The Mask

Martin Amos was an old man with a long white beard and dark, fearsome eyes. Every day he would go to the park to watch the young people as they passed by. “Ah!” he would think to himself. “Look at these young people with their perfect skin and healthy bodies. They have no clue as to what life really is! Just wait. Their skin will eventually shrivel and their bodies become weak. Then they will know!”

            One day, as Martin was seated at his usual perch upon a bench in the park, he saw a young man standing across the way. He was very handsome, with black slicked-back hair, clear pale skin, and piercing dark eyes. He was smoking a cigarette and Martin noticed that he was staring right at him. “Who is that young man?” he thought. “And why does he stare at me so fiercely?” A group of young women passed in front of the young man, obscuring Martin’s view of him, and when the women had passed, he was gone.

            As Karl walked back home later that night, he began to feel an itch on his face. He noticed that his skin felt drier, like rubber, and he wondered what could be wrong with him. When he got home, he prepared himself for bed. He took a shower, and continued itching at his face. When he got out of the shower, he looked in the mirror. His skin looked loose, as if it was falling away from the flesh, and it itched very badly. Then, to his astonishment, Martin noticed a crease near the top of his forehead. He put his finger on it, and, strangely, it seemed that the skin was coming off. He pressed down on the crease, and the skin peeled away very smoothly, as if it were a mask. He peeled it all the way down. The skin underneath was very white, and very clear, like a newborn’s. He peeled the skin all the way down his face, so that it came all the way off. Karl looked in the mirror. There he no longer saw his old familiar face, but rather the face of the young man from the park. It was the face of death.

            Karl’s heart clenched, and he felt great pain. Crying out, he put his hand to his chest, screwed up his eyes, fell over onto the floor, and died.

The Quest for the Treasure of Candoleen

Chapter 1: Ship in a Bottle

Karl Ransenhoff lay on his couch in the one room shack he lived in on Hubbard Beach near the Baja peninsula at five o’clock in the morning. His tall, lanky frame was relaxed, like that of an adolescent’s, and his steely blue eyes were intently focused on the words he was reading. He was reading an old adventure novel, which he had begun the night before and had spent the entire night reading, but he was not at all fatigued, or, rather, he did not feel fatigued. Manny, his old but still-vibrant golden retriever, lay on the floor beneath him, snoring. Outside, it was raining, and the sound of the raindrops could be heard on the flat tin roof overhead. The room itself was not too cramped, with plenty of space for three large bookshelves filled with books, a kitchenette, and a couch and round coffee table, which was also covered in books, as well as a bowl filled with the yellow remains of last night’s meal of macaroni and cheese. There was no bed, as Karl slept (when he did sleep at all) on the couch. He had lived here for the last five years alone with Manny, spending his days reading and wandering the beach. He was extraordinarily fit. In his college days, he had been a fencer, and he still did his calisthenics twice a day every day. Formerly, before retiring to his shack, Karl had been a junior high school English teacher. He had always insisted on teaching Treasure Island and other adventure stories, and because of this, as well as his sharp wit and playful spirit, his students loved him. He had been happily married for thirty-five years to his wife Linda, with whom he had a son named David. Karl had never been good at taking care of himself, and when Linda died from ovarian cancer at the age of sixty, he became depressed, and began to have trouble sleeping. He started showing up to work wired and exhausted. His son insisted that he see a psychiatrist, but Karl refused. And when a new syllabus was assigned to Karl by the principal of his school—one which excluded his beloved adventure novels—Karl decided he’d had enough and quit his job. His son, who knew his father was financially strapped, became even more upset with his father, and during a phone conversation in which David again tried to convince his father to see a shrink, Karl grew defensive, and the two men said many bitter things to each other. Karl told his son never to call him again, and made a vow of silence against his son. This vow of silence persisted for the five years leading up to the beginning of our story. Three years ago, David’s wife had given birth to Karl’s granddaughter, Sarah. But Karl’s bitterness was so extreme he had refused to go and meet her.

            Karl’s son was right about his father. He indeed did have financial issues. Even with the low cost of the rent for his shack, he was heavily in debt. Day after day he received mail from the debtor’s agency, which he would promptly toss in the trash. A majority of this debt was owing to the financial strain his son had put him through as a young man. Karl had paid for his college education, and even had to pay for his wedding, as Charles’ wife’s parents were both deceased. These, along with paying for his wife’s funeral out of pocket, paying off the mortgage of his old house, family vacations, his compulsive book buying habit, and other expenses, were not within the practical range for a junior high school English teacher who was the sole breadwinner for his household. Add that to the fact that his former house was still on the market after five years, and it was easy to see how Karl could find himself in such a situation. His son, who was now a doctor, had offered to help him out, but Karl, in his stubbornness, refused.

            Karl had spent the majority of the last five years in a dream world. When he wasn’t reading adventure novels, he was thinking about them, replaying the sequences in his mind, musing on the characters, and imagining that he himself had been the protagonists. He recognized the fact that his life, in reality, was essentially boring—tedious even, and as he walked along the beach with his dog, he would look out at the sea, hoping that some real adventure might befall him. Every time he finished a book, he would say to himself, “When will it be my turn? When will I get to experience the life that is due me?” Then he would carry on in his fanciful dreaming, lulling himself away from the reality which he did not want to accept, but which seemed to be growing more and more acute each day.

            At five fifty six, Karl finished reading the last sentence of the novel. Again, he asked himself when it would be his turn for adventure, then he closed his eyes, and all the wondrous adventures of the protagonist flashed before his eyes. Just as the sun began to rise and the rainclouds began to dissipate, he fell asleep.

            Three hours later, he woke up. Manny, as usual, was licking him on the face. Karl pushed Manny away and looked at his watch. It was just about nine o’clock, and the sun was already high and bright in the sky. Manny began whining. He wanted his food. Karl got up, went to the cupboard and took out the bag with Manny’s food, and poured him a bowl. Manny ate with relish. Karl himself made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and ate it quickly. When man and beast had finished their respective meals, Karl opened the door of his shack, letting the dog run out onto the yellow sand of the beach. Following Manny out the door, Karl shielded his eyes from the sun. The dog was a good hundred feet down the beach, and Karl followed him.

            The stretch of beach that Karl lived on was privately owned by a nearby manufacturing plant. The plant began renting out the shack many years ago for extra income. Karl didn’t mind the fact that the beach was lined with large, gray buildings. He kept his eyes focused on the sand, the sky, and the ocean. It was already very hot, and the tides were very low. Karl too pleasure in watching Manny run down the beach and sniff in the sand, and Manny enjoyed putting his paws in water and observing the various creatures in the tide. The seagulls were out in full force this morning, circling above the shore, diving for fish, and walking idly about on the beach. Occasionally, Manny would chase after these birds, always to no avail, though Karl figured this didn’t bother Manny in the least. As Karl walked, his thoughts were on the story he had finished the night before. He felt as if he were still enmeshed in the folds of the story, living out the adventures of the protagonist. Occasionally, however, thoughts of his past came to mind—thoughts of Linda, his son, and the job he had left behind—though he was quick to force these thoughts away.

            Just as the image of his son popped into his mind, he heard Manny barking. He looked up, and saw his dog about thirty yards down the beach, his nose in the sand. Manny looked up and barked at his master. Then he began digging in the sand. Manny often found things on the beach. Usually it was worthless trash, but still, this didn’t prevent Karl from feeling a sense of excitement each time. Karl walked over to the spot, smiling. “What have you found, Manny?” he asked. “Some treasure?” He looked down at where his dog was digging.  There, buried in the sand, he saw a yellow glint of light, and recognized a piece of clear glass. He crouched down, and as his dog watched with eager curiosity, Karl pried the object out of the sand.

            It was a glass bottle, about the length of his forearm, and somewhat wider, and inside was a miniature model of what appeared to be a three-mast ship with black sails. Also, tucked in at the side of the bottle, was a piece of parchment paper, with something written across the surface. Karl took off the cork stopper in the bottle, reached inside with his long, nimble fingers, and managed to pull out the parchment. He spread the parchment open and read, in plain English, these words: “After the year 1905, to break the spell, say Sheranza, and cast into the ocean.” Karl looked down at Manny, as if in search of an explanation, but Manny looked as dumbfounded as he himself felt. Karl shrugged, stood up with the bottle in his hand, and walked towards the ocean. Using both hands, he chucked the bottle into the sea, saying the word “sheranza.” The bottle upended, and began to sink. Karl watched it from the shore, and the light from the sun was so bright that it made it nearly impossible to see. Karl waited, for a minute, then two, and finally, shrugging, turned away.

            Just then, Karl heard the sound of what seemed to be a huge spray of water coming up from the ocean. He looked. The surface of the water began to bubble violently, and then, he noticed a large shadow forming in the water. Three large polls, with blacks sails attached, broke the water’s surface, and rose high upward toward the crystal blue sky. Karl nearly fell from terror. Finally, from out of the sea arose a giant ship, just like the one that had been in the bottle, with the figure of a woman’s head and torso on the bow. With a gush, the water receded from the ship’s sides, and it stood, proud and majestic, upon the surface of the sea. Karl and Manny watched in amazement as the ship rolled, slowly, its prow cutting the surface of the water, toward the shore.

            The ship landed ashore, and after standing aghast for a moment, Karl heard a loud “wa-hoo!” come from the cabin of the ship. A group of men, in motley attire, began flooding out of the cabin door. They cheered and jumped up and down. One of them, a swarthy, energetic looking man with an eye patch over his left eye and a black bandana tied over his head, went to the edge of the ship, and looked out. Soon, his gaze met Karl’s. He stood, his one eye fixed on Karl, and a dour expression ran over his heavily lined face. The other men soon noticed Karl as well, and gave him the same serious expression of dubious curiosity.

            “Ahoy there!” said the man with the eye patch. “What be your name, my lad?”

            “I’m Karl. I...I...”

            “Go on,” said the man. “Explain yourself to me and me mates.”

            Karl scratched his head. He was hoping someone would explain things to him.

            “I found a ship in a bottle,” he said. “There was a piece of parchment...it said to say a word and toss the bottle into the sea. So I did, and...”

            “Ah!” said the man. “The she-devil cursed us, she did! And you have broken the curse. Well,” he said, squinting and rubbing his bearded chin, “All will be explained, my good man. All will be explained! Lads!” He turned to his men. “Let’s take to shore!”

            Some of the men lowered a ladder down the side of the ship, and one by one they climbed down to the beach.

Chapter 2: Two Feasts, a Remarkable Story, And a Proposal

            All the pirates circled around Karl and Manny, and the man who had addressed him from the ship, presumably their leader, stepped forward. “Tell us, my good man, where are we, and what year is this?”

            “Hubbard Beach, California, and it’s 2016,” said Karl.

            “2016?!” the man shouted. “Well give me a second eye! No wonder I’m so hungry! It’s been over three hundred years since I’ve had a bite!”

            The other men laughed. Karl tried to smile, but his face was frozen in dumb amazement.

            “What be your name, my good lad?” the man asked.

            “I’m Karl.”

“Karl,” said the man, “I am Reginald, first mate of our good ship, the Beacon.”

            Reginald held out a large, dirt-stained hand. Karl took Reginald’s hand. His grip was so firm and abrupt, the jolt of it seemed to awaken Karl from a slumber.

            “And what about your doggie there?” Reginald asked. “What’s his name?”

            “Manny,” said Karl.

            “Ah, Manny. Good name for a dog!” Reginald rubbed the scruff of Manny’s neck, and then looked down the beach in the direction of the shack. “Is that your home, Karl?” he asked.

            Karl nodded.

            “Well, let’s return there and have ourselves a feast. How does that sound, lads?”

            The men all cheered, and Karl, looking at them, estimated there must be nearly twenty-five of them.

            “But, I don’t have much food,” said Karl, turning to Reginald.

            “Don’t worry, Karl. We’ve come prepared.”

            “But,” said Karl, “is your food still good?”

            “I’m almost certain it is,” said Reginald. “After all,” he said, turning to his men, “we’re still fresh, aren’t we boys?”

            Again, the men cheered.

            “Alright, you bow-legged brigands!” he cried. “Bring out the stores!”

            The men went into the ship’s hold and pulled out two large slabs of cured beef, jars of beans, pickled onions, and a keg of rum. They carried all of this down the beach to Karl’s shack. Karl didn’t have nearly enough chairs for the men, but they didn’t seem to mind sitting in the sand. Cups were brought out and the rum was pored. The beef was cut and served. The men ate with relish. By the time they were finished, the keg of rum was gone, and so was the cured beef, pickled onions and beans. Drunk, all of the men fell fast asleep, and didn’t wake up till it was nearly dark.

            As the men slept, Karl considered his options. The most logical option, he thought, was to call the police. He gazed around at these men with their long sabers and muskets, their scarred, tattooed bodies and their ridiculous clothes, and wondered if he was dreaming. He did not call the authorities, however. He was far too curious to find out what story lay behind it all. When the men awoke, all apparently at around the same time, Karl heard their moans and groans. “What a sleep!” one of them cried out. “I feel fresh out of my mother’s womb!”

            “I’m starving!” cried another. “I’d say it’s time we had another feast!”

            Reginald, who had been relieving himself at the water’s edge, turned. “Well, boys! Bring out some more!”

            So the men all went back to the ship and collected more food, and more rum. They began their feast as the sun was going down. They built a fire, and sat around it singing, eating, and drinking. Karl was initially worried. He feared that someone might see the fire from afar, and complained, but the men just laughed at him. He went and sat with Manny near the shore, staring out at the ocean. As he was trying to wrap his head around all that was happening, he was approached by Reginald, who sat beside him in the sand.

            “Well, Karl,” said Reginald, “I’d say it’s time we exchange our stories. I’d tell you mine first, but something tells me mine is much longer than yours. Why don’t you tell me what happened, and how you set us free?”

            Karl told him the story of how he’d found the bottle, and the piece of parchment inside.

            “Hmm,” said Reginald. “I think I can make some sense of that. Of course, it’s all a mystery to you. I suppose you’d be wanting an explanation. Well, I won’t deny it. I will tell you all.” He took out his long amber pipe and a leather tobacco pouch, and proceeded to prepare a smoke. He lit a match and took a long pull on his pipe. “My full name is Reginald Patterson Pierce, and I was—am—the first mate of the Beacon. My comrades and I are, as you may have guessed, not into any legal enterprise, but are in fact pirates of the open sea. Our captain was William Desperteaux, the most cunning, greedy bastard that ever sailed under the black flag. He and his lover, the sorceress Envilisa, ruled over our ship like tarantulas, so that by halfway through our voyage we couldn’t bear the sight of them. We set sail from England in the Autumn of 1702, for the Japanese island of Kojiwana in search of the lost treasure of Seymar Candoleen, the last king of Atlantis. The legend was that, knowing Atlantis was doomed to destruction, Candoleen buried all the city’s treasure in what was then the mountain of Cylo-Koo, now Mt Kojiwana. Included in this treasure was the famed Diamond of Candoleen. It was said that, when wielded by a sorcerer, the diamond had the power to give everlasting life to both the sorcerer and the one he or she loved the most. This diamond, along with the rest of the treasure, had a value that would make us the richest men in the world, above even the Emperor of China. After weeks of toil, we found the treasure, and made our way home. However, we got lay-wayed in the Americas, and that’s where the great betrayal took place.”

            Reginald took a long pull on his pipe, and blew the smoke out toward the sea.

“The captain called a meeting on deck,” he continued. “We all figured it was to talk about our course home. We waited, my men and me, on the main deck, watching the captain and his terrible vixen as they stood above us on the quarter deck—he with a little smirk on his face, she peering at us with the cold eyes of a viper. “Men,” cried the captain. “Before I discuss with you the plan for our course homeward, Envilisa has a word to share with you.” She stepped forward, bedecked in her black velvet and lace dress, her black hair tied up in two buns on her head, the Diamond of Candoleen glowing white around her neck. She raised both her arms and shut her eyes. We stood transfixed. Then she opened her eyes, showing just the whites, and with her forked tongue she began to speak in a language that must be spoken by the Devil himself. Before we could bat an eye, we were done for. They took all the treasure for themselves and left us in a shrunken ship inside a glass bottle.

            “As far as the parchment in the bottle goes—that, I suspect, must have been the cause of Leroy McFee. Leroy was off at a saloon getting drunk, the poor bastard, when the meeting was called. He must have come back, found the ship gone and the miniature floating in the water in its place, and taken it ashore to a local magician, who gave him the reverse for the spell.”

            In all its intricacies, Karl thought, it seemed like a logical story. But still, there was nothing logical about the fact that he was sitting here talking to a pirate from the eighteenth century.

            “So what now?” he asked.

            “Now,” said Reginald. “Now, we go after what was stolen from us.”

            “The Treasure of Candoleen?” asked Karl.

            “Ay, the Treasure of Candoleen,” said Reginald, nodding.

            Karl looked out at the sea. A flock of seagulls was circling in the distance. The sound of the waves hitting the shore and then receding was like the voice of a hypnotist, enticing him to fall into a deep trance.

            “Of course,” said Reginald, breaking the spell, “you’re welcome to come with us.”

            Karl turned to Reginald in amazement.

            “It should be an adventure, my good man. That’s saying the least.” Reginald took several draws from his pipe. “So, what do you say?” he said, releasing the smoke from his lungs.

            Again, Karl looked out over the water. The seagulls were still circling, only now, they seemed more alive, more like the predators they were. Karl smiled.

            “If you can bear the burden of an old man,” he said, “I’d be happy to come.”

            “That’s a good man!” cried Reginald, slapping Karl on the shoulder. “’Bring your dog, too. We’d much enjoy the company of your beast on board.”

Karl nodded in agreement.

“’Twill be a wonderful adventure!” cried Reginald. “Rum will be drunk, blood will be spilled, and treasure will be had!”

            “So,” said Karl. “Where exactly are we going?”

            “First, my good man,” said Reginald, “We need more rum.”

Chapter 3: Drinks on the House!

            Karl assumed that what Reginald had meant was that they needed more rum from the ship, but as it turned out, they were running low, and needed more for their journey. “Where is the local distillery, my good man?” asked Reginald as the two men walked over to join the rest.

            “There isn’t one, as far as I know,” said Karl.

            “Well then where do you get your rum?”

            “The local liquor store.”

            “Well then that’s where we shall go.”

            Karl didn’t ask how Reginald planned to pay for the rum. He himself obviously didn’t have the money to buy enough rum for all of these men. A dark portent filled his mind as Reginald addressed his men.

            “Lads, we’ll be needing five men to come help me carry away the rum. Karl will lead the way.”

            Karl led the six men up the road several blocks that led to the center of the small, wayward town with a population of about two hundred and fifty. Everything was quiet and closed in the town, except for the liquor store, which was owned by a quiet, abrasive Mexican man named Paco. The men entered the store, and the pirates looked around.

            “Where are the kegs of rum?” one of them exclaimed.

            Paco, a small, beady-eyed man, looked at them curiously, and said: “No, man. We ain’t got no kegs here.”

            “Bottles it’ll have to be, boys,” said Reginald.

            The men began pulling the bottles off the shelves, and loading them in their sacks. Karl, amazed, accosted Reginald.

            “Reginald! We have to pay for all this!”

            Reginald laughed darkly. “A pirate only pays when he has the money. Otherwise, he takes what he needs.”

            The men, with their loaded bags, headed towards the door. Paco, stunned, cried out: “Hey! You guys got to pay for that!”

            “Think again, my little man!” said Reginald, headed for the door.

            Paco reached under the counter, and pulled out a large shotgun. “You guys got to pay for that,” he repeated, this time with a threat in his voice.

            The men stood still. Karl watched in horror as Reginald slowly walked towards Paco, swaying his arms like a man strolling in the park. “Be a good lad and put the gun away,” he said.

            Paco, in horror, cocked his weapon and pointed it at Reginald. Swiftly, as if without any hesitation, Reginald grabbed the hilt of his sword, drew it, and with one slash, cut Paco’s head clean off. A spout of blood shot up from Paco’s neck, and his body fell lifeless to the floor.

            “Boys!” Reginald cried. “The booty is ours!”

            Karl stood, gazing down at Paco’s body. Blood was flowing like a river across the floor. Then he looked at Paco’s head, frozen in an expression of sheer and unsuspecting terror. “Come along, my friend,” said Reginald. “No use staring at the dead. They’re not much for entertainment.”

            Karl followed Reginald and the rest of the men out into the night. Karl, still in shock, approached Reginald. “Are you out of your mind?” he cried. “You can’t just go around killing people! Not only is it illegal, it’s completely insane!” Reginald stopped and looked at Karl, smiling. He slapped him on the shoulder. “Ah, my lad,” he said. “You are new to the ways of piracy. Bloodshed is part of our tradition. Soon, you will come to understand that.” And again, he slapped Karl’s shoulder and continued on his way. As the men walked, they sang a ghastly tune:

Tonight we sail with loads of booty,

Tonight we sail with loads of rum!

The sea is calling and the sails are unfurled,

There is much more a’ danger to come!

            As Karl listened to these men sing their horrible song, he felt as if he were being sucked in by an unrelenting rip tide, and though his entire being was desperate to the reach the shore, he could not find the strength to get himself there. He was being swept away, and he found himself terrified, but also, exhilarated, and because of this, he gave himself up to whatever would come.

Chapter 4: Sea Legs

            As soon as the men returned with their bags full of alcohol, they began preparing to set sail. A course was set for Donarath Island in the middle Pacific, home of the ancient Pirate Hall of Records, where Reginald hoped to find news of what happened to Captain Desperteaux and his mistress Envilisa, as well as the treasure they had stolen. That night, as Karl lay on a wooden bunk in the officer’s quarters, he became sick to his stomach. The men gave him a bucket to puke in, and before the night was over, it was almost filled to the brim. That, along with the loud snoring of the rest of the men, kept him from sleeping. At about four in the morning, he got up, leaving Manny asleep on the floor, and went onto the deck. There, he found Reginald standing alone, peering out into the darkness.

            “Ah! Karl, my good man!” said Reginald, awakening from his reverie. “Is the sea not suiting your restful desires? Well, then. There will be plenty of time to sleep. Join me here. Let us bask in the silence of the sea.”

            “Reginald,” said Karl, feeling the ship rocking beneath him and his stomach churning. “I’m not sure I am cut out for this. I’m an English teacher by trade.”

            Reginald just smiled. “I shall tell you a story,” he said. “I myself came from a wealthy family. Well-educated up to the age of twelve, I was. But my father, curse his soul, was a mean sort. A regular monster, he was. If I did not complete my lessons in time, he would whip me with his knotted cane. Every day I failed to finish my lessons, he’d whip me five more strokes. Well, one day I decided I’d had enough, and ran away. That’s how I came to be a pirate. I started out a cabin boy, and the first couple of months I remember were a living hell. The only reason I didn’t give up was because I knew that I could not go back to my father. So tell me, Karl, do you not feel that the adventure in store for you might not be worth the struggle? Would you rather return to your little shack, and spend your remaining years doing absolutely nothing? If so, we shall turn around and bring you back. But I tell you, lad. You shall have many a’ story to tell by the time all of this is through. And you may just end up with a bit of treasure. Now, let us listen to the silence for a moment, and then you tell me your decision.”

            The men were silent for a long time. Karl thought of his books back home. All of those adventures he had read—none of them seemed to compare to the adventure he was now partaking in. The thought of going back to his books seemed completely repulsive to him now.

“OK,” said Karl. “I will stay along.”

            “Ah!” said Reginald. “You are already beginning to sound like a seafarer.”

            The rest of the night Karl walked around the ship with Reginald, telling him about his struggles over the last five years. Reginald was a deep and thoughtful listener, and as Karl told him his story, Karl himself began to make sense of it in a way he never had before. He began to feel more at peace with the decisions he had made, and yet, he also began to understand that perhaps change in his life for the better was possible. He even had some fond recollections of his son, though he was quick to push these out of his mind. As he walked, he became more comfortable on his feet, so that, after a time, he could barely notice the swaying of the sea beneath him.

“Perhaps,” said Reginald, “the sea will awaken in you a greater passion for your life. Perhaps you will become a pirate in spirit, even if you do remain a law abiding citizen in the end.”

By the time the dawn had come, Karl’s stomach had settled, and he could tell that he was beginning to get his sea legs.

Chapter 5: A Magnet for Troubles

            That morning, after eating a light breakfast, Karl went back to sleep for a good five hours. The sea was calm that morning, so he slept peacefully. When he awoke, he went on deck and found the men at work. He looked up at the crow’s nest atop the middle mast. Kaloo, a large African with rippling muscles, stood there watching the sea through a telescope. Other men were tying and pulling the rigging, hammering nails into loose boards, working the udder, and doing other sundry activities. Reginald, meanwhile, was standing in the middle of the deck, barking orders. “Bolster the jib well, my boys! Secure the main stay! At a rate of knots is the goal!” Seeing Karl, he greeted him with a smile. “Ah! Karl! Are you well rested, my lad?”

            Karl nodded, smiling. Manny stood at his side, wagging his tail and looking up at Reginald.

            “I see your dog there never leaves your side,” said Reginald. “That’s the way a dog ought to be.”

            “He’s my greatest friend,” said Karl.

            “Well,” said Reginald as he turned to face the water. “The ocean is as calm as a Chinese opium den and the winds are steady. The gods are shining down on us today.”

            Karl looked around. “Is there anything I could help with?”

            “No, lad!” said Reginald. “You enjoy the good weather. There’s a game of Spinning Top going over there if you’d like to join.”

            Karl looked. A table was set up near the quarter deck at the side of the boat, where four men were seated at a table, and one was standing just near it. They were playing a game with a spinning top and bottles of brandy. Karl went over. As he approached, the men were chugging from the brandy bottles as the top spun on the table’s surface. Once the top stopped spinning, the men stopped drinking. After the top had fallen, one of the men, a swarthy pirate with a graying wisp of a black beard whose name was Joe Connors, invited Karl over and explained the rules of the game. They were as follows: the top was spun by an outsider—the standing man—and the other four men were to chug as much brandy as possible during the top’s spinning. This was repeated until all but one of the men had finished their bottle. This man was then forced to finish his bottle, and do a “laggard’s dance” for the other men. The game, as Karl began to watch, was nearing an end. The loser of the game, a gaunt, sallow cheeked man with greasy black hair, stood up and began to dance as the other men banged on the table and sang a song. He danced like a crow shaking its wings, bobbing his head forward and back, taking high steps in his high brown leather boots. After about a minute of this, the men laughed heartily and cheered.

            “Sit down, now, Karl,” said Joe. “You have a go.”

            So Karl took the loser’s place, and four more brandy bottles were brought out. “Let us go a little easy on the old man,” said one of the pirates, a fat man with puffy cheeks and gold rings in his ears.

            “Why should we?” asked a young, handsome pirate with flowing blonde hair. “His gullet is just as wide as ours!”

            The others laughed.

            “Do as you like men, do as you like,” said Joe. “I’m sure the old man can take care of himself.”

            The top spinner placed the top on the table, holding the brass knob with his thumb and forefinger, the nails of which were long and sharp, yellow and blackened. He gave the top a twirl and the game began. Karl was surprised by the strength of the red liquor. It burned his throat, and he immediately pulled the bottle away from his mouth. Looking at the other men, he was amazed to see the other men gulping it down like it was water. He put the bottle back to his lips and tried again, but he could only take a little at a time.

            The top fell and the men stopped drinking. All the pirates slapped their hands on the table with a crash. Karl saw that Joe had downed nearly a third of his bottle already. “A rich blend, this!” said the fat pirate, wiping his mouth. After a brief moment, the spinner put the top back on the table, and gave it another spin. Again the men drank. After the second spin, Karl began to feel woozy.

            Joe finished his bottle after three spins. It took three more after this before the other men had finished their bottles. Karl had nearly half a bottle left.

            “I’ll tell you what,” said Joe, “You finish half of that, and we’ll let you do your dance.”

            The other pirates agreed, and Karl began to plug away at his bottle. The pirates cheered him on as he drank. “Learn to love the taste,” said the young blonde.

            “Imagine it’s the ambrosia of the gods,” said the fat man.

            Karl, reeling, finally managed to complete his task. He sat, practically swaying, with his eyes half shut.

            “Haha!” said the fat pirate. “A true laggard, that!”

            “Give us a dance!” they cried.

            Karl got up, barely managing to stand, and started to sway back and forth. He lifted his left leg high, and losing his balance began to stumble.

            “Careful!” cried Joe as Karl careened toward the side of the ship. Before the spinner could grab him, he fell right over the ship’s side and plummeted over the edge.

            The water was cold, though he could hardly tell because he was basically unconscious. He sensed an odd creeping feeling in his body—the water was heading straight for his lungs. Panic struck him, and he thrashed about wildly, but he could not get to the surface. Choking, he sank, and felt that it was the end. He closed his eyes, and everything went black.

            Next thing he knew, he was on the ship deck, panting, and looking up at Joe, who was also wet and kneeling beside him, along with the rest of the pirates. Manny was also there, and he began licking Karl’s face. “Are you alright, ma’ lad?” Joe asked.

            “What happened?” asked Karl, trying to sit up but still feeling woozy.

            “The ocean nearly swallowed you,” said the fat pirate, “and you the ocean!”

            He sat up. Manny, greatly excited, danced around. Karl grabbed him and hugged him around the neck. He looked around at the pirates. “I think I’m going to be sick,” he said, and vomited.

            Karl went to the cabin and slept it off. When he awoke, it was nighttime and the ship was being tossed about in a storm. He went out to the deck and found the men hurryingly battening down the hatches, and tethering the sails. The wind was so strong he barely could get the momentum to walk forward, and the rain was coming down by the bucket full. The sea itself was in a frenzy, and the waves were towering above the ship so that it seemed that at any moment it might capsize.

            Reginald spotted Karl from across the deck and came running over, struggling to keep his balance all the way. “Karl!” he said. “You must get inside! You’re liable to drown if you stay out here!”

            Just then, as Karl was about to reply, he felt a strange sensation, as if all of the hair on his head stood upright. He heard a loud crack, and a surge of electricity ran through his body. He stood, amazed, his hair standing up, his eyes goggled, and the soles of his feet where the lightning had left his body, burning. Coming to his senses, he saw Reginald leaping and hollering in front of him.

            “By Jesus! By damn!” Reginald cried. “You’re a regularly magnet for troubles! Get inside, my good man, before the very foot of God comes down and squashes you!”

            Karl turned around, and stumbled back to the cabin. He sat on his bed, grabbed the bucket on the floor, and vomited. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he felt the churning of the sea beneath him. Manny sat right in front of him, and after Karl puked a second time, the dog placed his paw on top of Karl’s lap. “Don’t worry,” said Manny. “It’ll be alright.” Had the dog really just spoken? Could it be possible? No, thought Karl, it’s not possible. I’m hallucinating because a bolt of lightning just passed through my brain. Karl moaned and lay down on his bed, rolling himself into a ball. What had he gotten himself into?

Chapter 6: Ship Ho!

All that night the storm tossed the ship about, and the crew was hard at work making sure it didn’t tip over. Karl only slept a couple of hours just after dawn, when the skies cleared and the ocean calmed. When he awoke, he saw Manny looking at him and wagging his tail. “Good morning, Karl. Do you feel better this morning?”

Karl couldn’t help but smile. “Indeed I do, Manny. Thank you.” Perhaps having a talking dog wouldn’t be so bad after all, he thought. He got up, feeling more alert and awake than he could remember feeling in ages. He went onto the deck, and saw that the sky was clear except for a few puffy clouds on the horizon. The ocean was again calm. All that day Karl sat in a chair on deck and watched the men as they leisurely went about their work. They sang songs with great gusto, laughing and making merry. They especially enjoyed playing with Manny, who continued to offer words of encouragement to Karl. Karl sat, basking in the sunlight and the warm ocean breeze. One pirate offered him a cigar, and for the first time in his life, he found himself smoking. Imagine if Linda could see me now, he thought, blowing out a long stream of tobacco smoke. He smiled. “What do you say, Manny? Are we feeling like pirates yet?”

            Manny laughed, his beautiful brown eyes glistening. “Argh!” he cried. “Indeed we are, good man! Indeed we are!”

            At about five o’clock that evening, Layman Smith, the pirate in the crow’s nest, called out to the men on deck. “Ship on the horizon! To the southeast! Maybe five miles, headed our way!”

            “What it be?” cried Reginald.

            “I don’t know, sir. It’s white, fairly large, and looks to have no sail.”

            “No sail? Strange...” Reginald looked at Karl, who had gotten up from his seat to look for the boat, and Karl, anticipating his question, told him about motorboats.

            “Very strange indeed,” said Reginald. “Well, we shall bear down upon her. Redirect our course, men!”

            Karl, recognizing the potential for a repeat of what had happened at the liquor store, became worried. “Reginald,” he said. “You can’t behave quite the way you did in the nineteenth century. Things have changed.”

            “Don’t worry, lad,” said Reginald. “We’re just going to give her a quick look and be on our way.”

            About fifteen minutes passed before all the men aboard could make out the suspicious craft. Karl, seeing that it was a yacht, made the announcement. He described it to the befuddled pirates as “a kind of luxury residential ship,” and when seeing that most of them still didn’t understand, he called it, “a mansion in a boat.”  The Beacon soon came within hailing distance, and raised the hailing flag. As the Beacon sidled up next to the yacht, three people—two men and a woman—came on deck. One of the men looked to be in his early fifties and was wearing a white captain’s uniform with gold epaulettes on the shoulders. The other man looked younger—in his mid thirties perhaps—and was dressed in pleated khakis, a turquoise polo shirt, and sunglasses. The woman, who seemed to be the younger man’s girlfriend, was dressed in a black yoke skirt, a white halter-top displaying a toned midriff, sunglasses, and a white sun hat. The young couple, holding cocktails, smiled as the Beacon pulled up alongside them. The captain, however, looked suspicious.

            “Ahoy there!” Reginald cried.

            The couple looked at one another and laughed. Then, turning back to Reginald, the young man cried out: “Ahoy!”

            “Is there some sort of reenactment going on?” the woman asked.

            “Reenactment?” said Reginald. “No ma’ lady. No.”

            “Well are you headed somewhere to put on a show?” the man asked.

            “Show? No, no show. We be pirates in search of booty, we be. And if you behave well, I promise ye you won’t lose your heads.”

            The young man laughed. “You are very good!” he cried. “You almost have me completely fooled.”

            Karl saw Reginald frown, and his eyes become icy and sinister. “Lads,” he said, “let’s board her!”

            When the pirates began laying planks out as bridges to cross over to the yacht, the captain slinked back into the ship—presumably, as Karl thought, to radio for help. Now, the young couple looked terrified. “Come on boys,” said the young man nervously, “the game’s over now. Let’s not get too caught up in this fantasy.”

            Karl, remaining on the Beacon with Manny, watched as Reginald sent several men to find the captain, and with the rest, surrounded the young couple, who stood petrified.

            “Karl,” said Manny, “you must do something. You don’t want those people to die, do you?”

            “You’re right,” said Karl. “Wait!” he cried, crossing over one of the planks. “Please, Reginald, don’t harm them.”

            “I won’t,” said Reginald, turning to the young couple and glaring at them menacingly, “just as long as they give us the booty.”

            “Booty?” said the young man, practically shaking in terror. “What booty?”

            Reginald turned to the men, and they had a good laugh.

            “What booty,” he said. “That’s good.” He pulled out a long curved blade and held it up to the young man’s neck. “Tell me where it is, lad, and it’ll save you some blood.”

            Just then, the three pirates who had been sent off to search for the captain, came back out to the deck, holding the captain in their arms.

            “Perhaps he knows,” said one of the pirates.

            Reginald turned to the captain. “Where is the booty?” he asked.

            The captain, amazed, was speechless. “Men, since our captives no longer seem to have voices, there’s no use in keeping them alive!”

            “No!” cried Karl, but it was too late. The pirates slit all three of their throats in a flash, then kicked their bodies overboard.

            “Let’s search the hold!” cried Reginald.

            The men found a large collection of alcohol, close to ten thousand dollars in cash, jewelry and other sundries, and brought them aboard the Beacon. Karl, in shock, stood on the deck of the yacht staring at the blood in the water.

            “Come on, lad,” said Reginald, finally. “It’s time to be off.” Karl kept staring, and did not reply. Reginald grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry, lad. They were scoundrels.”

            Karl looked at Reginald, then again at the bloody water.

            “Anyways, they are dead. Say a prayer if you must and let’s be off.”

            The men on the ship began singing a song:

The dead are dead and the living keep living,

We have the booty so we shall keep singing.

Only those with the treasure have the right to say

I have done right, and done it my way!

            The song stirred something in Karl, and he forgot all of his reservations. It was like fuel to a fire that had been kindled by the open sea, and he did not want it to go out. He wouldn’t let it go out. He would go on, and see this adventure through.

Chapter 7: The Tale of Kaloo

            The next two days were calm and peaceful aboard the ship. The men were left mostly to their leisure. At night, they sat around the cabin table, drinking and telling stories. Karl listened with rapt attention to the amazing stories, taking it all in the way he did his adventure novels at home. In particular, the story of Kaloo, the African, captured his imagination. Kaloo had turned his story into an epic poem, which he had memorized, adding slight variations with each telling. The men, for Karl’s sake, insisted that he tell it, and after looking bashful for a moment, he began to speak in his deep, rotund voice:

Born in the Village of Kobotulu, near the Western sea,

A member of the proud tribe of Assana I was.

We worshipped the god Choluku, of the diamond spear,

Strong in the ways of war craft we were.

My father Kolosi was chief,

He wore a necklace of ivory and gold

And had many wives, including Sibona, my mother,

Who was farer than the rest.

As a boy I spent my days hunting and fishing

When I was not building huts or working in the field.

Well feared was I as a fighter,

Surely I had my father’s blood.

One night as I slept on my tiger-skin rug,
I was awoken to the sound of screaming.

I went out to see—the Umans, a tribe to the North

Had come on the backs of horses—where did they get them?

And with guns—from the Portuguese.

We Assanas fought with spear,

This was the war craft we knew.

But the Umans with their machines of war

Could not be beat, and so

We were defeated, rounded up and taken away.

In chains we were brought to the Northern coast

Where white men waited in heavy clothes.

We stood as they gazed

In awe of our muscles, in awe of our strength.

We were bought and put on ships.

I never saw my mother again after that.

Buried in the hold of the ship,

Suffocating in heat and our own excrement,

We waited many days to come to shore,

In great pain and great worry all the while.

To the Americas they brought us—me and my father

Where again we were sold (luckily together)

To a man who lived in a great palace.

There we were put to work,

But my father was brave

And strong, and proud.

He would not allow the master to hit me.

And so, he was killed.

But it was a grave mistake, for the people knew my father

And together we rose up in arms.

We killed the white man

And burnt the palace to the ground.

I escaped, made my way North along the coast

Where I met Captain Desperteaux

Who took me aboard the Beacon ship,

Where I could be free.

Now, I take from the rich white man

Whenever I can,

And cut off his head when I feel like it.

Do not challenge me to a fight,

For the blood of the Assanas still lives on

In Kaloo, son of Kolosi, the mighty chief of the Assanas.

           

            When the story was finished, the pirates raised their glasses and cheered. Kaloo looked proud, and mightier than he had before. An aura of impenetrableness surrounded him, as if formed by the god of his ancestors. From that point on, Karl often stared at him with awe as he went about his work, noticing more than ever the ripples of his muscles, and the strength in his eyes. Sometimes, they would lock eyes, and Kaloo would smile and nod. Karl would nod back, feeling great awe, and great pride that he, Karl Ransenhoff, shared the same vessel as Kaloo of the Assanas.

Chapter 8: A Map

            After six days of sailing, the island of Donarath was in sight. It was part of an archipelago, and as the ship weaved its way through the tiny islands that sat like green teeth in the gums of the ocean, the sun was just beginning to go down in the West. As they approached, Karl gazed with wonder at the great stone facade of the library that was built into the side of the rocky green island, with little wooden huts scattered about here and there. A single red sailboat with white sails was resting at the dock. The ship pulled up along side it and the pirates moored it to the dock.

            Karl, Manny, and the rest of the men got out of the ship and climbed the long stone stairwell from the dock to the causeway. They went up another flight of stairs to the library, which, as Karl was amazed to see, was actually a large cavern built into the side of the island. He gazed up in wonder at the huge marble capitals that rose to a triangular pediment with carved images of dragons, demons, and pirates doing battle with sabers. The floor of the hall was also of marble, and the ceiling was a huge marble dome, on top of which was a hole through which light entered, and on the pillars that lined the hall were lanterns. The walls were lined with shelves nearly twenty feet high, and at the end of the hall was a huge desk, behind which sat an old man with a long white beard. He was reading a huge book with a red velvet cover and making notes onto a parchment when the men entered.

            Finally, as the men approached, the man looked up from above a pair of thick reading glasses. Not surprisingly, he eyed the men with curiosity and disbelief. “Are you here from the university?” he asked.

            “No, my good man. We are not. We are pirates.”

            The man glanced at Karl, as if he would have an explanation. Karl just shrugged.

            “How can I help you, then?” asked the old man.

            “We are looking for the whereabouts of the Captain William Desperteaux and the Sorceress Envilisa, and the treasure of Candoleen,” said Reginald.

            The old man’s mouth suddenly dropped open. “You are the pirates of the Beacon!” he cried. He looked around at the pirates, goggle-eyed.

            “That we are,” said Reginald.

            “So the spell was broken?” the old man gasped.

            “It was. And here’s the culprit,” said Reginald, gesturing toward Karl.

            The old man smiled at him, effusively. “Well,” he said, turning again to Reginald. “I know exactly where to look. Come with me gentlemen.”

            The old man lead them to a shelf in the back, went up a ladder and pulled off a large black leather bound book. He brought the book over to the desk, and opened it. The men leaned over his shoulder as he began flipping through the pages.

            “Ah, it’s here!” he cried, placing his finger on the page. He began to read: “In the year 1802, the Captain William Desperteaux and his mistress, the sorceress Envilisa cast a spell upon the crew of the Beacon, taking the treasure of Candoleen to the island of Dove’s Beak off the coast of Turkey, where they established the Candoleen Resort. Well,” said the old man. “They would certainly be dead by now, my friends.”

            “No, no,” said Reginald. “You are forgetting the power of the Candoleen Diamond.”

            “Of course!” cried the old man. “I had completely forgot. Well then,” he blinked, “they may very well still be there. There’s your answer, boys. Ah, here is the location of the island.” He pointed to a map on the opposite page.

            The old man made a copy of the map and handed it to Reginald, who thanked him heartily. “For your service,” he said, and handed him a string of pearls he had stolen from the yacht. Karl was beginning to get a sense of Reginald’s code of morality. Take from those who can’t help you find the treasure, give to those who can.

            The men left in high spirits. Karl gave one last look over the library, and followed them out. “You’ll never see something like this again,” said Manny.

            Karl smiled, and nodded.

Chapter 9: A Brothel

            When the men walked out of the library it was nearing dark. “There won’t be any navigating out of these islands now, boys,” said Reginald. “It looks like we’ll have to spend the night.”

            Karl was surprised when the men cheered at this. “Why are they so happy?” he asked Reginald.

            “Because we get to stay at the Vixen,” was the reply.

            As the men walked down the road past the various huts, they talked in detail about their past exploits at the Vixen. Some of it was quite shocking. “It’s too bad ol’ Linda won’t be there anymore,” said the fat pirate. “It would have been nice to have another go-around with her.”

            “Don’t worry,” said Reginald. “I’m sure the new crop is just as good as the old one. Unless you’d prefer to get your lovin’ in the graveyard!”

            As the men laughed at Reginald’s joke, Karl considered his situation. “You aren’t actually considering paying for a woman, are you Karl?” Manny asked. Karl hadn’t been with a woman since his wife died, and before that, it had been nearly forty years since he had been with a woman other than his wife. The idea both excited and frightened him.

            The Vixen was an old wooden bungalow with a second story patio set on a rocky hill about a quarter of a mile down from the library. The sign post displayed a naked woman with red hair, winking at the viewer with a come-hither air. A large group of people were seated on the patio—gruff looking men and voluptuous women in short skirts—drinking and smoking, talking and laughing. Everyone turned in wonder to watch the group of pirates enter the establishment. Because of the large group, some of the men had to wait outside. Karl and Reginald were part of the group of around twelve men who entered first. Inside was a pub with an old oak bar and long wooden tables. On the walls were sabers, muskets, maps, gems, and other objects dating back to the very earliest pirates. A busty red head was serving beer behind the bar to a rowdy group of men and women seated around the long table. The room went silent when Karl, Reginald, and the other pirates of the Beacon entered.

            One of the men at the table, an African pirate with a large machine gun strapped around his shoulder, was apparently the leader of the group. “Check it out, boys,” he said. “Pirates of the Caribbean.” His men laughed.

            “Interesting musket,” said Reginald, grabbing the hilt of his sword. “I wonder if it fires off as quick as your mouth.”

            Karl ran over to him quickly and grabbed him by the shoulder. “Reginald,” he said. “Let me talk to you.”

            “About what, lad?”

            “Those guns are machine guns. Just one of them is enough to blow us all away.”

            “Hm,” said Reginald, grabbing his beard. “I see. Don’t worry, lad. We won’t do anything brash.”

            Reginald and the rest of the men went to the bar and ordered pints of beer, then sat at the table near the other pirates. As they began drinking, Karl could tell that Reginald was still stewing over the other pirate’s insult. He set down his mug, and began whispering into the ear of the pirate sitting next to him. Then, that pirate whispered into the ear of the next pirate, and on and on till Karl finally grasped what was going on. He looked at Reginald and shook his head. Reginald just smiled at him wryly. About a minute later, Karl counted to three, and before the other pirates could even look up, the men of the Beacon pounced upon them with their sabers. In a flash, throats were cut and blood filled the hall. Karl ducked beneath the table, along with Manny. “What’s going on?” the dog asked.

            “Stupidity,” said Karl.

            Machine gun shots were fired, there were screams, and then silence. Karl waited fearfully, closing his eyes, expecting death at any moment. Then he heard the sound of loud cheers.

            “It’s alright Karl,” said Reginald. Karl opened his eyes and looked up from beneath the table. Then men of the Beacon stood wiping the blood from their blades in triumph. “The bastards never knew what hit ‘em.”

            Karl and Manny came out from underneath the table and looked around. The women stood against the wall in terror. Two men of the Beacon lay on the floor, dead. Karl stared at Reginald, who just smiled and put his hand on Karl’s shoulder. “Thanks for the warning,” he said. “But no pirate takes an insult well, my lad. These bastards should have either been friendlier, or more ready to do battle.” Reginald ordered the men waiting outside to bring the other pirate’s machine guns to the Beacon, then turned to the barkeep. “Barkeep!” he cried. “These women shall be ours for the night!”

            The men, leering, approached the women and gave them their sly greetings. After a while, the women seemed entertained—enchanted even—by the men’s old-fashioned gruffness. Karl, with Manny, sat alone in the corner, watching. Manny did not seem pleased by the debauchery. “Do you believe this, Karl?” he said. “No dog I’ve ever known has acted with such perversity.”

            Reginald, with a woman on each arm, approached. “Why sit ye’ here, ignoring the fun?” he said. “Come. This is Yvette.” He pushed forward the woman on his left, a buxom black haired woman with pale skin, rosy cheeks, and dark eyes.

            “Hello there, Karl,” she said in a husky voice. “Reginald has told me so much about you. Mind if I pull up a chair?”

            Karl glared at Reginald, who smiled, turned, and walked away with the redhead on his arm. Yvette pulled up a chair and sat down next to Karl. “Is this your dog?” she asked, petting Manny.

            “It is. Manny is his name.”

            “Manny! Aren’t you beautiful!” And she rubbed his shaggy face. “So Karl,” she said, looking up at him with her soft, seemingly innocent eyes. “You know, you were the first one I spotted when you and your companions walked in. I thought to myself, there’s a kind, lonely soul who’s in need of a bit of love.”

            Karl blushed and fought back a smile.

            “Do you know,” she said in a whisper, “there are some men that come in here who I can barely stand to give away my services to. They’re brutes, mostly.” She put her hand on his leg. “But for you, I’d give myself away for free.” She put her finger to her lips. “Shh. Don’t tell anyone, OK?” She winked. Again, Karl blushed.

            “I’ll tell you what,” Yvette continued. “We can go upstairs. There’s a very good bottle of chardonnay in my bedroom, and two glasses. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion. I think tonight is the night. What do you say?”

            Karl looked at her smiling face. Her full lips were parted in a smile, and her dark eyes glistened.

            “Because,” she said, in a low sultry whisper, “I like you, and...I want you.” She laughed—a sweet, girlish laugh.

            “I suppose I can have a drink with you,” said Karl, feeling himself get hot.

            They went upstairs, where Yvette lead Karl into a small, quaint bedroom. The bed was made with a red knitted blanket and a large fluffy white pillow. There was a small wooden desk with a lamp and a high backed chair, a dresser, and a cabinet. “You can sit on the bed, if you like,” said Yvette as she went to the cabinet, opened it and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses. She sat down in the high backed chair and poured the wine. She handed the glass to Karl, and held up her own glass in the dim light of the lamp. “Here’s to you and your adventures, Karl,” she said. They clinked glasses and drank. The wine was warm and sweet, and Karl’s thirst seemed to blossom like a flower when he drank it. He looked at the glass in amazement.

            “This is delicious,” he said.

            “I know,” said Yvette. Yvette, who was wearing a short black skirt, had her legs crossed, and she was rubbing her forefinger back and forth down the length of her thigh. “Do you like me, Karl?” she asked.

            Karl felt a lump growing in his throat. He nodded.

            “Good.” She set down her glass, got up, and straddled Karl on the bed. Karl gulped down the rest of his wine and put the glass down at the end of the bed. As she began to kiss him, he lay back, and like the Beacon had been carried here by the force of the wind, he allowed himself to get carried away by the feel of Yvette’s body against his.

Chapter 10: An Ailment

            Karl awoke the next morning with the light from the little window shining on his face and Yvette draped all over him. He carefully moved out from under her so as not to wake her. He looked at her as she slept. Her skin looked like marble in the morning light. He bent down and kissed her on the head. He dressed, and took out a pair of diamond earrings from his pant pocket, which Reginald had given him from the yacht, and placed them on the dresser. He went downstairs and found the rest of them men sitting at the table, drinking. Manny was there, too. He came up to him, wagging his tail, and jumped up to kiss him on the face.

            “Here he is!” cried Reginald.

            “He looks like a new man!” cried the swarthy pirate.

            Karl, smiling bashfully, pulled up a chair. Manny put his head in his lap. “You still love me best, don’t you Karl?” he said. Karl patted his head, and he seemed pleased.

            Some of the women from last night were there also, seated on some of the men’s lap. “Would you like a drink?” asked the bar keep.

            Karl considered. “Sure,” he said. “Pour me a beer.”

            The pirates laughed and Reginald slapped him on the back. “Feeling a bit looser this morning, are we lad?”

            The map was spread out on the table. Using a compass, Reginald charted the course. As Karl sat there, listening to the men, he began to feel incredibly uncomfortable. There was an itch in his genital region. He put his head in his hands. “Oh no,” he said.

            “What is it?” said Reginald, looking up.

            Karl sat, for a moment, considering. “I...I have an itch in my crotch.”

            The men began rolling with laughter.

            “Did you sleep with Yvette?” asked the bar keep.

            Karl nodded.

            “Damn it!” said the barkeep. “I told her to wash up good! It’s the crabs, I’m afraid.”

            Karl, hunched over in his chair, balled up his fist and moaned.

            “No worries, lad,” said Reginald. “We’ll get it taken care of. Have you any Stinging Cream?” he asked the barkeep.

            The barkeep nodded.

            “Well,” said Reginald, turning to Karl. “All you must do is shave off your pubic hairs and apply the cream. You can use my blade, if you like.”

            Karl gave Reginald a glaring look.

            “I’ll help, if you like,” said Reginald, and burst out laughing.

            Karl used the bar keep’s razor and did what needed to be done. When he applied the cream, he let out such a loud yell that everyone in the house heard him. Karl was so angry he nearly went back upstairs to take the earrings he had left for Yvette, but finally decided that she had been sweet to him, and that last night’s pleasures made up for the pains of the morning.

            The men left just before ten o’clock that morning, stopping first at a supply store before heading off. When they got back on board, Karl gave the men a crash course in how to use the machine guns they had acquired, and then they set sail. The plan was to head back west, and sail through the Strait of Magellan before heading North to the coast of Turkey. Karl thought about informing Reginald of the existence of the Panama Canal, but when he considered the inspections they would be forced to go through there, he decided the Strait of Magellan was the better idea. It would be a long journey, and Karl, realizing how lucky they had been so far not have run into any coastal authorities, was worried about this prospect. When Karl expressed his worries to Reginald, Reginald did not seem too concerned. “We shall deal with whatever comes,” he said. “Whether it be storm, sea kraken, or sea police.” Karl, realizing it was no use arguing, kept the better part of his worries to himself.

           

Chapter 11: A Contest

On the second night after leaving Donarath, the men gathered in the captain’s quarters for a bout of drinking. Karl, along with Manny, sat listening to the men. Joe was bragging about how he had manhandled several of the pirates on his own. He rolled up his sleeves and flexed his biceps. “I am the strongest man I know,” he said. “I would challenge any man to try and beat me.” Kaloo, hearing this, perked up.

            “You think you are strong?” he said. “You cannot beat Kaloo. Kaloo is the strongest man there is.”

            “Ah,” said Reginald. “Strong words with no action to back them are like the rum I’ll be pissing later. What we need is a contest!”

            Karl watched as the men rose from the table, and Kaloo and Joe sat across from one another and rolled up their sleeves. Bets were taken, and the two men put their elbows on the table and locked hands. They sat staring at one another, Kaloo expressionless, Joe with a sly smile on his face. Reginald held their locked hands with his own to balance them. “Alright men,” he said. “Time to settle the score. Go!”

            Joe, with his initial push, got the advantage, but Kaloo would not go down much further than an inch. Joe’s face, which was already dark, was now even darker, and his teeth were clenched and showing. Kaloo, whose face had been expressionless at the start, now seemed to be working its way into a mocking smile. Their arms were bulging. Kaloo’s massive arm was like stone, and a big vein was popping out of his bicep. Joe’s sinewy arm seemed to possess an inordinate amount of muscles, all working in perfect harmony. Joe’s wrist began to turn downward as he tried to force Kaloo’s down on to the table. But Kaloo wouldn’t budge. With a grunt, Kaloo forced his way over the top, and his breathing became intense, like a freight engine. Kaloo worked Joe’s arm down toward the table, and Joe, seemingly in disbelief, darted his eyes back and forth between Kaloo’s hand and his face, which was dead-set on the goal. Finally, with one final grunt, Kaloo forced Joe’s hand down, and the pirates, who had been cheering all the while, let out a collective cheer.

            Kaloo stood up and looked down at his vanquished foe, smiling. “Now you know who is the strongest,” said Kaloo.

            “Wait,” said Karl. “Let me have a go.”

            “You want to challenge Kaloo?” said Reginald, astonished.

            Karl nodded. He looked at Kaloo, who smiled at him, then sat back down. Karl went over took a seat, and rolled up his sleeve. The pirates were amazed by the size of his forearms. The two men locked hands, and again, Reginald was the one to moderate. “Now let’s see what kind of strength the old man has,” he said. “Go!”

            Karl felt Kaloo’s strength like a brick wall against his own, and yet, Karl’s arm did not get forced down. He wondered if Kaloo was going easy on him, but when he looked at Kaloo’s face, it showed intense exertion. Karl, using his strong forearm muscles, turned his wrist and Kaloo’s arm began to fall. The pirates were in an uproar. They couldn’t believe their eyes. “The old man’s as strong as a bulwark!” cried Reginald. “Look at those forearms. No sailor I’ve ever seen has forearms like that!” Karl had Kaloo halfway beat, but the African wasn’t going to go down without a fight. He rallied and managed to  get the upper hand. Karl heard Manny talking to him. “Come on, Karl! Give it your all!” But Kaloo continued to force his arm down, till it was nearly flat on the table. His forearm nearly touching the table, Karl let out a loud yell, and his whole body, which had been bright red before, turned an even brighter shade. His whole face was contorted. He re-gripped his fingers, and slowly, as if with extreme pain, lifted Kaloo’s massive arm back up. Kaloo, who had thought he had the old man beat, now looked to be in shock. Karl forced his way over the top, and slowly, still as if with a great deal of pain, managed to force Kaloo’s arm down. When he won, the pirates hollered and jumped up and down. Karl sat back in his chair, exhausted. Reginald came over and put his arm around him, jostling him. “Haha!” he cried. “Now I know who to turn to if I’m ever in trouble. Here.” He grabbed a bottle of rum and poured a glass. “Have a drink, lad. You’ve earned it!”

Chapter 12: A Stowaway

            On the third night of sailing a huge storm blew in from the West and knocked the ship off course. The men, in desperation, landed the Beacon on a small deserted island about three hundred miles to the Northeast of French Polynesia. They moored the ship to a large rock on the coast, and settled in for the night to wait out the storm.

            The next morning, they went ashore and made camp to eat breakfast. It was a beautiful white-sand beach, and some of the men went collecting coconuts from the palms that lined the thick forest that filled the interior of the island. Karl sat with Manny on the beach a ways off from the rest of the men, staring out at the ocean. As he sat, dreaming about Yvette and her beautiful marble-white skin, a whiff of something caught his nose. It smelled like meat cooking. He looked down the beach at the other men. They hadn’t built a fire. So where could it be coming from? He stood up, and followed his nose to the edge of the forest.

            “Where are you going?” asked Manny.

            Karl began to make his way through the forest. The smell of cooking was growing stronger. As he clamored through the thick brush, smoke became visible, and he heard a most strange sound. It was the sound of singing—a quiet, cheerful singing. Then, in a clearing, he came upon a most strange sight. A small old man with a white beard was crouching beside a campfire, holding a stick with a silver fish impaled at the end. He was barefoot, and wore dark corduroys that had been torn away at the knee exposing wiry, tan legs; a red cotton tee shirt; and a white boating hat. He looked up at Karl with wild black eyes. Seeing Karl, he stood up, his mouth agape in stupefied wonder. Then, after a moment, that same mouth worked itself into a wide smile, revealing a heavily gapped set of brown and yellow teeth. His right arm rose, slowly.

            Karl, bewildered, began to turn away.

            “Wait!” cried the old man. “Don’t go!” He dropped the stick he was holding and ran up to Karl. “I’m Peter,” he said, holding out his dirt-stained hand, the nails of which were long and yellow. There was a pungent odor of stale sweat about his body, and his breath was ten times as bad. Gnats swarmed about his head.

            Karl took his hand. It was rough and dry. “Karl,” he said.

            “Are you part of the rescue party?” Peter asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

            “No,” said Karl, “I...” It occurred to him that to tell this man the truth about why he was here would be utterly ridiculous, and far too complicated. So instead he said he was here sailing with friends.

            “Oh, I see. I see,” said Peter, nodding his head. “Could you take me aboard?” he asked. “You could drop me off at the nearest port. I won’t cause any problems.” He smiled his gap-toothed smile. There was something not quite right about this man. There was a look in his eye of almost clinical insanity. Karl thought he had been here alone for a very long time.

            “I don’t see why not,” he said. “Only, you should know, my friends are a little...” He was going to say odd, but looking at Peter, he thought this would be superfluous at best.

            “No worries, my friend!” said Peter. “I can get along with anyone. You see, I’m a fisherman. My boat was shattered against the rocks and I’ve been stranded here for, well...close to ten years.”

            The man explained to Karl how he had managed to survive on the island. The poor man had suffered much, indeed. As he talked, Karl led him out of the forest to where the other men were camped. The pirates eyed Peter suspiciously as they approached. Karl introduced Peter, and the pirates welcomed him warmly. The man, oddly enough, did not seem at all befuddled by their appearance. Perhaps, after ten years alone on the island, thought Karl, he had been drained of any sense of the absurd. That, or he was just too anxious to get off the island to judge those who would take him.

            After they had had their fill of food and drink, the men packed up their things and went back aboard. It was decided that the old man would be dropped off at the Southern tip of South America, which was about a five day’s journey. The old man thanked Karl and Reginald heartily, and went to the cabin for a long sleep.

            “Strange old man,” said Reginald to Karl after Peter had left. “He’s got a rather cackled look, I do say.”

            Karl agreed. Actually, he thought the old man would fit in quite nicely with this group of wild men.

Chapter 13: Thief

            Peter served as great entertainment for the men of the Beacon. He was full of good humor, and when he was drunk (which was basically all the time) he would tell incredible tales of his experiences on the island. The man had suffered a great deal. He had broken his leg in a fall, and the tale of how he managed to survive was harrowing to say the least. He also talked about his time spent as a fisherman. Apparently, he had been after a rare breed of tuna when he was stranded on the island. He could be rather volatile, however, even when compared with the pirates. During a game of poker one night he attacked one of them, and was nearly killed. Only through Karl’s persuasion was he spared.

            One night, while drinking with Peter and some of the other men on deck, several of the pirates brought out a fiddle, a flute, and a tom-tom and began to play. Peter, drunk, got up from his seat and began to dance. The men clapped their hands and cheered the old man on. He was a very nimble dancer, and Karl found him enchanting to watch. Even Manny seemed completely captivated by him.

            “Now watch this!” cried Peter, and he fell forward onto his hands in a handstand, and began walking about on his hands. Then, Karl noticed, something fell out of his pockets. The other men noticed it too. When Peter stood up from his handstand, Reginald went over and picked the objects up and inspected them. “What’s this?” he cried. He held up in his hands two diamond pendants, objects the men had taken from the yacht. “Where did you get these?” cried Reginald. Peter, his eyes wide with terror, began to back away.

            “I found those, um...On the floor in the cabin. Honestly, I...”

            Reginald grabbed him by the shirt. “Grab the ropes, lads. It looks like we have a common thief on board.”

            The pirates bound Peter in the ropes, and Karl, greatly perturbed, approached Reginald. “Reginald, what are you going to do?” he asked.

            “He’s a thief. Therefore, he’s got to pay the thief’s price.”

            The men led Peter to the plank on the edge of the ship. “Reginald,” said Karl. “There must be another way. Can’t we just leave him somewhere? Maroon him?”

            Reginald smiled warmly. “I see,” he said. “You feel for the old man, and don’t want to see him die. Well,” he placed his hand on his shoulder. “Pirates have laws too, my lad. They may seem barbaric to you, but it’s the way we survive. Without our laws, we cease to be men. Don’t you worry,” he said. “The Lord above knows what’s best, and Peter’s soul will go to the place it needs to go.”

            Karl was on the verge of saying something more, but he knew that there was no use arguing. Besides, he was beginning to get used to the reality of the senseless death that was taking place around him. He reassured himself by telling himself that it was nothing he could control, and that he himself was not perpetrating any crime. Yet, he still felt somewhat guilty. He decided to numb this guilt by drinking rum.

            The men were gathered around the plank as the swarthy pirate, with saber drawn, forced Peter down the length of the plank. “Have you any last words before you take the plunge?” asked Reginald from on deck.

            Peter, whose eyes were sunken in abject sorrow, looking down, said, “I only meant to do right in this life. But, alas, the Lord cursed me. I blame him for this travesty, not you, my good men!”

            And with that the swarthy pirate put the tip of his blade on Peter’s stomach. Peter turned around, and with a deep sigh, jumped into the water. The men could hear him splashing about, and they began to sing:

Take the plunge! Take the bath!

The ocean’s warm and inviting!

Reach out your hands, but nothing’s there!

Down you’ll go—there’s no use fighting!

To break the code means paying the price!

The sharks are hungry, and a thieve’s flesh tastes nice!

           

Karl sat listening to this song on the on the other side of the ship, drinking his bottle of rum and feeling very depressed. Manny was sidled up next to him. “I don’t like this,” he said to Karl. “These men are cruel.”

“They are indeed,” said Karl. “But what can we do? We’re pirates now, Manny. Either we put up with their brutality, or we become victims of it ourselves.”

And yet there was part of him, as he listened to the pirates’ song, that felt a surge of vitality at the thought of being involved in such a horrible spectacle. Perhaps he was beginning to see himself in a new light. He began to wonder if, should the situation arise, he would be able to take another man’s life himself, and almost desired to see if he could. These pirates were a different breed of men, it was true. But they were only different because their lives had made them so. Would living the life of a pirate make Karl like them? He wondered. And in fact, he sensed that the transformation was already underway.

Chapter 14: War

The next day, Reginald presented Karl with a gold-hilted saber and a leather belt with a scabbard. “What’s this for?” asked Karl.

“’Tis for your own protection,” he said. “You never know what danger you might find yourself in, my lad. Now you need to learn to use it.”

Karl spent the day practicing with the swarthy pirate, Joe Connors. Joe taught him how to control the saber from his wrist, and how to maintain balance in a fight. Karl, despite his age and inexperience, was a quick learner. He grew proud of his new sword, and even more so of his new skills. The next three days he practiced constantly.

On the third day, at about three o’clock in the afternoon, the man in the crow’s nest called out to the rest of the men. “Ship! Ship! Coming straight for us! About a mile off!”

“What is it, lad?” asked Reginald.

“I don’t know, sir. It’s very large. Perhaps a war vessel!”

“Let me go up there and look,” said Karl.

Reginald nodded. Karl climbed up to the crow’s nest and took the telescope. Peering through it, he saw a large frigate, heavily armed. “It’s a war vessel alright, and there’s no use trying to blow it up. It’s made of steel.”

“Steel?” said Reginald, with disbelief.

Karl came back down and advised Reginald to cooperate with whoever it was that was coming, and Reginald agreed. However, as Karl stood gazing out over the water, Reginald secretly told his men to go into the hold and collect the machine guns they had acquired on Donarath, and wait there.

As the frigate approached Karl saw that there were a group of about ten men on the boat’s deck. One of them, a handsome older man with graying black hair wearing a gray suit, appeared to be the captain. The rest of them, wearing the same gray suits, were armed with machine guns. They pulled up alongside the Beacon and set out a metal bridge-ladder to cross over. Reginald, Karl, and several other pirates were there to greet them. “Ahoy there!” cried Reginald as the captain and his men crossed over to the Beacon. “How can we be of service to ye’?”

“My name is Captain Alvarez,” the elder man said in a Hispanic accent. “This is my ship, La Merienda. We are with the Chilean Navy. Word has come to us of a ship moving through the South Pacific. Supposedly they pirated a yacht about a week ago, and killed those on board. I’m afraid we will have to inspect your ship, Mr....”

“Pierce,” said Reginald. “Reginald Pierce.”

The captain of La Merienda nodded. “Yes, well...we need to inspect your ship, I’m afraid. You and your men can wait on deck. Are there are any more men on board?”

Reginald shook his head. Karl, recognizing Reginald’s lie, became perturbed.

Five of the men, including the captain, went down into the Beacon’s hold, and five men stayed on deck to keep an eye on the pirates. “That’s a lovely uniform,” said Reginald to one of the officers. “What material is that?”

“Not sure,” said the officer.

“Do you mind if I have a feel?” asked Reginald. Just as Reginald was beginning to walk up to the officer, machine gun fire was heard coming from the hold. The officers, surprised, looked over, and Reginald, along with the rest of the men, drew their swords and flew upon the officers. Karl ran, along with Manny to the other side of the ship, ducking. He heard gun shots, screaming, and when he looked back, five men—three officers and two pirates—lay dead on the ground. Reginald and two other pirates were struggling with the remaining two officers. A large gun from La Merienda was fired into the side of the Beacon. Then, the pirates from the hold ran out with their machine guns. Reginald and the other pirates on deck finally finished off the remaining officers, and they, along with the pirates from the hold, crossed the bridge over to La Merienda. Another large gun shot was fired into the Beacon. Karl watched as Reginald and the pirates stormed into the frigate. He heard machine gun fire, and screams. Then, as he felt the Beacon slowly beginning to sink, silence. He waited in great fear.

Finally, the pirates reemerged. Or, what was left of them. Reginald, along with ten of the over twenty pirates that had went in, came out, including Joe Connors and Kaloo. The blonde and the fat pirate were not with them, however. “What happened?” cried Karl as they crossed back over to the Beacon.

“They’re done for, lad.”

Karl, amazed, was still not appeased. “But, did they radio for help?”

“We took care of that, too,” said Reginald. “No need to worry.”

Karl would have asked for more detail, but he was in shock. “Every Navy in the entire world is going to be after us!” he cried.

“No, lad,” said Reginald, “No. We took the radio man hostage and forced him to say everything was good. Then we killed him.”

Karl fell to his knees. Manny, concerned for his master, tried his best to comfort him.

“We will need to repair the ship,” said Reginald. “We should be able to make it to a port by nightfall, which is plenty of time, I think. Haul the bodies overboard, men!”

Karl thought of all the men who had died. This was no longer a simple game of playing pirates. This was real war. And something told him, the worst was yet to come. Reginald directed the men to bolster the Beacon’s side, and do their best to repair the other damage done to the ship. They bucketed out as much water as they could, but they were still riding low in the water. After giving his orders, Reginald approached Karl, who sat in his chair on deck, brooding. “Come along lad,” said Reginald. “Join me for a drink! I’d say we deserve it!”

Chapter 15: A Fight

Reginald was right in his calculations. They reached the port of Hermelles on the Western side of the Strait of Gibralter by nightfall. Hermelles was a hotbed for illegal activity. Even the ship builders they brought the Beacon to for repair were involved in it. After leaving the Beacon with them, the pirates went to explore the town. It was so full of motley characters the pirates barely stood out. A group of motorcycle gangsters rode past on their Harleys, street performers swallowed swords and blew fire into the air, men were gathered in a sandlot watching a mongoose do battle with a viper, and the town was filled with saloons brothels and gambling houses of a all sorts.

The men spotted a saloon called Vega’s, and went inside. There turned out to be a brothel upstairs. Karl, still repenting from his experience at the last brothel, decided to wait for them in the saloon with Manny. He ordered a beer and sat at a table in the corner, Manny at his feet. There were just a few people in the saloon, as it was still relatively early. A big, burly man wearing a leather jacket cut off at the sleeves, exposing enormous arms, and a black bandana, kept looking over in Karl’s direction. He was seated across from two other men dressed in a similar fashion. Finally, the man put out the cigarette he was smoking, took a swig of his beer, and got up. He approached Karl ominously. The other two men turned around to watch.

“That’s a nice looking dog,” said the man in a deep, gruff, sinister voice.

“Thank you,” said Karl.

“What’s his name?”

“Manny.”

At hearing the sound of his name, Manny looked over at Karl, then at the large man standing in front of him, who bent down and petted his head. “Manny,” he said warmly. “That’s a good dog. Well,” he stood back up and nodded over at the two men he had been seated with. They stood up. One of them was carrying a muzzle attached to a leash. Karl, seeing the two men, put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He heard a click. The man had drawn a pistol, and was pointing it straight at Karl. “We’ll be taking your dog now, Mr.”

As the two men approached, Karl considered his options. He couldn’t fight off all three men. He was certain of that, but perhaps if he put up a fight, he could get Manny to run away. He stood up and moved to draw his sword, but before he could draw it all the way out, the man with the gun knocked him on the top of his head with the butt, and he fell on the floor. Manny, cornered, bared his teeth. The other two men grabbed him, and Karl, in a daze, watched as they muzzled him and dragged him out the door. Karl, collecting his senses, got up, and walked slowly to the door. When he was outside, he saw the men loading Manny into the back of a pickup truck. As he approached, again the burly man pointed his gun. “You stay right there,” he said. Karl froze. The men got into the truck, and drove away. Karl watched as the truck drove off, Manny looking back at his master with worried eyes.

“Help me, Karl!” Manny cried.

Karl ran after the truck, but it soon disappeared. Distraught, he went back to the pub to inform the rest of the men.

Karl climbed the wooden staircase up to the brothel, and found the men gathered in a lounge with a bevy of women about them, smoking hookah. “Reginald!” he cried. “Someone’s taken Manny!”

“Who?” said Reginald.

“Three men. They muzzled him and drove off with him in a red pickup truck. I don’t know where they’re taking him.”

“There’s only one place they would be taking him, lad. To the fighting pits. Men, let’s be off.”

The pirates paid the whores for their services and left, along with Karl, who was greatly perturbed by what Reginald had told him. Manny was a strong dog, but he had no fighting experience. If they should arrive too late, Karl was certain Manny wouldn’t survive his fight. Reginald asked the bar keep where the local fighting pits were, and they set off. It was a ways away, all across town—a distance of maybe four miles. They had no choice but to walk. The whole time they walked, Karl imagined horrible things.

 The fighting pit was in a sandlot behind an old saloon. A pit was dug in the center of the lot, and a low metal fence surrounded it. When Karl and the men arrived, hundreds of boisterous people were gathered around the fence. There was a fight already in progress. Karl and the men pressed their way through the crowd to see. Karl’s worst fears were realized. Manny was standing in the corner of the fence, and another dog—a large brown mastiff—was standing in the middle, eyeing him menacingly, and snarling. “Wait!” cried Karl. “That’s my dog! Stop the fight!”

Several large men with machine guns were perched on a hill above the pit, watching the crowd. He now wished the pirates had brought the machine guns with them so they could end the fight. The pirates approached the fence, but there was nothing they could do. The fight was underway. “Do something!” cried Karl to Reginald.

“This whole crowd is liable to turn on us, and besides, those men have us square in their sights.”

Karl looked. Indeed the men with machine guns were in perfect position to gun them down should they do anything. It was useless. They would have to wait it out.

Karl watched in agony, as the mastiff charged at Manny. Manny was quick, however, and was able to dodge his attacks. Finally, on one of the mastiff’s charges, Manny’s right leg was bitten. This slowed him down some, but not much. Then next time the mastiff charged, he went straight for Manny’s throat. Manny dodged this attacked and bit the mastiff’s eye. The mastiff yelped, and backed away.

“That’s the way, Manny!” cried Reginald. “Dodge and strike!”

Karl couldn’t believe that Reginald and the rest of the men seemed to be enjoying this. He could barely watch.

Finally, after drawing some blood, it seemed that instinct kicked in and Manny took on a remarkable fighting form. He dodged this way and that, springing on his agile legs, nipping at the big mastiff’s neck and face. The mastiff kept going straight for Manny’s neck, but each time Manny would move his whole body out of the way and slash at the mastiff’s side. The mastiff, now completely bloodied, was not deterred. Finally, despite Manny’s quickness, the mastiff got hold of his neck. Manny let out a loud yelp as the giant dog’s jaws closed around his jugular. Then, however, Kaloo, standing at such a distance off that he would not be perceived, grabbed a stone and threw it as hard as he could at the mastiff’s head, making a direct hit. The mastiff loosened his jaws and stumbled. Then, seeing his chance, Manny went right for the mastiff, jumping on his back and clamping his jaws around the back of his neck. This was useless, however, as this part of the mastiff’s body was well protected. So Manny repositioned himself on the mastiff’s side, and managed to get a lock on the underside of his neck. He tore the flesh right open, and the mastiff fell to the ground. Manny did not let go until the mastiff stopped struggling, and lay still, with blood gushing from his neck in a river. The crowd cheered. As the handler came into the pit to collect Manny, Karl and the pirates approached.

“How much for the golden?” Reginald asked him.

“A thousand dollars,” said the handler.

Reginald reached into his pocket and pulled out two large diamonds, and five hundred dollars in cash. “Will this do?” he asked.

The handler inspected the diamonds. He nodded. Manny, bloodied and exhausted, was turned over to Karl, who embraced his dog and wept tears of joy and relief.

“Oh, Manny!” he cried. “I’m so sorry!”

Manny licked his face. “It’s OK, Karl. I fought hard,” he said.

“You fought,” said Karl, “like a champion.”

Chapter 16: A Tale of Lost Love

Their ship repaired, Karl and the men of the Beacon left Hermelles two days later and made their way North through the Atlantic. That first night of sailing, after spending a couple of hours with Manny in the main quarters to make sure he fell asleep and was not in too much pain, Karl joined Reginald and the rest of the men in the captain’s cabin for a bout of drinking. When Karl entered, the men were drunkenly discussing the various ways they would spend their money once the treasure had been found.

“I shall buy me an island in the South Pacific,” said Joe Connors after finishing off a glass of rum. “I’ll raise pigs like my father (curse his soul), and eat bacon every morning and ham every night. I’ll have a hundred wives, too—each prettier than the last. Of course I’ll share them with all of you whenever you come to visit! Hahaha!”

“As for me,” said Kaloo, “I will buy the palace of the man who killed my father. I will have hundreds of white slaves, and a great library that will hold the greatest and rarest of all books. A private orchestra will play for me and my family each night, and great golden spears will line my halls. My children will be taught all of the languages of the world by the most learned men, and they will become great scholars and princes. In my garden there will be exotic plants from my native Africa, and a great golden fountain studded with rubies and sapphires. I will wear silk clothes and pearl-studded slippers as I walk about my grounds with my beautiful wife of royal blood.”

“Ahh,” said the men, and nodded their heads. “What about you, Reginald?” asked Joe Connors. “What will you do with your portion of the treasure?”

“Me?” He lifted his head in contemplation. “I will buy a nice house on the beach, and marry a beautiful young woman. She will look like...” He cut himself off. The rest of the men looked embarrassed. Karl wondered why. “No matter,” continued Reginald. “She will be beautiful. That is all that I require. And what about you?” he turned to Karl.

Karl was taken aback. He had not even considered the idea. He didn’t even realize he would be getting a portion of the treasure. Of course, now that it hit him, it made perfect sense. “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I’d pay off my debts. Other than that, I don’t really need anything.”

“Come on lad!” said Reginald. “You don’t mean to tell us you want to keep living in that tiny shack, do you?”

Karl laughed. “I suppose not,” he said. “A bigger place would be nice. Certainly on the beach.” He thought of his son, and his granddaughter, who he had never met, and sighed. “Yes,” he said, “that would be nice.”

Later, after the rest of the men had headed off to sleep, Karl sat alone with Reginald. “Reginald,” he said. “Earlier, when you were talking, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that you were referring to a particular woman.”

Reginald looked up at the ceiling. “It’s true,” he said. “There was a woman in my life.”

“Who was she?” asked Karl.

Reginald poured himself a glass of rum, downed it, and placed the glass on the table. “Ah,” he began “She was a beauty, she was. Sharon was her name. I can remember the first time I saw her. I was in Ireland preparing for our journey to Kojiwana to go after the Treasure of Candoleen, and one night I stopped in at a local pub. She was serving the customers their drinks, and I prayed to God Almighty that she would be serving me. ‘What’ll it be?’ she said, leaning over the bar.

“’Give me a pint of your finest ale,’ I said. She came back with my pint. ‘What’s your name?’ I asked. ‘Sharon,’ she said. ‘Sharon,’ I say. ‘You don’t belong in a place like this. You belong in a palace.’

“She smiled. ‘And I suppose you’re the one to give me one,’ she said. With that she turned away, and I was in love.”

“So what happened?” asked Karl.

“I went back to the bar night after night. I continued to flirt with her. She seemed taken with me. So, the night before our voyage, I stayed after the bar closed, and waited for her. We sat up till morning, drinking and talking. She told me all about her life, how she lived with her parents and ten siblings in a small house, and how she had been working to help her family since she was very young. She was a jovial, bright-spirited woman, but I could tell that her situation was making her sad.

“’I’ll tell you what,’ I said, ‘I am leaving in a few days, but I promise to come back, and when I do, I will be a rich man. I will take you out of your parent’s home and put you in a palace. You don’t believe me?’

“She looked incredulous. I reached into my pocket and took out my lucky gold coin.

“’Here,” I said, giving her the coin. ‘Keep this as a sign of my vow. I will return to you. By the Lord Almighty, I swear it.’

“She leaned over and kissed me. When I came to the dock that morning, I was in high spirits, thinking the future was all laid out for me. Of course, it was. Only it wasn’t the future I had in mind.” Reginald sighed and hung his head.

“You will find someone else, Reginald,” said Karl.

“Perhaps,” said Reginald. “But my heart is still with Sharon, wherever she be. Ah, well...” He poured himself and Karl a glass of rum. “Here’s to new beginnings.” The two men clinked glasses and drank.

Chapter 17: A Party

            The next few days were smooth sailing as the Beacon made its way up through the Atlantic. They stayed as far away from the coasts as possible, to avoid further trouble. About five hundred miles North of the tip of South America, they came upon a small island. From a distance, they could see a large upscale bungalow perched on the island’s rocky coast, and as they grew nearer, they saw that it was full of people, and the sound of music playing could be heard.

            “What a party!” Joe Connors cried.

            “Perhaps they wouldn’t mind a few uninvited guests,” said Reginald, smiling.

            Karl immediately sensed trouble, but he knew there was no use trying to convince Reginald. For him, all the world was a giant party, and he meant to crash it by whatever means necessary. The Beacon pulled up to the dock, and Reginald greeted the astonished party-goers. “Ahoy there!” he cried. “We saw that you were having a party, and thought we might join you. We have plenty of booze to share.” The owner of the house stepped forward to the edge of the patio.

            “Who are you?” he asked.

            “We are merely pirates of the open sea, looking for a good time before we carry on in our mission.”

            Another man approached the owner of the house. “Let them in,” he said. “They seem like interesting characters.”

            “You say you have booze?” the owner of the house asked.

            “Ay! That we do, my good man. That we do.”

            “Well,” said the house owner, “bring it in.

            As Karl and the pirates entered the house, everyone turned to them with curiosity. “Good day to you ma’am,” said Reginald, bowing to a beautiful blonde woman in a pink dress. She seemed utterly pleased. The men carried in a bag full of booze, and began laying out the bottles on the large oak bar inside the house. Joe Connors, carrying the now empty bag, began to walk around the house, pulling trinkets from the shelves, and putting them in the bag. When Karl noticed him, he gave Joe a menacing look. Joe just smiled and winked at him, and carried on in his thievery. All of the guests at the party were terribly drunk, and were completely amused by the party crashers.

            Karl overheard a conversation between a busty brunette and Reginald. “You say you’re pirates?” the woman asked.

            “That we are,” said Reginald, preparing his pipe.

            “How fascinating!” the woman cried. “It’s like something out of a dream, isn’t it David?” She turned to a tall man with dark hair in a blue suit.

            “It certainly is. But you all seem so friendly! Just how I’d imagine pirates to be.”

            “We’re not all friendly,” said Reginald. “Some wouldn’t hesitate to kill you for that nice outfit you’re wearing.”

            The man laughed. “Charming!” he said. “Absolutely charming!”

            Karl wondered through the house. It was extremely opulent, with oak paneling on the walls, chandeliers on the ceiling, and valuables of all sorts elegantly placed around the rooms. In one room, there was a karaoke machine. A man was singing, “Two Tickets to Paradise” and a crowd of people stood around him, watching. Several pirates entered the room and also watched. “Strange music,” said Kaloo. “What is it?”

            “It’s called Rock n’ Roll,” said Karl.

            “I like it,” said Kaloo.

            When the song was over, Kaloo volunteered to sing a song, but he was unable to decide what to sing. “I don’t know any modern songs,” he said.

            “Don’t you know any songs?” a woman asked him, delighted with the large man.

            “I do, but they are all pirate songs.”

            “Well sing us one!” the woman cried.

            Everyone else cheered on this idea.

            “You sing into this,” said the flushed looking man who had been singing, handing the microphone to Kaloo.

            “Hello,” said Kaloo into the microphone. He heard his amplified voice and was astonished and delighted. “OK. I will sing you a song I know. Here it goes.

We pirates like the gold, we stack it to the moon.

We pirates like loose women, too.

If we could, we’d make love all morning, night and afteroon,

With bottles of rum in between.

Then if a fool comes who wants our gold,

We chop off his head and drink the blood.

We pirates are known for our lust for life,

No amount of gold, no amount of love,

No amount of blood will suffice!

We take what we need, and if it upsets you

Go to Hell! is what we say.

We pirates only do what we want to do.

            When he was finished singing, the drunken crowd hooted and hollared in delight. “More! More!” they cried. Only, just then, a loud crash was heard from an adjoining room. Everyone ran to see. A man was laying where a glass table, now broken, used to lie, and above him Joe Connors looked down menacingly. Karl ran to Reginald, who stood nearby.

            “What happened?” asked Karl.

            “He accused Joe of stealing,” said Reginald.

            “What’s in the bag?” a man asked, brazenly.

            “Just a few trinkets. Parting gifts.”

            The brazen man approached Joe, going for the bag, and Joe pulled out his saber. “Back off, my friend, unless you wish to lose your head.”

            Karl grabbed Reginald’s arm. “I think it’s time to go,” he said. “Please.”

            Reginald smiled. “Lads, what do you say? Shall we leave these good people in peace?”

            “Hell no!” cried Joe. “Let’s get the lot.”

            Reginald looked again at Karl, smiling, then back at Joe. Reginald nodded, and Joe, smiling with delight, plunged his sword into the brazen man’s neck. The rest of the pirates pulled out their swords and the butchering began. The party guests, screaming, in a panic, rushed headlong for the exit, but the pirates barred their way. The slaughtered every last guest, then took what they had, along with the valuables of the house.

            Karl stood by and watched, hardly unsettled or surprised. He looked down at Manny, who stood beside him. “Argh!” Manny said. “Pirates now we be!”

Chapter 18: A Dream

            The ship sailed through mostly calm waters for the next several days, and the men waited anxiously for their arrival to the Island of Dove’s Beak. Karl did a lot of drinking during these days, and a lot of sleeping. On the third night, he had a strange dream. He was aboard the Beacon, and all the men were on deck. It was night, and Reginald stood on the quarter deck, with a conductor’s baton in his hand. The rest of the men watched him as he waved his baton, and they began singing. It was a low and mournful tune, like a requiem, as if they were honoring someone’s death. Karl got the sense that it was his own death they were honoring. He sat behind the rest of the men, with Manny, drinking from a bottle of rum and smoking a cigar. He felt languid, and rather ill. As the song reached its crescendo, the sun rose in a burst to the East. Then he heard the sound of a baby crying. He stood up and went to the edge of the ship, and looked out over the water. In the water, about fifty yards out, he could see his son treading water, and holding onto his young child. Karl yelled to the men, “Wait! Turn back! My son and granddaughter are drowning!” But they did not hear him. They simply carried on in their singing, as if in a trance. In a panic, Karl dove off the side of the ship and swam after his son and granddaughter, but it seemed the harder he swam, the further and further they drifted away from him. Then, he felt something heavy pulling him down. He looked into the water, and there, attached to his leg by a rope, was a giant treasure chest made of gold. He went under, and he tried to remove the rope from his legs, but he was unable to, and down and down he went, to the bottom of the sea. He could still hear the pirates singing. Their last words were, “And the sea was made his home. That is where he dwelt.” The water began to fill his lungs, and in a panic, he woke up.

            Karl looked down at Manny, who was sleeping peacefully on the floor. He heard the sound of the other men snoring. He was wide awake, and decided to go out to the deck. On deck, he found Reginald, standing alone and smoking his pipe. Reginald, who seemed also in a trance, nodded at Karl. “Having trouble sleeping?” he asked.

            “A dream awoke me,” said Karl. “A very strange dream.”

            Reginald nodded solemnly.

            “Reginald,” said Karl. “Do you think we are going survive this?”

            “There is always a chance that we will not,” he said. “But we have already survived many a’ danger, so perhaps the gods are shining down on us. And if not, you will have at least lived your last days to the fullest, ma’ lad. You can be certain of that.”

            Karl looked up at the night sky. It was full of stars. Just then, he thought of his son, and wondered if he would ever see him again. “Life to the fullest,” he said, as if to himself. “I wonder.”

Chapter 19: Bustle at the Casino

            The Beacon made its way North through the Atlantic for seven days. Besides one major storm that blew them off course, the sailing was easy, and the ocean calm. On the seventh day the Island of Dove’s Beak was in sight. It was a hot day and the sun was shining off the multitude of buildings that lined the coast. Captain Desperteaux had set up a booming commercial industry indeed. There were high-rise apartment complexes and hotels made of glass, casinos lined with gold paneling and a steel circular theater with a blue and white onion dome. The beach was crowded with people, and all about were beautiful palms and exotic plants. The dock was burgeoning with ships of all kinds, some bringing in goods to supply the various restaurants and stores that dotted the island. High above it all, perched atop the apex of the island, was a large white mansion, surrounded by an iron gate.

            They pulled into the harbor and nobody gave them a second glance as they disembarked. Walking along the wharf, they saw all sorts of strange people. A man with a giant boa constrictor wrapped around his shoulders, dressed in nothing but a loincloth, was playing a penny whistle and smiling at the passer bys. Two acrobats were performing on a giant pillar-like apparatus. A man dressed in livery was singing “Nessum Dorma.” And an old man in white robe, with a long gray beard was reciting a nonsensical poem at the top of his lungs.

            “This is my kind of place!” said Reginald. “That is one thing about the captain, he always had style.”

            Most of the people walking around looked like tourists. Mostly wealthy couples and groups of young people looking for excitement. Reginald approached an elderly couple seated on a bench. “Good day to you!” he cried. The couple looked at him, astonished. “Do you know where the Captain resides?”

            “The Captain?” asked the elderly man.

            “Yes, the owner of the island.”

            “Oh, yes!” said the woman. “I believe he lives in the mansion at the top of Beak Hill. But you can’t go up there. It’s private.”

            “Can you tell me how to get there, just so I can have a look?” Reginald asked.

            “Beek Hill Drive is about four blocks that way, just past the casino.”

Reginald thanked the couple and rejoined Karl, Manny, and the rest of the men. “Well, men,” said Reginald. “I know the way, but chances are, security will be tight. So stay lively, boys!”

The men walked down the road toward the casino. When they passed it, the men gave it a gander. “What a lively place!” cried Joe. “Let’s have a look inside.”

Reginald nodded, and the men walked up the entrance to the casino. When they reached the entrance, a tall, burly security guard stopped them. “I’m afraid we don’t allow weapons inside, gentlemen. Karl was relieved. He did not want to go into the casino, as he was certain it would only result in further bloodshed. Joe reached for his saber, but Reginald, to Karl’s great surprise, stopped him. Joe stared at the security guard for a long time. Karl wondered if he would snap. With Reginald’s persuasion, however, Joe relented, and the men turned away. But as they were walking away, Joe suddenly turned around, pulled out his saber, and ran at the security guard. The guard pulled out a gun, and shot Joe in the chest. Then, there was chaos.

The other men pulled their swords and ran at the security guard, stabbing him. More guards, hearing the commotion, ran outside. Karl, falling back, watched from the sidewalk as the pirates were restrained, and in some cases, shot. As Reginald and the surviving pirates were handcuffed and taken away, Reginald looked up at Karl. “Find us,” he said, as h was stuffed into the back of a black police car. Karl looked at him, stunned. Find them? And, supposing he did, how would he set them free?

Chapter 20: Reginald’s Plan

Karl watched as the police cars zoomed down the street and disappeared. He looked at Manny. “We’re going to save them, aren’t we Karl?” said Manny.

Karl considered. It might be very easy to find a transport home if he tried. Then, all of this horror would come to an end, and he could live in peace. But no. During his adventures with Reginald and the rest of the pirates, he had become attached to them. They were his brothers now. And they needed him. But what could he do?

He approached an officer that was still on the scene, and asked him where the pirates had been taken.

“To the jail,” said the officer.

“Where is that?” asked Karl.

It was a ways away, and Karl and Manny would have to walk. So, they went on their way. They walked down a long road filled with packing plants and warehouses leading to the back of the island, behind the Captain’s mansion, where the jailhouse resided. It was nearing sundown by the time they arrived. At the door, Karl was forced to relinquish his saber, not that he had any intention of using it. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had been thinking the whole way there, but nothing seemed workable. He would have to wing it, he supposed. Karl told the sheriff that he was the pirates’ lawyer, and was granted access to talk to them. Karl was led through the steal doors to the prison block, and down the hall to where the pirates were being held. He was left alone to talk with them.

“Karl!” said Reginald, obviously relieved to see him. “Have you a plan to get us out?”

“A plan?” said Reginald. “What kind of plan could I possibly have? We’re screwed.”

Reginald smiled and began tugging at his beard. “I thought you might say that,” he said, “which is why I have also been putting my mind to the problem. Listen,” he lowered his voice in a whisper. “If we could somehow inform the Captain that we are here, I am certain that he would want to deal with us himself. You find the Captain,” he said, “and you tell him that we have kidnapped you and brought you here against your will, and that no amount of legal justice will suffice for your vengeance. The Captain and Envilisa have always hated us, especially the sorceress. It is likely they will devise something much more horrible for us than prison time. But, at this point, there is nothing more that I want than to see the Captain and Envilisa face to face, however horrible they may be. They will get us out of here, though, to deal with us on their own terms. Then, at least, there will be a chance that we might have victory. Trust me, my friend, their bitterness will blind them, and we will have our chance.”

“But how am I supposed to get in touch with the Captain?” asked Karl.

“I overheard,” said Reginald, “from some of the other prisoners, that the Captain is throwing a party tonight at his mansion. Go to this party. There you can find him and do as I said.”

“It sounds far-fetched to me,” said Karl. “But, I suppose if you think it’s the best plan, I will do my best.”

“That’s ma’ lad!” cried Reginald. “But be wary. Don’t give yourself away. And remember, if Envilisa asks you about it, don’t look her in the eye. She will be able to tell that you are lying.”

Karl nodded, and he and Manny left. Now the only question was, how would he get into the Captain’s party?

Chapter 21: Karl Meets the Villains

Karl and Manny walked the long distance to Beak Hill Rd. Many cars—limousines, flashy sports cars, and beautiful old town cars passed him by. Finally they reached the gate. The men at the gate stopped them. “I need to see the Captain,” said Reginald.

“On what business?” asked one of the guards.

“Tell him it involves the pirates of the Beacon.”

The guard nodded and walked into the compound, where hundreds of people were gathered for the party. Karl and Manny waited outside the gate for nearly a half an hour before the guard finally came back. “Come with me,” he said, and Karl and Manny followed him through the gate. The mansion was in the old French Gothic style, with flying buttresses, pointed arches and gargoyles, perfectly suited, Karl imagined, to its residents. He was led around back, where he saw a huge garden divided by a vast labyrinth of stone walkways, and replete with fountains and statues in the same Gothic style. Karl and Manny were led to a blue wooden door on the surface level of the house, and the guard knocked.

The door was opened and they were greeted by an old man in a tuxedo. Karl figured he was a butler. The security guard left and Karl and Manny went into the small but elegant room, which was dimly lit by a lamp sitting on a large wooden desk. Also in the room was a white leather sectional, several wooden chairs, tables and decorations. One of the first things Karl noticed about the room was the framed map drawn on old parchment paper on the back wall above the desk. The chair behind the desk was turned around, facing the wall.

“Sir,” said the butler, “this is the man.”

The large-backed chair turned around swiftly, exposing a man in a black suit, seated with his legs crossed. He was a striking looking man, perhaps in his mid forties, with signs of gray at spots in his otherwise jet black hair. His eyes, Karl saw, were like hawk’s eyes—dark and fiercely penetrating, yet the man himself seemed languid in his repose. There seemed to be nothing threatening about him, other than his dark eyes.

“Hello,” said the man in a rich, velvety voice. “I’m Captain William Desperteaux. Have a seat.”

Karl sat down in the leather chair facing the Captain’s desk.

“Lovely dog,” said the Captain, looking at Manny.

“Thank you,” said Karl.

“So, Mr...” the Captain began.

“Ransenhoff,” said Karl. “Karl Ransenhoff.”

“Mr. Ransenhoff, tell me, what news do you have for me?”

“Well,” Karl began. “A while ago (I can’t really remember how long. It’s been such a trying experience) I set free the men of the Beacon on accident. They kidnapped me, and dragged me along on their journey here to kill you and take back their treasure. Only, they’ve been arrested.”

“Have they?” asked the Captain, who up to this point did not seem the least bit moved.

“At the casino. There was a fight, and some of them were killed. Reginald, and about ten others are in the jailhouse now.”

“Good,” said the Captain, smiling slyly. “Let them rot there. They’ll receive a worthy punishment, I assure you.”

“No!” cried Karl. “I mean, you see...They killed my son. I want them executed.”

“Hmm,” said the Captain, thinking. “Well, perhaps we can see to it that they are. Tell me, Karl,” he began, taking a cigarette from a wooden box on his desk. “Did they tell you about my wife, Envilisa?”

Karl suddenly was very nervous. “Yes,” he said, “they told me about her.”

“Well,” said the Captain, smiling, “would you care to meet her?”

Karl swallowed. “Of course,” he said.

The Captain got up. “Wait right here. I’ll be back in a moment.”

The Captain left the room, leaving Karl alone. Karl sat, ringing his hands, remembering what Reginald had told him about Envilisa. About ten minutes passed before the door opened, and the Captain, along with a beautiful woman wearing a giant diamond, ten times the size of the Hope Diamond, around her neck, walked in. Envilisa wore a black gown, and had striking, feline features. When Envilisa turned her eyes on Karl, a cold chill ran down his spine. “This,” said the Captain, “is my wife, Envilisa. Envilisa, this is Karl Ransenhoff.” Karl took her beautiful white hand, which was as cold as the bottom of the sea, and shook it meekly.

“So,” said Envilisa, in a voice at once so graceful, powerful, and full of menace that Karl felt as if he were being hypnotized just hearing it, “I hear you have set free the men of the Beacon. How unfortunate. They kidnapped you, I hear?”

Her eyes, like whirlpools, seemed to be sucking him under. “That’s right,” said Karl, softly.

Envilisa smiled. A cold, sinister smile. “Why don’t you come with me, Karl? There is something I’d like to show you.”

Karl and Manny followed the Captain and the sorceress out the door. They was led through many opulent rooms. One of these rooms had a large painting of the Captain and Envilisa hanging on the wall. They stopped, and stood before it.

“Beautiful, isn’t it Karl?” said the Captain.

Karl nodded. The captain walked up to the painting and, reaching up, removed it from the wall. Behind it was a large steel door with a combination lock. He moved the combination, and opened the door. It was dark inside.

“Go in,” said the Captain.

Karl stepped into the darkness, terrified. The Captain and Envilisa followed him. A light was turned on, revealing a giant room full of treasure. Karl could not believe his eyes. Gold was piled high to the ceiling. There were crates full of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and other gems. Karl wondered what the worth of it all could be—probably enough to run a small nation by. The door was closed. Envilisa’s eyes caught Karl’s. Suddenly, he felt a great pain in his chest, as if his heart would explode. He went blind, and fell onto the floor, crying. He heard Manny growling, and then begin to squeal in torment. “My friend,” said Envilisa, “it is not wise to lie to a sorceress. I suggest you clear things up as fast as you can.”

Karl, in a uncontrolled burst of words, told them the whole truth. The pain went away, and his vision returned. “Well,” said the Captain to his wife, “what shall we do with him?”

Again, Envilisa smiled. “Give him some gold,” she said, “and send him back to his home.”

“What about the pirates?” asked Captain Desperteaux.

“Tell the sheriff to send them here. It would be good to see the old crew again.” And with that, she let out a horrible laugh that stung Karl’s heart just as much as her spell had.

Chapter 22: Seizing an Opportunity

A transport was planned for Karl the next morning. Till then, he was locked along with Manny in the dungeon beneath the mansion. At first, he couldn’t sleep, but then he told himself, perhaps it was for the best that he was leaving. He knew the pirates were doomed to unimaginable torment, but, part of him felt that they deserved it. When he awoke in the morning, two large men took him and led him out to the parking lot in front of the house, where a car was waiting. The two men got in the front seat, and he sat in the back along with Manny. They exited the compound and began the long drive down Beak Hill Rd. As they were passing a large field, Karl, looking through the front windshield of the car, noticed an approaching vehicle.

“There they are,” said the driver.

“Boy, are they in for it,” said the man in the passenger seat.

It was a large armored police vehicle. Karl understood that the pirates were within it, being transported to the mansion for their torture at the hands of Envilisa. As the vehicle approached, Karl again imagined to himself the pain that these men would soon be put through. He remembered his experiences with these men, and felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving them to suffer. He summoned his courage. As the vehicle was approaching, he opened the side door. “What the Hell?” said the driver as Karl jumped out, along with Manny, who followed him. He ran in front of the armored vehicle, which swerved, lost control, and fell on its side. Karl ran up to the vehicle, and opened the back door. The pirates lay strewn across the floor, in handcuffs. The car that had been carrying Karl stopped, and the two men got out. One of them pulled out a gun, and Manny, seeing it aimed at his master, charged and bit the man’s arm, and he dropped his weapon. The other pulled out a gun in turn, but Karl gave him a solid blow to the head, and he fell to the ground. Manny moved on this man as well, and the two men ran away across the field as fast as they could go. Karl went back to the truck. The pirates, wobbly on their feet, were leaving it. “Ah, Karl!” cried Reginald, elated. “I knew you’d come through for us. Not exactly how I’d planned it, but it certainly suffices!”

They went to the front of the truck and opened the passenger door. The driver lay unconscious. Karl found the keys to the handcuffs in his pocket, and released the pirates from their bonds.

“What next?” said Karl, after the last of the handcuffs were undone.

“Next?” said Reginald. “Next, we get our treasure back.”

Chapter 23: A Final Stand-Off

The men gathered what weapons they could from the front of the armored vehicle. There were two shotguns, which would be wielded by Reginald and Kaloo, and two handguns, one in the glove compartment and one on the driver’s person. One of these would be handled by Karl, the other by the fat pirate. The rest would have to go without weapons. They made their plans, and after Karl showed Reginald and Kaloo how to use their weapons, the men began the long walk back up the hill to the mansion. Karl walked ahead of the rest of the men. When they neared the gate, the pirates hid in the trees outside the compound, and Karl approached. The same guard that had been there yesterday stood on guard. Karl held up his hand in greeting. When the guard did the same, the pirates rushed out from behind the trees and opened fire. The guard went down. Karl found the key to the gate on his person, and he and the men went inside. Two more guards were standing near the entrance to the mansion, and they pulled their guns. Karl took aim at one of them, but Kaloo shot him before Karl could fire. The other ran inside. An alarm was sounded. The pirates, along with Karl and Manny, went for the main entrance, but it was locked. “Step aside,” said Reginald behind them. Karl and Manny moved aside, and Reginald blasted through the lock with his shotgun. “Who needs a key when you have this incredible beast?” he said, laughing. They walked into the entrance hall.

“The safe is on the bottom floor,” said Karl, leading the way.

“Yes, ma’ lad. We shall get the treasure soon. But first, we have business with the Captain and Envilisa.”

“Indeed you do,” said a man’s voice behind them. The pirates turned. Standing there was the Captain and Envilisa. Reginald, Kaloo, and the fat pirate raised their weapons. Karl, petrified, stood still. With a wave of her hand, Envilisa knocked the guns from their hands. Now everyone was petrified. “You dare enter the home of Envilisa uninvited?” she said, her voice ringing out like a roll of thunder. With a gesture of her hand, she lifted the pirates, along with Karl, into the air. “Now you must die.”

Again, Karl felt the horrible pain he had felt earlier at the hands of Envilisa. The Captain walked up to the men, inspecting them with malicious delight. “Ah, men,” he said. “What are you without your Captain? Just a band of ragged oafs, I’m afraid.” Out of the corner of his eye, Karl saw Manny dash headlong at Envilisa. Noticing the dog, she turned and waved her hands at him, and the spell on the men was released. They fell to the floor. When Karl looked up at Manny, he saw that he had turned to stone. He didn’t even have time to cry out. “Come along, lad!” cried Reginald, who was running into the next room along with the other pirates. Karl followed, in great dismay over his lost dog.

The room they ran into was filled with animal trophies. Buck heads lined the wall, and a giant taxidermied polar bear stood menacingly in the corner. The room was also, unfortunately, a dead end.

“Now,” said Envilisa, as she and the captain entered the room, “where were we?”

She raised her arms, and Karl and the rest of the men were frozen. Karl again began to feel the pain in his chest.

“Wait!” Karl cried. “Before you kill us, let me ask the Captain a question.”

“Very well,” said Envilisa. “Speak.”

“It seems very cowardly of you, Captain, to see stand there and watch as your wife gets rid of all your problems. So, I have a proposition for you.”

Envilisa turned and looked at the Captain, who nodded in compliance to Karl’s words.

“Fight me,” said Karl, “and should you lose, you must set us free. Of course, we promise to leave and never return, without any of your treasure. Isn’t that right, boys?”

“Ay!” cried Reginald. “That be so.”

“You,” said the Captain smugly, “want to challenge me to a duel?”

“That’s right,” said Karl.

The Captain laughed. “Very well. Let it be so. Envilisa, release him.”

Karl felt the pain in his chest subside, and he was released. The Captain took down a sword that was hanging on the wall, and threw it at Karl, who caught it. The two men faced each other, and took fighting postures. The Captain smiled, and then, his face taking on a horrible aspect, he came at Karl in a vicious flurry. Karl blocked him, but not with ease, and backed away. The Captain came at him again, and this time nearly pierced him, but Karl was quick, and the Captain’s blade went into the wall. Seeing his chance, Karl swung at the Captain, but before he could strike him, the Captain removed his blade and blocked him. “You are good,” said the Captain, “but you are not good enough.” Then he unleashed a series of strikes that baffled Karl. He was able to block him, but the Captain tripped him, and he fell. The Captain swung, but Karl rolled and came to his feet, agile as a cat. He noticed a vase sitting on a table. The next time the Captain came at him, he dodged him, grabbed the vase, and bashed the Captain with it over the head. The Captain fell, and Karl placed the edge of his blade on the Captain’s neck.

“Kill him!” cried Reginald.

Karl looked at the Captain. There was a look of sheer terror in his eyes. Karl dropped his sword. “No,” he said. “I’ve defeated him.” He turned around and faced Envilisa. “Now you have to fulfill your promise.” Envilisa looked at him wrathfully. Just as she was about to speak, Karl heard Reginald’s voice from behind her.

“Karl, move!”

Karl turned around. The Captain was coming at him with the tip of his blade pointed directly at his heart. Agilely, Karl swerved aside. The Captain’s blade went right into Envilisa’s breast. She let out a horrible scream, there was an explosion of green light, and poof! She was gone. The Captain stood amazed. The pirates now free of Envilisa’s spell, moved toward him. Then there was a loud piercing screech. Karl looked down at the Diamond of Candoleen, which had been around Envilisa’s neck. It was glowing. The Captain began to gag. His face, which had once been so youthful, began to take on a haggard aspect. His skin began to shrivel. His eyes fell out of their sockets, and landed at his feet. He put his hands to his face, and tried to let out a scream, but to no avail. His flesh turned to dust, and his skeleton fell motionless to the floor.

Karl stood amazed. He heard a loud shout, and turned to see Reginald and the pirates celebrating. “What a plan!” cried Reginald, slapping Karl on the back. “You, my friend, I designate the new captain of the Beacon!”

Karl looked around. He remembered Manny. He ran into the other room, and there he was, his old furry self again. Manny jumped up and kissed Karl’s face. “Oh, Manny!” cried Karl. “I thought I’d lost you! My dearest friend!” Man and beast, as they had done so many times before, only now with a new relish, loved one another, and the pirates, seeing Manny themselves, redoubled their celebration.

Chapter 24: Loading the Treasure

            After their celebration of the Captain and Envilisa’s defeat, Karl led the men through several rooms and down a flight of stairs to the bottom level. There, he found the room with the painting. He removed it from the wall, and he and the men stood looking at the safe. “I don’t know the combination,” he said.

            “Try 4-17-6,” said Reginald. “’Tis the date we set sail for Kojiawana.”

            Karl turned the knob, and heard a click. The safe came open.

            As the pirates stood staring at the treasure, Karl watched their faces with delight. Reginald was the first to walk in. “’Tis ours, lads! The Treasure of Candoleen is ours!” He dug his arms into a mound of gold coins and let them overflow out of his hands. The other men followed suit.

            They found bags to load the treasure in the stock room, and stole one of the Captain’s cars to carry it down to the ship. They couldn’t carry all of it in one trip of course, but after a night and a day of loading, they managed to get most of it onto their ship. At the dock during the final loading, as Karl was carrying a bag of treasure up the ramp, a young boy walking along with his parents saw him and asked him what it was he was loading. “Treasure,” said Karl. The boy’s mouth fell open, and his parents smiled at Karl, who smiled back and continued on his way.

Chapter 25: Saying Goodbye

The men set sail for Switzerland, where the pirates would put their treasure up for auction split their income, and set up private accounts. There, Karl would head home—in fine style. The Diamond of Candoleen, it was decided, would go to Karl. Karl knew that the diamond would bring him a fortune beyond any of his wildest dreams, but that was the furthest thing from his mind. He was ready to go home and see his son and granddaughter, and tell them his wild story (with some parts left out for discretion, of course.

On there way to Switzerland, the men celebrated with drink and song. Karl did not partake in any of the drinking, however. He just stood by with Manny, laughing at the men’s antics like a father watching his children at play.

They reached Switzerland after five days of smooth sailing. Karl and the men set up an appointment with the auction house, and about a week later, the auction was held. The treasure sold for a total of around seven billion dollars. The Diamond of Candoleen was not put up for auction, as Karl decided he would sell it to the Smithsonian when he got back to the States.

The day Karl’s ship embarked, he and the pirates arrived at the port in a limousine. Karl was wearing a new fine-tailored suit, with a check for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in his pocket and the Diamond of Candoleen in a specially made case. The men were dressed in the same tattered clothes they had been wearing when their journey began.

When they arrived, Karl and Manny got out of the car, as well as the men. Karl shook each man’s hand, and they wished each other luck. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to Reginald.

“Well Karl,” said Reginald. “Didn’t I tell you it would be an adventure?”

Karl smiled.

“You go home and see your grandchild, now,” said Reginald. “And when she’s old enough, tell her the tale of how you sailed with the pirates of the Beacon, and helped them gain what was rightfully theirs.” He held out his hand.

Karl looked at his hand—grit-stained and brawny, the hand of a man who had taken many lives, but a hand which he had come to respect nonetheless. Karl embraced Reginald, and hugged him tightly. “You be good,” he said.

“Haha!” laughed Reginald.

“And find a lover.”

“I will, my lad. I will.”
            Karl began to walk up the ramp. Manny stood looking at the men. “Come on, Manny!” Karl cried. Reginald patted Manny’s head, and the dog licked his hand. Then, he turned and followed Karl. Halfway up the ramp, Karl turned, smiled at the men, and holding up the case with the Diamond inside, patted it with his hand and nodded. Then he turned and walked up the ramp.

Chapter 26: Arrival

When Karl’s ship arrived in San Francisco, Karl did not go directly home. Instead, he rented a convertible and drove straight to San Diego to see his son. There was hardly any traffic on the highway as he drove, and he listened to the radio the whole way, whistling to the tunes. And, as he drove, he thought about his son. He imagined himself telling his son everything that had happened. He hoped he wouldn’t look at him like he was crazy. Then again, he did have the proof to back it up. He tried to imagine his granddaughter’s face, and the look she would have when he showed her the Diamond of Candoleen. The sun was just going down as he entered the city. It was a beautiful, clear day. He smiled as he felt the wind on his face, and looked over at Manny, whose tongue was out, and seemed to be smiling also.

When he finally arrived, he parked his car out in front of the house. All the lights were on inside. He imagined his son and his son’s wife gathered with their young daughter, perhaps reading a book, or playing a game. Karl took out the case with the diamond inside from the back seat. Manny watched him, looking at the case, as if he could sense the value of what lay inside. Karl looked at the sky. It was beautiful. The sun was just beginning to set. All of the colors seemed to mirror his own soul, for the adventure he had been on had painted his soul brilliantly, and now, like an artist ready to display his masterpiece, he felt fear and exhilaration. He thought of all the years he had spent alone in his little shack, all those books he had read. It was like a dream to him now. He had a real story to tell. His story—and it was twice as magical as any he had ever read in any book. Would they believe him? He doubted it. But perhaps it didn’t even matter. Let them think him a madman! He would shower them with love, nonetheless. For that was what he had gained: love. Love for himself, love for life, and love for his son, which, really, had never gone away. It had been in him the whole time. It just took an adventure to release it. He and Manny walked up the walkway and onto the porch. Karl stood for a moment, hesitant. He looked down at Manny.

“What are you waiting for?” Manny asked.

Karl smiled. Nothing. He had no need to wait anymore. His life was beginning all over again, at the age of sixty-five. He never felt more alive, or more worthy of being alive. “Well,” he said, “here goes nothing.” He knocked on the door.

Epilogue

Karl’s son answered the door in a silver button down shirt and black pants. Like his father, he was tall, had silver hair, and wore glasses. Karl thought he looked handsome standing in the dim light of his foyer. He looked at his father with his mouth agape, and wide, questioning eyes.

“David,” said Karl. He looked down at the ground. “I came to tell you that I am sorry, that you were right all along. I was messed up. I needed help. And I...”

“Daddy!” A young girl of three came running towards David from the other room. She saw Manny and her face brightened. Manny approached her, and licked her hand. She laughed. Then she looked up at Karl. Her eyes were dark, and wondrous. “Who’s this man?” she asked her father.

“This,” said David, “is your grandfather.”

            Karl smiled warmly at his granddaughter. “Hello, Sarah!” he said, waving. Sarah shied behind her father’s leg, sucking her thumb. Karl looked back up at David, who nodded, and smiled.

            “Come in,” he said. “Make yourself at home.”

            Karl and Manny joined David and his family in the living room. David’s wife, Theresa, was overjoyed to see Karl. Her red hair was the same shade as her lipstick, and she left a mark on Karl’s cheek when she kissed him. Karl laid the case with the diamond inside on the coffee table and opened it. David and Theresa gasped. His granddaughter was amazed. “What is it?” she cried, touching the large white diamond.

“That,” said Karl, “is the Diamond of Candoleen.”

David told Karl that they had read a brief story in the papers about the auction in Switzerland. “When we read it,” said Theresa, “we couldn’t believe it. How did you get it?”

When Karl told them how he had released the men of the Beacon and joined them on their quest, David and Theresa sat silent for a long time, staring at the diamond. Theresa couldn’t take her eyes off her grandfather. “It’s a remarkable story,” David said. “I cannot really believe it, but I suppose I have no choice. If you say it happened as it did, well, then I suppose it must be true.” Karl was delighted. His granddaughter ran over to him and he lifted her into his arms.

Theresa prepared a late meal for Karl, and the child was put to bed. The three adults sat up most of the night, talking. Karl gave them a full account of what had happened, and Karl’s son and his wife listened raptly, cringing when he told them about his bout with crabs, and ringing their hands in suspense at Manny’s battle with the mastiff.

“You ought to write a book,” said Theresa when Karl was done with his story. “It would be a best-seller.”

Karl laughed. “I don’t think I’ll need the money,” he said, and gazed at the diamond as it shimmered in the light.

Karl stayed with his son for about a week, and then went and sold the Diamond of Candoleen to the Smithsonian for a total of five hundred million dollars. With the money he had, he bought a large home in San Diego on the beach, and invited his son and family to stay with him. They gladly accepted. He set up a trust fund for his granddaughter in hopes that she would receive the highest level of education. Most of it he gave to charity—primarily to cancer research organizations. When Manny died three years later, he had his body cremated and scattered the ashes in the sea. He lived out his old age in complete peace, watching his granddaughter grow into a beautiful young woman, and writing his memoirs about his adventures aboard the Beacon. He often received letters from Reginald and the other pirates, which he read with relish. Reginald had become mayor of a small town in Connecticut, and Karl was happy to hear that he had found a wife. Karl continued to sleep very little, but his mind was always sharp and his body healthy. Often he would take walks along the beach, and stare out at the open sea. It still seemed to be calling him, but when he heard its call he merely smiled and thought of Reginald, Kaloo, and the other pirates of the Beacon. After his memoir was published, he began to receive a great deal of fan mail, and often people would come to talk to him. He would always treat these people with the utmost respect, and indulged them in all of their questions. Sometimes, while walking with his family along the beach, he’d grow silent and pensive. His family took care never to interrupt these reveries. Lost in thought, he would wander on along the beach even after his family had long gone back to the house. He’d walk long into the night, dreaming of Manny, dreaming of Reginald, Kaloo and the other pirates, dreaming like a man with a restless spirit that has made the world his home.