Anne’s Revenge
, see what kind of shape she’s in, but I’m not promising anything yet. After all, she could be very dirty.” Sam made a fastidious face.
They all touched the wall, and Henry said, “Blackbeard’s house on Ile Perdida,” but nothing happened, so he tried again. “Whatever building is standing nearest the
Queen Anne’s Revenge
.”
Lickety-split, the wall under their hands turned to thatched palm fronds, and they were staring at birds. Birds everywhere. Around them, the air was extremely hot, like an open oven door.
“I’m surprised this even counts as a wall,” said Susan, inspecting the straw mat beneath her hand. It was really more like a bus stop made of palm fronds than it was like a building. There was a thatched roof overhead, but that was about it. Susan stepped out onto the sand to look around and Emma ran ahead of her to hunt for shells.
Sam wiped his forehead right away. “Goodness, I feel faint,” he said.
“But look!” cried Roy, pointing. Off a ways, in the distance, a ship was bobbing on the waves.
Sam did not look refreshed by the sight of his ship.
“Let’s go check it out!” called Henry, tugging on Sam’s sleeve. “It’s your inheritance, your father’s legacy. Let’s go!”
“No, no, no—this will never do,” said Sam fussily, looking around. “Where will I keep all my books?”
“You don’t have to live here,” said Henry. “You can go anywhere you want once you get the ship in shape.”
“I guess,” said Sam, sounding a little whiny, especially for a fully grown man who has just laid eyes on his pirate ship. He took a minute to breathe in the air and look around. “But it’s awful hot in the meantime.” He fanned himself.
Roy had stepped out from the shade of the hut andwas peering down the beach at the pirate ship (and at Susan and Emma, who were taking off their shoes) when Sam’s whiny tone shifted ever so slightly.
“No,” Sam said, “I don’t think I like it here. I don’t think I like it at all. The southern seas don’t suit me, but you know, there are many ways to buccaneer, and this”—he patted the straw wall beside him—“gives me an idea.”
Only Henry heard this, and only Henry noticed when Sam laid a hand on the palm fronds deliberately. Emma and Susan were already wading into the shallows and Roy was studying a sea turtle when Sam uttered the words, “I wish I was—”
“No!” shouted Henry, hurling himself toward Sam.
And though he had no time to stop the pirate, he did manage to touch the wall of the hut before Sam could say, “back at that wall.”
E MMA AND S USAN , watching from the beach, yelled and then ran barefoot in the direction of the thatched hut. Roy heard their cries and turned to see what all the fuss was about. All three of them dashed over to the wall and wished breathlessly to be home, but nothing happened!
“We’re stranded,” cried Susan. “We’re stuck!”
“We are?” asked Emma. “What will we do?” Her chin quivered.
“Not much
to
do,” said Roy, patting her shoulder. “We just have to wait, but I’m sure it’ll turn out fine.” He looked at Susan for confirmation of this fact. “Henry will come right back for us. Won’t he?”
“Of course he will,” said Susan. Under her breath she added, “If he can.”
But Emma didn’t hear that part, so she breathed asigh of relief. “Can we go swimming?” she asked.
Susan was about to say no because she thought they should wait by the wall for Henry, but when she looked out at the greenish blue water, she changed her mind. It did look tantalizing. “Okay,” she said, “I guess our clothes will dry fast in this sun, but we have to be extra careful and stay close to shore. Who knows how many miles we are from the nearest lifeguard.”
Roy took off his sneakers and they all walked into the water, which felt as good as it looked. They paddled and watched tiny fish dart around their feet, and it was nothing like the
, see what kind of shape she’s in, but I’m not promising anything yet. After all, she could be very dirty.” Sam made a fastidious face.
They all touched the wall, and Henry said, “Blackbeard’s house on Ile Perdida,” but nothing happened, so he tried again. “Whatever building is standing nearest the
Queen Anne’s Revenge
.”
Lickety-split, the wall under their hands turned to thatched palm fronds, and they were staring at birds. Birds everywhere. Around them, the air was extremely hot, like an open oven door.
“I’m surprised this even counts as a wall,” said Susan, inspecting the straw mat beneath her hand. It was really more like a bus stop made of palm fronds than it was like a building. There was a thatched roof overhead, but that was about it. Susan stepped out onto the sand to look around and Emma ran ahead of her to hunt for shells.
Sam wiped his forehead right away. “Goodness, I feel faint,” he said.
“But look!” cried Roy, pointing. Off a ways, in the distance, a ship was bobbing on the waves.
Sam did not look refreshed by the sight of his ship.
“Let’s go check it out!” called Henry, tugging on Sam’s sleeve. “It’s your inheritance, your father’s legacy. Let’s go!”
“No, no, no—this will never do,” said Sam fussily, looking around. “Where will I keep all my books?”
“You don’t have to live here,” said Henry. “You can go anywhere you want once you get the ship in shape.”
“I guess,” said Sam, sounding a little whiny, especially for a fully grown man who has just laid eyes on his pirate ship. He took a minute to breathe in the air and look around. “But it’s awful hot in the meantime.” He fanned himself.
Roy had stepped out from the shade of the hut andwas peering down the beach at the pirate ship (and at Susan and Emma, who were taking off their shoes) when Sam’s whiny tone shifted ever so slightly.
“No,” Sam said, “I don’t think I like it here. I don’t think I like it at all. The southern seas don’t suit me, but you know, there are many ways to buccaneer, and this”—he patted the straw wall beside him—“gives me an idea.”
Only Henry heard this, and only Henry noticed when Sam laid a hand on the palm fronds deliberately. Emma and Susan were already wading into the shallows and Roy was studying a sea turtle when Sam uttered the words, “I wish I was—”
“No!” shouted Henry, hurling himself toward Sam.
And though he had no time to stop the pirate, he did manage to touch the wall of the hut before Sam could say, “back at that wall.”
E MMA AND S USAN , watching from the beach, yelled and then ran barefoot in the direction of the thatched hut. Roy heard their cries and turned to see what all the fuss was about. All three of them dashed over to the wall and wished breathlessly to be home, but nothing happened!
“We’re stranded,” cried Susan. “We’re stuck!”
“We are?” asked Emma. “What will we do?” Her chin quivered.
“Not much
to
do,” said Roy, patting her shoulder. “We just have to wait, but I’m sure it’ll turn out fine.” He looked at Susan for confirmation of this fact. “Henry will come right back for us. Won’t he?”
“Of course he will,” said Susan. Under her breath she added, “If he can.”
But Emma didn’t hear that part, so she breathed asigh of relief. “Can we go swimming?” she asked.
Susan was about to say no because she thought they should wait by the wall for Henry, but when she looked out at the greenish blue water, she changed her mind. It did look tantalizing. “Okay,” she said, “I guess our clothes will dry fast in this sun, but we have to be extra careful and stay close to shore. Who knows how many miles we are from the nearest lifeguard.”
Roy took off his sneakers and they all walked into the water, which felt as good as it looked. They paddled and watched tiny fish dart around their feet, and it was nothing like the
Similar Books
