McMatt cleared his throat, "Uh... Captain?"

Beck turned around from the map she was staring at, "Yes?"

"I'm going to need some nautical instruments."

"We can get you those." She moved out of his view, and showed him some very old, worn tools.

McMatt looked affronted, "I'm going to need better then that," he said icily.

She scowled, "Fine. But don't come crying to me if yer fancy-schmancy stuff breaks. Jus' cuz its expensive, don' mean its good. John! Jed! Charlie! Take this landlubber down to shore, and get him his instruments."

The crew all looked at him uneasily.

"And Richie? Get me some rum."

--

"Poke.," Jed poked McMatt, "Poke, poke, POKE!"

"For Pete's sake, man! Stop!"

Jed grinned devilishly, "Make me."

McMatt slouched down in the chair and said nothing.

Jed laughed. Then John said, "Get up, get your things, then we're getting out of this- this way too clean house."

Indeed the house WAS clean. Every inch was sparkling, and not even a pink frill out of place. Charlie shuddered. He HATED pink, as all respectable pirates, and men for that matter, should.

McMatt walked upstairs, going slowly for, he thought it might be the last time he'd ever see his house. With its lovely pink wallpaper, redwood floors, spacious rooms, and drawings littering the floor, he couldn't help but shed a tear. Jed sniggered.

He slowly collected his nautical tools, a few drawings and maps, and clothes. He wondered if he'd ever need his favourite pencils again. They HAD helped him make all those wonderful drawings of birds and such. Hmm...perhaps he could escape these vicious pirates... seeing as he obviously knew this house better then they. He could sneak into the kitchen, via the secret staircase, then go out the back door! What a brilliant plan! If anyone had been listening to McMatt's inner conversation they would have snorted and said, 'Brillant plan, my ass.' You'll understand in a moment.

McMatt snuck down the staircase, after gathering his things, just incase his plan DID go wrong. When he got to the bottom, he noticed something. There was noise on the other side of the door. He wondered why that was. He opened the door. Oh yeah. Pirates, he remembered now.

--

"You've got an awful guilty look on your face, mate. Like you was going to hightail it outta here," Charlie said, after an astute observation.

McMatt laughed nervously.

John's eyes narrowed. "Methinks he was trying to escape."

Jed snarled. "The sorry kraken was gonna give us the slip!"

The other pirates immediately surrounded him. McMatt turned and ran back up the staricase. But before he could, the tip of someone's sword caught his shirt. He stumbled and fell. He glanced behind him, seeing only what felt like a million stairs. He tried scrambling back up, but the pirates stopped him. The last thought in his head before a giant wine bottle smashed his head was, 'Such a waste of good wine.'

--

"He tried to do WHAT?!"

Captain Irish Beck had been sitting on the railing close to the wheel, when she heard the news. She was trying to relax, as she had the feeling it was going to be a very long day. And what better way to relax then drink rum? Of course, stupid Mc-Whatshisface had to go and RUIN that too, did he? And he had a PINK house?! The horror. She had to teach this man a lesson.

Jed nodded excitedly, "Yes cap'n, the rat tried to escape."

"The vermin tried to 'scape,huh?" McMatt suddenly decided never to get a drunk woman angry EVER again.

Jed nodded again. "We raided his rum cellar though."

Beck slapped him hard on the back, "So the urchin does drink then, does he?"

McMatt muttered something that sounded like, "It was my fathers. The pink is from my mother.."

She raised her sword. "Landlubber, I think we need to settle this with a-"

"Wait, stop!"

Beck turned around. Two fancily-dressed young ladies were running aboard the ship. Beck groaned. Being drunk was never good around the richer class. It tended to make you do or say things you were going to regret later. Like robbing them."What do yeh want?"

"Don't kill him!" It was the first lady.

"And you are?" Beck said coldly.

"I'm Emily, and this is my friend Jennifer," she said impatiently, then, "You can't just kill him!"

The crew roared with laughter. These proper people obviously didn't know the code.

Beck eyed them suspiciously, "What makes you think I was gonna kill 'im?"

"You had your sword out!" Jennifer burst out.

Jed snorted.

Mathieu turned to look at the one with the lovely voice. It was Jennifer, oh his beloved! In a beautiful purple dress, which accentuated her slim figure. And her brown- nearly black- curls framed her face just so wonderfully. He walked up to her.

Jennifer looked at him in disgust, "Not you again!"

McMatt moaned, "Noo... you love me! You just...don't know it yet!"

Beck was officially creeped out. "Jus'...just send him to the gallows for awhile, til I can get some space and think!"

John and Charlie hurried to follow her orders. "Righto, hoist anchors, let loose the sails, make sure we have all supplies aboard! We're setting out!"

"Hey wait! What about us?!" Emily yelled out.

Beck and Jed eyed the pair. "The gallows," they both said simultaniously.

--

"Thats not fair! You can't just do this to us! I'm- we're...the whole town will be looking for us!" Emily yelled, trying to attract the captain's attention. But, alas, Irish Beck was talking to Rowdy Jed who appeared distressed about something.

Mathieu was thrown into the cell beside them. Jennifer sat down gloomily. "What are we going to do? We've been captured by pirates. They're probably going to make us walk a plank or something."

A grubby pirate, who was swabbing the deck outside the cells, barked a laugh. "Irish Beck is one of the nicest girl pirates you'll ever meet, lass. Jus' don't say dat to her face, or she might really make yeh walk the plank."

"And I heard what yeh said, noblies! I don' care who the hell ya are! You're coming with us iffen I has anythin' to say 'bout it!"

The pirate snorted and muttered, "The Irish.." He sounded rather amused.

TBC