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"I’ll do rinned "Well, you’re a child of the Dragonslayer You’ve been a pirate before, I’m sure"

"Aye, mate, we’re all pirates at heart, aren’t we?" she responded

He s soon The concept is that they’re all prisoners being held for a fine ransorimaced as he added, "Dirk’s character is probably based on Blue Anderson"

"Could be," Abby said

"Just greet people as they co to walk back to the dock himself; he took tickets there with Dirk

Abby looked around Besides the perfor women dressed up to man the ship Unpiratelike, Dirk had plenty of automatic winches to deal with his sails She watched as they made last-minute preparations to move the ship out onto the river

She turned to see that their third performer, Blake Stewart, was seated at one of the benches by the hull He see, e Dirk required for anyone serving on his ship, since a lot of hisand, yes, lost

She sat down next to hiazed at her ide brown eyes "Nice of you to do this," he said

"It’ll be fun, won’t it?"

He nodded but he didn’t sain, he nodded "It’s not like her Did you ever meet Helen? She’s very responsible She really wants to be an actress She toldIf she’s not here, it’s because so"

"You really care about her"

He flushed and said, "I’o out with ood to date people you ith, and besides, she doesn’t expect to be here forever So, instead, she went online" His expression was a little desperate "Who knohat kind of crazy she ive up hope, Blake"

He changed his tone abruptly "Showtiplank and went straight into action, putting on his best pirate face as he greeted those boarding the ship "Step lively, step lively! Now, no trouble fro ahead Eh! And that means you,on and reached for his ear, pulling out a "pirate coin" "Ah, we’ll be watching you! You are the treasure, lad! The ranso to out-pirate a pirate!"

The Black Swan took a maximum of fifty people per trip Soon all had boarded and the crew rushed about to set sail During the first twenty ers of dire consequences if they should act up and, as much as possible, talked to the crew

Everyone, it seeht have gone

All of them feared the worst; she was just so responsible

When they were full out on the river, a good breeze sprang up Dirk suddenly clanged a bell, calling attention to the show that was about to start It began with Dirk and the parrot as he told his tale of being a poor lad, shanghaied into the ways of pirate life He spoke to individualThe parrot was perfectly trained to iggles fro a sea shanty--and as his rollicking song caan a loud and boisterous argu into Dirk’s territory

"I say you leave her be--the wench is ued

"That’s you!" one of the crehispered to Abby

She strode forward between the, ye scurvy lot!" she told thes to noto any man I can sail these seas onthe croe’re not sailing the seas at all This is a river"

Abby waited for the laughter to die down "River, lake, ocean, sea--e it on my own However" She walked to eachon a mate who can prove his prowess should we be boarded!"

"Ah, fight!" Jack cried

"To the death!" Blake roared back

Dirk stepped between theood help these days, even for a pirate! Just first touch--I need you wretched blackguards alive!"