Author's Note: They were too cute and I couldn't resist writing this.


Some time after they had seen the poppet off (Mrs Turner now! Married on their own ship by their own captain, he could just about burst with pride), Ragetti asked of Pintel, "Supposin' I was to become captain of the Dutchman..."

Pintel hooted with laughter. "You, captain of the Dutchman? You couldn't be captain of a dinghy if you was the only one aboard!"

"Just supposin'," Ragetti insisted, rubbing at his new eye. It rubbed something awful and he thought he might be getting a splinter already. "If I was captain an' couldn't be on land but every ten years, would - would you wait for me?"

Pintel gave him a Look he'd perfected in Singapore, but Ragetti was immune to mere Looks.

"Would you?" he asked again.

"Don't be stewpid," Pintel snarled and shoved him in the arm. He looked away, down at the cannon they were securing, and said, "Supposin' you was captain - 'course I wouldn't wait."

Ragetti dissolved. "I knew it! You'd go off wif someone else and I'd have to sail forever and ever wifout you and get all cephalopody and -"

"I wouldn't wait," Pintel broke in, "on account of I'd be joinin' the crew."

"- don't know how to play pianer - whot?"

"On account of," Pintel said, more slowly, "I'd be joinin' the crew an' sailing wif you. You can't be let out on your own, you'd muck it up first day. So I'd join up ta keep an eye on you - be yer first mate or somefin."

The expression on Ragetti's face was worth the embarrassment of confession.

"But," Pintel added, "I'd be captain afore you would."