Skullduggery Island

by Adrianne Ambrose

  “What is it?” Owen asked.

  “There’s a ladies’ clothing store across the street, next to that bakery,” she said.

  “So?”

  “So, it’s all about fashion. And look at the address, 312 Fern Way. That’s got to mean something,” Matilda said.

  Owen stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth. “Let’s check it out,” he said after he’d washed the food down with a gulp of root beer.

  The shop sold all kinds of stuff for the fashionable female, from lace petticoats to festooned hats.

  “This is just clothes and things,” Owen said. “I don’t see any ferns.”

  “Look,” Matilda said, jabbing him in the ribs.

  There was a decorative fireplace at one end of the room with three carved panels showing some type of design. After taking a few steps closer, Owen realized the designs were actually meant to be ferns. “This is it,” Owen said. “It’s got to be.”

  “I bet it’s like the bank, where there’s a secret compartment,” Matilda said.

  Running their hands along the mantelpiece, they searched for a secret lever or a button or something. Owen tapped one of the carved panels. It sounded hollow. “Do you think we should just bust it open?” he asked.

  Matilda rolled her eyes. “I really don’t think smashing it will help.”

  Owen folded his arms. “Okay, fine. How do we get it open?”

  “Let me think.” Matilda chewed her lip. Suddenly, her eyes brightened. “Oh, I think I know.” She stepped up to the fireplace. “The address of this building is three-one-two. Maybe that’s got something to do with it.” She reached forward and pressed on the third panel, then the first, then the second. There was the sound of creaking old wood, and then the panels started to slide, revealing a hidden compartment that contained a small wooden box. Matilda snatched the box from its hiding place and snapped it open. A huge smile spread across her face, and she gave Owen a nod.

  “What are you two doing there?” a sales clerk demanded.

  Matilda immediately hid the box up the sleeve of her jacket. “Nothing,” she said. “Just shopping for something a little more fashionable than what I’ve got on.”

  “That won’t be hard to do,” the clerk replied with a condescending roll of her eyes.

  “Actually”—Matilda wrinkled her nose—“there’s nothing here I really like. It’s all very last season.” She turned to Owen and said, “Come on, Timothy. They have much nicer things on Golden Harbor.” With that, the two of them scampered out of the shop.

  “We’ve only got two pieces of the map left to find,” Owen crowed as they made their way back to The Lark.

  “What map?” Morgan asked, stepping out from a doorway where she’d been idling.

  Owen and Matilda stared at the smuggler, wide-eyed. “The…um…,” Owen tried to think.

  “Uh…,” Matilda added. “Map of the town. We had a map of the town, but then some dog tore it to pieces, and we were just trying to paste it together again.”

  “Oh.” Morgan nodded as if this explanation made perfect sense. “I think I have some paste in my cabin if you need it.”

  “How did you find us?” Owen asked.

  “You can find anything in this town for a doubloon,” she replied.

  Owen and Matilda looked at each other. “Old Skinny,” they said in unison.

  They all headed back to the docks together. “So, where to next?” Morgan asked.

  “Gee, I don’t know,” Owen tried to sound casual. “I’ve always kind of wanted to visit Parrot Port. What do you think, Matilda?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter Ten

  Dangers from the Deep

  “We got to get out of here,” Billy squeaked. “It’s almost like Captain Crawfish knows exactly where The Lark is heading.”

  The tall masts of the pirate ship could be seen coming into view.

  Morgan immediately began ordering her crew to take evasive action.

  “I thought your ship was supposed to be stealthy,” Matilda said.

  “It is stealthy,” Morgan snapped back at her. “It must have been you two running your mouths in town.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Matilda replied.

  Because The Lark was small and low in the water, Morgan was able to maneuver the ship behind a cay lined with palm trees. There they waited until Crawfish’s sails had disappeared from sight.

  Over the side of the ship, Bilge lowered a net into the water. “What are you doing?” Owen asked him.

  “Looking to see what I can catch,” the old sailor explained. “I have a hankering for sushi, and we’ll just have to see what jumps in my net.” A few minutes later, the old salt let out a cry of excitement.

  “What is it?” Owen wanted to know.

  “Calamari!” was the reply. “And lots of it.”

  Sure enough, there was a very large squid tangled in the sailor’s net. It was the biggest squid Owen had ever seen and quite easily as tall as a very tall man.

  “Help me haul her in,” Bilge said, tugging at his net. “We’re going to have a feast tonight.”

  But no one moved to help the old man.

  “Hello?” he cried. “Trying to provide dinner here. With the biggest squid anyone of ye ever saw.”

  “That’s not the biggest squid I ever saw,” Billy said in a hushed voice.

  The old man turned to glare at the boy. “Oh really? Ye be telling me you’ve seen a bigger one?”

  “Yes,” Billy said, his voice trembling as the words left his mouth. “There’s that one right behind you.”

  Bilge slowly turned, all the color draining from his face. It was true. The entire crew of The Lark was frozen in terror as a squid the size of a house swam toward them. The animal’s giant eyes were red with rage. “Now that’s some calamari,” the old man whispered.

  A huge tentacle from the squid crashed down in the water next to The Lark and began to wrap around the ship. “Man your posts,” Morgan called to her crew. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

  Another blow from an enormous tentacle knocked Billy into the water. “Help!” he shouted before another tentacle swept him up.

  “It’s going to eat him!” Bilge yelled.

  “But squid don’t eat little boys,” Morgan insisted. “They eat shrimp.”

  “I don’t think this one knows the difference,” the old man countered.

  Using his cutlass, Owen began hacking at the net that held the smaller squid prisoner.

  “What are you doing?” Bilge demanded. “It took me a whole year to weave that net.”

  “We’ve got to get this little squid loose, and I mean right now!” Owen shouted.

  “Why?” Bilge asked. “So it can fight the bigger one?”

  “No,” Owen told him. “Because I think that’s the mama and this is the baby.”

  As soon as the smaller squid was free from the net and began swimming away, the giant squid stopped thrashing. It even went so far as to release Billy, who swam to the boat and was grateful to be hauled aboard.

  “That was good thinking,” Matilda said as the mother and baby giant squid swam off toward the horizon. “Now let’s get out of here before any other oversize angry mothers of the sea decide we’re a threat.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Runaround at Parrot Port

  As they docked The Lark at Parrot Port, Billy couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, this place is beautiful!” as he watched a flock of tropical birds swoop through the bright blue sky.

  Bilge smacked his lips. “We might be having some parrot stew tonight.”

  Billy looked horrified, but Owen didn’t have time to explain that the old sailor was probably just teasing.

  “This place is a tropical paradise,” Matilda said.

  “Maybe we can hit the beach for a few hours before we go hunting for that final map piece,” Owen joked.

  “I can’t believe that I forgot to pack my swimsuit,”
she replied with a smile.

  “We should probably get going,” Owen said, his expression becoming serious. “Who knows what Crawfish is up to?”

  Matilda nodded, and they headed toward the gangplank.

  “So, what’s the clue for Parrot Port again?” Matilda asked as they walked through town.

  Owen replied, “‘Birds of a feather guard the vast treasure. If you’re ever at such a port of call, you’ll have to make a feathered friend if you want any treasure at all.’”

  “There are birds everywhere,” Matilda said. “Where do we even start?”

  “Let’s make a feathered friend,” Owen said as he walked over to a green-and-yellow parrot sitting on a fence post. “Hi, friend, what’s your name?” Owen asked the bird as he reached out his hand in a friendly gesture.

  The parrot let out a mean squawk, lunged forward, and bit Owen on the finger.

  “Oww!” Owen cried out as he pulled his hand back. “These birds don’t seem all that friendly.”

  “You just haven’t found the right one,” Matilda replied.

  Owen turned to see Matilda standing with a red macaw parrot resting on her shoulder.

  “Hello,” the bird said to Matilda.

  “Hello to you, parrot,” she replied.

  “‘Birds of a feather,’” the parrot squawked. “‘Feathered friend.’”

  Owen’s face lit up and he ran over to Matilda. “Do you know where the treasure is?” he asked the red parrot.

  “Squawk! Jump in the sea, then come and find me,” the bird screeched before flying away.

  Matilda laughed. “I don’t think the parrots like you very much.”

  “No, I don’t think they do, either,” Owen said. “Should we do what he said?”

  “You mean jump in the sea?” Matilda asked.

  “Yeah, he knew about ‘birds of a feather’ and ‘feathered friend.’ They’re both parts of the clue.”

  “He’s just a parrot,” Matilda replied. “All he does is repeat what he hears. He must have heard us talking.”

  “I’m going to do what he said,” Owen called back as he ran toward the ocean. “The clue said to listen to the parrot.”

  “The clue didn’t say that at all,” Matilda yelled after him, but it was too late. Owen was already halfway to the water.

  Owen dove headfirst into the ocean. Popping up out of the warm water, he called out, “Okay, red bird, I’ve jumped in the water.” He searched the sky for the parrot but couldn’t see it anywhere. “I guess I have to find you.”

  Matilda stood at the water’s edge and waited as Owen made his way to shore. “I think you’re starting to lose it,” she said.

  “Maybe,” he replied as he ran back toward town. “But maybe I’m right. C’mon, let’s go find that parrot.”

  “Fine, but if we don’t find that macaw in five minutes, we need to try something else,” Matilda said as she followed after him.

  Owen ran straight back to where they first saw the red parrot. Looking around, he started jumping up and down and waving his arms. “Here, parrot,” he called out. “I jumped in the water like you asked; now tell me where the treasure is.”

  Matilda walked up beside him. “Look, I don’t think that bird’s coming back. I’m sure the clue means something else. Let’s sit down and talk it through.”

  Owen stopped waving his arms and jumping. “I was sure that I was right. I feel like a fool.”

  “Well, you did listen to a macaw that told you to jump into the ocean,” she said. “You should feel a little foolish.”

  Owen smiled at her. “I guess. Let’s get working on that clue.”

  Just then they heard a familiar squawk. Owen and Matilda looked up to see the red parrot perched above them on a thatched roof. The bird appeared very pleased to see Owen. It ruffled its feathers and said, “Squawk! To an old tower go, and find a pirate I know.”

  “Thanks, parrot,” Owen said as the bird flew away. He then turned to Matilda, who stood quietly behind him. “So, who’s the fool now?”

  There was only one building in Parrot Port that had any type of tower. It looked like some kind of old fort that overlooked the bay.

  “That must be it,” Owen said as they made their way back down to the water. “Let’s go see who’s waiting for us up there.”

  “We should be careful,” Matilda said. “We haven’t had the best luck with pirates so far.”

  Pushing open an old wooden door, Owen peered in at a dark, cobwebbed staircase that led up into the tower. Matilda pushed her head in beside his. “This doesn’t look safe,” she said.

  Owen pulled out his cutlass and started up the stairs. “Stay behind me.”

  At the top of the staircase, they could see sunlight coming from an open doorway. Cautiously making their way to the door, Owen peeked inside. Sitting in the corner of the tower was an elderly pirate relaxing in the sun.

  A moment later, a shadow swept over the room as the red parrot flew in through the window and landed on the pirate’s shoulder.

  “‘Feathered friend,’” the parrot squawked.

  The old pirate leaped to his feet. He wobbled for a moment before grabbing hold of his chair. “What is it?” he called out. “Who’s up here? Oh, it’s you, my old friend,” he said to the parrot.

  “Um…,” Owen said, not exactly sure what to do next.

  “‘Feathered friend,’” the bird repeated.

  The old pirate turned his head to Owen. A look of relief fell over his face.

  “Aye, ye’ve done it, lad. Me faithful Polly has directed you to me hiding spot,” the pirate said drowsily. “For three generations now, my family has trained parrots to respond to certain words while we’ve guarded a great secret. I was thinking that I would have to pass the responsibility on to my son. But now I can relinquish our burden to you.”

  “Burden?” Owen wondered.

  “Aye.” The pirate nodded sagely. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out a billfold, and from that billfold, he handed Owen a piece of paper. “I hope you can make better use of it than I.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Return to Pirate Outpost

  They returned to The Lark feeling triumphant. However, there was still one piece of the map left to find, and they knew it would be the most difficult to obtain. That piece was hidden somewhere back at Pirate Outpost.

  “Are you sure you want to go with me to Pirate Outpost?” Owen asked. “I don’t think that pirate with the gold tooth is going to be too pleased to see us again.”

  Matilda nodded. “I’ve come this far,” she said. “We need to see this through together.”

  The sun began to set as Pirate Outpost came into sight on the horizon. From a distance, the whole island looked like one giant, foreboding stone skull. As the ship edged closer, Owen could see a bright light coming from the island.

  “What’s that?” he asked. “Is someone trying to signal us?”

  “It looks more like a reflection,” Matilda replied.

  “It’s nothing,” Morgan said. “Happens every time we come here this late in the day. It’s just the sunlight reflecting off the gold tooth in that giant skull.”

  Owen and Matilda looked at each other. “That’s the gold tooth,” he said. “Quick, Morgan, take us to it.”

  “No way,” she said. “Those pirates love that tooth more than their own mothers.”

  Matilda pushed past Owen and stepped right up to Morgan. “You don’t understand,” she said. “We have to get to that tooth.”

  “You’re right, I don’t understand,” Morgan replied. “And before we go one inch closer to that island, you two are going explain it all to me.”

  “I thought you didn’t ask questions,” Owen said.

  “I don’t, but if you’re planning on stealing that gold tooth, then I need to know,” she said. “If those pirates even think we’re up to something, this ship will be at the bottom of the harbor before we get to the docks.”

  Matilda’s face red
dened, but Owen stopped her before she said anything that would make their situation worse.

  “I don’t think we actually have to take the tooth,” he said. “We just have to get something that might be hidden inside it.”

  “Another piece of your secret map?” Morgan asked.

  Owen nodded.

  “And does this map lead to a hidden treasure?”

  Owen nodded again.

  “And that hidden treasure contains my payment?”

  Owen nodded a third time.

  “Well, there’s only one thing we can do,” Morgan added with a mischievous smile. “Let’s get you to that tooth.”

  They waited until the sun went down and then maneuvered The Lark into the mouth of the giant skull. As they moved below the gold tooth, Owen and Matilda tried to work up a plan to scale the skull’s rock walls.

  Morgan walked up behind them. “Those walls are as smooth as glass,” she said. “There’s no way you two are going to climb them.”

  “Well then, what do you suggest?” Matilda asked.

  “If we can’t get to the tooth,” she replied, “then we should bring the tooth to us.”

  They all looked up at the giant piece of gold suspended above them.

  “And how do we do that?” Owen asked. He and Matilda looked over at Morgan.

  “Yeah. If this ship of yours had a cannon, we could blast it out,” Matilda added.

  Morgan thought for a minute. “I can get us a cannon. I’ll need to go to the outpost, but I shouldn’t be gone for too long.”

  “One of us needs to go with you,” Matilda said as Morgan moved the ship out of the cave and to a nearby dock. “Now that you know our secret, I don’t trust you out of our sight.”

  “Sorry,” Owen added. “I have to agree with Matilda. There’s too much at stake here. One of us should go.”

  “No dice,” Morgan replied. “Those pirates don’t like you. And if I show up with either of you, there’s no way they’ll sell me a cannon. Either it’s just me, or it doesn’t happen.”