Night of the Twelve Pirates

They raised a toast in celebration.

“Let the meeting of the thirteen pirates commence. Blythe Alister, Everard Kendal, Archibald Yao, Lindsey Zelgius , Chevalier Le Port, Wendell Pinnock, Baron Colby, Elston Thorndike, yours truly, Sterling Thatcher, Stanton Prince, Ann Voss, and Linford Spalding.”

“Tell me, are those grey hairs I see Chavalier?” Le Port, goaded. “You certainly haven’t missed many meals.”

“Only a young lion's tail swats at a fly.” Cromwell replied.

“You certainly aren’t getting any younger.”

“He was a legend in your prime," Said Pinnock.

Le port pointed a finger at Pinnock.

“Listen Lad, I was cleaving heads together, on seven seas while you were still at your mother’s paps. This is where I started.”

“Be careful you don’t end here.” Pinnock said.

Pinnok and Le Port reached for their scabbards.

Cromwell sighed.

“Aren’t there enough royals out there for us to be inbred fighting?”

Pinnok and Le port relaxed their swords.

“Let there be no more mention of it.”Cromwell said, “We’re already eleven and half with the house of Voss.”

“My father’s name was as good as any.” Ann replied.

“I could defend your name," asked Thatcher, "but what will you give me in return?”

“The edge of my sword if you do not keep quite.” Voss replied.

“Well get on with it,” Said Sir Cromwell as he sipped from his goblet. "All this talk of bloodletting has gotten me thirsty."

The snickers subsided when Le Port pointed to the empty chair at the end of the table.

“Thirteen,” said Le port.

“Yes, what’s become of Lafayette?” Prince asked, “Shouldn’t he be right here, drowning in cask of ale, with a winch reliving his the ports he sacked?”

“With Lafayette, we’d be here all night.”Said Zelgius. The table erupted with laughter.

“What of Lafayette’s dragon?”asked Le Port.

“Fastest ship N’ the entire world.” Said Pinnok. “At least she was.”

Zelgius eyes squinted together.

"Was?"

"Yes."

“How do you know of this, Pinnok?”

“A whisper in the wind.”

“There must be a hundred thousand Doubloons on board.” Prince said to Cromwell,

“At least.”

“So what’s become of Lafayette?”

“Nestled in Davey Jones locker, polishing’ a thous’nd rubies.” Pinnock said.

“Lafayette would never tell a soul.” Said Voss. Cromwell leaned over to Voss.

“Except one.” he said.

Cromwell stretched out his arm. In the flickering of the shadows there was fluttering as an enormous bird swooped from its perch and latched onto Cromwell’s arm.

“That!?” Le port exclaimed.

Cromwell fed the macaw a morsel of bread and stroked her velvet plumage.

“Exactly how much wine have you had?”Le port asked.

Cromwell shook his head. “It’s no jest. Juliet was Lafayette's most prized possession. ”

"So Lafayette spent his time whispering sweet n'tins to a bird?"

"Why not? Some men have dogs, he had a parrot."

“Are we supposed to do pluck it from the feathers?” Asked Le Port.

Cromwell turned to the fowl. “Juliet, say something for our guest.”

“Welcome! All are welcome.” Juliet squawked. Plopping onto the table, she began admiring her reflection on a golden chalice.

“We’ll never get anything out of that dumb bird,” Le Port sighed. Spalding held out a piece of watermelon attempting to feed the parrot, but with each thrust of the watermelon, Juliet’s bobbed her head out of the way.

“Aye, the answer will probably fall out if you keep poking at it with that watermelon.”

"Dead men tell no tales, dead men's parrots tell everything."Said Cromwell.

“I think I would like this bird roasted with Jerk,” said Pinnock, putting his feet on the table and scrapping dirt from under his nails with an enormous dagger.

“Never find treasure.” Juliet said.

"Charles," asked Le Port, "Why haven't you asked the bird?"

"Absolute genius!" Le Port snarled.

“Not what Charles said!” Juliet said.

Le port shot Cromwell a side glance as he unspooled Lafayette's map onto the table in front of Pinnock.

"Rumor has it, he was last sighted off Port de prince."

"Cold," Juliet said.

All eyes fell on Juliet, as she bounded onto Pinnock's shoulder and began picking at his lapel. He tried in vain to shoo the large bird off.

"The bird knows!" Spalding exclaimed. Dragging the map in front of Pinnock.

"Come on Juliet, tell us where the treasure is. " he said, rattling one edge of the map.

“Cold.” Juliet squawked, leaving pinnok's shoulder and trotting to the far end of the table.

Le Port called to her, "Tell us where the treasure is. Are we close?”

"Nope." Juliet swiveled her head, pointing to the seas.

"Not there," said the Parrot.

"Perhaps Nassau."

"Nope."

“It's useless," Said Pinnock, "We might as well ask Lafayette."

"Never find treasure!"

Le port shifted his finger slightly. He pointed to a spot in front of the bird. Juliet moved her talon left of Le Port's finger, and when he moved his finger over, she placed her talon to the right of his finger.

"Getting warmer." Juliet Squawked

When Le Port's finger came to its final resting place, Juliet squawked "Cold." In anger, Le Port threw the map to the ground.

"Get that bird out of here before I run it through with my sword."

Addison took flight and swooped over the heads of the Twelve pirates before landing on Cromwell's shoulder.

"There there, he didn't mean it, Juliet."

"I most certainly did. How do we know that bird didn't tell you, and you've been making sport of us this entire time."

Cromwell's expression darkened, and then he began to chuckle.

"It looks like you've been doing a good enough job on your own."

"Maybe we should open that e'mpty skull of yours and see if there's anything there."

"Open his skull, but nothing you shall find." Juliet squawked.