“Is everything okay?” asked Anne.
The young man didn’t move or respond. Anne drifted over and waved her hand in front of his face.
“Uh, hello?” she said.
Jocelyn joined her, still flipping through her guidebook. “Hmmm, his refusal to interact might suggest some sort of inner conflict on your part. Perhaps you fear your love is unrequited?”
“You can still try the ax if you want,” said Copperhelm.
“Perhaps your dream is in need of a repair technician,” said Rokk.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” said Anne. “This didn’t happen before.”
The deep metallic voice spoke again. “Our apologies. This dream has been interrupted prematurely by an external stimulus. Please secure your subconscious while reentering reality.”
Jocelyn put down the guidebook. “Well, that’s disappointing. I was just starting to get the hang of this.”
“Wait!” said Anne, and she stretched out a hand, but it was too late. Jocelyn and the others disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Somewhere in the distance a crow cawed.
Anne awoke with a start. She was lying on her back on the deck of the Blue Daisy. Someone was kneeling next to her and pinching her arm.
“Ow! Stop that!” said Anne.
Penelope’s face appeared directly over hers. “I told them that would do the trick. Are you okay?”
Anne moved each limb one by one. She ached all over, and her right shoulder was especially tender from where she had slammed into the railing, but overall she appeared to be unharmed.
“I’ll live,” she responded.
Penelope helped Anne to her feet. Marri and Hiro were nearby, along with several members of the pirate crew.
“How long was I out?” asked Anne.
“Only a few minutes,” said Hiro. “But that was long enough for Jeffery to compose a eulogy for you.”
“Well, only eighty-six stanzas so far,” said Jeffery. “I’m especially proud of how I managed to work in the Great Clown Invasion from the last century, but I’m having trouble finding a word to rhyme with kaleidoscope.”
“Try shaleidoscope,” said one of the pirates.
“Oh, that works!”
“I’m just glad I’m not the one who got knocked out for once,” said Penelope.
Anne quickly filled everyone in on her dream, describing the room and her conversation with Jocelyn and the others.
“It didn’t make a whole lot of sense,” she said. “But it reminded me of the dream I had during our second quest, when Emmanuelle’s dragon stone knocked me unconscious for two days.”
“I wouldn’t put too much stock in dreams,” said Marri. “Your time will be better spent focusing on the quest.”
“I suppose,” said Anne. “Speaking of the quest, did we reach our destination?”
“Not yet,” said Hiro. “The engines gave out.”
Marri’s expression darkened. “Someone forgot to refuel the dragon-fire tanks during our last stop. We managed to evade the council ships, but it’s going to take us a few hours to reach our destination.” She turned to the crew. “Well? What are you all standing around for?” she snapped. “Everyone get back to work!”
The crew scurried off.
The ship sailed for the rest of the morning. Shortly after noon, activity on the airship increased as Marri began shouting out various instructions. Every time she gave an order, one of the crew rushed to complete the task. There was a noticeable tension, and the pirates seemed to go out of their way to avoid the upper deck unless absolutely necessary.
For most of the voyage, the ship had weaved its way between the tiers, staying in the shadows to keep out of sight of any patrolling council ships. But they soon broke through a cluster of small tiers into a more open area and headed toward a very large tier floating by itself. It was covered in mountains and forests, but there were no towns or villages. In fact, as far as Anne could tell, there were no manmade structures whatsoever.
“Why are we headed there?” asked Penelope. “It looks uninhabited.”
“Looks can be deceiving” was all Marri said.
The airship dropped lower and headed directly for a point about halfway down the side of the tier. The Blue Daisy wasn’t slowing, and Anne’s pulse increased. The sheer rock was growing ever closer.
Marri raised her hand, and Locke leaned over the railing with a hooded lantern. He opened and shut the hood in a pattern involving short and long flashes. After a brief pause, an answering flash came from the tier. Anne covered her eyes but couldn’t resist peeking between her fingers. Just as the ship reached the side of the tier, the rock wall directly in front of them peeled aside like a curtain to reveal a great crack.
The Blue Daisy sailed into the opening. Locke barked orders at a furious rate, and the crew worked feverishly to keep up. The sails were furled and various ropes were tied down and hatches made secure. The deck was cleared of any loose equipment, and five crew members spread out on each side of the airship. They called out numbers indicating how far the ship was from the walls looming all around them. Locke listened to this constant stream of information and conveyed the necessary instructions to the helmsman, who made the required course corrections. The ship slipped past the rocks, sometimes by only a few feet.
As they exited the tunnel and immediately banked to starboard, Anne didn’t know which way to look first. They were in an enormous cavern, at least a mile across. There was a sizable city surrounding a large lake at the bottom, but even more surprising were the buildings that covered every vertical surface. Some buildings even hung from the ceiling like stalactites. The entire cavern was lit by some sort of glowing moss that dotted the walls and ceiling, and the sight of everything took Anne’s breath away.
“Welcome to the Haven,” said Marri, sounding grim, and Anne got the impression that the pirate captain wasn’t happy to be back here so soon.
Several ships were waiting to exit the tier, but they couldn’t enter the great crack until the Blue Daisy was out of the way. As they glided along the interior wall, they passed an anchored airship that was easily twice as big as theirs.
“Ahoy, the Blue Daisy,” shouted the captain of the larger vessel. He was a heavyset man with a thick brown beard and a bright red overcoat. He tipped his tricorn hat to them.
“Ahoy, the Ticklish Duckfoot,” Marri called back.
“I don’t suppose you could spare an old man a bottle of your finest goat’s milk?”
Marri crossed her arms. “I believe you already owe me for two bottles.”
“Ah, now don’t be like that, Marri. Your goats give the finest milk. Take pity on an old pirate’s stomach.”
“Maybe an old pirate should stop eating hot peppers with every meal.”
The other captain grinned. “We all have our vices.”
For the first time that morning, Marri cracked a smile. She gestured to Locke, and he grabbed a bottle from a nearby crate and tossed it across. The old captain snatched it out of the air with ease.
“Bless your heart, girl,” he said. “I owe you one.”
“No, you owe me three,” she called back. This elicited a hearty laugh from the other captain, and he raised the bottle in thanks.
That brief moment of levity gave Anne hope. Perhaps Marri’s gruff exterior was all an act. But if so, why did she keep such a tight lid on her emotions? What was she hiding from? The other pirates? Octo-Horse Pirate? Something else?
They left the other vessel behind and continued into the heart of the Haven, passing ships and boats of various sizes and configurations. Anne studied the names as they passed: Leaping Hedgehog, Prancing Tulip, Snow Weasel.
Penelope grabbed Anne’s arm and pointed across the cavern to a large airship with green and white stripes. “Ooh, there’s the Flying Watermelon. It was in one of the stories we borrowed from the Saint Lupin’s library, remember?”
“It’s a hard name to forget,” said Anne.
The helmsman weaved the ship through the busy throng to one of the smaller docks halfway up the side of the cavern. They slowed steadily as they approached and came to rest against the dock with only the slightest bump. Crew members threw ropes to waiting dockhands, who tied them securely. Several crew members removed a section of railing and pushed through a ramp that extended from the ship to the dock.
“Mr. Locke, I intend to make our time here as brief as possible,” said Marri. “I’ll trust you to see to the engines and also conduct a brief inspection. Resupply only what we absolutely need.”
“Aye, Captain,” Locke replied crisply.
Marri turned to Anne and the others. “Follow me.”
A pirate stepped in front of the ramp and blocked their way. It was Pirate Fifty-Three, the one who had taken all the medallions from the main office at Saint Lupin’s. “A word, Captain?”
“We don’t have a lot of time,” said Marri. “It will have to wait.”
“I’m afraid this can’t wait, Captain. Mr. Locke ordered me to return those medallions.”
“I fail to see the problem.”
“By contract we get to keep whatever loot we can carry away. Those medallions are my rightful treasure.”
“I have an arrangement with these three, and the medallions are part of it,” said Marri.
The pirate glared at Anne. “And that’s another thing. Since when did we start working with adventurers?”
“Since I said so,” said Marri. “Now get back to your duties.”
Marri started forward again, but the pirate continued blocking their path. “You’re either our captain or you’re a member of their adventuring group. You can’t be both.”
Marri scowled. “Step aside, sailor.”
“If you insist on this course of action, then I see no recourse but to challenge you for leadership of the Blue Daisy.”
All activity on the deck ceased. Marri stared at the pirate for so long that Anne began to wonder if she was going to respond at all.
Locke stepped forward. “He’s new, Captain. Came aboard with the last group of hires back in the winter. If you’ll permit me a few minutes to speak with him, I’m sure we can get this all straightened out.”
Pirate Fifty-Three shook his head. “No. I might not have been here as long as some of the others, but I know my rights. Where I come from, pirates keep their loot, and they don’t join with adventurers. They attack them.”
Anne scanned the rest of the crew. Everyone seemed tense, and many of the pirates had not-so-casually placed their hands on their sword hilts.
“I accept your challenge,” said Marri in a measured tone. “As the one who has been challenged, I get to choose the weapons. The duel will be conducted with swords. But I see no reason for anyone to die, so we will fight to first blood only. The winner will be the undisputed leader of this crew. The loser will be forever banished from serving aboard this ship. Agreed?”
Pirate Fifty-Three spat on the deck. “Agreed.”
“Mr. Locke oversees all duels, and his decisions are final,” said Marri.
“That’s fine,” said Pirate Fifty-Three. “Let’s get on with it.”
The other pirates quickly fanned out in a circle, leaving the center of the deck clear. Marri pulled out her sword and casually checked the blade.
Anne walked over to her and spoke in a low voice. “I take it back. Let him keep the medallions.”
“It’s too late. I can’t ignore a valid challenge,” said Marri. “The pirate laws are clear: If I won’t fight, I automatically concede victory to my opponent. Besides, if I refused now, I would lose the respect of the crew.”
“But what if you lose the duel?” asked Anne.
Marri shrugged. “Then I don’t deserve to be captain of this airship. A crew needs a strong leader.”
“There are lots of ways to show strength. Fighting doesn’t solve everything. As a member of my adventuring group—”
“This is pirate business,” growled Marri. “It has nothing to do with your group or the quest, so you have no authority in this matter. Now stand back!”
Anne reluctantly joined the others at the edge of the circle.
Pirate Fifty-Three stood opposite Marri. He twirled his sword around in several sweeping arcs, switching hands and even passing it behind his back in an intricate display of martial ability. Soon the sword was moving so fast that the blade was practically a blur. Marri simply gave her sword a few subtle practice swings to loosen her arm and wrist.
Penelope leaned over and whispered in Anne’s ear. “Do you want to place a bet? One of the crew is offering three-to-one odds on the captain.”
“That’s terrible!” said Anne.
“Actually, it’s pretty good under the circumstances. They’ve all seen the captain in action, but this Fifty-Three character is a bit of an unknown.”
Anne crossed her arms. “I am not betting on the outcome of this fight.”
Penelope shrugged. “Suit yourself. Hiro and I each bet a copper piece.”
Anne gasped. “Hiro!”
Hiro blushed. “I did it for scientific purposes.”
Locke stepped into the center of the circle. He pointed at each combatant, and they nodded at him to indicate their readiness. Pirate Fifty-Three paced like a caged tiger ready to pounce. He was an imposing figure to begin with, but he looked all the more formidable when compared to Marri sitting in her chair. Marri’s face was unreadable. After a quick survey of the deck to make sure it was clear of any equipment that might interfere with the fight, Locke raised his arm, then quickly dropped it and backed away. The duel had begun.
Pirate Fifty-Three wasted no time. He charged at Marri, his sword whirling back and forth, the blade singing as it cut through the air. Although Fifty-Three was almost upon her, Marri had made no move, either offensive or defensive. Anne resisted the urge to shout a warning. The blade of Fifty-Three’s sword came whistling down—
—only to be deflected by Marri’s blade.
Anne couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t even seen Marri move her arm. There were various grunts of approval from the pirates, as though they had been expecting no less from their captain.
“That was amazing!” Penelope exclaimed, keeping her voice low so as not to cause a distraction. “He’s two and a half times her size. Captain Copperhelm says a smart fighter should always look for ways to redirect the strength of a larger opponent rather than meet them head-on.” Penelope was mimicking the moves of the fighters, even without a sword in her hand.
Pirate Fifty-Three spun away but immediately launched an attack from another angle. He brought his sword around in a powerful arc—only to be deflected again. And once again, Anne barely saw Marri move. Marri had a look of grim determination.
Penelope continued her commentary. “See how she moves her chair in small, tight arcs each time he charges in? That allows her to control the center and forces her opponent to come to her. It’s great economy of energy, but you have to really know what you’re doing.”
Pirate Fifty-Three came at Marri with three quick thrusts, and she deflected each with ease. The crowd was tense, and cries and shouts rang out with each successful parry.
Frustration was showing on Pirate Fifty-Three’s face. He bellowed and leapt straight at Marri, his sword moving so fast that Anne couldn’t see the blade. At the last instant, Marri deftly swiveled her chair out of his path, deflecting his blade yet again with a swift block and countering with an impossible riposte.
Pirate Fifty-Three stumbled into the circle of onlookers. They jumped aside, and he crashed into the railing. When he regained his feet, he was clutching his arm. A line of red trickled from between his fingers.
“First blood,” said Marri.
Her opponent clutched his sword even tighter and looked ready to charge again, but this time the air rang with the sound of a dozen swords being drawn and pointed at him.
Locke stepped forward, sword in hand. “The duel is over. You lost. It’s time
to go.”
Pirate Fifty-Three hesitated only a moment. Seeing that he was clearly outnumbered, not to mention outmatched by the captain, he sheathed his sword and stormed off toward the crew cabin.
Marri approached Locke and spoke in a low voice, although Anne could still hear every word.
“Let him gather his belongings before leaving the ship,” said Marri. “Everything except the medallions.”
“According to pirate law, everything he has belongs to you now,” said Locke.
“And I’m letting him keep it,” said Marri. “Make sure no one harasses him about it, either. Also, I see no need to put a black mark on his record. When word of the duel gets around, he’ll have a difficult enough time signing on with another ship.”
“He deserves a black mark.”
“Nevertheless, those are my orders.”
Locke nodded and strode after the departing pirate.
Anne walked over. “That was very kind of you.”
Marri looked startled. She clearly hadn’t meant anyone else to hear the conversation. Ignoring Anne’s remark, she sheathed her sword. “That cost us precious time. We must get going.”
Anne, Penelope, and Hiro followed her down the ramp and into the city.
THE INTRODUCTION TO A TOURIST’S GUIDE TO THE PYRATE MUSEUM READS AS FOLLOWS:
The Pyrate Museum contains over five hundred thousand exhibits, housed on twenty-one levels. This includes the popular peg leg exhibit, the gold teeth exhibit, and a vast collection of famous swords used as bottle openers. It also includes hundreds of famous treasure maps, such as the well-known Triple Cheese Map (technically a replica, since the original was eaten), Lady Bentley’s Map of Curious Places That Explode (charred beyond legibility), and the much-pondered Invisible Map of Captain Suspicious (which has never been put on public display because, you know, why bother?).
The Cylinder Seal
The streets of the city were steep and winding, but Marri didn’t head up the hill. Instead, she led them to where several pirates were waiting in line to use a series of moving platforms. Anne watched as an old pirate hobbled onto one of the platforms. Once aboard, he pulled a small chain that released a stream of water. The water hit a waterwheel and the platform lurched into motion, carrying the pirate upward.
The Adventurer's Guide to Treasure (and How to Steal It) Page 7
