“Sir, please grab on to me,” James begged. But Blackbeard was either passed out or dead. James wasn’t going to lose him, not after everything they had been through. “Sir! Wake up,” he said, slapping his captain with a massive blow, bringing him around. “I’m sorry, sir. Hold on to me,” James said, but he did not know if Blackbeard could hear him. The captain looked horribly pale, and James wasn’t sure Blackbeard would survive this.

“Skylights, get all the men to pull us up! I can’t drag him up myself,” James said, holding on to the rope ladder, not sure the men would be able to hoist them up, either. Blackbeard was much heavier than James, and now James was worried he had made a mistake tethering them together.

“Sir, please don’t let go, you’ll take me down with you,” he said as the crew pulled on the rope ladder with all their might, inch by inch, until they finally pulled Blackbeard and James up, slamming them violently back on deck. James undid his belt, got up, and pounded Blackbeard’s sternum, forcing the water from his lungs like a geyser. Blackbeard was gasping for breath, sputtering and spewing out water, but he didn’t seem able to breathe. James kept pounding, hoping he would be able to force out all the water, when suddenly he felt someone violently pull him backward and away from Blackbeard.

“What are you doing to him?” yelled Jukes, holding a knife against James’s throat. James sat there frozen in fear and dazed by everything that had happened.

“He was saving my life, you old fool of a seadog!” said Blackbeard, sitting up and catching his breath. “Put that knife away and assess the damage of my ship!” said Blackbeard. Then, looking at James, he asked, “Is everyone accounted for, James?”

James got back on his feet, his legs shaking, and took a look around, feeling dazed and out of breath. “Men, sound off!” he bellowed. Everyone but Mullins and Smee called out their names.

“Smee, are you all right?” asked James, looking up at the crow’s nest, which seemed like it could collapse at any moment. “Smee, my dear fellow, get down here at once!”

“Aye, sir!” said Smee, appearing as though he fared much better than anyone else in their company, but afraid to climb down the damaged pole.

“Skylights, how’s our ship?” James felt dizzy, unsteady on his feet, and his nerves were frayed—plus, he had somehow lost track of Blackbeard. “Someone help Smee out of that crow’s nest! And where’s the bloody captain?”

“The captain is in his quarters, sir. He didn’t look well,” yelled Mullins as he lent a hand to Wibbles, who was helping Smee onto the deck, finally free of the crow’s nest.