Pirate's Tail

Chapter Eleven

There was chatter inside the dune when Ace entered. Some of it he understood; some of it was in the strange tribal language he couldn't comprehend. The dune was packed with people, some tribal and hardly wearing anything, while others were dressed in hats, boots, and had long overcoats on. Ace was covered in sand from being dragged into the dome, and some of it had infiltrated his pants and boots. Between the sand and the unknown chattering, Ace was uncomfortable.

A large tribal man seized the front of his shirt. The man picked him up and slammed him onto the floor in the center of the dune, completely ripping his partially torn shirt and vest.

"Speak, spy! What has the Captain sent you to do?" the large man said. The man had a scarred face and was graying, yet his body was still strong. The chatter in the room grew quiet.

Ace wiggled in a feeble attempt to escape the large man's grasp. "I'm no spy. I was only a stowaway on the Visp." The man released him, but still stood close to Ace, in case he should try to escape.

A question came from the depths of the dune. "A stowaway you say, huh? Well then, why do you wear a Menquin crew member's uniform?"

Ace struggled to get himself into a sitting position. It was relatively difficult to do with his hands bound. "I was a stowaway whom Captain Alphs promoted to cabin boy. I was thrown from the deck of the F.S.M. Visp the other day when the pirate ship fired upon us. I'm no spy, and I mean you no harm." There was much whispering when Ace mentioned the Visp.

"Gates, is this true? We heard no cannon yesterday," the large tribal man said. "Are you lying, boy?"

"Relax, Ka-tu. Let the council conduct business."

"We can neither confirm nor deny what the boy is saying. The winds were blowing away from the island and would have likely carried the sound of a cannon likewise. The ship in question hasn't returned, and as a result, we can't comment," said a man in a large tri-cornered hat. He was clothed in a fine gold-trimmed black jacket and sat upon a throne next to a beautiful tribal woman. He was one of the only clean shaven pirates in the room.

"You've been brought before the Farobi-Piratoc Council on charges of espionage Mr....." said the striking tribal woman at his side.

"Mr. Ace Lynx of Menquin," Ace answered.

There was an inhalation of breaths around the room, and it grew immeasurably still and silent. Ace spun his head around, looking for the source of such a reaction. Ka-me had just entered the dune, but the attention of the people within it wasn't focused on him. All of their eyes were fixed on Ace. The tribal woman and the man in the tri-cornered hat stared at each other, mouths ajar.

"Mr. Ace Lynx of Menquin," she whispered.

"Yes, madam. I was raised in an orphanage. My father was in the Menquin Navy and was killed during the Great War. My mother died shortly after hearing word of his death."

There was a whisper of laughter that ran through the council members.

"The council is adjourned for today," the woman said from her throne. Her eyes never left Ace.

The members of the Farobi-Piratoc Council rose from their seats, either on the floor or in chairs, and made their way to the exit of the dune. They all soon left except for the man in the large tri-cornered hat, the beautiful tribal woman at his side, and the large tribal man, Ka-tu, who stood guard over Ace.

"Your services are no longer needed here today, Ka-tu," the man in the tri-cornered hat said.

Ka-tu nodded in acknowledgement and crawled out of the dune.