Free The Buccaneers' Code by Caroline Carlson Page B

HILARY WESTFIELD ALLOWED. One pirate whispered that he’s fond of you, Terror, but he has to follow Captain Blacktooth’s orders. I know very well how hard it is to disobey Blacktooth, and I’m not sure these pirates have the guts to do it.
    When my mates and I returned to the docks, we found a nasty sort named Burly Bruce McCorkle usin’ his magic piece to fill our ship from bowsprit to stern with haddock. The poor fish were floppin’ about in the wash buckets and cookin’ pots, and I found a few more in my blankets this evenin’. My mates tried to show McCorkle just what they thought of his prank, but McCorkle said they weren’t allowed to touch him, for he’s Blacktooth’s man, and he can’t be harmed before the battle. Rest assured, Terror, that I’ll fill the fellow’s breeches with snappin’ turtles as soon as I’m permitted. In any case, I hope you and your crew are havin’ better luck.
    With apologies,
    Mr. Twigget
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    M ARROW , S LAUGHTER & S TANLEY
    PROTECTION • PIRACY • CATERING
    Dear Hilary,
    I am sorry to write with disheartening news, but our attempts to locate supporters along the western coast of the kingdom have not gone as well as we had hoped. It seems that Captain Blacktooth has sent several of his men to every corner of Augusta to pass out threatening notices and punish any pirates who dare to say a kind word about you—but by now you must have discovered this for yourself.
    I admit to being surprised by Blacktooth’s tactics. Though his reputation is fearsome, he has never before resorted so openly to threats and bribery in all his years as a pirate. I am convinced, therefore, that his fellow Mutineers are twisting his arm. Mr. Marrow suggested over breakfast that Blacktooth’s friends only value his treasure stash and his firepower, and that they shall toss him aside when they have run out of uses for him. I wonder very much if Mr. Marrow is right.
    Mr. Marrow, Mr. Slaughter, and I send you our best wishes from Little Shearwater, and we look forward to seeing you in a few weeks’ time.
    Regards,
    Mr. Stanley
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C HAPTER F IVE

    B Y THE TIME the Pigeon drew near the town of Summerstead, Hilary had been ignored, turned down, or chased away by enough pirates to fill all twenty of Westfield House’s spare bedrooms. Pirate ships darted into caverns or hid behind trees when they saw the Pigeon approaching, and groggeries sent Hilary away without so much as a tip of the hat. Even friends who had come to her aid in the past wrote apologetic notes explaining that although they wished they could help her, they had treasure-hunting engagements and parrot-grooming appointments that they simply couldn’t miss.
    â€œDo these pirates truly expect me to believe they’veentered a singing competition that just happens to fall on the same day as the battle?” Hilary crumpled up the letter the postal courier had just delivered from the crew of the dread ship Matilda and tossed it across the deck, where a pile of discarded correspondence was growing with remarkable speed. “If Blacktooth doesn’t stop terrifying my friends, I shall have to enlist Mother’s gardeners to chase after him with their rakes.”
    The gargoyle looked over from his Nest, which Miss Greyson had lined with warm knitted blankets. Though spring had snuck up on the Northlands at last, Summerstead generally preferred to remain chilly, and its residents complained whenever the temperature rose enough to turn the ice sculptures in the town square to puddles. “At least Blacktooth won’t be able to pull any tricks during the battle,” the gargoyle said. “The queen will be watching to make sure everything is fair.”
    â€œIf we can’t find any supporters, there won’t be any battle for the queen to watch,” Hilary pointed out. “She’ll simply wave good-bye as I sail off to spend the