By Fairy Means or Foul: A Starfig Investigations Novel(30)

“You sure you wouldn’t mind giving us a lift?”

“What’s a pirate have to do to git a little company?”

Quinn and I exchanged glances.



“This is awesome.” Quinn turned a full circle on the deck. “I can’t believe you get to sail this!”

“Ah, see, I knew it.” Pie fluttered and landed on a perch tied to the mast. “Ye’d be a natural pirate.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’ve always wanted to sail.” As he said this, the wheel turned on its own and the ship lurched into motion. The galleon plowed through the sand like surf and rocked back and forth as it cut a swath through the desert.

We stood and just enjoyed the breeze the ship seemed to create, the sails billowing.

“Ye’d be wanting some grub now?” Pie asked.

“That’d be great.” I wasn’t sure if we should eat the food, only I didn’t want to offend the bird. We definitely headed for the Quagmire and at a clip we could never match on foot. At this rate, we’d have enough of our own food and drink to carry us through if need be.

Pie whistled and with a pop a table laden with food appeared. The meal looked delicious, except for being translucent. No way we’d be able to eat it. Not and gain sustenance anyway.

Pie seemed to realize it too. “Oh, barnacles and blowhards, I didn’t know. I swear it on me captain’s good name.”

“Doesn’t being a pirate automatically mean they don’t have a good name anymore?” Quinn smiled.

“So it does, Mr. Quinn. Maybe you ain’t as addled as I originally thought.” Pie made a clacking sound with his beak that I figured was supposed to be laughter.

I rummaged around in my knapsack and pulled out a few pathetic hunks of dried cave quoll, some salty smoke-frosted magpie, and the water skin. We both drank deeply, but were careful to keep some in reserve just in case we needed it later.

After we finished eating, Quinn recounted our adventures to date. He embellished a bit, but I had to admit, the guy could tell a rousing tale. He even managed to make it funny. He pegged Drutilda’s voice just right, too. Pie hopped from foot to foot on his perch with excitement.

“Blimey, ye blokes be scurvy dogs after me own black heart!” He did that clicking thing with his beak again that I was now sure meant laughter.

“Guilty as charged.” Quinn swept into a low bow. “Now, tell us your story, Pie. What’s a nice bird like you doing in a miserable desert like this?”

“It’s a yarn, that be for sure. We raided the wrong ship, we did. T’were early morning and we’d been chasing a mighty lord’s vessel through the night. We’d finally caught up to it, but when we sent a shot across their bow—ye know, to warn them—a creature rose from the sea.”

“A kraken?” Quinn hung on Pie’s every word.

“Ye’d be thinking so, aye? But it weren’t no kraken, matey. Not sure, but I’m thinking it be a demon. Seems we raided a witch’s vessel by mistake and she’d summoned the beast. Well, it blasted our poor Dishonorable Princess.” He tapped one foot like he was patting the ship. “Next thing we know we’re ghosts in this deity-forsaken desert.”

“I can’t believe a witch would summon a demon.” Quinn shivered. “They’re notoriously hard to control. She had to be powerful to even summon one, much less contain it.”

“Oh, she didn’t control it. That be the thing about black magic. It has a way o’ spinning ’round on the user. That be the reason my Captain didn’t keep no dark witches on board.” Pie whistled, clacked his beak. “Last thing I saw before we turned up here be that thing turning on them that summoned it. I always expected their ship to turn up here. Wouldn’t that be something? We’d git to chase them around the desert for all eternity. Honestly, at least it would have given us something to do.” His feathers drooped when he finished his tale.

“You really miss your Captain, huh?” I reached out and lightly patted him on his back.

“He be a good master. Always giving me treats. I liked to ride his shoulder when we went on raids. He let me in on all the action.”

“You really don’t know why they passed on?”

“Arrr, no. I wracked me brains, I did. One day they be here, and then Skinny Pete disappeared right afore our eyes. Next it were Tall Sam. Then Peg-Leg Louie. It went on like that, until it be just me an’ the Captain. When he started to fade one day, I tried to stay with him, but he just slipped away.”

Pie’s voice came out choked and fat tears filled his eyes.

Quinn stroked the parrot’s head and beak. “Hey, it’s okay, Pie. I’m sure we can help you figure this out.”

I goggled at him. Really? We’re going to help a pirate bird figure out how to go to the hereafter or wherever it is ghosts disappear to when they stop haunting a place?

“Now, just a minute—”

“I just miss him so.” He rubbed his head against Quinn’s hand. “Ye really think ye can help or mayhap ye be only being nice?”

“I can’t think of how we can help right now, but I’ve got some spell books back home and I can see if there’s anything useful in them.” Quinn kept stroking the bird’s crown.