The Buccaneers' Code by Caroline Carlson Page A

forth his expectations for the VNHLP and declare what a true pirate must and must not do. Once written, they will be distributed to every League member, from pirate apprentices and deckhands to ships’ captains.
    The forward-thinking pirate should begin writing his rules of conduct as soon as he announces his intention to seek the presidency, for coming up with a thorough list of instructions can be a surprisingly difficult process. There are no guidelines: the longest list in VNHLP history contained nearly nine thousand items (including “Pirates must learn to perform a full repertoire of country dances” and “Pirates must write to their mothers once weekly”), while the shortest contained just one (“Pirates must not eat marmalade”). Remember: the rules you create will determine the future of piracy throughout the kingdom, so this task should not be taken lightly.
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C HAPTER F OUR

    T HE CAPTAIN’S CABIN of the Pigeon was overflowing with maps. Diagrams of the coastline covered Jasper’s long table, charts of ocean currents papered the walls, and sketches of pirate hideaways were scattered on the floor like debris from an explosive atlas. Charlie sat in the middle of it all, sorting through the piles of paper while a lantern sputtered beside him.
    Hilary shoved aside her notebook and looked down at the black-inked map of Augusta that was draped over the tabletop. To the south lay Queensport and Pemberton, where Cannonball Jack had sailed that morning to round up as many supporters as he could gather. He’d agreed totake Partridge, Flintlock, and Worthington with him on his houseboat, the Blunderbuss , once they’d promised to scrub the cooking pots every evening and never refuse dessert. Cannonball Jack had offered to deliver Miss Pimm and Claire back to Pemberton as well, but Miss Pimm had remarked that if the Enchantress of the Northlands and her pupil traveled too frequently on pirate ships, they would find themselves on the front page of the Scuttlebutt in no time at all.
    To the east, Mr. Twigget and his mates were scouring the coastline for pirates to assist them against Captain Blacktooth. Jasper had written a note to his retired crewmates Marrow, Slaughter, and Stanley, asking them to do the same in the west. That left only the northern coast for the Pigeon to cover. Miss Greyson had already started knitting warm woolen socks and hats for everyone, though they all insisted that a true pirate would never dare to wear a striped stocking cap with a tassel at the end. Jasper was searching the ship’s treasure storerooms for stray magic coins to hasten their progress, and Charlie was using every map Jasper had stowed on the Pigeon to look for groggeries, harbors, and other spots that might serve as gathering places for pirates.
    â€œThere’s a boardinghouse just north of Nordholm that’s supposed to be crawling with pirates,” Charlie said, looking up from his maps. “It’s called the Ornery Clam. My mam always told me I wasn’t allowed to go anywherenear it. She said they used little boys’ skulls for lawn bowling and little boys’ knucklebones for hopscotch.”
    â€œI don’t like the sound of that,” the gargoyle said, poking his head out from under a map. “It’s a good thing I don’t have knucklebones.”
    Hilary wiggled her own fingers experimentally. “I’m not eager to be chopped up and used for sporting events, but a crew of fearsome pirates is exactly what we need. We’d better visit the Ornery Clam tomorrow.”
    Charlie nodded. “Have you had any luck with your map?”
    â€œNot yet,” said Hilary. “I’ve been working on something else.” She looked down at her dog-eared and water-stained notebook. At the top of the first page, she had written one line in her best script.
    â€œâ€˜The Buccaneers’ Code,’” Charlie read over her shoulder.