âMy grandad uses that word,â Tom said. âI think it means that weâre after a bad guy.â
Before theyâd gone far, they crossed paths with a young man. He was running so fast, he almost crashed right into them.
âWatch it!â Tom said.
The young man adjusted the red scarf that was tied round his long, dark hair. He wore the same kind of breeches and shirt as Tom and Isis, except his were covered in stains.
âSorry!â he said, frowning. âWhatâs a pair of nippers doing in a dangerous hole like New Providence?â
âIs that where we are?â Tom asked. He had heard about New Providence in his history books. It was a famous pirate port.
The young man nodded. âOf course! You two need to get yourselves home sharpish, before you run into trouble.â
âOh, we canât,â Tom said, thinking fast. âWeâve been, er ⦠shipwrecked. Our parents were lost at sea, but we clung to some wood and floated to this island.â
Isis pulled a sad face and sniffed, adding, âWe donât have a home to go back to â¦â
The young man held out his hand. âSalmagundiâs the name. Sal for short. Iâm sorry to hear about your troubles.â
Tom shook Salâs hand. âIâm Tom, this is Isis, and her cat, Cleo.â
âListen,â Sal said, leaning in. His tanned face made his green eyes look slightly wild. âNot everyone here on New Providence is nice. So stick by me, OK? Iâll take you to the Jolly Barnacle Inn. I do the cooking there. But one day Iâm going to be a pirate.â
Tom and Isis exchanged excited glances.
Sal straightened up and peered at the sun. âBut weâd better hurry, because if I donât get a move on, Iâll be getting fifty of the ownerâs best.â
âBest what?â Isis asked.
âFifty lashes. With a whip!â
âOuch!â said Isis, wincing.
As Tom, Isis and Cleo followed Sal into the port, Tom saw that the row of shops wasnât very pretty close up. There was broken glass in the window frames and rotten vegetables all over the ground.
âEeew!â he said to Isis. âWhat a pong.â
Isis nodded, holding her shirt over her nose.
They arrived at the Jolly Barnacle Inn, with its sign hung crookedly over the door. As soon as they stepped inside, a finely dressed pirate with the most rotten teeth Tom had ever seen hurled a bar stool at another mean-looking, muscly man.
âAre you sayinâ I look like a girl?â the elegant pirate said. He cocked his pistol and fired it at the ceiling, so that plaster showered down.
The muscly pirate laughed heartily. âYou look so much like a woman, they wonât let you back on your own ship with the real men!â He smacked the pistol out of the first pirateâs hand.
âIâll slit your gizzard for that!â the first pirate cried, drawing his cutlass.
Crumbs, Tom thought. Talk about overreacting.
Tom, Isis, Cleo and Sal edged past the fighting pair.
âNever insult a pirate if you value your life,â Sal advised them.
Sal led them to an empty table in the corner. âSit here, and try to stay out of everyoneâs way,â he said. âIâll find you a little something to eat.â
As Sal disappeared into the kitchen, Isis looked round and wrinkled her nose.
âThis place is disgusting,â she said loudly. She poked the tabletop and shuddered. âYuck. Itâs sticky.â
âThen donât touch it!â Tom said.
âThis place isnât fit for a princess!â Isis protested.
âKeep your voice down,â Tom whispered. âIâm not sure these pirates would take kindly to you insulting their favourite hang-out.â
Sal returned and slammed two tankards down on the table. âGrog,â he announced. âDrink up!â
Tom sipped the drink ⦠and immediately spat it out.
âUgh! Sal, what do they put in this? Washing-up liquid?â he cried.
âNo idea what youâre talking about, shipmate. Itâll put hairs on your chest.â
Sal swigged the contents of his tankard. Grog poured down the sides of his chin and on to his shirt. Then he went back to work in the kitchen.
Pretending to drink, Tom and Isis listened to what was being said by a scary-looking group of pirates at the next table.
âSo, Jones tells me there be a Spanish merchant ship leaving Cuba,â one man said, glancing round to make sure no one else was listening.
âWhatâs it carrying?â another asked, scratching his nose with his dagger hilt. âWill there be rum and spices and sugar andââ
âAye,â the first man said, nodding. âAnd cotton too. But listen â¦â He looked round again, then whispered, âItâs got a chest full of gold!â
âOoooooh!â the other pirates gasped.
Tom was just about to nudge Isis when there was a crash, followed by gunshots. Tom turned round and saw a huge, fearsome man standing in the doorway pointing a gun into the room. He had the biggest, blackest beard Tom had ever seen. His bushy whiskers were plaited with colourful ribbons at the end. Tom gulped.
Suddenly, every man in the inn started screaming as loud bangs, pops and flashes of light exploded round the man.
âWeâre under attack!â Sal yelled.
Tom dived to the floor and pulled Isis down with him. A terrified Cleo leaped into Isisâs arms.
âUnder the table â quick!â Tom said.
As he, Isis and Cleo hid beneath the table, another explosion went off with a terrifying BANG!
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