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Elizabeth Swann stood on a balcony of the governor's mansion and stared at the terrible scene in front of her. Through the fog and smoke that filled the sky, she could make out the buildings in the town—or what was left of them. Fires raged all over the harbor and docks, illuminating the night with an unnatural glow. As Elizabeth watched, cannons continued to boom, and from Fort Charles, the sound of heavy gunfire could be heard.
Suddenly, the gate to the mansion was thrown open and pirates rushed into view. Elizabeth gasped. Turning, she ran inside and headed toward the top of the stairs. Reaching the landing that looked out over the foyer, she saw the butler approaching the front door.
"Don't," she started to shout. But it was too late. The butler opened the door to a mob of pirates, led by Pintel and Ragetti. Pintel aimed his gun directly at the butler.
"Hello chum," said Pintel, firing the gun.
As the butler crumpled to the ground, Elizabeth screamed. Pintel looked up and smiled, the gun still smoking in his hand. Glancing at Ragetti, the two dashed for the stairs in hot pursuit of Elizabeth.
Terrified, Elizabeth ran back up the stairs to her room, slamming the door and locking it. Estrella was right behind her, looking as terrified as Elizabeth felt.
"Miss Swann," she whispered. "They come to kidnap you?"
Elizabeth stared at Estrella in shock. The girl was right. She was the governor's daughter, after all, and would be very valuable in a trade if captured. The sound of a body slamming against the door snapped Elizabeth into action. As the door shook and the knob rattled, Elizabeth pushed Estrella back and out of sight. "They haven't seen you. Hide, and first chance, run for the fort," she ordered.
Suddenly, the door gave way and Pintel and Ragetti burst into the room just in time to see the flash of Elizabeth's white dress as she darted into the adjoining room. They raced after her.
Elizabeth, however, was not going to hide. She grabbed the closest thing to a weapon she had—the heavy pan filled with hot coals that served as a bed warmer. As Pintel entered the room, she swung, hitting him square in the face and knocking him to the ground. While he lay on the ground groaning, she swung again, this time aiming for Ragetti. But the tall pirate reached up, and with one hand, stopped Elizabeth in midswing. Laughing, he watched as she struggled to pull the pan away from him.
"Boo," he said with a laugh.
Glancing up at her raised hand, Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow. Ragetti followed her gaze, looking confused by the girl's lack of fear. Then, with one quick pull of her finger, she flipped the heated pan's latch and the lid flipped open, dropping ash and burning coals onto Ragetti's upturned face. Screaming, the pirate let go of Elizabeth.
Without a backward glance, Elizabeth ran out of the room and headed toward the foyer staircase. On the landing that overlooked the foyer, Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. All around her pirates raced back and forth. Some were chasing the governor's servants, while others dragged loot away. Elizabeth flew down the stairs, her white bedroom slippers a blur beneath her dressing gown. Pintel and Ragetti followed close behind.
Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Ragetti leaped over the balcony and landed in front of Elizabeth, a flaming torch in his hand. He let out a vicious growl, forcing Elizabeth to take a step back—closer to Pintel. Frantically, Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two pirates, unsure of what to do. She was trapped. Suddenly, a low whine filled the air, causing Elizabeth and the two men to glance curiously toward the mansion's front door. Moments later, the wall exploded as a cannonball ripped through the room, taking down a pirate as he struggled with an armful of gold and jewels.
With Pintel and Ragetti distracted, Elizabeth once again took off at a run, ducking into the dining room. Quickly, she placed a candelabrum over the doorknobs, temporarily locking out the pirates. As the pirates cursed and pulled at the door, Elizabeth frantically searched the room for a weapon. Her eyes landed on a pair of crossed swords hanging on a piece of carved wood above the fireplace. She reached up to grab one, but it was stuck in the wood. The swords were nothing more than decoration. The rattling at the door grew louder. Diving into the small linen closet, Elizabeth shut the door behind her and waited as quietly as she could.
Just as Elizabeth shut the closet door behind her, Pintel and Ragetti broke through the door to the room. But the room looked empty to the pirates. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. In the dim torchlight, they noticed that one of the windows was open, its curtain blowing in the gentle night breeze.
"We know you're here, poppet," Pintel said in a singsong tone. "Come out, and we promise we won't hurt you."
Inside the closet, Elizabeth whimpered.
Pintel continued to pace around the room, his eyes scanning the walls. "We will find you, poppet… you've got something of ours, and it calls to us," he said. Then, with a smile, he added, "The gold calls to us."
Shrinking back against the linen-lined shelves of the closet, Elizabeth reached for her neck. The Medallion! Pulling it away from her neck, she held it in her fingertips, watching as a ray of light from outside caused it to spark and glow brighter. Suddenly, the light faded and the Medallion returned to darkness. Looking up, Elizabeth gasped. Staring back at her through a crack in the door, mere inches from her face, was Pintel.
"Hello, poppet," he said. He flung the closet door open. Cocking his gun, Pintel took one step forward. But Elizabeth's next words stopped him cold.
"Parley ," she said. "I invoke the right of parley! According to the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you must take me to your captain!"
Pintel glared at Elizabeth. "I know the Code," he said slowly, his eyes flashing in anger. The girl was smart. To invoke parley guaranteed that she would remain safe—for a little while longer. As Ragetti took a threatening step forward, his knife drawn, Pintel put out a hand to stop him. "She wants to be taken to the captain," he said, "and we must honor the Code."