Thanks to Jerbo's steam engine, which miraculously didn't shut down even once during the entire journey, the ship took just four days to reach the port of Bonesborough. Only when the coast had started to become visible on the horizon the engine finally gave out, but this time Jerbo was absolutely sure that the type of coal he was using was to blame and that he had finally identified the right type, so once he would reach the port he would go and buy more. The ship continued on that last stretch relying on the sails, and around noon they finally disembarked. "Shouldn't you hide better? You're pirates, right?" Masha asked as they noticed that the ship had stopped in the middle of the harbor, directly next to the freighters and fishing boats.

"No problem, we have already removed all the pirate flags and we have already forged all the necessary documents that the border guards will ask us for" Barcus replied without concern. "Now all of us are just honest sailors that carefully respect the law who are dedicated to the trade of various types of merchandise, so the abundance in our holds is justified"

"Seriously? And no one recognizes you?" Willow asked suspiciously. "Don't you have a reward on your heads or something?"

"Oh, we have it. But that's exactly why we land in a different port every time, and never in the same one less than three years apart. This way no one recognizes us immediately" Barcus replied, and then he barked in amusement: "And if by sheer bad luck a poster with our faces has already arrived here and a border guard is particularly attentive... then there is corruption. And if it doesn't work, then we run away before the navy ships get us block the way out"

The five passengers did not find that prospect very attractive; while there was technically no bounty on their heads, there certainly would be after someone saw them step off a ship full of known pirates. But seeing their worried faces, Viney burst out laughing: "You can calm down, no one will notice us. We've done this thousands of times and we've never been caught. And in the unlikely event that this happens, you'll just have to hand yourself over to the authorities and then say we have kidnapped you and enslaved you, and you will be free. You have our authorization to do so"

"You've thought of everything, I see," Luz murmured, even though she didn't really like that plan. She didn't like having to accuse someone else to save herself, even if that someone had given her permission and had already run away.

"Tsk! We're pirates, we're used to thinking of everything" Viney replied with a grin. "Now get ready, let's disembark!"

And with that the pirates, followed by Luz, Willow, Gus, Masha and Vee (in human form to avoid causing panic), got off the ship; and fortunately, just as Viney had predicted, the two border guards who inspected them let them go after a few minutes without too many checks. Apparently that town's security was a joke... or the pirates were really good at disguising themselves and forging documents. Having obtained the approval of the guards, they began to unload everything they had onto the ship, and then loaded it onto various carts to be able to transport it to the best shopkeepers; Captain Salty made a quick trip to a tavern to find out who it was best to sell the goods to, and after getting the name he wanted, he went back to inform the other pirates. "Apparently this town is ruled by a trading family called Blight" he said. "They buy and sell more or less anything, so I'd say we can sell our goods to them. The matriarch of the house, a certain Odalia Blight, seems to be a fox when it comes to business, but it seems that she's never given an unfair price to anyone. So, let's go to meet her and sell her everything!"

The pirates nodded with satisfaction: given that they were still quite famous wanted people, they knew that it was only a matter of time before someone in town recognized them, so it was essential to make the most of all the time available. Being able to sell all their goods to a single merchant meant having much more time to have fun in taverns or places of dubious taste. So they all took their wagons and started heading in the direction they had been told was the Blight Manor, home of the Blight family.

Before leaving Salty turned to Luz, Vee, Masha, Willow and Gus: "Well, I guess this is goodbye. As I promised, you are now in Bonesborough and can go wherever you want. But if we ever meet again in the future, then make sure you have the money to buy me a good beer!"

The five no longer passengers smiled. Even if he carried out a 'profession' with dubious ethics, Salty had still hosted them very well, so it was right to greet him at least with a minimum of affection. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Captain Salty" Luz said. "I really hope to see you again one day"

"Heh heh! Thanks, wooden girl. Good luck, I hope you'll find your mother!" Salty greeted her, and then set off with his pirates towards Blight Manor. At that point only Viney, Jerbo and Barcus were left behind. "I guess we'll have to say goodbye to you now too" Luz said with a little sadness, as she was sad to part with them. She hadn't formed a bond with them strong enough to call them real friends, at least not at thw level of Willow and Gus, but they were certainly people she had grown fond of.

But to her surprise the three of them shook their heads. "You won't get rid of us yet" Viney replied. "The captain offered us the day off so that Jerbo could look for a coal burner and get the right coal for his engine. So, since you guys want to explore Bonesborough too... we might as well keep each other company, right?"

The idea wasn't bad at all, and all of them enjoyed each other's company, so all of the eight of them set off for the town. Bonesborough was a truly singular place: at first glance it seemed a town like any other, but in the middle of it there were some very curved buildings that gave the idea of walking in the middle of an enormous rib cage. The streets were crowded with people running here and there doing their business: everyone was working, everyone had something to do. Not an idler or a vagabond could be found even if one looked for him with a light. "Wow... these people sure are really hardworking" Luz commented looking at them.

"Yeah. I'd say this town isn't made for you" Gus teased her, making the puppet visibly blush and causing their companions to laugh.

"Well, they didn't call it the 'Town of the Industrious Bees' for no reason" Viney said when she stopped laughing. "For what I know, everyone in this town has always had a great desire to work, even the old and infirm ones. It was only after they built those strange buildings that they renamed it Bomesborough, but in any case the people remained the same, industrious as some time ago"

"And so you confirm us that this is no place for Luz" Willow sneered, making the puppet blush even more.

Tired of being made fun of, Luz tried to change the subject: "Rather that, who is the crazy architect who built these buildings, and why exactly in that shape?"

This time Viney, Jerbo, and Barcus shrugged. "We have no idea, it's our first time in this place too. What we know only comes from the rumors we've heard, but we have no idea who built these buildings..."

"It was Alador Blight" a nasal voice told them. The group turned in the direction from which it had come and saw a shop full of various types of concoctions above which the 'Mr. Elixir' sign stood out, in the door of which stood a lanky guy with brown hair and a strange funnel-shaped hat on the head. Indeed, looking at it carefully, it was actually a real funnel. "Um… hi?" Luz said seeing him, not knowing how to approach.

"Oh, sorry! I heard you kids talking and I couldn't help but intervene. My name is Morton, by the way" the man said. "I just wanted to answer your question, I didn't want to mind your business. As I told you, the architect of these buildings is Alador Blight. He is a hermit genius who is inventing and experimenting with... well, practically anything, from engineering works to armor for horses. His children come to me every now and then to buy chemical products for his experiments. And even if they seem ugly, in reality those buildings are extraordinarily useful: you should know that this area is often affected by hurricanes, but thanks to the shape of those buildings most of the lightning strikes on them without being able to reach the town below, and they also act as a shield from the winds. They are made of some material that makes them practically unshakable... thanks to them the town no longer had to worry about storms like it used to. Before that, every hurricane was followed by at least a month of reconstruction, and often even funerals"

"Uh... well, in this case aesthetics can be overlooked" Luz said looking at the strange bone-like buildings. She had witnessed firsthand how terrible the storms were, so if they really were useful as a shield against hurricanes, then it was only a good thing for the town that they were built even though they weren't beautiful. "This Alador Blight... is he part of the Blight family?"

"Oh, yes. He is the husband of Odalia Blight, the matriarch of the Blight family. She had had her eye on him since they were still in school. Ah, I still remember those times... back then he was just the shy and introverted son from a fallen noble family, and she... well, she was like a ghost, no one knew what her background was, but she managed to find and exploit every opportunity to earn something. They were the winning couple: he invented anything you can imagine, and then she used it to gain a monopoly on a part of the market. That's how despite them starting out with almost zero finances, without any help from the ex-Blight nobles or from... well, any relatives that Odalia had, they became the almost absolute rulers of Bonesborough" Morton explained.

"And their kids come here to buy stuff… from you?" Luz asked a little suspiciously. The misfortunes she had experienced had served as a lesson to her, and therefore she considered it reasonable to suspect that the man was only boasting in an attempt to make him buy something. After all, why would the children of a prestigious family visit who barely seemed like a small shopkeeper?

But if Morton understood her suspicions, he didn't show it. "Yes, they come here often, whenever their father needs something chemical. From what they tell me their mother is furious about this, she would like them to get their supplies from some large seller affiliated with her to improve connections with other economic groups, but they continue to come here. They say that my goods are better than those of the others... although I suspect that they do it mainly to annoy their mother. And besides, no one else but me would dream of more than sell him something chemical... those twins are known throughout Bonesborough for the trouble they continuously cause, no one would be foolish enough to let them near gunpowder or even coal". He let out a sigh: "I'm sure that those two will get into some big trouble sooner or later with that attitude... fortunately the youngest daughter of the family seems to be different from them. Everyone who meets her says that she is very good and judicious"

Luz didn't know how much truth there was to that story, but Morton seemed sincere, and a small light of fear passed through his eyes as he described the problems caused by the two Blight twins. Apparently not everyone in that town was as hardworking, calm and honest as they seemed... appearances were really deceiving sometimes. Luz didn't know what the Blight twins had done to become known throughout Bonesborough, but she was pretty sure they weren't just any pranks. "So, the Blights have three children in total?"

"That's right: Edric, Emira and the youngest, Amity. If you'll stay here long enough you will surely hear about the first two... but also about the third if you pay attention when the old wives start praising someone instead of criticizing someone else. According to everyone who ever meets her, it seems that Amity doesn't have the slightest flaw". Morton chuckled: "Just know that there are even some idiots who claim that Odalia actually sculpted her from marble and then gave her life with a magic ointment, because otherwise no one can explain such perfection"

Luz raised an eyebrow; although bringing inanimate objects to life wasn't impossible (she was the living proof of it!), she doubted that such objects would be as good and thoughtful as Morton was describing that girl (again, she was the living proof of it!). And then if that Amity had really been sculpted from marble she wouldn't have been able to grow up, and someone would have noticed it. "Does anyone seriously believe such nonsense? And then from what I understand she has a father as well as a mother, it's obvious that only her mother couldn't have created her"

"Well..." Morton seemed a little unsure whether or not to say what he thought, then he murmured: "Let's just say a lot of people in this town have... doubts about it"

Luz raised an eyebrow. "What doubts?"

Morton was somewhat embarrassed. "Well... basically she inherited a lot of her mother's traits, but almost none of her father's... and apparently her relationship with her father is almost non-existent, in fact it is said that he almost ignores her... and it seems that Alador and Odalia's relationship also deteriorated when she was born... so many people have... drawn certain conclusions that are not exactly nice to say out loud"

Luz cocked her head slightly to the side. "I still don't understand" she admitted.

Morton shrugged. "Maybe it's better this way. You'll understand when you're older" he told her, and then he pointed to his shop: "Anyway, do you want to buy something? I have everything, from acids to basic solutions! The choice is yours, just like a buffet!". And then he added in a low voice: "Please, I know you're kids and you're not very interested in these things, but buy something, I haven't had any customers today and I only need ten coins to pay the rent tonight, I'm desperate!"

Luz almost felt pity for the man. Just then Jerbo stepped forward: "Excuse me sir, from what I understand you sell coal too?"

"Of course" Morton replied, immediately becoming quite energetic. "I sell anything related to chemistry and alchemy, and if I don't have what you want ready right now, I can get it for you!"

"In that case, if I described a coal with certain characteristics to you, would you be able to find it for me?" Jerbo continued, and he told to Morton all the characteristics of the coal he wanted to use for his steam engine. When he finished the man was thinking. "What you're asking for is definitely not just any coal, but it's not that impossible to get either. I should have a few bags in stock if you want it immediately"

"Marvelous!" Jerbo exclaimed. "Will you guys help me carry it to the ship?"

"Sure, no problem" Viney replied, and the others nodded too; and even Luz, although she wasn't bursting with joy at the thought of having to work again, nodded her head yes. But first she turned to Morton: "Excuse me, just a question: have you by any chance seen, even just fleetingly, a woman about this tall, with tanned skin, black hair and a sweet, radiant face? Or have you heard talk about a certain Camila Noceda?"

Morton shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know anyone by that name, and I've never seen a person who fits your description"

Luz lowered her head in despair. Since they had gotten off the ship she and her friends had asked practically everyone they encountered on the road for information about Camila, but none of them had been able to provide it to her. Luz was beginning to doubt whether her mother had ever come to Bonesborough; perhaps she had changed direction, or got lost, or worse... the puppet's mind couldn't help but imagine terrifying scenarios where the boat where her mother was traveling was reduced to crumbs by a storm or torn to pieces by a sea monster. She kept telling herself that she had to think positively, that she shouldn't give up, but she was now having a very hard time doing so.

Seeing Luz's increasingly dark expression, Willow and Gus looked at each other and with that quick exchange of glances they understood what to do. "Guys, you go ahead and carry this coal to the ship; we'll take a look from above. After all even if we wanted to, we couldn't help you, that stuff is too heavy for us"

"Uh... okay. But be careful, it's full of seagulls here" Luz warned them, knowing the danger the birds posed to her two friends.

Willow and Gus looked worried. In fact they hadn't calculated that detail. "Well... it doesn't matter! After all, I've already punched too many dangerous people to be afraid of some birds" Willow said trying to gather courage.

"Yeah... you're right..." Gus tried to back her up, but he still looked at Viney and asked: "Maybe Puddles could come with us and...?"

"That fat pigeon? He fell asleep as soon as we got to the docks. Good luck waking him up, once he stayed asleep even while the enemy was firing cannons at us" Viney replied with a laugh.

Running out of options, Gus could do nothing but breathe and accept Willow as his only defense, so he let the cricket take him and together they flew upwards. Gus prepared to resist the urge to vomit buds as usual, but to his surprise, Willow's flight had become more regular; sure, it still had a completely wrong trajectory and the continuous shaking signaled that the wings were not suitable to support the cricket's body, but now Willow made better use of the air currents to keep herself more stable in flight and therefore avoid the risk of crashing every time. two seconds. "Uh... you've improved"

"I've been doing nothing but flying for many days and I often carry you on these flights. I must have learned something too" Willow replied. "I just had to practice a little... and thanks to Luz I was able to do a lot"

"Yeah" Gus chuckled thinking about all the adventures they'd had because of that puppet. Without her, neither he nor Willow would most likely have ever left Camila's shop, and although this seemed like something positive at first look, Gus wasn't sure he would have preferred this scenario to the one he was currently experiencing. "Do you think we ever find Camila?"

"We certainly have more options from above than from below" Willow answered. "You look in all the streets, sooner or later we will find a clue and..."

"Hey!" Gus suddenly shouted making the cricket almost jump even if they were in the air. "Look over there!"

Although Willow was irritated by the scare she had gotten, she was also very curious as to what had caught Gus's attention like that, so she looked in the direction the spider was pointing. To her surprise, on a street corner she glimpsed a guy covered in a long white cloak who was holding a red cardinal in his hand. "I don't believe it! That's…!" Willow rushed towards him so quickly that she almost let go of Gus. When she was close she was sure of it: that blond hair, that angular but boyish face, those magenta eyes surrounded by dark circles, that staff that he wore over her shoulder, that white cloak, and that little bird with which it really seemed like she was having a conversation... "Hunter!"

The boy turned around just in time to see the cricket and the spider splat into his face. "What the... Gus? Willow?"

"It's good to see you again, buddy!" Gus exclaimed climbing onto his hand as Willow caught her breath. "Damn, we didn't expect to meet you again so soon! I was so right, the world isn't that big!"

Hunter looked quite shocked. "I should be the one who say these things! What are you doing here? Weren't you on the other side of the ocean the last time I saw you?"

"A few things happened. It's a long story" Willow replied. "And I see you're still lacking in education" she added reproachfully, and Flapjack chirped soon after, and even though she and Gus didn't understand what he was saying they could guess that she was supporting the cricket.

Hunter looked irritated by that comment, but then his gaze softened. "Yes, you're right. Sorry, I'm happy to see you too. It's just that... I didn't expect it to happen so soon, and so far from the last corner of the world where I met you the first time"

"That's better" Willow said with a smile. "I understand that you are surprised, we will tell you everything in detail"

"Wait, wait!" Gus exclaimed interrupting her. "First of all, Hunter, why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind having you in my life, but the last time we met you you were hunting a very dangerous and destructive shape-shifting monster. Please tell me that at least in this town there is no such risk, because I doubt I would survive another clash like that"

Hunter chuckled slightly, though he had to admit that the spider's fears were legitimate. "You don't have to worry, at the moment I'm just looking for information on my next prey. There are no monsters in this town, at least as far as I know at the moment"

"Pff! Thank goodness" Gus said breathing a sigh of relief. "So, if you have some free time anyway, come with us! We'll take you to the others, I'm sure Luz, Masha and Vee will be very happy to see you again!"

A small shadow passed over Hunter's face. "Are they here too? Even... the puppet?"

Willow and Gus found the behavior a little strange, but it wasn't the strangest thing they'd ever seen Hunter do. "I guess you don't jump for joy at the thought of seeing what you call 'the most annoying person in the world' again, but yes, Luz is here too, and Masha and Vee are too" Willow explained to him. "I told you, a few things have happened. So, would you like to go and meet them?"

Hunter was silent for a moment, as if in doubt, then he nodded and smiled. "Yes, why not. But I warn you, if that puppet makes fun of me again I'll throw her into the sea"

"Oh, I don't think that would silence her. We've found that she floats very well" Gus laughed, and Willow laughed too. Hunter and Flapjack were quite confused by that behavior, but they didn't ask any questions.

As I have already explained many times, in the original book Pinocchio arrives at the Town of the Industrious Bees alone, after having swum across the ocean in search of his father. Here, instead, Luz arrives in Bonesborough in the company of numerous friends for... reasons that we will soon see in the next chapters. Oh, and we also have the introduction of our favorite shopkeeper, the dear Morton who in canon sold elixirs to Eda for her curse. Oh, and there's also the Blight family, but... details, I'm sure no one of you will care