by Petra James
Sea shanties played on hornpipes filled the air and men laughed as they lunged and lurched, trying to dance dainty steps in the damp sand.
Arkie and TJ listened to the words of one of the shanties as the melody rang out across the sea and into the hearts of all:
‘I wish we’d heard that shanty before we accepted the invitation to Blackbeard’s party,’ said TJ.
‘Me too,’ said Arkie. ‘I don’t think we’ll be playing musical chairs and pass the parcel.’
‘That’s a shame,’ said TJ, ‘because they are both very good party games.’
As Arkie and TJ watched the scene before them, a tall pirate with broad shoulders and a long black beard moved among the men, clapping them on the shoulders and filling up their cups with rum – barrels of which lay in the grass at the edge of the beach.
He was wearing boots, a black shirt and dark trousers, a long red velvet coat and a wide hat. Three pistols hung in a holster around his shoulder and a single gold earring sparkled in the light.
‘I guess that’s him,’ said Arkie, gulping. ‘Blackbeard.’
‘He looks like the devil,’ said TJ.
‘He’s trying to scare people,’ said Arkie.
‘And he’s doing it really really well,’ said TJ. ‘I’ve got the Davy Joneseys already.’
‘The what?’ said Arkie.
‘That’s pirate-speak for jelly in my belly,’ said TJ.
‘I don’t know if I want to meet the most famous pirate of the 18th century,’ said Arkie.
‘Ne’er a truer word was ever spoke, Capt’n,’ said TJ.
‘Why are you talking like that?’ said Arkie.
‘Because we’re surrounded by pirates,’ said TJ. ‘I was a hit at the last Talk Like a Pirate Day at school. Mrs Malakoff said I was a natural and that one of my ancestors was probably a marauding pirate.’
‘I think it’s probably best if we try not to speak at all,’ said Arkie.
‘What are our pirate names in case someone asks us,’ said TJ. ‘I think I’ll be Mad Dog Moody in honour of our missing pooch, Cleo.’
‘You can call me Diamond du Bois,’ said Arkie.
The parrot on Arkie’s shoulder suddenly squawked and they both jumped.
‘Shhh, Mawby,’ said Arkie, putting her hand over the parrot’s beak. ‘You don’t have a talking part. Or a squawking part. You just need to look the part.’
‘There’s Captain Jack Calico,’ said TJ, pointing out a short stocky man smoking a pipe.
‘And Black Bart Roberts is next to him,’ said Arkie.
‘Just as well we’d keyed these Pirate Facial Recognition Sequences into our SEGs,’ said TJ. ‘We need to know who to avoid and who to avoid.’
‘TJ, look,’ said Arkie, pointing to one of the pirates. ‘Is that Anne Bonney? We did a project on her at school.’
‘It sure is,’ said TJ, staring at the red-haired pirate. ‘She was one of the most famous female pirates ever. Mary Read – the other one of the most famous female pirates ever – sailed with Anne Bonney.’
‘That must be Mary Read next to her then,’ said Arkie.
They watched as the women laughed and swished their jugs of rum high in the air.
As Arkie scanned another group of pirates with her SEGs, she noticed a boy lingering on the outside of the group. He had black hair and dark brown eyes and was maybe just a little older than her.
He’s probably a cabin boy, she thought. Boys went to sea very young in the old days.
He was dressed like a cabin boy in a white shirt with a vest and breeches, but there was something not quite right about him. Arkie couldn’t put her finger on it. He was laughing with the rest of the pirates but Arkie realised that although he was trying to look as though he belonged in the group, he didn’t.
He wasn’t speaking directly to anyone, and no one was speaking to him.
And the more Arkie studied him, the more she felt she’d seen him before.
‘That cabin boy – over there,’ she said, pointing him out to TJ. ‘Does he look familiar to you?’
TJ looked at the boy. ‘Never seen him before and no match is coming up on SEGs. Of course, we’ve only been able to get Facial Recognition for famous pirates – pirates for whom there were existing sketches. Maybe he’s just a regular old, but young pirate, who plundered and died – leaving not a trace of his place in the world.’
‘I guess,’ said Arkie, still sure there was more to the boy than this. Her dad said she had inherited the Sparkle Instinct. And treasure hunters trusted their instincts.
‘Just keep an eye on him, okay?’ she said to TJ. ‘Something about him doesn’t fit into this pirate picture.’
‘Just like us, you mean,’ said TJ.
Arkie nodded and looked at her watch. ‘Well, as much as I want to stay hidden in these trees,’ she said.
‘I know,’ said TJ. ‘Me too.’
‘Okay, the plan is in and out. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t linger to talk to any pirates. We’re here to find the ruby by spying on Blackbeard, and pirates don’t like spies.’
‘Aye, aye, Diamond,’ said Mad Dog Moody.
‘After you,’ said Arkie.
‘No, after you,’ said TJ. ‘You’re the one with the parrot.’
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? wondered Arkie as they left the shelter of the trees.
It was time to party.
I Spy
Arkie and TJ pulled their hats low over their faces and walked towards the carousing pirates.
‘Just as well it’s dark,’ said Arkie. ‘Don’t get too close to the fires.’
‘Do you think Blackbeard’s got the ruby on him?’ said TJ.
‘I don’t know,’ said Arkie. ‘We need to watch him closely.’
Blackbeard was sitting under a canopy on the beach, talking to the pirates gathered around him. They were all chewing pieces of hog and the fat from the meat ran down their chins, glistening in the firelight.
‘We need to get closer to Blackbeard,’ said Arkie. ‘Some kind of diversion would be good.’
She looked around her. Some of the pirates were getting very loud and pushing each other.
‘I think there’ll be a punch-up soon,’ said TJ. ‘From what I’ve read, it wouldn’t be much of a pirate party without one.’
‘There’s that boy again,’ said Arkie.
‘And he’s staring at us,’ said TJ.
‘Don’t make eye contact,’ said Arkie, pulling her hat even lower over her face. ‘Maybe it just looks as though he’s staring at us because he’s got a glass eye. A lot of pirates had those. What’s he doing now?’
‘He’s walking over to Blackbeard,’ said TJ. ‘Now he’s talking to Blackbeard.’
‘I don’t think that’s good,’ said Arkie.
‘But why?’ said TJ. ‘He’s just some boy from the 18th century. We don’t know him. He doesn’t know us.’
Arkie looked out from under her hat at the boy talking to Blackbeard. He felt her staring at him and his dark eyes almost fused together as they met hers.
Arkie’s heart quickened. She could see him more clearly now, and thoughts were spilling into her head – too fast to focus clearly on the sense of each one but not so fast that she couldn’t recognise their collective message. ‘TJ,’ she said. ‘We need to get out of here. Quickly.’
‘What?’ said TJ. ‘But the party’s only just started. I think it really is going to be the party of the 18th century. Imagine being able to tell Sophie Hampton we were there. This is much better than a princesses and ponies party.’
‘We’re not going to be able to tell her anything if we don’t get out of here alive,’ said Arkie. ‘I’ve got a really bad feeling that’s just grown into a super bad feeling.’
Something was in the back of her head – wanting to make itself known to her. Something about the boy.
‘TJ,’ she said. ‘What did you say before when I said the boy didn’t fit into the picture?’
‘I said, “just like us”,’ said TJ.
‘That’s it!’ said Arkie.
‘That’s what?’ said TJ.
‘He doesn’t fit into the picture because he’s not from this time either.’
‘You mean . . . he’s a timeslipper as well?’ said TJ. ‘But how can that be? There can’t be another TimeSlip in the world. Can there?’
Arkie paled as she realised just what that meant. ‘The kidnappers,’ she said in a small voice. ‘They must be forcing Quincy to give them all the secrets to his inventions. They must be torturing him. Or maybe Mum and . . .’ Her voice choked.
‘Or maybe someone else has been able to invent a TimeSlip,’ said TJ. ‘If one person can come up with the idea for an invention, it usually means other people can too. Like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. They were working on similar things at the same time.’
They both turned to look at the boy.
He was still staring at them but he was also leaning into Blackbeard, murmuring something in his ear.
Who are you? thought Arkie. Why do I think I know you?
The boy stepped back as another pirate – a huge man with a jagged scar across his face – pushed him out of the way and spoke to Blackbeard.
Blackbeard frowned. Then rage spread across his face.
He tugged at his black beard and pulled himself up from the chair.
He yanked two pistols out of the holster and fired both into the air.
The shots sailed above the heads of the pirates, slicing through the song and laughter.
Every pirate on the beach turned to face Blackbeard, waiting for him to speak.
‘We’re wily old sea dogs, me hearties,’ said Blackbeard, his voice deep and low, ‘make thee no mistake. But there are many who seek to destroy us. Even here. Even now. In the safety of this, me hideout.’
The men stirred and muttered among themselves.
‘Shiver me landlubbing timbers, Capt’n,’ yelled Calico Jack. ‘Who’d dare to challenge us here?’
‘Aye, Jack,’ said Blackbeard, pulling his beard. ‘’Tis a very brave man who’d venture among us now.’ He paused. ‘Or a very foolish one.’ His eyes spread across the crowd, scouring deep within the lines of pirates.
‘OK,’ whispered Arkie to TJ. ‘That’s definitely our cue to leave.’
‘But we haven’t got the ruby yet?’ said TJ.
‘I know but we need to think of a Plan B,’ said Arkie. ‘Please, TJ. Come now.’
As they turned, they realised they were now knee-deep in pirates. More men had moved in behind them to hear Blackbeard’s words. Stern, fiery faces were raised towards the pirate captain.
‘There are spies among us now!’ Blackbeard said. ‘Some who dare to dress as we dress. Some who dare to sully our Pirates’ Code.’
‘Uh, oh,’ whispered TJ. ‘Is he talking about us?’
‘I think so,’ said Arkie. ‘We’ve been rumbled.’
There were loud, angry cries from the crowd at Blackbeard’s words. Many of the pirates reached for their swords, ready to strike the spies down where they stood.
Arkie pulled TJ back as the pirates around them pushed forwards. ‘Just keep walking backwards slowly,’ she said.
Arkie and TJ took tiny steps back, away from the crowd, getting closer and closer to the edge of the beach.
They were almost at the safety of the trees when: ‘SQUAWK. I SPY. WE SPY. SQUAWK!’ screeched Micawber Macaw at the top of his parrot voice.
In a flash of silver, swords were drawn and two hundred pirate eyes turned to look at the parrot standing on Arkie’s shoulder.
‘I guess we know what Mawby’s party trick is now,’ said TJ. ‘Inappropriate squawking.’
A terrible silence followed as the pirates surrounded Arkie and TJ.
Then, the circle parted as Blackbeard came towards them.
He towered over Arkie and TJ, a shadow of black.
‘Spies are ye?’ he snarled, putting his hand out for Mawby. ‘Good parrot. Come to Blackbeard.’
The parrot hopped over to the pirate captain and sat on his shoulder.
‘There’ll be no intruders at me party,’ shouted Blackbeard. ‘Take these spying pups to the Queen Anne’s Revenge. We’ll try them on the morrow – when our partying has ended. A long night and sore heads will render their justice swift.’
The pirates cheered.
‘I didn’t mean for us to be the diversion,’ said Arkie, as one of the pirates brought rope and tied their hands together. ‘We should have ditched that parrot.’
‘DITCH THE PARROT. DITCH THE PARROT,’ mimicked Mawby as Arkie and TJ were dragged away to the pirate ship.
‘IN THE DRINK, ME HEARTY.’
Bilge Rats
‘I feel seasick,’ said TJ, holding her stomach and groaning.
‘I don’t even know if we’re moving yet,’ said Arkie, squirming, trying to get comfortable.
One of her hands was manacled to an iron peg and her wrist was raw and bruised.
TJ was sprawled beside Arkie, her ankle clapped in irons.
They had spent a long night in the bilge, the lowest level of the ship, listening to the sounds of the party carrying across the sea.
‘It’s this stinking, slimy water everywhere,’ said TJ. ‘It’s filling my nostrils with despair.’
The timbers of the ship creaked as water seeped in through the joins and sloshed across their feet.
The bilge pump stood by idly – the men who usually manned it sleeping off the party on the deck above.
‘What do you think the time is?’ said Arkie.
‘It could be day or night,’ said TJ. ‘Down here it’s just dark and dark.’
‘This is not going to plan,’ said Arkie.
‘I would say that is an accurate assessment of our situation,’ said TJ.
They both looked up as they heard footsteps on the deck above, and then a shaft of sunlight flooded the bilge.
Someone had opened the hold.
‘On your feet, bilge rats,’ said a loud voice, coming down the wooden steps. ‘Time to face ye fate.’
A pirate with pockmarked skin unlocked Arkie’s wrist and TJ’s ankle and pushed them roughly up the stairs. They staggered onto the deck.
After the gloom of the bilge, the sunlight seared their eyes. They breathed in the fresh sea air greedily.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge was now at sea – surging through the open ocean. Ocracoke Island was a tiny speck of land behind them.
Blackbeard stood at the wheel of the ship, plotting their course with a compass. Micawber Macaw stood on his shoulder, head held high like a brave pirate’s parrot.
Arkie glared at the parrot. You’re just a blabbering parrot from a pet shop, she thought.
Mawby squawked at her and puffed out his feathery chest.
Another pirate yanked them to their feet.
‘Gather ye round,’ shouted a stout man, ringing the ship’s bell. ‘SHIP’S BUSINESS.’
The pirates stopped what they were doing and gathered on the deck.
‘Permission to read the charges, Capt’n,’ said the Quartermaster – the huge man with the jagged scar across his face.
Blackbeard nodded. His eyes were bloodshot and he was scowling.
‘You,’ said the Quartermaster, pointing at Arkie and TJ, ‘are charged with two counts as follows:
Count 1: Impersonating a pirate.
Count 2: Impersonating a pirate really badly.
How do you stinking landlubbers plead?’ he said.
‘Not guilty,’ said Arkie.
‘Definitely not guilty,’ said TJ. ‘We weren’t that bad as pirates. We should at least get some points for the parrot.’
‘SILENCE,’ said the Quartermaster. ‘The Capt’n will now deliver judgement.’
All eyes on deck turned to Blackbeard.
‘There can be only one verdict for stinking spies,’ said Blackbeard. ‘GUILTY.’
The Quartermaster smiled and handed Arkie a card
.
‘What is it?’ said TJ.
Arkie’s face paled as she turned the card over. ‘It’s the Ace of Spades,’ she said.
‘But aces are good, aren’t they?’ said TJ. ‘They’re the highest cards in the deck.’
‘Not today,’ said Arkie. ‘I think we’re being Billy Boned.’
‘Billy Who?’ said TJ.
‘Billy Bones,’ said Arkie. ‘In Treasure Island. He got the Black Spot. Long John Silver got it too. The Ace of Spades is just like the Black Spot. It’s a warning given to pirates that things aren’t looking good.’
‘Define “not good”,’ said TJ.
‘Not good as in very, very bad,’ said Arkie. ‘It can’t get much worse than a Black Spot.’
‘Before the Capt’n hands down the punishment, will anyone speak for the prisoners?’ shouted the Quartermaster.
The seagulls screeched overhead, circling the deck and the crew below. The sails billowed and puffed as gusts of wind darted in and around them.
Arkie scanned the faces staring at her. They were pirates hardened by years at sea. There wouldn’t be any mercy from them.
She looked for the boy from the beach but she couldn’t see him anywhere.
‘Well, I’d like to say something,’ she said, stepping forwards.
‘Is that a good idea?’ said TJ, trying to pull her back. ‘My finely tuned Mood-O-Meter is shrieking DANGER.’
‘But no one else is going to speak for us,’ said Arkie. ‘And don’t forget I’m on the debating team at school. Mrs Malakoff said my rebuttals are always very compelling.’ She cleared her throat. ‘We aren’t pirates, it’s true,’ said Arkie. ‘But TJ and I are treasure hunters. And treasure hunters are very similar to pirates. We like treasure as much as you do. And just like you, we’re always hunting for it. So . . .’ She paused and looked at TJ who nodded. ‘So,’ she continued, ‘you could say treasure hunters and pirates are like cousins. We’re part of the pirate family. And you wouldn’t condemn your family and do anything nasty to them, would you?’
Silence greeted her words.
TJ patted her on the back. ‘Excellent closing argument,’ she said. ‘If I were a judge I’d be saying FREE THEE.’
