Free Vampirates 1.5:Dead Deep by Justin Somper Page A

jetty. It soon joined up with others, forming a boardwalk grid. Jez and Bart strode purposefully forth, but Connor was slower, his eyes racing to take it all in. In every direction, the floating taverns competed for his attention: The Saucy Sailor , Poseidon’s , The Cannon and Cutlass …
    One small boat was even a floating tattoo parlor. Connor paused for a moment to watch the tattooist in action. He had always wanted a tattoo. At the boat’s entrance was a series of flags, displaying the various designs. Wouldn’t it be cool if the Three Buccaneers got matching tattoos? He saw an image of three cutlasses. Now, that would be perfect!
    “Hey!” he calledafter Bart and Jez, but they were already disappearing into the thronging crowd.
    “Hey yourself!” called a young girl just ahead of him, her ruby ringlets bobbing in the breeze.
    She turned and Connor saw that she was actually an old girl—a very old girl. Her ringlets were an ill-fitting wig, her face was thickly caked in powder, and her false eyelashes were aslong and thick as a tarantula’s legs.
    “I’m Rose,” she said, smiling at him and revealing an insufficient allocation of teeth. “Wild Rose, they call me. Wanna know why?”
    “No time!” cried Jez, running to Connor’s rescue. “No time at all! Now come on, Mister Tempest. We must stick together!” Connor gratefully allowed himself to be dragged along the boardwalk.
    “That was a close call.” Jez laughed. “Better take care, young Tempest. There’s all kinds of danger in Calle del Marinero!”
    “Hey, guys, whaddaya think about this?” Bart was up ahead, standing by the gangway to a beautiful old junk. Connor saw its name painted on the side of the boat in silvery script: The Dirty Dolphin .
    Bart was pointingto a painted sign:
    ARM-WRESTLING CONTEST TONIGHT. COMMENCES 7:00 PM SHARP! LAST MAN AT THE TABLE WINS FREE BEER AND YABBIES!
    “Yabbies!” said Connor. “Yum! Count me in!”
    “Remind me,” said Jez, “what are yabbies?”
    “In or out-and-move-it-along, lads?” roared a bouncer at the foot of the gangway.
    “In!” Bart exclaimed, striding up the gangway.
    “In!” chorused Connor and Jez, following close behind. Connor’s pulse was racing. One thing was for sure—the Three Buccaneers were in for an adventure or two before their shore leave was up!

Chapter Two
The Contest
    The deck of The Dirty Dolphin was only dimly lit. Connor’s eyes took some time to adjust to the gloom.
    “Where do we sign up for the contest?” he heard Bart say.
    Bart and Jez were talking to the bartender—a thickset guy ina tank top. An inky school of dolphins swam down each of his arms. Even the bartender’s fingers were tattooed, just below the knuckles: D-O-L-P-H. Connor decided it must be the bartender’s name.
    “You’re a little late,” said Dolph. “Contest’s been going an hour already.”
    “But we’ve only just gotten here!” said Bart.
    The bartender threw him a grin.“Well, hey, if we’d known you were coming, buddy, we’d have waited.” He smirked. “Don’t stress over it. You can still enter. No need to sign up. Just throw a dollar in the pot and get in line. I bet Kal’s about ready for some fresh competition. Seen off just about everyone else tonight.”
    “Kal?” said Bart. “Who’s he?”
    “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” said thebartender. “That’s the way we do things around here. Don’t get a lot of regulars. People breeze in and out on the tide.”
    Bart threw three dollars in the pot. Then he turned back to Dolph. “Looks like Kal’s luck is about to change. Us three pirates ain’t going home with empty bellies tonight!”
    “Yeah, right,” said Dolph. “Contest is in the back bar. Just go throughthose doors there.”
    “Thanks,” said Bart. “You might want to put some yabbies on to heat.”
    Dolph fixed him with a smile. “They heat up quick enough,” he said.
    Bart led the way through the saloon-bar doors. Beyond was a smaller,