11-REVSUE

"Happy Birthday, Captain Gregg!" they all chorused. Jonathan and Candy blew enthusiastically on their party whistles and waved streamers.

He looked puzzled. "Yet another April Fool's joke? This is not my birthday!"

Candy giggled. "Well, you wouldn't tell us when it was, so we thought we'd pick today to celebrate!"

"No fool like an old fool," Martha mused. The Captain glared at her.

"Hey, Captain, you're wearing new pants!" Jonathan piped up. "What happened to your other ones?"

"A highly regrettable accident, lad." The Captain sighed. "These, well, they're not the same. They have a confounded newfangled zipper that . . . " He stopped abruptly, and a frown crossed his face. "Never mind," he finished, shortly. "But I thank-you, Madam, for the gift . . . even though I have a very good idea as to the perpetrator of the accident."

"Well, I'd hate you not to be able to sit down at your party tonight because you had dirtied your pants, Captain." Carolyn couldn't suppress her smile.

Martha snorted with laughter, then smothered it, and stood up. "On that note, let's get this party rolling! Candy, why don't you and Jonathan fetch your gifts? Then we have some time to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey . . . "

"Jonathan and I thought we should change it to Pin the Sail on the Ship," Candy said.

"Yeah, since it's for Captain Gregg."

"Very appropriate," Carolyn nodded, solemnly, her eyes dancing.

Looking at her narrowly, the Captain had a good idea what her thoughts were, but thankfully she kept them to herself. The five of them played the homemade game for a while, then Martha brought in the birthday cake, and the Captain opened the gifts the children had bought, laughing heartily at the tiny, windup chattering teeth that Jonathan set to walking across the floor.

"That's so that you can remember how Claymore acts every time he sees you!" Candy giggled.

"I do not believe I need a reminder of that piece of pestilence!" the Captain muttered, but the corners of his mouth turned up as he acknowledged that the children were right – the teeth did remind him of that cowardly bit of shark bait!

He arched his eyebrows when he opened the second gift. "An inflatable cushion?" he queried.

"A very special cushion, Captain!" Jonathan said. "Here, let Mom blow it up, then you can try it."

Carolyn obliged, and then handed it back to the Captain, a warning look in her eyes.

Warily he turned it over. It seemed harmless enough.

"Sit on it, Captain!" Candy urged.

Rising, he placed it on his chair, and then sat back down, only to leap to his feet in embarrassment.

"Madam, I do beg your pardon!"

The other four dissolved into giggles. "It's a whoopie cushion, Captain! It makes the noise, not you!" Candy explained as best she could when she could talk again.

"Hmm. Might I have another piece of cake, Martha?" The Captain asked. "I must admit – you did a fine job of it." He avoided the chair with the cushion and seated himself beside Carolyn and Martha on the sofa.

"Thank-you, Captain!" Martha sounded pleased. "It's just a standard yellow cake. Nothing special! Not like . . . well, not like other cakes I've made. Sometime I'll let you try a really good one. When a suitable occasion arises."

Carolyn nudged her before she could say anything more, and asked for another piece of cake as well. It would be a miracle if they could keep the second birthday party a surprise!