Chapter 8
Copyright J.B. Norman
“Yarr, Miss Hawkins,” Captain Goblinbeard says sullenly as they walk down the gangplank back to the dock. “I be unaccustomed to defeat. I do believe regroupin’ is in order.
“But, just like Gran Hildago at Campo-del-Rey, we’ll gain the day yet. Maybe not this Salvage Tharrrs-day, nor even the next. But some Tharrrs-day hence, we’ll all of us be avenged.”
“It wasn’t a total waste, Captain,” Billie offers. “We still managed to claim some salvage.”
“Aye, that’ll ease the sting o’ defeat, I suppose,” Captain Goblinbeard agrees. “At least we’ll end the day with fuller pockets than we started. And ain’t that a victory? And them faience chickens we salvaged will look quite fetchin’ in yer parents’ crockery hutch.”
“Thank you for that, Captain,” Billie says.
“Ye’ve earned it, lass,” Captain Goblinbeard says, tipping his hat.
“Are you really alright, Captain?”
“Ah, Miss Hawkins,” Captain Goblinbeard answers with a sigh, “it’s been a hard day all around. Rare is it to find meself thrashed so thoroughly, and by such minnow o’ a pirate at that.”
He sighs again.
“’Tis me pride hurts most o’ all. And for a proud man such as meself, that be the gravest o’ them all – well, save for a truncated liver, I suppose. And all this fuss with me Lena, me head ain’t been quite aright lately, is all.”
“Do you want to talk about it, Captain?” Billie offers.
“Quite kind o’ ye,” he says, “but, ah, ’tis nothin’ a round or two at the Nail can’t fix,” he says. “Step lively, now, Miss Hawkins. I’ll buy ye a fish-on-a-stick.”
There are few people in the world of Terrace Kat could ever experience such a profound, mystic connection with. But one of those people is, like her, the daughter of a pirate with an utter contempt for piracy.
Standing beside Kat on the dock, Lena Goblinbeard shifts restlessly, waiting for any sign of Captain Goblinbeard’s ship. Kat reaches down to put a reassuring hand on Lena’s shoulder as the two stand together, silently bonding over the tribulations of their common upbringings.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to say to your dad?”
“I think I’m going to yell at him,” Lena decides. “And then, I think I’ll yell at him some more. And, I don’t know, tell him he’s ruining my life. Tell him he’s never been around. Yell at him some more.”
“And that’ll help?” Kat asks.
Lena shrugs. “Better than keeping it all bottled up inside, right?” She sighs. “Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead. But I need to tell him something, right? He needs to realise he’s ruining the family.”
“I, uh, I bit my Dad,” Kat offers. “When I was little, I mean. He was never around back then. He was gone for months a time. So, one day, when he first came back from one of his voyages, I ran up to him and bit him because I was so mad at him. Right on that part of your hand between your thumb and your main finger. He still has the scar.”
Lena looks up at Kat. “So… you’re saying I should bite my Dad? He deserves it, I suppose.”
“Uh, no. I’m not saying that,” Kat mutters, scratching her nose.
“Kat! Kat, look!”
Kat turns in the direction of Dunstana’s voice to see the little pirate coming down the gangplank with her arms full of plunder.
“Look how much stuff we got!” Dunstana exclaims. “It’s not that great, but there’s a lot of it. And Mona’s the best mentor ever!”
Kat watches as an older pirate in red groans while clutching a statue of the goddess Pherais. Dunstana waves to her. She waves back half-heartedly and disappears into the Dock District crowd.
“That’s my sister,” Kat explains to Lena. “Hey, she might know where Captain Goblinface is.”
Lena nods and runs towards Dunstana. “You haven’t seen a Goblin pirate around, have you?”
Dunstana’s face lights up. “Oh! I think I kicked him!” she answers. “He did a flip!”
Lena blinks in surprise. “You what?”
“Kicked him,” Dunstana repeats. “Right off my ship.”
“That was my Dad,” Lena notes.
“So,” Dunstana asks, backing away cautiously. “Are you mad I kicked your dad into the Ocean? ’Cause he was fine, by the way. I saw him swim back to his ship.”
“Dad and I don’t really get along,” Lena says. “And whatever he did to get kicked, he probably deserved it.”
“Oh, he definitely did!” Dunstana agrees, nodding. “He called me and Jimena and Mona —” she lowers her voice to a low, gravelly pitch and affects the Pirate Voice “— a sort o’ sorry excuse for pirates, so I was like, Hey, you can’t talk to me like that on my ship, Mr. Goblinface! So I kicked him.”
As Kat, Lena, and Dunstana navigate the docks, Dunstana makes sure their walk never gets too quiet.
“Man, Salvage Thursday is the best!” she declares. “Sure, the treasure wasn’t great. But everything else was. Williams and Beasley fell in love, Mia’s the best mentor ever, and I got to kick somebody into the Ocean. Salvage Thursday is just the best day to be a pirate!”
“I don’t like pirates,” Kat muses.
Dunstana clears her throat and glowers up at her sister.
“I don’t like pirates,” Kat repeats.
“I don’t like them, either,” Lena agrees, causing Dunstana to through her hands up in the air in indignation, dropping her plunder in the process. “They’re like sand. They’re gross, annoying, and they’re everywhere!”
“Well, everywhere except for your seventh birthday party,” Kat laments.
“I’m standing right here!” Dunstana exclaims, stooping to pick up her dropped plunder. “Fine, I was going to give you one of these little chicken statues, but now you don’t get one.”
Lena gives a sad nod of commiseration. “My dad missed my twelfth birthday because he was off sacking Puerto Portuaria,” she says. “And he didn’t even bring me back anything! Held the Governor for ransom and everything, and I didn’t even get one of the forks from his mansion!”
“So, like, Goblinbeard,” Kat ventures. “Is that actually your actual name?”
Lena nods. “Yup. Dad went and had it officially changed and everything.” She frowns. “For all of us.”
“Couldn’t you just change it back? Or change it something else?” Dunstana interjects.
“Nope,” the Goblin explains. “I can’t independently change my name until I turn eighteen. But, man, I cannot wait not to be a Goblinbeard anymore.”
“He didn’t even have a beard!” Dunstana notes.
“And how do you think I feel about my name being Goblinbeard?”
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
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