part0027

B olt and Annika stood in a small, squalid apartment that smelled like mold. The few pieces of furniture were torn, scarred, or leaning oddly. A large skull and crossbones flag hung on one of the cracked walls, and a dozen model ships in bottles sat on shelves. Bolt always thought ships in bottles were interesting—how did they get those models inside a bottle?—but these ships were very, very tiny and the ends of the bottles very, very wide.

But mostly Bolt stared at the man who had whisked them inside the dark apartment. He was a big man, a man who might have been powerful once, but now was more flab than muscle. He wore a thick black frock coat, and a scabbard hung from his belt. A long hoop earring dangled from his left ear, and a gray-and-black tricorn hat sat on his head.

“Hush now, children,” the pirate whispered. Patrol officer shouts, mixed with angry penguin barks, filled the alley along with the clamor of footsteps. Bolt stood, rigid at attention, frightened for his life.

After a few moments, the footsteps outside trailed off, as did the shouts and barks. “That was a close one, eh?” asked the pirate. “Borscht!”

“Why did you grab us?” Annika asked. She backed away and held up her fists, ready to fight. “What do you want from us?”

“Is that the thanks me gets for saving yer lives? I want nothing, although I’m always happy to accept gold. That’s the customary gift for someone who saves yer life. A few gold coins, or even a golden tooth.” He smiled, and Bolt noticed a tooth missing. “I lost mine a ways back. The life of a pirate is rough, it is.”

“I have a tuning fork, a turkey baster, some pantyhose, and a wind-up chicken toy,” she said. “I had a soccer ball, but that’s gone now.”

“A shame. I have always wanted me own soccer ball,” said the pirate with a frown. “It’s hard to play soccer with a wooden leg, though.”

“You have a wooden leg?” asked Bolt, surprised. The man stood so straight, and his legs seemed to be the same size.

The man ran his fingers through his long black curly hair. He had incredibly thick black sideburns, the thickest sideburns Bolt had ever seen. “I saw ye were in trouble. Not that I help people in trouble, mind ye. A pirate don’t help people in trouble. But we pirates have no love for rules, or laws, or penguin soldiers. Borscht! But let me introduce meself. I am Blackburn the Pirate. Ye’ve no doubt heard of me?”

The man shook his fist in the air. “Curses! Everyone has heard of him . But I can’t grow me a good beard, and lord knows I’ve tried.” He pointed to his face. “Ye have, however, noticed me impressive and plush sideburns?”

“They’re me calling card, and why I am known as Blackburn the Pirate, scourge of the seven seas! Most pirates only stick to six of the seas, you know. But I’ve been to all seven, which is quite impressive. Borscht!”

“Um, why do you keep saying Borscht ?” Bolt asked. “I thought pirates said Arrr! ”

“I will never say Arrr , not including that time just then. No, I only say Borscht! It’s part of what makes me special, me calling card in addition to me wonderful sideburns.” He stood taller, his chest out. “Borscht!”

Bolt admired the man’s sideburns once again. It didn’t seem like the man intended to rob or harm them, so Bolt relaxed, although just a little—pirates, even friendly ones, were still dangerous. “But if you’re such a great pirate, why are you living here?” Bolt scanned the cramped, dirty room.

The pirate shook his fist again. “I’m down on me luck, lad. I meant to stop in this horrid city for one night before heading out again to sail the seven seas, but penguins took me ship. I just need a boat and I’ll be off to resume me seafaring life. Me stay in Sphen will be a short one, I hope.”

“Perhaps. But soon I will reclaim me fame as the most fearless pirate that ever lived! Well, soon-ish, anyway. I don’t have a deadline or anything.” He stood up tall and puffed out his chest. “Borscht!”

The man caught his reflection in the cracked mirror on the wall, and adjusted his hat and fluffed his sideburns. Annika pulled Bolt away to whisper to him.

“Just think,” said Annika, her eyes wide, her voice trembling with excitement. “Me, the greatest bandit that ever lived, meeting the most fearless pirate that ever lived. What are the chances?”

“He’s just down on his luck.” They both looked back at the pirate, who was still fluffing his sideburns, apparently lost in thought.

“I bet someone that fearless, and with such great hair, could help us defeat the Earl,” said Annika.

“Those ar e impressively plush sideburns,” admitted Bolt. “But why would he agree to help us?”

“You heard what he said. Penguins took his ship! I bet he’d love to get revenge.” She ignored Bolt’s skeptical frown and nudged his shoulder. “I’m a great judge of people. Trust me.” She turned back to Blackburn and cleared her throat.

The pirate stopped fluffing his hair and smiled at them. “Are you two done conferring?”

“For now,” said Annika. “We’re going to defeat the Earl and free Sphen. Will you help us?”

The pirate stared at them with a frown, but that frown quickly turned into a loud, boisterous laugh. “The Earl is way too powerful. Ye must be joking!” He immediately stopped laughing and added in a whisper, “Which is quite illegal in Sphen, ye know.”

“I’m not joking,” said Annika. “We’re going to fight him. You could fight him, too.”

The pirate laughed again, before clearing his throat. “I may be down on me luck, living in a squalid apartment, and without a ship for twelve miserable years, but I’m not that desperate.”

“And it’s far better to be a fearless pirate than a dead one. Pirates aren’t heroes. Borscht!” Blackburn removed a small leather-bound book from his inside jacket pocket and waved it in the air. “This is me Pirate Handbook . All pirates live by its code. It’s long and boring, but I’ve read it twice, anyway.” Annika clapped with delight at those words. “The handbook clearly states that pirates cannot be heroes.”

“I’m a bandit. A Brugarian Forest Bandit!” Annika bubbled with so much excitement she couldn’t stop tapping her feet. “We have our own code, so I can totally relate. One of our rules is that I’m not allowed to make friends with someone who isn’t a bandit.” She put her hand on Bolt’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’ve broken that one, but sometimes rules are made to be broken.”

“Just like a peanut shell,” said Blackburn. “Have ye tried to eat one? Not so good. But break one open and ye find those little edible pea-sized nuggets inside.”

“Do I look like a peanut shell?” asked the pirate. “Besides, I’m allergic to peanuts, missy.”

Bolt was about to whisper I told you so again, just in case Annika hadn’t heard him the first time, when she shouted out, “We’ll give you gold, then.”

The pirate’s mouth had been curled into a mocking smirk, but at the mention of gold, his expression grew serious. He straightened. He gazed down at Annika. “Gold, ye say, missy?”

“Yes, gold. An entire chest of it.” She added with a hiss, “And stop calling me missy .”

“It’s a term of pirate endearment. But I thought all ye had was a tuning fork, a turkey baster, some pantyhose, and a wind-up chicken toy. Where would someone like ye get a chest of gold?”

“My father is a great bandit. If you help us, he’ll get you enough gold to buy a pirate ship.” Then she added, “Borscht!”

The pirate eyed Annika, sizing her up. “It’s a tempting offer. But how do ye plan to defeat the Earl? Many have tried but all have failed. Why will ye succeed when no one else has?”

“I just will.” Annika beamed with so much confidence, Bolt almost believed they could defeat the Earl, and that maybe they had a plan and her father had a chest of gold.

“Twelve years is a long time to remain landlocked,” said the pirate with a sigh. “Perhaps it’s time to try to change me luck meself.” He held out his hand. “I’ll do it. But me price is two chests of gold, a soccer ball, and a new gold tooth. And I get to call you missy .”

Bolt said nothing as the pirate and Annika shook hands, sealing the deal. He didn’t think Annika could get her hands on even a single chest of gold. But Bolt kept these worries to himself, preferring to believe that Annika’s promise wasn’t purely false bravado. Annika was many things, but Bolt knew she wasn’t a liar.