The crew of the For Sale and Blackbeard’s one
hundred men marched on towards Pewtrewsha’s
fortress. Felix was afraid that by now
Pewtrewsha’s eyes and ears, sneaking over land
and darting through the skies, surely had alerted
her to their presence. Hazel agreed, sharing his
concern that Pewtrewsha and Morlox were
preparing a bad surprise for them, ready to be
sprung at anytime. Blackbeard and his men did not
share this concern.
“Don’t ye worry pretty lady,” said Blackbeard.
“Let her know we’re a-comin’! Let her tremble in
her boots! Blackbeard cometh with a vengeance!”
Brownbeard just smiled, not sure whether to
share Felix’s and Hazel’s concern, or take
reassurance in his cousin’s bravado. Kumquat,
Wilbert, and Schmoor likewise were somewhere in
between. In any event, possibility of a stealth
attack upon the fortress was now nil as
Blackboard’s men continually sang and fought and
yelled all along the way. Brownbeard observed
that half of his cousin’s time was spent mediating
disputes between his men, or simply knocking
heads together when compromise was impossible.
Ten days into their journey from the shore,
Felix estimated it was another four days journey
to their goal. On a hill he pointed to a ridge of
mountains in the distance.
“Her fortress is on the other side of those
mountains. Those mountains form a ring around
the fortress, which sits in the middle of a large,
stinking lake,” said Felix.
“Stinking lake!” said Brownbeard.
“The whole lake smells of brimstone,” said
Felix.
“You didn’t say you swam a lake to escape,”
said Hazel.
“I didn’t,” said Felix. “Vulderburp and
Grobrom live in that lake. No one could make it
across alive swimming that lake. I found a small
sailboat and came across. I would never dare dip
a paddle into the lake. Otherwise, you’d surely
wake the weremonsters.”
“Whoa! What if you didn’t have a wind? What
would you have done?” asked Kumquat.
“He’d a-died I suspect,” said Izzy.
Felix shuddered and said, “I suspect.”
“Brownbeard,” boomed Blackbeard, “What say
ye to stopping for a spot o’lunch and a strategizing
session?”
“Okay by me, cuz. How about it folks?”
Brownbeard asked his crew.
The answer was always ‘yes’ to a meal.
Blackbeard’s men had brought along plenty of
provisions like scallop jerky, squid jerky, shrimp
jerky, and such. That, along with plenty of hot
cocoa, and Brownbeard was quite happy since he
didn’t have to eat the valley slug stew of which
everyone else was growing so fond.
“Felix! Little mate!” said Blackbeard, “This
stuff is fantastic! I’d like to try it with a
combination of sea slug as well. A little surf n’
turf so to speak! Five Pee?”
“Aye, Blackbeard?”
“Can ye manage a little valley and sea slug
stew combo for the hungry masses? Maybe for
tomorrow’s breakfast?”
“Hear! Hear!” shouted Blackbeard’s men.
“Aye-aye, Blackbeard,” responded Five Pee. “I
can manage anything. Would you like that—
blackened?”
“Naturally,” answered Blackbeard.
Brownbeard looked as though he might lose his
cookies.
“I don’t get it cuz,” said Blackbeard with
amusement. “This stuff be delicious! How can ye
not like it?”
“Refined sensibilities, I guess,” answered
Brownbeard.
“Hah!” Hazel let out.
Brownbeard shot her a nasty look. Blackbeard
noticed this little exchange and smiled.
“These two make a good team, don’t ye think
Izzy?” asked Blackbeard, indicating towards
Brownbeard and Hazel with his soup spoon.
“Ah! Ye be right, Blackbeard. Young love,”
sighed Izzy.
The men ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed.’ Brownbeard and
Hazel both turned beet red, looking as though
they’d like to craw under a rock. All the rest of
the For Sale crew smiled broadly, except for
Kumquat, who looked ready to cough up a fur ball.
“All right! Enough of this silliness,” said
Blackbeard. “Let’s begin a’strategizin’.”
“All right!” said Wilbert as he and Schmoor
imitated Blackbeard, hitting one palm with the
other fist.
“From what Felix tells us, the children work
around the clock. But Pewtrewsha and Morlox and
their weremonsters are primarily awake at night.
So we attack at day,” said Blackbeard.
“How are we going to get across the lake?”
asked Kumquat.
“We build sailboats,” answered Blackbeard.
“On the lakeside of the mountains sheltering the
fortress, we’ll build a fleet.”
“Whew! That sounds like a lot of work!” said
Wilbert.
“Aye! It will be! But we’ll make a quick job of
it. Ye shall see,” said Izzy.
“But if there’s any chance Pewtrewsha and
Morlox don’t already know we’re here, building a
fleet of boats across from their fortress will surely
give us away,” opined Brownbeard.
“Aye, but the alternative is to build on the far
side of the mountains, and then drag the sailboats
up and over! That will wear us out sorely and
we’ll have no fight in us!” answered Blackbeard.
“Felix, mate? There are trees on the lakeside of
the mountains?” asked Izzy.
“Yes sir,” responded Felix with a nod.
“Okay. So, we attack by day and then we’ll
only have to deal with Pewtrewsha’s soldiers? Not
her and Morlox?” asked Brownbeard.
“Aye!” answered Blackbeard.
“What if the wind is wrong? Or what if there is
no wind?” asked Kumquat.
“Aye! Good question,” mused Blackbeard. “If
we can’t be a tackin’ ‘gainst the wind, then we’ll
have to row.”
“But what about Vulderburp and Grobrom?”
asked Wilbert. “You heard Felix! If we stick an
oar into the lake the weremonsters will wake and
they’ll eat us!”
“Haar! Haar! Haar!” laughed Blackbeard and
his men.
“That’s funny?” asked Kumquat.
“Aye! Tis hilarious!” cried Blackbeard. “Let
the monsters try to eat us! They will surely find
they are the main course and not the other way
‘round!”
Felix and the For Sale crew looked at
Blackbeard and his crew with a mixture of
disbelief and admiration.
“The timing of our attack is critical,” said
Hazel. “Pewtrewsha and Morlox must be fast
asleep when we attack. If we attack too soon in
the morning after Pewtrewsha and Morlox have
gone to bed, they may wake up easily. But if
we’re very quiet and don’t have any trouble with
the soldiers, that will give us almost all day to
raid the fortress and free the children.”
“Hmmmm,” said Blackbeard as he thought
about this.
“Not have any problems with the soldiers! How
are we going to avoid that?” said Brownbeard.
Felix just shook his head indicating he had no
idea either.
“On the other hand,” continued Hazel, “we
could wait until a couple of hours before dusk, as
the longer they’ve been asleep, the harder it will
be for them to wake up.”
“Ah! Just like I don’t want to get up first thing
in the morning and don’t function well until I’ve
had my hot chocolate,” said Brownbeard.
“Right,” said Hazel. “But the problem is, that
gives us the least amount of time to raid the
fortress. When the sun goes down, once
Pewtrewsha is fully awake, she’ll be more
powerful and able to fight better than during the
day.”
“But Hazel! What about the soldiers?” asked
Wilbert. “I, for one, imagine we’ll have a lot of
trouble with them. Should we get in a fight with
them, surely the racket will wake Pewtrewsha and
Morlox.”
“They get their power from Pewtrewsha,”
answered Hazel. “So long as she sleeps, they’ll
just be like any average army. It’s only once she
wakes that her army will become truly powerful.”
“Then it seems obvious to me,” said
Brownbeard. “We attack a few hours after sunrise.
That gives Pewtrewsha, Morlox, and presumably
Vulderburp and Grobrom, time to fall fast asleep.
If they wake, then at least we’ll fight them during
the day when they’re weakest, not at night when
they’re strongest.”
“Yes,” agreed Hazel.
The entire For Sale crew nodded in
acknowledgement of Brownbeard’s sagely
wisdom. Blackbeard’s crew seemed to mutter in
what may have been agreement as well.
“I say we attack in the early eve! Let’s fight the
sorceress at night!” cried Blackbeard.
“But cuz! She’ll be weaker in the day!” re-
iterated Brownbeard.
“Arrr! Who cares about that!” said Blackbeard
stomping his foot. “I wanna fight this wench when
she be at her finest! Let her awake. No easy
battles for us! I wanna see her face when she goes
down in defeat! I wanna see the look in her eyes
as she watches her slaves freed!”
“But B.B.! What about deceit? What about
prolonging your pirating career? Remember the
actuarial tables?” asked Brownbeard.
“There is that laddy. True enough. But there be
fun to think about as well! And this is gonna be
fun!” boomed Blackbeard. His crew stomped their
feet and cheered.
Felix and the For Sale crew were clearly
outvoted.
* * *
It was just a few hours after the procession had
stopped for their working lunch when Kumquat
and Izzy came racing back to the main group. The
two had been prowling about as scouts.
“Soldiers!” cried Kumquat excitedly.
“Aye! And there be lots of ‘em,” said Izzy.
“Maybe a hundred or more,” said Kumquat.
“How far ahead?” asked Hazel.
“Three miles tops,” answered Kumquat.
“Two I’d say,” said Izzy.
“Are they coming for us?” asked Brownbeard.
“No, they’re south and east of us, marching
north,” said Kumquat. “They’re heading for what
looks like a tiny village.”
“If we be timing it right, our paths’ll cross at the
same moment!” cried Izzy as he pounded his fist
into his open palm. Wilbert and Schmoor copied
Izzy’s gesture.
Felix gave a low whistle and then said, “The
soldiers are on a hunt. Are you sure you want to
meet them head on?”
“Aye! Little mate! We be wantin’ to do just
that!” howled Blackbeard with a laugh. “Our
swords be a-sharpened! Our pistols be a-loaded!
We melted lead for bullets just the night before!”
Brownbeard felt along his belt for his sword.
There it was. And there was the pistol Blackbeard
had given him.
“Then let’s go!” shouted Brownbeard.
“Aye! Let’s a-go!” shouted Blackbeard.
Brownbeard’s heart raced. The prospect of
rescuing the little village from Pewtrewsha’s
soldiers excited and frightened him.
“Felix?” asked Brownbeard, “How is it that
there are children left to steal for Pewtrewsha? I’d
think all of the children in the villages near her fort
would be already stolen.”
“The soldiers never take the babies. They
seldom bother old people—so long as the old
people don’t put up a fight. And they sometimes
leave mommies and daddies alone, too. It depends
on their mood,” said Felix.
“How horrible!” said Hazel. “She’s like a
farmer, leaving just enough children and parents
behind to ensure a steady supply of slaves for her
factory!”
“Yer a brave little mate,” said Blackbeard as
he put a giant hand gently upon Felix’s shoulder.
“I’m very sorry about your mommy and daddy.”
“Why don’t the people in the villages leave?”
asked Wilbert.
“Some do,” said Felix. “But the border to
Sa’Laam is closed. The Northern Sea is cold and
stormy.”
“Aye! Ye be accurate there!” said Izzy.
“The sea to the west where the For Sale ran
aground is known for sudden, freakish storms,”
continued Felix.
“You’ve got that right!” said Hazel.
“To the east of the Land of Longing is a vast
desert. If you get—if you—if you get—caught
running away,” said Felix has he began to lose his
voice, “—if Pewtrewsha catches someone trying
to leave the Land of Longing—the penalty is—the
penalty is—”
“Don’t Felix,” said Kumquat as she put a paw
gently upon his shoulder. “We understand.”
“I guess those brave enough to leave have
already gone,” said Felix.
Brownbeard was angry now. Really angry. He
planned to take as many of Pewtrewsha’s soldiers
out as he could. He just hoped they’d get to the
village in time. The rescuers came to an opening
in the wood. There, a good ways off at the bottom
of a gentle slope, was the tiny village Kumquat
and Izzy had seen. Already there was a ring of
soldiers surrounding the village. Blackbeard took
out his spyglass and watched. He gasped.
“What? What?” said Brownbeard.
Schmoor yanked at Brownbeard’s belt to
remind him that he had a spyglass as well.
“Oh, yeah! Thanks!” said Brownbeard.
Everyone looked in horror as a gang of soldiers
went through the village taking children. Younger
siblings and old people cried in protest. The
soldiers pointed their guns threateningly at anyone
who tried to stop them. No one did. There was not
a single mommy or daddy to be seen.
“Let’s go!” whispered Brownbeard.
“Aye!” answered Blackbeard.
They marched as quick and quiet as possible
towards the village. Tall gray grass nearly up to
Brownbeard’s shoulders provided some cover, as
did the whispering wind help to obscure the sound
of their feet. The pirates whom had been so noisy
before were now quiet as butterflies. The soldiers
guarding the village’s perimeter were not
expecting to see anyone coming their way, so they
just stood around, or sat, or slept. Those who
were standing had their backs turned to the
approaching liberators, as they watched with
disinterest the events unfolding in the terrified
village.
Blackbeard stopped again and held his spyglass
back to his eye. Everyone followed his gaze.
There, just a few hundred yards away near the
edge of the village, was a lone young woman. She
was holding defiantly to her son, crying as a
soldier tugged at the boy. Another soldier, face
shrouded entirely in black, raised his gun towards
the woman. It was clear to all watching what was
about to transpire. Either the woman would let go
of her son now, or she would die.
That a man as large as Blackbeard could move
so quick was a continual surprise, even to those
who had seen it many times before. The woman
was not letting go of her baby. The soldier’s finger
was already squeezing the trigger. Like a
thunderbolt out of the blue, the shot from
Blackbeard’s pistol sent the soldier’s gun flying
out of hand.
“Charge!” bellowed Blackbeard. Just like that,
the For Sale crew and Blackbeard’s pirates were
rushing and ducking through the tall grass,
expertly firing shots to disarm Pewtrewsha’s
soldiers.
It stunned all involved that by the time they had
covered the distance between the point
Blackbeard had fired his saving shot and the first
buildings at the edge of the village, nearly all of
Pewtrewsha’s soldiers either had their hands up in
surrender, or were face down cowering in the dirt!
Blackbeard’s men went to disarming their
captives, and the few who tried to fight, gave that
idea up once they saw the size and ferocity of
their opponents. Brownbeard, sword in one hand,
pistol in the other, chased not one, not two, but
three of Pewtrewsha’s soldiers down one alley,
then down another, and right into a dead end.
“Oh, no!” thought Brownbeard. “I’ve trapped
them like a bunch of rats! Now they’ll fight like
madmen to save their lives!”
But no! The three turned and dropped their
guns, knives and sticks, holding their hands up in
surrender. Brownbeard approached slowly.
Wilbert and Schmoor came up behind him.
“Careful Captain! It may be a trick!” cautioned
Wilbert.
“Y’all are pretty small to be soldiers, aren’t
you?” asked Brownbeard as he cautiously
approached the three trembling figures. “Take off
your masks. I want to see what scum who steal
children look like.”
The three soldiers did as they were told.
“Oh! My God!” cried Brownbeard and Wilbert.
Schmoor’s mouth hung open in surprise.
“Captain! They’re children, too!” said Wilbert
in amazement.
There, cowering before Brownbeard, Wilbert,
and Schmoor, were two boys and a girl maybe a
bit older and a bit bigger than Felix. They might
be eleven years old. No more than thirteen.
Brownbeard’s stomach started to hurt. This was
not right. But it was true. Pewtrewsha’s savage,
child-stealing armies were themselves made up of
children.
hundred men marched on towards Pewtrewsha’s
fortress. Felix was afraid that by now
Pewtrewsha’s eyes and ears, sneaking over land
and darting through the skies, surely had alerted
her to their presence. Hazel agreed, sharing his
concern that Pewtrewsha and Morlox were
preparing a bad surprise for them, ready to be
sprung at anytime. Blackbeard and his men did not
share this concern.
“Don’t ye worry pretty lady,” said Blackbeard.
“Let her know we’re a-comin’! Let her tremble in
her boots! Blackbeard cometh with a vengeance!”
Brownbeard just smiled, not sure whether to
share Felix’s and Hazel’s concern, or take
reassurance in his cousin’s bravado. Kumquat,
Wilbert, and Schmoor likewise were somewhere in
between. In any event, possibility of a stealth
attack upon the fortress was now nil as
Blackboard’s men continually sang and fought and
yelled all along the way. Brownbeard observed
that half of his cousin’s time was spent mediating
disputes between his men, or simply knocking
heads together when compromise was impossible.
Ten days into their journey from the shore,
Felix estimated it was another four days journey
to their goal. On a hill he pointed to a ridge of
mountains in the distance.
“Her fortress is on the other side of those
mountains. Those mountains form a ring around
the fortress, which sits in the middle of a large,
stinking lake,” said Felix.
“Stinking lake!” said Brownbeard.
“The whole lake smells of brimstone,” said
Felix.
“You didn’t say you swam a lake to escape,”
said Hazel.
“I didn’t,” said Felix. “Vulderburp and
Grobrom live in that lake. No one could make it
across alive swimming that lake. I found a small
sailboat and came across. I would never dare dip
a paddle into the lake. Otherwise, you’d surely
wake the weremonsters.”
“Whoa! What if you didn’t have a wind? What
would you have done?” asked Kumquat.
“He’d a-died I suspect,” said Izzy.
Felix shuddered and said, “I suspect.”
“Brownbeard,” boomed Blackbeard, “What say
ye to stopping for a spot o’lunch and a strategizing
session?”
“Okay by me, cuz. How about it folks?”
Brownbeard asked his crew.
The answer was always ‘yes’ to a meal.
Blackbeard’s men had brought along plenty of
provisions like scallop jerky, squid jerky, shrimp
jerky, and such. That, along with plenty of hot
cocoa, and Brownbeard was quite happy since he
didn’t have to eat the valley slug stew of which
everyone else was growing so fond.
“Felix! Little mate!” said Blackbeard, “This
stuff is fantastic! I’d like to try it with a
combination of sea slug as well. A little surf n’
turf so to speak! Five Pee?”
“Aye, Blackbeard?”
“Can ye manage a little valley and sea slug
stew combo for the hungry masses? Maybe for
tomorrow’s breakfast?”
“Hear! Hear!” shouted Blackbeard’s men.
“Aye-aye, Blackbeard,” responded Five Pee. “I
can manage anything. Would you like that—
blackened?”
“Naturally,” answered Blackbeard.
Brownbeard looked as though he might lose his
cookies.
“I don’t get it cuz,” said Blackbeard with
amusement. “This stuff be delicious! How can ye
not like it?”
“Refined sensibilities, I guess,” answered
Brownbeard.
“Hah!” Hazel let out.
Brownbeard shot her a nasty look. Blackbeard
noticed this little exchange and smiled.
“These two make a good team, don’t ye think
Izzy?” asked Blackbeard, indicating towards
Brownbeard and Hazel with his soup spoon.
“Ah! Ye be right, Blackbeard. Young love,”
sighed Izzy.
The men ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed.’ Brownbeard and
Hazel both turned beet red, looking as though
they’d like to craw under a rock. All the rest of
the For Sale crew smiled broadly, except for
Kumquat, who looked ready to cough up a fur ball.
“All right! Enough of this silliness,” said
Blackbeard. “Let’s begin a’strategizin’.”
“All right!” said Wilbert as he and Schmoor
imitated Blackbeard, hitting one palm with the
other fist.
“From what Felix tells us, the children work
around the clock. But Pewtrewsha and Morlox and
their weremonsters are primarily awake at night.
So we attack at day,” said Blackbeard.
“How are we going to get across the lake?”
asked Kumquat.
“We build sailboats,” answered Blackbeard.
“On the lakeside of the mountains sheltering the
fortress, we’ll build a fleet.”
“Whew! That sounds like a lot of work!” said
Wilbert.
“Aye! It will be! But we’ll make a quick job of
it. Ye shall see,” said Izzy.
“But if there’s any chance Pewtrewsha and
Morlox don’t already know we’re here, building a
fleet of boats across from their fortress will surely
give us away,” opined Brownbeard.
“Aye, but the alternative is to build on the far
side of the mountains, and then drag the sailboats
up and over! That will wear us out sorely and
we’ll have no fight in us!” answered Blackbeard.
“Felix, mate? There are trees on the lakeside of
the mountains?” asked Izzy.
“Yes sir,” responded Felix with a nod.
“Okay. So, we attack by day and then we’ll
only have to deal with Pewtrewsha’s soldiers? Not
her and Morlox?” asked Brownbeard.
“Aye!” answered Blackbeard.
“What if the wind is wrong? Or what if there is
no wind?” asked Kumquat.
“Aye! Good question,” mused Blackbeard. “If
we can’t be a tackin’ ‘gainst the wind, then we’ll
have to row.”
“But what about Vulderburp and Grobrom?”
asked Wilbert. “You heard Felix! If we stick an
oar into the lake the weremonsters will wake and
they’ll eat us!”
“Haar! Haar! Haar!” laughed Blackbeard and
his men.
“That’s funny?” asked Kumquat.
“Aye! Tis hilarious!” cried Blackbeard. “Let
the monsters try to eat us! They will surely find
they are the main course and not the other way
‘round!”
Felix and the For Sale crew looked at
Blackbeard and his crew with a mixture of
disbelief and admiration.
“The timing of our attack is critical,” said
Hazel. “Pewtrewsha and Morlox must be fast
asleep when we attack. If we attack too soon in
the morning after Pewtrewsha and Morlox have
gone to bed, they may wake up easily. But if
we’re very quiet and don’t have any trouble with
the soldiers, that will give us almost all day to
raid the fortress and free the children.”
“Hmmmm,” said Blackbeard as he thought
about this.
“Not have any problems with the soldiers! How
are we going to avoid that?” said Brownbeard.
Felix just shook his head indicating he had no
idea either.
“On the other hand,” continued Hazel, “we
could wait until a couple of hours before dusk, as
the longer they’ve been asleep, the harder it will
be for them to wake up.”
“Ah! Just like I don’t want to get up first thing
in the morning and don’t function well until I’ve
had my hot chocolate,” said Brownbeard.
“Right,” said Hazel. “But the problem is, that
gives us the least amount of time to raid the
fortress. When the sun goes down, once
Pewtrewsha is fully awake, she’ll be more
powerful and able to fight better than during the
day.”
“But Hazel! What about the soldiers?” asked
Wilbert. “I, for one, imagine we’ll have a lot of
trouble with them. Should we get in a fight with
them, surely the racket will wake Pewtrewsha and
Morlox.”
“They get their power from Pewtrewsha,”
answered Hazel. “So long as she sleeps, they’ll
just be like any average army. It’s only once she
wakes that her army will become truly powerful.”
“Then it seems obvious to me,” said
Brownbeard. “We attack a few hours after sunrise.
That gives Pewtrewsha, Morlox, and presumably
Vulderburp and Grobrom, time to fall fast asleep.
If they wake, then at least we’ll fight them during
the day when they’re weakest, not at night when
they’re strongest.”
“Yes,” agreed Hazel.
The entire For Sale crew nodded in
acknowledgement of Brownbeard’s sagely
wisdom. Blackbeard’s crew seemed to mutter in
what may have been agreement as well.
“I say we attack in the early eve! Let’s fight the
sorceress at night!” cried Blackbeard.
“But cuz! She’ll be weaker in the day!” re-
iterated Brownbeard.
“Arrr! Who cares about that!” said Blackbeard
stomping his foot. “I wanna fight this wench when
she be at her finest! Let her awake. No easy
battles for us! I wanna see her face when she goes
down in defeat! I wanna see the look in her eyes
as she watches her slaves freed!”
“But B.B.! What about deceit? What about
prolonging your pirating career? Remember the
actuarial tables?” asked Brownbeard.
“There is that laddy. True enough. But there be
fun to think about as well! And this is gonna be
fun!” boomed Blackbeard. His crew stomped their
feet and cheered.
Felix and the For Sale crew were clearly
outvoted.
* * *
It was just a few hours after the procession had
stopped for their working lunch when Kumquat
and Izzy came racing back to the main group. The
two had been prowling about as scouts.
“Soldiers!” cried Kumquat excitedly.
“Aye! And there be lots of ‘em,” said Izzy.
“Maybe a hundred or more,” said Kumquat.
“How far ahead?” asked Hazel.
“Three miles tops,” answered Kumquat.
“Two I’d say,” said Izzy.
“Are they coming for us?” asked Brownbeard.
“No, they’re south and east of us, marching
north,” said Kumquat. “They’re heading for what
looks like a tiny village.”
“If we be timing it right, our paths’ll cross at the
same moment!” cried Izzy as he pounded his fist
into his open palm. Wilbert and Schmoor copied
Izzy’s gesture.
Felix gave a low whistle and then said, “The
soldiers are on a hunt. Are you sure you want to
meet them head on?”
“Aye! Little mate! We be wantin’ to do just
that!” howled Blackbeard with a laugh. “Our
swords be a-sharpened! Our pistols be a-loaded!
We melted lead for bullets just the night before!”
Brownbeard felt along his belt for his sword.
There it was. And there was the pistol Blackbeard
had given him.
“Then let’s go!” shouted Brownbeard.
“Aye! Let’s a-go!” shouted Blackbeard.
Brownbeard’s heart raced. The prospect of
rescuing the little village from Pewtrewsha’s
soldiers excited and frightened him.
“Felix?” asked Brownbeard, “How is it that
there are children left to steal for Pewtrewsha? I’d
think all of the children in the villages near her fort
would be already stolen.”
“The soldiers never take the babies. They
seldom bother old people—so long as the old
people don’t put up a fight. And they sometimes
leave mommies and daddies alone, too. It depends
on their mood,” said Felix.
“How horrible!” said Hazel. “She’s like a
farmer, leaving just enough children and parents
behind to ensure a steady supply of slaves for her
factory!”
“Yer a brave little mate,” said Blackbeard as
he put a giant hand gently upon Felix’s shoulder.
“I’m very sorry about your mommy and daddy.”
“Why don’t the people in the villages leave?”
asked Wilbert.
“Some do,” said Felix. “But the border to
Sa’Laam is closed. The Northern Sea is cold and
stormy.”
“Aye! Ye be accurate there!” said Izzy.
“The sea to the west where the For Sale ran
aground is known for sudden, freakish storms,”
continued Felix.
“You’ve got that right!” said Hazel.
“To the east of the Land of Longing is a vast
desert. If you get—if you—if you get—caught
running away,” said Felix has he began to lose his
voice, “—if Pewtrewsha catches someone trying
to leave the Land of Longing—the penalty is—the
penalty is—”
“Don’t Felix,” said Kumquat as she put a paw
gently upon his shoulder. “We understand.”
“I guess those brave enough to leave have
already gone,” said Felix.
Brownbeard was angry now. Really angry. He
planned to take as many of Pewtrewsha’s soldiers
out as he could. He just hoped they’d get to the
village in time. The rescuers came to an opening
in the wood. There, a good ways off at the bottom
of a gentle slope, was the tiny village Kumquat
and Izzy had seen. Already there was a ring of
soldiers surrounding the village. Blackbeard took
out his spyglass and watched. He gasped.
“What? What?” said Brownbeard.
Schmoor yanked at Brownbeard’s belt to
remind him that he had a spyglass as well.
“Oh, yeah! Thanks!” said Brownbeard.
Everyone looked in horror as a gang of soldiers
went through the village taking children. Younger
siblings and old people cried in protest. The
soldiers pointed their guns threateningly at anyone
who tried to stop them. No one did. There was not
a single mommy or daddy to be seen.
“Let’s go!” whispered Brownbeard.
“Aye!” answered Blackbeard.
They marched as quick and quiet as possible
towards the village. Tall gray grass nearly up to
Brownbeard’s shoulders provided some cover, as
did the whispering wind help to obscure the sound
of their feet. The pirates whom had been so noisy
before were now quiet as butterflies. The soldiers
guarding the village’s perimeter were not
expecting to see anyone coming their way, so they
just stood around, or sat, or slept. Those who
were standing had their backs turned to the
approaching liberators, as they watched with
disinterest the events unfolding in the terrified
village.
Blackbeard stopped again and held his spyglass
back to his eye. Everyone followed his gaze.
There, just a few hundred yards away near the
edge of the village, was a lone young woman. She
was holding defiantly to her son, crying as a
soldier tugged at the boy. Another soldier, face
shrouded entirely in black, raised his gun towards
the woman. It was clear to all watching what was
about to transpire. Either the woman would let go
of her son now, or she would die.
That a man as large as Blackbeard could move
so quick was a continual surprise, even to those
who had seen it many times before. The woman
was not letting go of her baby. The soldier’s finger
was already squeezing the trigger. Like a
thunderbolt out of the blue, the shot from
Blackbeard’s pistol sent the soldier’s gun flying
out of hand.
“Charge!” bellowed Blackbeard. Just like that,
the For Sale crew and Blackbeard’s pirates were
rushing and ducking through the tall grass,
expertly firing shots to disarm Pewtrewsha’s
soldiers.
It stunned all involved that by the time they had
covered the distance between the point
Blackbeard had fired his saving shot and the first
buildings at the edge of the village, nearly all of
Pewtrewsha’s soldiers either had their hands up in
surrender, or were face down cowering in the dirt!
Blackbeard’s men went to disarming their
captives, and the few who tried to fight, gave that
idea up once they saw the size and ferocity of
their opponents. Brownbeard, sword in one hand,
pistol in the other, chased not one, not two, but
three of Pewtrewsha’s soldiers down one alley,
then down another, and right into a dead end.
“Oh, no!” thought Brownbeard. “I’ve trapped
them like a bunch of rats! Now they’ll fight like
madmen to save their lives!”
But no! The three turned and dropped their
guns, knives and sticks, holding their hands up in
surrender. Brownbeard approached slowly.
Wilbert and Schmoor came up behind him.
“Careful Captain! It may be a trick!” cautioned
Wilbert.
“Y’all are pretty small to be soldiers, aren’t
you?” asked Brownbeard as he cautiously
approached the three trembling figures. “Take off
your masks. I want to see what scum who steal
children look like.”
The three soldiers did as they were told.
“Oh! My God!” cried Brownbeard and Wilbert.
Schmoor’s mouth hung open in surprise.
“Captain! They’re children, too!” said Wilbert
in amazement.
There, cowering before Brownbeard, Wilbert,
and Schmoor, were two boys and a girl maybe a
bit older and a bit bigger than Felix. They might
be eleven years old. No more than thirteen.
Brownbeard’s stomach started to hurt. This was
not right. But it was true. Pewtrewsha’s savage,
child-stealing armies were themselves made up of
children.
The Adventures of Short Stubbly Brownbeard
Alan J. Levine
* * *
Chapter Forty
Buy yer hard copy
at . . .
at . . .
Want to support
children's literature?
That's great! But
instead, why don't you
go to the followin'
links to buy yer own
miserable copy of
Brownbeard and
support Pirates
Anonymous? We've
been assisting pirates
with mental health and
hygiene issues since
1633. Brownbeard is
also available to
schools and libraries
through wholesalers
like Follett, Ingram,
and Baker & Taylor.
children's literature?
That's great! But
instead, why don't you
go to the followin'
links to buy yer own
miserable copy of
Brownbeard and
support Pirates
Anonymous? We've
been assisting pirates
with mental health and
hygiene issues since
1633. Brownbeard is
also available to
schools and libraries
through wholesalers
like Follett, Ingram,
and Baker & Taylor.
