The Pirate Hunter's Smarter Brother!

[Red Cat Jenny]

Pushin her tricon back a bit an wipin th dust from her brow, RedCat began to hum a shanty to calm her excitement and dispell the nervous sensation runnin over her. Still peering thru th glass she absently reached inta th back o one boot and retrieving her dagger picked the latch with ease. Slipping through the door she closed it behind her. never seeing the reflection of the hideous thing in the newly scratched clean patch o glass..

[Jacky Tar]

The spider turns suddenly, an' we come face t' face wit' the nightmarish creature. It doesn't seem frightened of us, and almost seems curious, or is it sizin' up it's next meal?

[The Spider]

'elloooo... poppets. cookieee???

[Jacky Tar]

I must be hearin' things, I think the creature spoke! I tuck my pistol back in my belt. I put my hand into me waistkit pocket, and search fer a leftover holiday cookie. I slowly pull the cookie from my pocket, and I sware all eight of those eyes were fixed on that cookie.

The spider starts t' twitch, and I wish I were holdin' my pistol, I toss the cookie in the spider's direction. The spider reaches out fer that cookie, and drags it into a puddle of rum, an' smashes it. Then it dips it's head into the puddle, and sucks that puddle dry!

[Ransom]

"Holy Shite, jeeze louise, YIKES." I jump back, as the spider looms in front of us, and I swear it has a smile on it's ugly mug. It's a pale gray color, from being down in the dark so long, and nasty black hairs sprout all over its fat body.

Shakin' in me boots, I grab CrazyChole's arm and push it so the torch shines brighter on the creature. It's then I notice that not all of its eight eyes look normal. Some be looking up, some down, and appear ta be made of wood.

I point to one eye weathered as drift wood. "Bet that splinters something awful."

[oderlesseye]

Oderlesseye steps away from Jacky Tars drunk eight legged hairy friend, His flyntlock at the ready and steadily aimed, some crushing of the dead mans bones beneath me feet as Eyes moved about ...echos.

Due to a more pressing matter of Red Cat Jenny slippin outta sight wit the last part of the Map... Eyes slips into the darkness and leaves the lantern behind wit Jacky to contend wit the danger of runnin outta cookies and to protect False Ransom & CrazyCholeBlack........

Eyes draws near to the refracted light thru the glass window of the door

Red Cat Just slipped thru... Eyes reaches the Door and goes inside of the "sheep" and catches the sly Red Cat at er'best..! Happily hummin a an old sea shanty wit the map out, she was a already spyin wheres to go.! Red Cat looks at me in dismay wit an unwelcoming demeanor of surprise that she's no longer a alone.. Wot are ye?.... Inquisitive?... Or a Damn Pirate? Eyes says jokingly. Oderlesseye holds out his flask to the Lass...and parts some cobbwebs away as Eyes walks about ....Wot is this place anyway... the Galley?

[Jacky Tar]

My torch is startin' t' flicker. Hearin' somethin' crunch behind me, I glance back and see Eyes lantern on the ground. I mutter, "Bloody Pirate! Where did Eyes disappear too?"

The spider seems t' be swayin' a bit. It raises a huge hairy leg and seems t' be pointin' at Ransom. I step in front of Ransom, and draw my pistol again. The spider retreats a bit; the damn thing knows about pistols?

"Ransom, would ye be so kind and pick up the lantern, luv." The lantern is low on fuel, too. I do not want t' be standin' in the dark wit' this beast.

"Ransom I need t' hav' ye climb back up that rope and fetch more fire power. Ray keeps a blunderbuss behind the bar."

"CrazyChole do ye have any cookies in that sack of yers? If'n ye could find them now, and follow Ransom up that rope, after ye give me wot ye got."

[Ransom]

"You want me to run and leave you here ta deal with the beastie? Are ya nuts?"

I grab the lantern just as the light flickers out. I open it, and by the light from CrazyChole's torch, I fill it with some of the rum on the floor, that the spider didn't suck up. Then I relight it with the torch.

With the lantern bright as ever, I pull out my rapier and wave the point at the spider. "Don't know what ya got in mind, ya hairy beast, but I don't fancy being wrapped up for your larder."

Side by side, Jacky and I face the creature, while Chole reaches into the cookie pouch.

[Red Cat Jenny]

Creeeak!..

Red Cat turns n drops into a crouch steppin as far back inta th shadows as th clutter spread about the small space will allow. Her grip tightens on th dagger still in her hand every muscle tensed fer action, In th back o her mind she's figgerin where the map pieces be and wot other way there may be out. She's also listenin fer Jacky n th others abit worried now.. darned curiosity she thinks t herself...allus gettin th cat inta trouble..

Summin stumbles inta view and she's suddenly relieved t' see it only be her mate Oderlesseye. "Avast Eyes!" says she lowerin the dagger and tuckin in her boot once more.."Ye scared me mate!" She throws him a look o disgust f' bein so careless. "I mighta poked ye fulla holes man!"

Eyes isn't payin her gripin much mind as he looks over her shoulder straining t see what she's been busy studyin. He hand her th flask and she snatches it up takin a swig. "Thank ye.. needed t' steady me nerves and clear all this bloody dust from me throat (kof koff)" She turns back and splashes a bit on the floor much to Eyes horror. Wiping away grime with the rum and a rag she points t' the floor where marking have now become apparent. "Looky here ... I knew it! these markins match that wots on th map...."

[Jacky Tar]

"I admire yer courage but I was serious about the blunderbuss! I fear my pistol won't do much t' the creature, 'cept maybe put an eye out!"

My torch spent, I toss it over the side, and draw my cutlass.

"I hope Red Cat is holed up somewhere safe, and if I get t' Eyes before the creature..."

Before I can say more, the creature turns an' goes over the main railin', and climbs down in t' the abyss.

[Ransom]

"Well, that's better - I think. One more step closer, and I was ready to fling the lantern at it, and turn it into a spidy-torch."

I look around for Eyes and Red Cat, but don't see them. "Where are the others?"

Then I give Jacky a grin. "Twas nice of ya to put yourself between me and the beastie. If you really want that blunderbuss, I guess I can shinny back up the rope and fetch it, but toting a gun and a lantern and trying to climb back down might be a bit tricky. Any other suggestions?"

[Jacky Tar]

"Set the creature a blaze, when the deck is puddled wit' rum? No, we need t' find Red Cat Jenny and Eyes, before that creature comes back top side."

"This might be yer last chance t' exit wit' out bein' chased by the beast, ye might want t' consider it, Ransom."

"CrazyChole, ye can quit rummagin' thru yer bag, we need t' find the Cat and Eyes."

[Red Cat Jenny]

As Eyes an RedCat were crouched matchin th map with the markins on the cabin floor, the ship rocked as if a great weight had shifted.

Looking at each other both said "wot was that?"at the same time like they'd rehearsed it or summmin.

"Eyes, we'd better see of th otters are ok! We needs t tell em about this anyway.." "we'll mark a trail back here." Eyes nodds emphatically, his hat bouncing about and shakes his cuffs dumping out his seemingly endless supply o sand to leave a trail through the dust and rum back to this spot.

X

[Ransom]

""This might be yer last chance t' exit wit' out bein' chased by the beast, ye might want t' consider it, Ransom."

I cock an eye in exasperation. "Do ya think I'm some kinda of lubberish coward? I can fight with the best of them, even against hairy spiders! I'll use its wooden eyes for billiard balls if it tries anything again. Now come on, let's find Red Cat and Eyes, and see if they've found the treasure yet."

Holding the lantern high, I follow two sets of rum-wet footprints leading toward a door to the lower deck. The window in the door has a big smudge on it where someone wiped away most of the dirt so they could look in. "I'd guess this is the way they went." And I opened the door.

[oderlesseye]

Oderlesseye and Red Cat hear some foot steps and creaking of deck planks and Eyes goes for his holstered flyntlock and Jenny quickly retreives her dagger from 'er boot and secretly holds it out behind

her... The foot steps grow louder and then we see the handle turn and the door begin to open. Eyes holds up me flyntlock and aims for a head shot just in case... False Ransom appears and blinds us for a momment, Oderlesseye accidently discharges his fire arm and False Ransomes

tricorn gets blown off.. EEaarrrpppss, says EYE, in embarrasment of lettin fear grip me so.. Red Cat retrieved the hat and puts 'er finger plum thru it where the shot had gone thru. She places the hat back on False Ransomes head and grips her arm to keep 'er from retailiating, False Ransome yells at Oderlesseye and calls 'em a yellow belly pig kissin eel sucker!

Wit all the commottion, Jacky Tar and CrazyCholeBlack come running thru the dark wit victory in their contenance, Having fought and escaped the Rum drinkin Spider....

All of us has a cheery look now and Jacky nudges CrazyCholeBlack as they see the -X- on the floor before us....

Red Cat nodds wit approval and Eyes scatches his head staring intently a what we has all found thanx to Red Cat.

[Red Cat Jenny]

Wit Eyes scratchin and grinnin sheepishly - he has stepped a bit back puttin th Cat atween he and Ransom who is still straining and cussin in his direction. Red Cat tries t calm th ragin woman wit a quick joke..

"Hay Ransom, So this mushroom walks inta a pub..." ...

Ransom looks at Jenny like she had two heads and redirects some o th cussin which trails off as the joke seeps in... "and?" she says more than a little annoyed yet curious..ye ne'r know what th Cat may say at any given moment..a bit daft she be from too much rockin on th seas and Dr. Pepper that gets a lil strange when kept in oaken barrel.

Jacky is still lookin quite threatenin and tense standin there havin just faced th beast as well as missing a bit o cloth from his shoulder seam due to the ricochet o Eyes shot. His eyes are a bit squinty an he looks kinda dark and menacin.. Mid joke Jenny gives him a smirk shrugs and raises an eyebrow..hopin ta snap the pirate outta it afore he do summin rash..

[Ransom]

Eventually I run out of curses, and grabing my hat, shove it back on to my head, glaring at Eyes, and wondering if that shot were truely accidental. He is a pyrate, after all.

"What in blazes is so important that ya haveta shoot yer friends over, ya stupid gob?" I snap, still miffed that I didn't get the punch-line to the mushroom joke. Then I see the big X on the floor, and how everyone is staring at it.

"So, who has the part of the map with the X on it, and what does it mean?" All the while I'm still wondering where the spider has slunk off to, and when will it be back.

[Jacky Tar]

Wit' Ransoms temper abatin', mine is boilin', and that shot was too close t' be accidental.

I pull my pistol, an' take aim at the center of Eyes' chest, "Ye left us fer dead wit' that creature, now ye try t' finish us yer self!"

"Ye hav' visited fleas, ants, and spiders on us. Wot's next a plague of locusts? I fer one don't care t' find out. Any last words?"

[Ransom]

With a wide grin, I stand back and let Jacky vent his anger. Eyes still looks sheepish, and Red Cat looks about ta pee her pants, wavin' her arms and putting herself between Eyes and Jacky's pistol. I secretly think Jacky be my hero, and I wait ta see just what will happen next.

[Jacky Tar]

I uncock my pistol, as Red Cat could get hurt. "Alright... alright! But I want Eyes pistol, fer I don't want any more accidents!"

Reluctantly, Eyes hands his pistol t' CrazyChole.

I motion t' Eyes t' sit in a chair. "CrazyChole, I saw a bit o' rope in that bag of yers. I want ye t' give it t' Red Cat. Red Cat I want ye t' bind Eyes t' that chair." Eyes starts t' protest, and I cock my pistol, again.

"Eyes wot ever we find, ye'll get yer fair share. Ye should be safer in here than we were out there!"

[Red Cat Jenny]

I motion Eyes t' sit hisself down in th chair...wit a wink I tie th rope - but rather loosely.

Jacky's still lookin a bit scary, the light o th candle throwin shadows across his face and a larger one of his outline on the wall behind him.

Struck with the image for a moment..I struggle t' regain composure. Me heart slows from a gallop to a trot after jumpin in front o the flintlock he was pointin with deadly intent.

"Uh Jacky, " I start.. "mebbe twas me wot set Eyes t' th defensive.. after all I did wander off wi th map, but twas really just me curiosity..'I had a sense summin may be in this direction"

"Then Eyes come upon me n thot I'd be short changin ye all. " (I tie the last knot a teensy bit tighter at this thought) "Nay says I..just pokin about." "He and I was just turnin back t' see what be keepin ye all. I had no idea ye'd be sparrin with a spirit sippin spider!"

I pause a second t' see if his expression changes and then start slowly again "Asides if this thing be stalkin us..mayhap we need t' be in number!

As I speak Crazy Chloe and False Ransom are arrangin th map pieces again on the cabin floor..pointing from the map to the floor's dusty markings and speaking in hushed tones..

[Jacky Tar]

"Red Cat, ye wandered off before ye knew wot we was facin'. Eyes left us wit' that creature confrontin' us. He left wit' out a word an' snuck away."

"I can't abide cowardice or treachery!" I wondered which we were dealin' wit'? Did he even warn Red Cat of our peril?

"Red Cat ye need t' cinch yer knots tighter."

[Red Cat Jenny]

Cinchin th rope up a bit as Eyes grunts his disaproval (he's been wisely quiet) I suggest "Mayhap we should be askin him?"

I steps back a few paces but not to far.. and wait wiping the grime ofn me hands on me breeches.

Chloe and Ransom have become very quiet and are studyin tiny figures on the map now..

[Ransom]

After moving the pieces around every whichaways, I look up at CrazyChole. "I don't have a blind idea what any of this means. Do you?"

[CrazyCholeBlack]

"Afor tha writtin came off Eyes said somethin bout a graph wif tha X's and Y's in tha jumble o numbers. Wot if?" Jane's brow furrows in concentration. Her hands start feeling the grime covered floor around them. She rubs at the "X" finding it carved deeply into the wood. Surrounding it she can feel shallower lines running in two different directions.

"Mother of saints!" Jane exclaims, nearly pushing Ransom over as she continues to crawl on the floor, following the intersecting lines.