Pirates Past Noon Page 2

“Look, Cap’n! Look!”

  Pinky leaned out the tree house window. He held the medallion. It glimmered in the sunlight.

  Oh brother, thought Jack.

  “Throw it down!” cried Cap’n Bones.

  “It’s not yours!” shouted Annie.

  Cap’n Bones dropped Jack and Annie. He caught the medallion as it fell.

  “Gold! Gold! Gold!” he cried. Cap’n Bones threw back his head and laughed horribly.

  He grabbed two of his pistols. He shot them into the air. Pinky and Stinky howled like wolves.

  Jack and Annie watched in horror.

  The gold-greedy pirates seemed to have lost their minds.

  Jack nudged Annie. Together they started to back slowly away from the pirates. Toward the tree house.

  “Halt!” Cap’n Bones shouted. He aimed his pistols at them. “Not another step, lubbers!”

  Jack and Annie froze.

  Cap’n Bones grinned his black-toothed grin. “Tell old Bones where the rest is,” he growled. “Or prepare to meet thy doom.”

  “What—what rest?” said Annie.

  “The rest of the treasure!” roared Cap’n Bones. “I know it’s on this island. I have a map!”

  He reached into a belt pouch and pulled out a torn piece of paper. He waved it at Jack and Annie.

  “Is that a treasure map?” asked Jack.

  “Aye, it’s the map telling about Kidd’s treasure.”

  “Which kid’s treasure? Not us kids,” said Annie. “We don’t know anything about a kid’s treasure.”

  “Why don’t you read the map?” said Jack.

  “You read it!” Cap’n Bones shoved the map in Jack’s face.

  Jack stared at the strange marks on the paper.

  “What does that mean?” asked Jack.

  “What does what mean?” asked Cap’n Bones.

  “Those words.” Jack pointed at the words at the bottom of the map.

  “Well, it means … ” Cap’n Bones’ good eye squinted at the writing. He frowned. He coughed. He rubbed his nose.

  “Aw, leave him alone,” Pinky growled at Jack.

  “You know he can’t read,” said Stinky.

  “Shut up!” Cap’n Bones roared at his men.

  “Jack and I can read,” Annie piped up.

  “Shhh,” said Jack.

  “Cap’n, make ’em read the map!” said Stinky.

  Cap’n Bones gave Jack and Annie a dark look. “Read it,” he growled.

  “Then will you let us go?” said Jack.

  The pirate squinted his good eye. “Aye, lubber. When the treasure’s in me hands, I’ll let you go.”

  “Okay,” said Jack. “I’ll read it to you.” He looked at the map. “It says, The gold doth lie beneath the whale’s eye.”

  “Heh?” Cap’n Bones scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean, lubber?”

  Jack shrugged.

  “Hang it! Take ’em hack to the ship!” shouted Cap’n Bones. “They can rot there till they’re ready to tell us how to find Kidd’s treasure!”

  Jack and Annie were tossed into the rowboat.

  Waves splashed the sides. The sky ahead was dark with thunderclouds. A strong wind had started to blow.

  “Row, dogs, row!” said Cap’n Bones.

  Pinky and Stinky began rowing toward the big ship.

  “Look!” Annie said to Jack. She pointed to the shore.

  Polly the parrot was flying over the sand.

  “She wants to help us,” whispered Annie.

  Polly started to fly out over the waves. But the winds were too strong. She turned around and flew back to the island.

  The rowboat tossed from side to side. The waves were huge. Salty spray stung Jack’s eyes. He felt seasick.

  “Hold ’er steady!” shouted Cap’n Bones.

  He pointed at the sea. “Or we’ll be meat for those evil brutes!”

  Dark fins cut through the water. Sharks. One zoomed right by the boat. Jack could have reached out and touched it.

  He shuddered.

  Soon the rowboat pulled alongside the ship.

  The air was filled with wild fiddle music and bagpipes playing. And Jack heard jeers, shouts, and ugly laughter.

  “Hoist ’em aboard!” Cap’n Bones shouted to his men.

  Annie and Jack were hauled onto the deck.

  The ship creaked and moaned. It rolled from side to side. Ropes flapped and snapped in the wild wind.

  Everywhere they looked, Jack and Annie saw pirates.

  Some were dancing. Some were drinking. Many were fighting. With swords. Or with their fists.

  “Lock ’em in my cabin!” Cap’n Bones ordered.

  A couple of pirates grabbed Jack and Annie. And threw them in the ship’s cabin. Then locked the door.

  The air inside the cabin was damp and sour-smelling. A shaft of gray light came through a small round window.

  “Oh man,” said Jack. “We’ve got to figure out how to get back to the island.”

  “So we can get into the tree house and go home,” said Annie.

  “Right.” Jack suddenly felt tired. How would they ever get out of this mess?

  “We better examine the book,” he said.

  He reached into his pack and pulled out the pirate book.

  He flipped through the pages.

  He looked for information to help them.

  “Look,” he said.

  He found a picture of pirates burying a treasure chest. “This might help.”

  Together they read the words under the picture.

  Captain Kidd was a famous pirate. It is said that he buried a treasure chest on a deserted island. The chest was filled with gold and jewels.

  “Captain Kidd!” said Jack.

  “So that’s the kid that Bones keeps talking about,” said Annie.

  “Right,” said Jack.

  Annie looked out the round window.

  “And Captain Kidd’s treasure is buried somewhere on the island,” she said.

  Jack took out his notebook and pencil. He wrote:

  “Ja-ack,” Annie said.

  “Shhh, wait a minute,” he said. “I’m thinking.”

  “Guess what I see?” said Annie.

  “What?” Jack asked. He looked back at the book.

  “A whale.”

  “Neat,” he said. Then he looked up. “A whale? Did you say … a whale?”

  “A whale. A huge whale. As big as a football field.”

  Jack jumped up and looked out the window with her.

  “Where?” Jack asked. All he could see was the island. And stormy waves. And shark fins.

  “There!” said Annie.

  “Where? Where?”

  “There! The island is shaped like a giant whale!”

  “Oh man,” whispered Jack. Now he could see it.

  “See the whale’s back?” said Annie.

  “Yep.” The slope of the island looked like the back of a whale.

  “See his spout?” said Annie.

  “Yep.” The palm tree that held the tree house looked like the spout of the whale.

  “See his eye?” said Annie.

  “Yep.” A big black rock looked like the eye of the whale.

  “The gold doth lie beneath the whale’s eye,” whispered Jack. “Wow.”

  “So the treasure must be under that rock,” said Annie.

  “Right,” said Jack. “Now we just have to get back to the island. We’ll show Cap’n Bones where the treasure is. Then while all the pirates are digging, we’ll sneak up to the tree house.”

  “And make a wish to go home,” said Annie.

  “Right.” Jack poked his head out of the round window of the cabin. “Cap’n Bones, sir!” he shouted.

  The pirates took up the cry. “Cap’n Bones! Cap’n Bones!”

  “Hey?” came a horrible voice.

  Cap’n Bones stuck his ugly face through the window. His good eye glared at Jack. “What do you want, lubbers?”

  “We’r
e ready to tell the truth, sir,” said Jack.

  “Go ahead,” growled Cap’n Bones.

  “We know where Captain Kidd’s treasure is.”

  “Where?”

  “We can’t just tell you. We have to show you,” said Annie.

  Cap’n Bones gave Annie and Jack a long hard look.

  “You’ll need a rope,” said Jack.

  “And shovels,” said Annie.

  Cap’n Bones growled. Then he roared at his men, “Get some rope and shovels!”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n!”

  “Then throw these lubbers in the boat! We’re going back to the island!”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n!”

  Back in the rowboat, Jack saw the sky had grown even darker with clouds. The waves were bigger. The wind was howling.

  “Gale’s a-blowin’!” said Pinky.

  “You’ll see a gale if I don’t get me gold today, by thunder!” Cap’n Bones shouted. “Row, dogs, row!”

  The three pirates battled the waves, until the rowboat reached the island. They all piled onto the shore.

  Cap’n Bones grabbed Jack and Annie.

  “Okay, lubbers,” he said. “Now show us where the treasure is.”

  “There,” said Annie. She pointed at the black rock near the tip of the island.

  “Under that rock,” said Jack.

  Cap’n Bones dragged Jack and Annie down the beach to the black rock.

  “Get to work!” Cap’n Bones said to Pinky and Stinky.

  “What about you?” said Annie.

  “Me? Work?” Cap’n Bones chuckled.

  Jack gulped. How could they get away from him?

  “Don’t you think you should help your friends?” he said.

  Cap’n Bones gave Jack a horrible grin. “Nay. I’m going to hold you two—till there’s treasure in me hands!”

  Pinky and Stinky tied their rope around the big rock.

  The wind howled. The two pirates pulled. And pulled. And pulled.

  “They need help!” said Jack.

  “Aghh, let the dogs do the work!” growled Cap’n Bones.

  “You’re not very nice to them,” said Annie.

  “Who cares?” roared Cap’n Bones.

  “Cap’n! We got it!” shouted Pinky.

  They started pulling the rock across the sand.

  “Now let’s dig where the rock was,” said Jack. “All of us!”

  But Cap’n Bones ignored his suggestion.

  “Dig, you dogs!” he shouted.

  Pinky and Stinky started to dig. The wind blew even harder. There was going to be a thunderstorm.

  “Oww! I got sand in me eyes!” Pinky whined.

  “Oww! Me back hurts!” Stinky cried.

  “Dig!” shouted Cap’n Bones. He held Jack and Annie with one hand. With the other he pulled out the gold medallion.

  He tossed it at the two pirates. It fell into the hole.

  “Dig for more of these, you swine!” he said.

  Squawk!

  “Look!” Annie said.

  Polly was back! She was circling above them!

  “Go back!” she squawked.

  Stinky and Pinky looked up at the parrot. They scowled.

  “Dig!” shouted Cap’n Bones.

  “A big storm is comin’, Cap’n!” said Pinky.

  “Go back!” said Polly.

  “The bird’s an omen, Cap’n!” shouted Stinky.

  “Dig, you dogs!” cried Cap’n Bones.

  “Go back!” squawked Polly.

  “The bird’s warning us!” shouted Pinky. “We’ve got to get to the ship before it’s too late!”

  The two pirates threw down their shovels. They started running toward the rowboat.

  “Mutineers! Come back!” shouted Cap’n Bones. He dragged Jack and Annie down the beach as he ran after his men. “Stop!”

  But the pirates kept running. They got to the rowboat and pushed it into the sea.

  “Wait!” cried Cap’n Bones.

  Pinky and Stinky jumped into the boat. They started rowing.

  “Wait!” Cap’n Bones let go of Jack and Annie. He ran into the water. “Wait, you dogs!”

  He hauled himself into the rowboat.

  Then the three pirates disappeared into the spray of the waves.

  “Go back!” squawked Polly.

  “She means us!” said Annie.

  Just then the storm broke over the island. The wind howled. Rain fell in buckets.

  “Let’s go!” cried Annie.

  “Wait! I have to get the medallion!” shouted Jack. He ran to the hole dug by the pirates. He looked down in it.

  Even in the dreary light, the medallion was shining.

  Big, fat raindrops were falling into the hole, washing away the sand.

  Jack saw a patch of wood.

  Then the rain cleared away more sand. And Jack saw the top of an old trunk.

  He stared. Was it Captain Kidd’s treasure chest?

  “Hurry, Jack!” cried Annie. She was halfway up the tree house ladder.

  “I found it! I found it!” cried Jack. “I found the treasure chest!”

  “Forget the treasure chest!” said Annie. “We have to go now! The storm’s getting worse!”

  Jack kept staring at the chest. Was there gold inside? Silver? Precious gems?

  “Come on!” Now Annie was shouting from the tree house window.

  But Jack couldn’t tear himself away. He brushed the rest of the muddy sand off the chest.

  “Jack, forget the treasure chest!” cried Annie. “Let’s go!”

  “Go back!” squawked Polly.

  Jack looked at the parrot. She was perched on the black rock.

  He stared into her wise eyes. He thought he knew her—knew her from somewhere else.

  “Go back, Jack,” she said. She sounded like a person.

  Okay. It was definitely time to go.

  Jack took one last look at the treasure chest. He clutched the gold medallion. Then he took off, running toward the tree house.

  His socks and rain boots were still there. He quickly pulled the boots on. He shoved the socks into his backpack.

  The rope ladder was dancing wildly in the wind. Jack grabbed it.

  The ladder swayed as Jack climbed. He was tossed this way and that. But he held on tight.

  At last he pulled himself into the tree house.

  “Let’s go!” he cried.

  Annie was already holding the Pennsylvania book. She pointed to the picture of Frog Creek.

  “I wish we could go there!” she shouted.

  The wind was already blowing hard. But now it blew even harder.

  The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster.

  Then everything was still.

  Absolutely still.

  Drip, drip.

  Jack opened his eyes.

  Rain was dripping from the leaves of the tree.

  They were back in Frog Creek. The rain was softer. The wind was gentler. The air was sweeter.

  “Oh man.” Jack sighed. “That was close.” He was still holding the gold medallion.

  “Polly’s gone,” said Annie sadly. “I was hoping she might come back with us.”

  “No magic creature has ever come back with us,” said Jack.

  He pulled off his backpack. It was damp with rain and saltwater.

  Jack took out the pirate book. He put it on the stack of books. On top of the dinosaur book. And the knight book. And the mummy book.

  Then Jack put the gold medallion beside the bookmark with the letter M.

  Next he went down onto his knees. And ran his finger over the shimmering M on the floor. “We didn’t find any M’s on this trip,” he said.

  “Or the M person,” said Annie.

  Squawk!

  “Polly!” Annie cried.

  The parrot swooshed into the tree house. She perched on the stack of books.

  Polly looked straight at Jack.

  “What—what are you doing her
e?” he asked her.

  Slowly Polly raised her bright green wings. They grew bigger and bigger until they spread out like a huge green cape.

  Then, in a great swirl of colors—in a blur of feathers and light—in a flapping and stretching and screeching—a new being took shape.

  Polly was not a parrot any longer. In her place was an old woman. A beautiful old woman with long white hair and piercing eyes.

  She wore a green feathered cape. She perched on the stack of books. And she was very calm and very still.

  Neither Jack nor Annie could speak. They were too amazed.

  “Hello, Jack. Hello, Annie,” the old woman said. “My name is Morgan le Fay.”

  Annie found her voice first. “The M person,” she whispered.

  “Yes. I’m the M person,” said Morgan.

  “Wh-where are you from?” asked Jack.

  “Have you ever heard of King Arthur?” said Morgan.

  Jack nodded.

  “Well, I am King Arthur’s sister,” said Morgan.

  “You’re from Camelot,” said Jack. “I’ve read about Camelot.”

  “What did you read about me, Jack?” said Morgan.

  “You—you’re a witch.”

  Morgan smiled. “You can’t believe everything you read, Jack.”

  “But are you a magician?” said Annie.

  “Most call me an enchantress. But I’m also a librarian,” said Morgan.

  “A librarian?” said Annie.

  “Yes. And I’ve come to the 20th century, your time, to collect books. You are lucky to be born in a time with so many books.”

  “For the Camelot library?” asked Jack.

  “Precisely,” said Morgan. “I travel in this tree house to collect words from many different places around the world. And from many different time periods.”

  “Did you find books here?” said Jack.

  “Oh yes. Many wonderful books. I want to borrow them for our scribes to copy.”

  “Did you put all the bookmarks in them?” said Jack.

  “Yes. You see, I like the pictures in the books. Sometimes I want to visit the scenes in the pictures. So all the bookmarks mark places I wish to go.”

  “How do you get there?” asked Annie.

  “I placed a spell on the tree house,” said Morgan. “So when I point to a picture and make the wish, the tree house takes me there.”