Hackers POV:
A few weeks after I joined the crew, we finished tonguing our whales. We sold the whale oil and then set sail for the Caribbean Sea. After a while of board sailing, the ship's shanty pup, Pete, thought it was time for a song to cheer up the sailors. Old Pete started to sing an old whaling song called "Old Maui." Meanwhile, Captain Zuma, First Mate Jack, crew member Bay, and I set up a game of dice. Zuma and I listened to the song for a little while as we played.
"It's a * tough life full of toil and strife
We Wellerman undergo
And we won't give a * when the gales are done
How hard the winds did blow
For we're homeward bound from the Arctic grounds
With a good ship taut and free
And we won't give a * when we drink a rum with the girls of Old Maui," Pete sang.
"Your turn, Cap," I heard Jack say.
"Hm, oh sorry, I was listening to the song. Uh, let's see here, six sevens," Zuma said.
Then it was my turn to bid.
"Hm, six nines, so where are you from, Captain?" I asked casually.
"Me? I'm from Adventure Bay, Georgia. You?" Zuma replied.
"I'm from New York City. Both my father and my mother were sailors, but their ship was claimed by Davy Jones in a storm," I lied.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. The sea can be a bit rough and unpredictable at times. My dad was a sailor. Captain of this ship, actually. He died about a year ago and left his ship to me. My mother now lives in Adventure Bay," Zuma said.
"Lucky. I hear Adventure Bay is a great place to live. I think I would like to see your home sometime," I said slyly.
"Yeah, it is a nice place. The people are friendly, and it's a quiet place."
By now, the sun had begun to set. Zuma declared who was to steer the ship throughout the night. I went down to the crew's quarters and found an empty hammock. But I had no intention of going to sleep just yet. I laid awake for a few hours until I was sure everyone was asleep. Then I slipped out of my hammock and up to the main deck. It was a foggy night, and I looked around before I started to sneak towards the captain's quarters.
"What are you doing up so late?" came a voice from behind me.
I nearly jumped out of my fur. I spun around to find Sarah sitting behind me.
"Whoa, you scared me. I was just, uh, getting some fresh air," I lied.
"Yeah, me too. I'm still not quite used to the smell of sweaty dogs," Sarah said.
"I see. Not a very pleasant smell, I would say," I replied.
"Yeah, well, that's all the air I needed. So, good night, Bobby," Sarah said.
"Yeah, good night to you too, Sarah," I said with relief.
After Sarah disappeared below deck, I finished sneaking my way up to the captain's quarters. I pulled a lockpick out of my pack and started working on the lock. It took a couple of tries, but I finally got the door open.
I stepped lightly across the room toward the big storage chest where Zuma kept his stuff. Suddenly, a glass bottle hit the floor! I froze and slowly peeked around the corner. I spotted Zuma in his pup bed, with an empty whiskey bottle in his paws. I slowly crept up and gently tapped him on the shoulder. He was as drunk as a sailor and out like a light.
"Ha, thank the Devil for whiskey," I whispered.
I started rummaging through his stuff to try and find any information that Black Fur could use against him. I found a canine sailor's outfit, an odd little badge, and an orange scuba pack. But none of that stuff was something I could use against him. Eventually, I found a picture of Zuma with a gray mixed breed dog, wearing a green pack and hat.
"This must be his best friend," I said to myself.
I took note of this and kept looking. After a while, I found another picture of Zuma with a group of 11 other pups, 4 cats, a human kid, and a robot dog. I figured that they were the rest of his friends. By now, it was almost sunrise. So, I put everything back the way I found it and slipped out, locking the door behind me.
I then walked down to the front of the ship and laid down. I pulled out a solid gold pirate medallion from my pack. It had been given to me by my father. It symbolized our family's legacy of piracy and our loyalty to the pirate code. Slowly, I began to sing an old pirate song.
"Yo ho, yo ho
The seas forever roll
Yo ho, yo ho, 'til I'm not but skull and bones
Yo ho, yo ho," I sang quietly.
"What are you singing?" Sarah asked suddenly from behind me.
Quickly, I hid the medallion.
"Ah, don't sneak up on me like that," I scolded.
"Sorry, what song were you singing?" Sarah asked again.
"Uh, 'Skull and Bones.' My mother sang it to me when I was little," I said.
"It's a pirate song," Sarah said.
"I'm not a pirate if that's what you're saying," I said, trying to sound offended.
"No, of course not. I was just stating the fact that it was a pirate song. No, you're a good dog, Bobby. I like you," Sarah said.
You wouldn't say that if you knew who I was, I thought. Sarah sat down next to me. We sat together and watched the sun rise over the shimmering ocean.
"It's a funny thing. My mother would sing that same song to me when I was a pup. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my dad were all pirates. My great-grandfather was hung on the gallows for his piracy, and my dad was thrown in prison for his acts. My dad eventually committed suicide in his cell because he was afraid of the judgment for his piracy. The song reminds me of my family's history of piracy. But my mom, who was not a pirate, always told me that just because my family history was of pirates, didn't mean that I had to be a pirate," Sarah said.
I gave Sarah a questioning look. We sat there in silence for a few minutes. Slowly, Sarah started to sing Skull and Bones.
"Yo ho, yo ho
The seas forever roll
Yo ho, yo ho, 'til I'm not but skull and bones
Yo ho, yo ho," Sarah sang.
I looked over at her, and our eyes locked together. Instinctively, I started to sing too.
"From outcast to kingpin
Was born upon the sea
Ne'er was meant to walk the land
A pirate's life for me
Avast ye whining, up the sails
Don't speak to mutiny
Or find yourself a'wantin' quarters
Bottom of the sea
Among the shoals of Saint Anne
To the eastern shores
I'll take my chances on the wind
To loot and plunder scores
Our flag it stands for us alone
And no one else around
We owe our honor to the sea
And not to any crown," Sarah and I sang together.
She smiled at me and offered her paws to me. I took her paws in mine as we danced along to the song.
"Yo ho, yo ho,
The seas forever roll
Yo ho, yo ho,
The winds forever blow
Long after I've met Davy Jones
'Til I'm naught but skull and bones
Yo ho,"
I began to smile as Sarah and I danced together.
"So me bullies, bottoms up
Raise the sails and drink with me
Here's to us!
Live long, and long live piracy!
Bring her round into the white
If treasures to be found
A pirate's life or nothing else
'Til the ship she's goin' down
Yo ho, yo ho,
The seas forever roll
Yo ho, yo ho,
The winds forever blow
Long after I've met Davy Jones
'Til I'm naught but skull and bones
Yo ho,"
For once in a very long time, I was actually having fun.
"Heave ho, me hearties, one by one," I sang.
"Heave ho, me hearties, one by one," Sarah repeated.
"A pirate's life until we're done."
"A pirate's life until we're done."
"Heave ho, me hearties, bring her round."
"Heave ho, me hearties, bring her round."
"A pirate's life for me I've found."
"A pirate's life for me I've found," Sarah sang.
We both smiled as we sang the final verse together.
"Yo ho, yo ho,
The seas forever roll
Yo ho, yo ho,
The winds forever blow
Long after I've met Davy Jones
'Til I'm naught but skull and bones
Yo ho,"
We both laughed and collapsed on the floor. Suddenly, both our paws fell together. We both gasped and pulled our paws back. Suddenly, for the first time ever, I felt warm inside, like my stone-cold heart had begun to melt.
Sarah smiled at me again, and then Zuma woke the crew up for the next day of work. I tried to move on with my spy mission, but I couldn't suppress that nagging feeling in my heart. I didn't know what it was—not yet, anyway.