idea. Perhaps the sea goddess could put a stop to this. She picked up the tinderbox Jack had placed beside the fireplace, and with shaking fingers she struck the steel with the flint over the wooden pig. After a few tries she produced a rain of sparks, and that was all it took; the rum ignited and soon everything had caught fire.

A pungent smell of burned bacon and alcohol spread among them as smoke billowed up in a grey column. From the lagoon came a low rumble, like thunder. The clangs of steel ceased as the other three realized what Rose had done, and all eyes were turned to the water. It had become unruly, with bubbles forming like in a huge, boiling cauldron. The rumbling increased into a nearly deafening crescendo, and then a massive structure of seaweed and various sea creatures formed in the center of the lagoon. It looked humanoid, with a face, body, arms and legs, reminding Rose vaguely of the painting Vertumnus, the one with a man's face made up of fruit and vegetables.

"It worked," she cried, temporarily forgetting the fight over the Heart in her relief that the wooden pig had been a suitable sacrifice.

The strange creature in the water changed, solidified and morphed into a woman, thrice as tall as a human being. Her skin was brown, decorated with a pattern of black marks, and her ebony hair was worn in matted, messy braids. Her black lips were drawn back into a snarl and her furious glare pierced Jack and Elizabeth.

"How dare you summon me again, Pirate Lords?" She pronounced the words slowly and distinctly in an accent Rose did not recognize, her deep voice echoing between the surrounding cliffs.

Jack mutely held out the Heart of the Ocean towards her. It had changed. No longer was it a cool, blue diamond; in the presence of its owner it had become crimson, pulsating with power, beating like a living heart.

"You... It was YOU! You took my heart, Jack Sparrow." Calypso pointed accusingly at Jack. He flinched guiltily and took a step backwards.

"Captain," he mumbled. "It's Captain Jack Sparrow."

Gibbs gawked at Jack with bulging eyes. "The dishonest lover was you?"

"A sea goddess' lover?" Rose stared at him too. "Not that I blame her," she added silently.

"You never cease to amaze me, Jack. How could you steal her very heart?" Gibbs shook his head in disbelief.

"Borrow. I only borrowed it! And I was going to return it." He backed another step as Calypso towered over him, fuming with rage.

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