"What do you know about your brother's arranged marriage?" Mina asked Sable. As soon as she'd gotten out of the plane, Mina and Sophie had dragged her to the kitchen and begun asking her questions.
"He was not happy about that, you know. And I doubt he would be happy about you asking about it."
"I know he's not happy. He's NEVER happy. Just tell me what you know."
"Fine. But you did not hear this from me."
"We've been getting that a lot lately."
"Really...well, anyway, he was supposed to marry some smugglers daughter. What was the name? Kerbert? No, no...it was VerGress. That was it. All I know aside from that is that she's a vixen who was educated in Cape Suzette on how to be a woman of quality. My dear brother decided he'd rather run off and go a-pirating than marry some woman who would want him to settle down." Sable stuck her tongue out at the end of the sentence as if just the thought of it bothered her.
"That's it then. It's not who we thought it was, Mina."
"Thank goodness for that."
"And just why is it that you are putting your filthy paws into my life?" Karnage's voice came from directly behind them. Mina stiffened.
"I just thought-"
"Well don't think! Do you think I am ever going back to be married off like some sort of...of...of...animal to some frivolous female? NO! I am a pirate! Pirates do not do marriage!" he crossed his arms in defiance.
"That's funny..." Roxie started.
"Shut up, dear sister. I am the captain! It is alright for my estupid crew to fall in love and make babies but I must be the heroic captain and-"
"Did you say 'VerGress'?" Camdyn interrupted Karnage in mid-tirade.
"Yes."
"That's funny. That's my father's name. I wonder if she's related to me somehow. Father never was a loyal fox."
Karnage turned his head and stared at her. Camdyn turned her head and stared back.
"Wait, did you KNOW that was the name of the girl?" Mina asked Sable.
"I just assumed because that was her fathers name."
"Holy-"
"That means that you're the crony I was supposed to marry?!"
"You are the-"
"I think we need to have a serious talk with mama and papa." Roxie said in the silence. She looked apprehensively at the two canines who were now staring at each other as if they'd both grown extra limbs. She'd only just barely managed to keep her brother from throwing Camdyn off the ship by appeasing his dominant nature and telling him that it was what Camdyn thought he'd wanted. He'd finally relented and let her stay on board, but was still convinced that she would have to leave with Mina since she couldn't follow orders.
"Si. I believe we need to have a VERY serious session of talking to our meddling mother and fiddling father." Karnage still hadn't looked away from Camdyn.
"So, how are you supposed to get ahold of them? I thought they were sailing around by this time of the year." Sable muttered.
"I am not sure. But-"
"I saw them...just the other day. They were in Parides."
"You saw our parents? How would you know?"
"Si! Prove it."
"Well, your mother is a gray wolf and your father is gray now, but used to be tawny colored. You apparently get the red fur from your mother because she had a touch of red to her fur. Uh...your father carries a sword and talks in complete riddles, your mother only speaks Spanish and Islander and wields a wicked parasol."
"That's them all right. Didn't happen to mention where they were going next?"
"Not really. The last I saw of them, your mother was trying to beat Trap to death for calling her crazy."
Much to Camdyn's surprise, Don Karnage started laughing.
"What? Don't you believe me?"
Karnage shook his head and gestured at his sister, Roxie.
"Well, it's just that she uses that parasol as a deadly weapon. She's always slapping someone with it and the last person to get it from her was one of our cousins." Roxie started giggling. "Anyway, he was pretty drunk and had climbed onto the edge of the wall around the patio. She smacked him in the kneecaps and knocked him off the wall and into a huge briar bush. He was picking briars out of himself for days afterward. It's nice to know she still uses it."
"Not to mention that it was a birthday gift from the three of us..." Sable muttered.
"Well, there is only one thing to be doing. They will be turning up in the Hole in a few days-"
"Or weeks."
Karnage scowled at his sister and continued, "And we have to tell everyone that the Hunter is not a problemo."
"What did you do with him anyway?" Mina asked. Karnage glanced at Camdyn and the others a bit apprehensively.
"Well?" Sophie pressed. Karnage mumbled something nearly unintelligible and left quickly.
"What did he say?" Camdyn asked, puzzlement written on her face.
"I think he said that they have him stowed somewhere. That's just a disturbing thought." Roxie said.
"If you do not give the pirates absolute proof, they will continue to think that the Hunter is out there roving around to get them." Sable pointed out. Once she'd mentioned this, it didn't seem much of an odd idea anymore. Still disgusting, but less odd.
"The better question is how did those fools know the Hunter was dead when it had only happened an hour before?" Sophie mused.
"Barlowe."
"What? She's locked in the brig. How could she communicate with them?" Mina said.
"Maybe she has a small sort of radio and could talk to them on it." Camdyn said.
"Well, there's one way to find out." Mina stood up and began making her way to the brig. "Don't come down if you're squeamish."
Sable grinned and followed, but Camdyn, Sophie and Roxie stayed where they were. They'd just started their fifth game of Go Fish when Suki popped in.
"Hi. What are you all up to?" she asked, peering down at the cards.
"Go fish." Camdyn said. Sophie giggled and Roxie pulled a card out of the middle pile.
"Hmph. That's not a fish." Suki picked up one of the cards and looked at it as though it might be hiding something from her.
"No no...it's a game. You've never played 'Go Fish'?" Camdyn asked. Suki gave her a blank look.
"The object is that you get rid of all your cards by matching them together. Then you win, but if you need a card you have to ask someone, if they have it they have to give it to you, if not, you 'go fish' in the middle." Suki nodded slowly in understanding.
Roxie looked up mischievously, "So...did you and Mad Dog get caught up?"
Suki blushed slightly and stared more intently at the card still in her paw. Roxie giggled. Sophie batted at her.
"You stop embarrassing her, and you stop encouraging him. He's going to get himself hurt. Again."
"So, anyway, how did you get to the island so fast?" Suki changed the subject quickly.
"What do you mean, fast? I don't think I've ever gone so slow in my life...at least it felt that way." Camdyn answered.
"Well, unless the clock here is set different, you made it to the island in a little more ten minutes. Parides is at least a forty minute flight for small cargo aircraft, the vulture makes it in about twenty with all the engines going and a good tailwind. How'd you do it, Camdyn?"
"Ten minutes? Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'll have to ask the captain because I don't know how we managed it."
This elicited a laugh from the others.
"Not to be nosy, but what exactly is up with the captain anyway?" Suki asked.
"He's supposed to marry Camdyn and she's supposed to marry him, but they don't like each other so we're going to go talk my parents out of making them marry each other."
"I don't not like him."
Roxie looked at Camdyn.
"So you're saying that you DO like him? As bullying and bossy as he is?"
"He can be nice...I think." Camdyn was staring at her cards like they might sprout wings and fly away.
"That's what Mad Dog said."
"Huh?"
"He said you liked the captain because he was nice to you sometimes."
"Sometimes, I guess he is. In his own way..."
"Always." Roxie muttered.
"Say, where's Gwynn?" Camdyn asked.
"Oh she's hanging around somewhere. Did you hear? Naomi had a boy. I don't think they've named him yet, but he's supposedly a rather darling little orange tom. They're having a time keeping the other children from cuddling him to pieces so, I think Gwynn helping Kay and Lulu keep an eye on the kids. I think she's planning to jump ship with them. I've been wondering when she was going to decide to leave us." Sophie said.
"I thought she liked it here. Even with the peeling." Camdyn said.
"No. Gwynn is afraid of heights. And don't tell her I told you."
"Never."
"Good. Now, got any twos?"
"Go fish."