The gull waddled off of the blanket and hopped up on a pillow, preening his feathers after the man had suddenly taken refuge under the blanket. Calypso peeled back the blanket from the man's face and giggled like a dolphin at his closed eye. He amused her, like all mortals amused her; she smoothed some hair back from his forehead as though he were a little boy. James peeped his eye open to look at her and she continued to smile at him.

"The Pirate Lords in their vanity and arrogance dared to think that they could forego my blessing. They must be humbled. 'A short drop and sudden stop.' Is that not what you used to say?" the goddess asked him. His heart pounding in his chest, James nodded, becoming lightheaded as her intimate knowledge struck him again. He closed his eye and took a deep breath. Holding it for a moment in his chest, James finally let it out in one long sigh between his lips and opened his eye again and looking square at her.

"Forgive me, I know how to speak to lords and admirals, but I do not know how to speak to a goddess. I thank you for my life," Norrington said. There was a "but" waiting behind his teeth, but he had not the courage to say it. He asked instead, "If I am to serve you, how will I go about it? I have no ships, not a penny to my name, and no sway with either the Navy or the Company. My life is in the hands of Lord Cutler Beckett and he will not set me free to do your bidding."

"Cutler Beckett is dead," Calypso informed him and James unconsciously slacked at the news, "And the world thinks you are dead. You are free from his machinations and from his Company. You will be given a ship and a crew and you will hunt down the Pirate Lords." His mind reeled; James had not agreed to serve this goddess and here she was giving him commandments. Calypso narrowed her eyes at his thoughts, "You owe me your life, James Norrington, and you will do my bidding."

"But I don't know the Pirate Lords," James stuttered, thrown by the sudden cruelty in the cast of her lips as she glowered down at him. "There are nine Pirate Lords: Capt. Ammand of the Black Sea, Hector Barbosa of the Caspian Sea, Capt. Chevalle of the Mediterranean, Madame Ching of the Pacific, Sumbhajee Angria of the Indian Ocean, Eduardo Villanueva of the Adriatic Sea, Gentleman Jocard of the Atlantic, and the Pirate King Elizabeth Swann of the South China Sea."

James was shocked, clearly much had happened since he and Elizabeth had last parted ways. Elizabeth was alive and now a goddess wanted her dead. Oh God, why was life always so difficult when it came to him and Elizabeth Swann? Wait a moment. Nine Pirate Lords? "But you've only given me eight names," James pointed out. "Who is the ninth?" "The ninth is Witty Jack of the Caribbean," Calypso explained as a smile reclaimed her face, "and you shall not harm him."

Norrington's face hardened and he grimaced fiercely as he said, "Not harm him? Not harm him? And why is he to be spared when I am charged with all the others? With Elizabeth? If you are to spare Jack Sparrow then can I not spare Elizabeth?" "I am capricious," was all Calypso said. James waited a beat longer, expecting more, and when none was forthcoming he said, "No. I will not do it. I will not serve you. Take back this life you gave me. I want it not."

The seagull paused from preening himself and laughed at him with a series of caws. The goddess rose before him, her visage full of rage, and the air in the cavern shifted. Looming over him from her full height she was still beautiful as the dawn as she was as treacherous as the sea and James was in horrified awe of her. Just as suddenly as a squall, she blew out and came to kneel next to him again as calm as the eye of a hurricane. Norrington flinched to have her so close to him.

"I can give you recommence for Witty Jack. I can give you all the wisdom in the world," Calypso bargained with him and James was suddenly struck by an old tale he had heard as a midshipman. An old sailor from Norway had told enthralling tales and one featured the pagan god Odin who had shed his eye in exchange for the Tree of the World to give him infinite wisdom. James touched the drooping lid of his empty eye socket and wondered.

"The infinite and sacred secrets of the universe have never held any appeal to me; I should like my eye back," Norrington said. Calypso smirked at him, "A wise man you are already, James Norrington. I shall like the look of you with both of those pretty eyes in your head. I shall enjoy seeing my reflection in them." She retrieved the jar full of eyeballs and knelt down next to his blind side. With a twist of her wrist his eyeball appeared in her fingers as though she had just plucked an olive from the jar.

Queasiness roiled in Norrongton's stomach and he could taste the meal he had just eaten at the back of his throat. "Be still," the goddess sighed as she pressed him back against the bedding, "Close your eye." James did as he was bid and felt the fingers of her empty hand splay his eyelid open. He felt his own eyeball being pressed past his lids and something slithered into his empty socket. James whimpered, squeezing his other eye shut and his throat closed on the rising bile.

All at once he could feel her fingers on his eyeball and as she pulled her fingers away he could see. Blinking, he brought both hands up to his eyes and he could see without turning his head. James closed his eyes and his fingers touched his lashes and he felt the hard lumps of his eyes behind them. Trembling, he opened his eyes and when he could still see he came to find himself weeping. The seagull cawed, laughing at him once more. Calypso was satisfied in her power to bring this mortal man to tears.