to get the pearls from my brother.”
“But you got them?” I delighted. “He really gave them to you?”
“With a little convincing, yes.”
“Well now that you have them, what do we do?”
“I need to place it on the doubloon.”
“So I need to fetch my father.” I spun around and ran off to my father’s cabin. “Father!” I yelled while banging on the rickety door. “Ladarius is back with the pearls! We need your doubloon!”
I could hear the mumblings of his interrupted sleep. “What ye be wantin’?”
“The doubloon!”
“Ye ain’t taken me doubloon!”
“Ugh,” I puffed while pushing open his door. “Get up you lazy man!”
“I am up. And he ain’t taken me doubloon. If he be wantin’ to place the pearl on its surface then he be comin’ to me.”
“But he’s a merman. He can’t be out of the water.”
“I’m sure ye’ll figure it out!” He stood up from his bed and ushered me back out the door.
“What nerve!” I stomped off to the back of the ship. “Ladarius?”
“Yes my love,” his voice called up to me.
“My father is being difficult at the moment. He says you need to come to him if you want to use the doubloon.”
“Well how am I supposed to do that?”
“I haven’t the slightest clue.” I crossed my arms and looked around the deck, noticing a metal bucket lying on its side next to a wound up length of rope. “What if we bring you on board with a pail of water? I’ll make sure to keep your tail wet.”
“Um, well . . . I guess we could give it a try. I will try anything to be human.”
“Alright then. I’ll get my father’s help to carry you.”
“No,” he fussed. “Please, not your father. I’ve made a terrible impression on him as it is. The last thing I want is for the Captain to carry me onto his vessel just so I can turn human and run off with his daughter.”
I dropped my head with an embarrassed smile. “Okay Ladarius. I will obey your request and recruit someone else for the job. Swim around to the dock and we will come down to retrieve you.”
“Okay.”
Everyone was asleep so I had to choose wisely. I already knew my first pick was John, I just hoped that he was willing. I went below the ship to the crew’s quarters and scanned the hammocks for his face. I spotted him a few feet away in his hanging bed, his curved knife on his chest, rising up and down with every breath he took.
I approached him carefully; waking a man who slept with his weapon ready was a nerve-wracking task. “John,” I hushed next to him, “wake up. It’s me.”
He snorted a breath and opened one scar-encircled eye. “Grace? What be wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. The merman has brought his pearls. I need your help carrying him to father’s cabin.”
“Are ye crazy er somethin’? I ain’t touchin’ no slimy merman.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not slimy, I assure you. Please.”
He brought his hand to his face and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Aye aye, Grace. But ye be owin’ me.”
“That’s fine. Now hurry up and meet me on the dock.” I ran up the stairs and back on deck to grab the bucket, left the ship and went down to the dock. “Ladarius?” I called.
“I’m right here.”
I followed his voice and spotted his face through the fog. “There you are. The fog hides you well.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. John is coming to help carry you.”
“John? Well that’s nice of him, I guess.”
“Yeah he didn’t want to at first. Said you were slimy.” I chuckled and dunked the pail into the water to fill it. “I told him you weren’t.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the one who is going to be ill, being carried by a smelly unbathed pirate.”
I pulled the bucket up with a laugh. “You are right about that. Now, I’m going to put this pail up on deck and I’ll hurry right back.”
“Okay.”
I hurried quickly, careful not to spill, and put it by my father’s door. His loud snores drifted out
“But you got them?” I delighted. “He really gave them to you?”
“With a little convincing, yes.”
“Well now that you have them, what do we do?”
“I need to place it on the doubloon.”
“So I need to fetch my father.” I spun around and ran off to my father’s cabin. “Father!” I yelled while banging on the rickety door. “Ladarius is back with the pearls! We need your doubloon!”
I could hear the mumblings of his interrupted sleep. “What ye be wantin’?”
“The doubloon!”
“Ye ain’t taken me doubloon!”
“Ugh,” I puffed while pushing open his door. “Get up you lazy man!”
“I am up. And he ain’t taken me doubloon. If he be wantin’ to place the pearl on its surface then he be comin’ to me.”
“But he’s a merman. He can’t be out of the water.”
“I’m sure ye’ll figure it out!” He stood up from his bed and ushered me back out the door.
“What nerve!” I stomped off to the back of the ship. “Ladarius?”
“Yes my love,” his voice called up to me.
“My father is being difficult at the moment. He says you need to come to him if you want to use the doubloon.”
“Well how am I supposed to do that?”
“I haven’t the slightest clue.” I crossed my arms and looked around the deck, noticing a metal bucket lying on its side next to a wound up length of rope. “What if we bring you on board with a pail of water? I’ll make sure to keep your tail wet.”
“Um, well . . . I guess we could give it a try. I will try anything to be human.”
“Alright then. I’ll get my father’s help to carry you.”
“No,” he fussed. “Please, not your father. I’ve made a terrible impression on him as it is. The last thing I want is for the Captain to carry me onto his vessel just so I can turn human and run off with his daughter.”
I dropped my head with an embarrassed smile. “Okay Ladarius. I will obey your request and recruit someone else for the job. Swim around to the dock and we will come down to retrieve you.”
“Okay.”
Everyone was asleep so I had to choose wisely. I already knew my first pick was John, I just hoped that he was willing. I went below the ship to the crew’s quarters and scanned the hammocks for his face. I spotted him a few feet away in his hanging bed, his curved knife on his chest, rising up and down with every breath he took.
I approached him carefully; waking a man who slept with his weapon ready was a nerve-wracking task. “John,” I hushed next to him, “wake up. It’s me.”
He snorted a breath and opened one scar-encircled eye. “Grace? What be wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. The merman has brought his pearls. I need your help carrying him to father’s cabin.”
“Are ye crazy er somethin’? I ain’t touchin’ no slimy merman.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not slimy, I assure you. Please.”
He brought his hand to his face and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Aye aye, Grace. But ye be owin’ me.”
“That’s fine. Now hurry up and meet me on the dock.” I ran up the stairs and back on deck to grab the bucket, left the ship and went down to the dock. “Ladarius?” I called.
“I’m right here.”
I followed his voice and spotted his face through the fog. “There you are. The fog hides you well.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. John is coming to help carry you.”
“John? Well that’s nice of him, I guess.”
“Yeah he didn’t want to at first. Said you were slimy.” I chuckled and dunked the pail into the water to fill it. “I told him you weren’t.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the one who is going to be ill, being carried by a smelly unbathed pirate.”
I pulled the bucket up with a laugh. “You are right about that. Now, I’m going to put this pail up on deck and I’ll hurry right back.”
“Okay.”
I hurried quickly, careful not to spill, and put it by my father’s door. His loud snores drifted out
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