Jack and Neil exchanged a curious look with one another. Who were these mysterious people that Hickory Stick Bill was talking about, and what manner of skullduggery had they been up to on Smuttynose Island? Could it have possibly been...?
“Do you think it was the work of the Black Hats?” Neil asked his friend, giving voice to their shared suspicions.
“Hmm... it’s certainly possible. They’re the only band of mad scientists that I know of. But what on earth could they have been doing? I mean, did you see the size of that crab?” Turning his attention to the pirate, Jack inquired, “I know it was an awfully long time ago, but did they leave any of their equipment behind? Could we take a look at it?”
Hickory Stick Bill snorted. “Not unless you can hold your breath like a porpoise, boy. Their former possessions now lie beneath the water, in the Crab King’s lair. Those shiny contraptions made fine gifts for the ruler of Smuttynose!”
Jack sighed, envisioning millions of dollars of high tech equipment rusting away beneath the water, all for the sake of appeasing the Crab King. “Considering what we’ve already learned about you, I suppose I shouldn’t be particularly surprised by that answer.”
The cavern shuddered and shook, trembling beneath the feet of the Beans. The air was electric with the force of Pan Gu’s workings, adding to the aura of instability.
“I, for one, think it might be time to abandon this cavern,” Neil said. “The weather outside isn’t very pleasant, but I think it’s going to be a whole lot safer than this cavern. These monsters are tearing the place apart!”
“My precious hideout,” Hickory Stick Bill murmured, shaking his head sadly. The Beans watched in amazement as the grizzled pirate wiped at a tear that escaped from the corner of his eye. “It’s served my bloodline well for so very many years. But I fear you’re right - it won’t survive much more of this abuse.”
Chunks of rock were falling at an increased pace, splashing into the water and colliding with the shore. A stalactite plummeted down and crashed into the pirate’s piano, smashing it to smithereens with a tremendous discord. Fragments of rock and busted wood scattered, taking out various goods.
Jolted by the impact, the chandelier spun wildly, before dropping to the ground amid the wispy streams of snuffed candles. Hickory Stick Bill recoiled as he watched this destruction of his collection of loot.
“As much as I hate to abandon this place...” the pirate said with deep contemplation, “I’ve got a feeling this isn’t my island anymore. It belongs to those giant creatures now. Is there enough space on Smuttynose for both of them? I don’t know, but I trust they’ll find out soon enough.”
The monstrous battle had continued, with both beasts exchanging tremendous blows. Now, their contest seemed to be reaching a crescendo, as each of them exhausted their energies upon defeating the other. The Crab King screeched like a prehistoric creature, and Pan Gu bellowed in return, loosing flame from its mouth and black smoke from its snout.
Dragon claws scraped across crustacean shell, creating a shower of sparks that spread into the air. The Crab King was striking out with its pincers with everything it had, scuttling this way and that to keep up with the nimble serpent.
It was a fascinating spectacle, and the Beans watched it with great interest, peering around the edge of the Queen Anne’s Mild Rebuttal. Hickory Stick Bill wisely kept his eyes averted, for fear of becoming once more stupefied.
“As awesome as this monster mash is, we’ve got to get out of here while we still can - we’ve got to make a bolt for it!” Jack shouted over the roaring of beasts and thunderbolts alike.
Nibbler was animatedly jumping up and down, woofing his agreement with the plan. Murphy was anxiously hopping from foot to foot and waving the humans into action with his paws. Neil once more lifted Noodles’ noggin, this time handing it to Jack for safekeeping.
As the Beans began bolting for the entrance to the cavern, they could see the violent storm that awaited them, raging outside in full force. Though they knew it was still daytime, the world had turned dark. Frequent streaks of lightning brought illumination, forking across the sky in jagged patterns of brilliant white.
Rain pelted the earth and the ocean, while gale-force winds lashed the trees and vegetation. Huge waves were being created by the storm, and they crashed into the boulders that lined the cove. Blasts of thunder occurred so rapidly, it sounded like an exchange of cannon fire between battleships.
The storm that awaited the Beans was not exactly a welcome sight, but it was a marked improvement over the crumbling cavern and the dangerous giants that were bringing it down.
As the boys looked over their shoulders, they saw that Hickory Stick Bill was not following them, which came as quite a shock. Instead, he had his back turned to the Beans, and he was facing his ship.
“What’s that maniac doing?” Neil asked.
“I can’t believe this!” Jack exclaimed.
The Beans took a dozen steps back toward the pirate, and then shouted to get his attention.
“Hey! Mr. Hickory Stick, you’ve got to come with us,” Neil called. “Forget about your ship, you’ve got to leave it behind!”
The pirate turned and regarded the Beans. His eyes were once more filled with fire and the passion for adventure that Neil and Jack recognized. He was already unlashing one of the ropes that held the ship to the dock, and he continued working as he spoke to them.
“Nay, I won’t leave my ship! She’s all I’ve got now... I may have lost my ancestor’s hideout, and all of the loot my bloodline has acquired over the generations, but I won’t lose my ship. A pirate without a ship is like a bird without wings! I wouldn’t know how to live without her!”
“Dude, you’ve got to get with the times - pirating is no longer a viable career!” Neil argued. “Have you considered contributing to society? There’s a lot of other things you can do besides, uh… you know, plundering and whatnot. Come with us!”
Hickory Stick Bill threw back his head and laughed, all the while struggling to unlash the ship, which was violently rocking against the dock. “You landlubbers know not the way of the sea. You wouldn’t understand!”
“If you say so, mister. But we’re telling you, there’s some really great stuff you’re missing out on, back in civilization. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste... man, I bet you’ve never even had a pizza or played video games!” Jack added.
“Farewell, lads - and you know something… you’re not half bad, as far as children are concerned,” the pirate admitted, as he continued working to untie his ship.
Realizing there was no way they were going to persuade Hickory Stick Bill, the Beans decided to leave him be and hope for the best. There was precious little time to spare, and they sensed that any moment might be the cavern’s last.
“Take care of yourself, buddy!” Neil called.
“Good luck!” Jack shouted.
“Woof!” Nibbler added.
The Beans turned and raced for the exit. Jack clutched Noodles’ head to his stomach like a basketball as he ran, with Neil right beside him. Nibbler led the way, his ears flopping wildly as he sprinted ahead. Murphy scrambled on all fours, sidestepping some obstacles and scurrying over others.
At their backs, they could hear the roar of monsters and the collapsing of the cavern. It sounded, they thought, like nothing short of the end of the world.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
To Be and To Have
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 28
