for lost time. I say we have a war.
ROGER. Yes!
SUSAN. But we canât.
PEGGY. Why not?
CAPTAIN FLINT. Iâm afraid the Mateâs right. Iâm afraid even a skirmish is out of the question until weâve got ourselves out of this fix. Now, you say in this shockingly terrifying note here, that the charcoal burners tried to warn me.
JOHN. Yes. They had heard some talk in the village.
ROGER. Barbarian talk.
CAPTAIN FLINT. I see. Then the first thing I must do is find that policeman and tell him to go and speak to them. And then I must take him with me to see your mother and tell her how very wrong Iâve been about you.
SUSAN. Thank you. That would be such a help.
JOHN. It would be a start.
ROGER. And then will the policeman take his sign down?
CAPTAIN FLINT. I hope so, Shipâs Boy, but I canât be sure. He can be quiet a curmudgeonly old so-and-so when he wants to be.
NANCY. Like you.
CAPTAIN FLINT. Yes. I really am most awfully sorry.
CAPTAIN FLINT holds out his hand to JOHN, who shakes it .
JOHN. Apology accepted.
TITTY. Youâre a dirty turncoat, Captain John.
SUSAN. Titty!
ALL ( singing ).
Parley, parley, surely we can talk this through,
Parley, parley, talk with me, Iâll talk with you.
CAPTAIN FLINT ( speaking ). So, are we all friends now?
NANCY. Friends! We donât want to be friends!
CAPTAIN FLINT. I see. Enemies then.
NANCY. Mortal enemies.
CAPTAIN FLINT. Good idea.
TITTY. What would happen if someone found your book? I mean, if someone thought they knew where it might be?
NANCY. That would make that barnacle-sucking policman take his sign down and we could have a hideous war immediately!
CAPTAIN FLINT. Wait, Captain Nancy. Why do you ask that, Able Seaman?
TITTY. Because, you see, when I had to sleep in the lake on Amazon ⦠I was having these strange dreams, and then I saw these pirates rowing by andâ¦
SUSAN. Oh, Titty, donât. Please, donât take any notice, Captain Flint. She often makes up stories andâ¦
TITTY. But Iâm not making it up. It might have been a dream, but the two pirates had stolen some treasure and they were saying how heavy it was and how they would have to hide it and thenâ¦
PEGGY. But Uncle Jimâs book wouldnât be heavy.
NANCY. Heavy-going, maybe.
CAPTAIN FLINT. But it was! By jiminy, it was! It was with my typewriter and all my old diaries and locked up in my big cabin trunk! Iâd put a huge padlock on â thatâs why the thieves took it, you see â they thought there must be something valuable inside.
TITTY. Thatâs it then! They took it to Cormorant Island and hid it there!
SUSAN. Oh, please donât listen to her.
CAPTAIN FLINT. But I think we should listen to her. Which is Cormorant Island, Able Seaman?
TITTY. The small one between here and your boat.
ROGER. Where the harpies live.
FLINT. They left it there, you say?
TITTY. Yes. They said âuntil the fuss has died downâ.
CAPTAIN FLINT. Come on then, crews â to the longboats! No time to lose.
SUSAN. Butâ¦
JOHN. She does have a very vivid imagination.
CAPTAIN FLINT. Sign of great intelligence, I say. If youâre mistaken, Able Seaman, fear not. But it has to be worth a try.
TITTY. Yes. Thank you.
CAPTAIN FLINT. To Cormorant Island!
NANCY. Cormorant Island it is!
CAPTAIN FLINT and the AMAZONS rush off . SUSAN and JOHN give TITTY reproachful looks .
SUSAN ( reprimanding ). Titty.
Then they leave .
TITTY. Come on, Roger.
ROGER. Couldnât you have said another island?
TITTY. No. You do believe me, donât you?
ROGER. Yes. But Iâm not happy. Not happy at all.
She leads him off .
Scene Six
The two boats, with everyone aboard, sail up to Cormorant Island .
TITTY. Look, Roger â the harpies are flying away. Weâve scared them off.
ROGER. Good.
FLINT. Do you think this is where the Pirates landed, Able Seaman?
TITTY. Well⦠there were a lot of rocks where