Tale Spin Fan Fic
by Katie Sullivan
Chapter 3
At times like this, Don Karnage had always preferred to be alone. Although Scarlet's compassionate looks dulled that instinct, he still sought solitude. Shade was scarce in the wake of the hurricane, and a single bedraggled palm was the only shelter from the blazing tropical sun.
He sat down in the beach sand, leaned back against the scratchy trunk, closed his eyes and deeply inhaled. Warm earth, briny air... The smells alone were enough to ignite a firestorm of memories.
Ignacio...Miranda...Lorenzo...The Scurvy Albatross...the docks...Dolores...the bonfire...the ships...his parents...their villa...those herbs...Miguel...music...fish...squalls...folded paper...
Ignacio.
Until this afternoon, in his father's study, he had gone twenty long years without speaking that name. Four syllables that had been locked in the very bottom of the vault of secrets in his mind.
So many memories. So many secrets.
And somehow he had to explain it all to Scarlet. He didn't want to. Did he? He had never spilled his life story for anyone. Never. But Scarlet wasn't "anyone". She was...well, she was Scarlet. She was the most remarkable, multi-faceted woman he had ever met. She flew, she fought, she danced, she spoke Spanish, she--
She loved him.
It hadn't really registered before. But that's what she said. And he had brushed her off. Pushed her away. Not even acknowledged her. Not told her how he felt. The problem was he wasn't sure how he felt.
Dangit, he didn't need this sort of emotional tug-of-war right now! He had enough things to think about without worrying about love. Love was a word that didn't belong in a pirate's vocabulary.
Finally, his brain reached meltdown. Too many conflicting thoughts overloaded his mind, and to preserve his fragile sanity he shut down. Laid down, closed his eyes, let down his defenses...and shut down.
When he awoke, the sun was lower in the sky, but sunset was still hours away. He sat up, brushed sand from his blue coat, and stretched. His mind was clearer. His heart was still heavy, but at least his mind was clear.
There was the sound of footfall behind him, but he was not alarmed. No pirate's tread was so soft...save one.
"Hola, Scarlet," he said without turning around.
She slid down the sandy slope and sat down in the shade of the palm tree beside him. It was one of the only trees left standing on the entire island. Across a stretch of scoured sand, the Caribbean lapped gently into the distance, deceivingly gentle. Hardly a cloud marred the illusion of paradise.
Her silence made him uneasy. Silence always did.
"I suppose you are wondering about this place and these people." The subject was inevitable, so he decided to spare her the awkward task of asking.
She took out her dagger and began tracing swirling patterns in the sand, as she was wont to do in times of worry. "You can't blame me."
He sighed and sat back against the trunk of the lopsided palm, his gaze far out into the crystal marine waters. "No. But it is not something I wish to discuss."
"I don't see how it's avoidable now. Those people...Gonzalo, Lorita, Dolores...they're your family, aren't they?" It was more of a statement than a question.
He stiffened and shot her a dark look. "Of course not!"
"They just happen to look like you, have the same last name, and refer to you as 'son' and 'brother'."
He winced. "Comprendes mucho Español, señorita." ("You understand much Spanish, señorita.")
"I do indeed. Now would you care to explain?" she challenged, pausing in her artwork long enough to study her blade meaningfully.
Karnage frowned, closed his eyes and sighed again. "You are persistent, pretty one. And this time you have won. I don't believe I can put this off any longer." He settled back against the palm and began to gaze inward, pushing back layers of time and reluctance to expose the hidden corners of his memory. "I will tell you about my family and this island, but you will not breathe a syllable of this to anyone, or you'll be dead before you hear the swish of my blade. Understand?"
"Sí."
"Bien. Then I begin..." Karnage said. "Those people back there...they are my family. Don Gonzalo Karnage is my father, and Doña Lorita is my mother. Dolores is my little sister."
"But--" she interrupted. "Gonzalo is a wolf, and Lorita is--"
"A fox," he snapped. "I know! Shut up your mouth and let me tell the story!"
"Sorry."
"You see now why I do not want this known. To be a mestizo, a half-breed, a hybrid...is disgrace."
"I thought there was something odd about the way you look."
His eyes narrowed defensively. "Is there something wrong with the way I look?" he growled.
"No," she said quickly. "Al contrario. Eres muy guapo." ("On the contrary. You're very handsome.")
The compliment flattered him into continuing. "But of course. So, yes, my parents are of different species. I understand they met while both trying to plunder the same yacht. Was love at first sight. No taboos or scorn could change it. They were...how you say...soul mates?"
Scarlet nodded.
"They were married in a pirate ceremony that was opposed by many. Interspecies marriages are illegal, of course, but when one is a pirate, the law is a minor concern. So...first came my brother, Ignacio," he said with an even more distant look in his eyes.
"I didn't know you had a brother."
"Quiet!" he snarled. "Let me tell the story!" He could tell she saw past his anger and sensed the pain underneath, but he chose not to acknowledge her concerned look. "I was born about a year later. Dolores arrived when I had three years. Er, when I was three years old," he said, correcting his English with annoyance. "People cast shame on us because we were hybrids. Disgrace. Scorn. Ridicule. I run out of words, but you get the idea." Dormant fury welled in his chest, and he reached for his sword. The solid grip of the handle was reassuring. He had meted out many a dose of revenge with that blade, and silenced the tongues of many critics and tormentors. "They said we would all go crazy."
Scarlet noticed the special stress on the word "all" and looked as if she was about to question him. But, remembering his admonition, she patiently waited for him to elaborate. He silently admired her tact and rewarded her with a swift explanation.
"You see, my brother, Ignacio...he was not quite right in the head. This happens, of course, but people said it was because of our parents. Ignacio always thought everyone wanted to hurt him. Paranoia, I believe you call it. Sadly, he had reason. Many did want to hurt him. Hurt all of us. More about that later. Ignacio was also very smart. I never could beat him at chess. He folded paper into the little shapes. Birds, flowers...origami. Very much talented. He thought a lot. About life, about everything. But he hated to leave the house. Made him nervous. He was scared most of the time. He worried always, about the little silly things. Maybe was because he was always thinking. Ignacio was a remarkable person. Not crazy. Just not with all his mind in the right way."
"Was?" she murmured gently. He ignored her.
"People said he should be locked up. But he was not dangerous. He had fits sometimes, crying, hiding, yelling. They never lasted. But people said he should be in a hospital for the crazy. This Ignacio feared most of all. Because he could think and reason. Not like the crazy ones in those places. He talked of it often, how he would rather die than be locked away. He made me promise...give my solemn vow of honor...that I would do anything I could to prevent it. I promised." He paused to review and plan the next verbal chapter. A face flashed in his mind, a face radiating hate and scorn. Karnage tightened his grip on the sword handle.
"Now, this island...Cabo Orgulloso...it has been a haven to pirates since the days of Pizarro. And just as long, the Karnage family has ruled. Technically, it is part of Cuba, but none dared to displace the Karnage dynasty. Until the time of my grandfather, Andres. Then the Calaveras family challenged our authority." He turned his head away from her and spat in disgust at the mention of the enemy's name. "Don Luis Calaveras killed my grandfather and took over the island government. My father challenged him to a duel to the death. The proud old fool took him up on it. My father won the duel," he said with obvious pride. "He restored the family honor, however briefly. For that same month he met my mother. Yet he still held control of the island. There was one Calaveras left, however. Don Lorenzo." He spat again. "Don. Ha! He was as noble as rotting fish heads in the June sun. Of all the people who scorned my siblings and I, he was the worst. That fetid fox had no honor. He had once loved my mother. That she left him to marry my father, a wolf, he never forgave. Every chance he got, he spoke out against my family. Slandered us, tried to frame us, spread rumors, lies. The few times Ignacio would leave the house, Lorenzo would taunt him, threaten and tease until my poor brother had one of his fits. I was taught to hate him from the day I understood what hate was. But I needed no reason. He was a devil. He killed for no reason. He broke the pirate code of honor daily. He was a goat. A bastard!"
Don Karnage gripped his sword handle until his knuckles turned white, and a low, primal growl vibrated deep in his chest. Scarlet shifted her weight away from him nervously.
"And this man who was not fit to be called a pirate, Don Lorenzo Calaveras...he came to our house one day. He was half-drunk, half-dressed, and all mad. He was yelling for us to surrender Ignacio to the crazy hospital. When we refused he offered more insults against the family honor. Against my mother, especially. He used words that I am not believing you have heard in all your studies, mi amiga."
"You'd be surprised," she said with a crooked smile. "So what did you do?"
"Father was out at sea. I did the only thing I could; I challenged Don Lorenzo to a duel to the death. His insults could not be left unanswered. Ignacio was the oldest male in the household at the time, though. Such a duel should have been for him to fight. I thought this was being impossible, but he surprised me. He got very angry, angrier than I had ever seen him. He tell me I was trying to steal his place in the family. He tell me he was the oldest son. I was so surprised at him I did not know what to do. He pushed me down, took my sword and runned off to the docks with Lorenzo. Mother and Dolores and I followed. I tried to talk to Ignacio, to take his place in the duel, but the more I tried to talk the angrier he became. I do think in that minute he was crazy."
Karnage paused, deeply disturbed. Scarlet didn't know it, but he had never told this story to anyone before. Every word was like salt in the ancient wounds. But he had to finish.
"Ignacio and Lorenzo fought like beasts. I remember especially the sound of their swords hitting, the metal noise. But Ignacio was not trained as a fighter. I let him win a few fencing matches sometimes, but he was weak. He hardly ever left the house! Finally, Lorenzo struck my brother in the chest. Deeply. I will spare you some of the details. I knew immediately he could not survive such an injury. Lorenzo just laughed, spat on Ignacio and went back to the tavern to boast how he had killed the crazy half-breed. With Mama and Dolores at my side, I saw Ignacio die in my arms on the docks that night."
He stopped to let the overwhelming emotion clear, resting his forehead on the sword handle. Scarlet slowly laid a hand on his back and inched closer. A shuddering sigh rippled from his lungs, bordering on a sob, but the fur under his eyes remained dry.
"Then...I did the only thing I could. I took my sword from Ignacio's hands, found Lorenzo and challenged him to another duel. He just laughed and called me a crazy half-breed like my brother. I told him Ignacio had more honor than he had in his pinky! There were other insults about his mother and personal hygiene, but I will not repeat them in front of a lady."
Scarlet gave a small smile of irony and put her arm around his shoulders. The compassionate gesture barely registered in his brain at the time.
"Lorenzo would not consent to a formal duel, so I attacked him then and there, in the tavern, The Scurvy Albatross. I believe it is one building still standing today. He was not liked, so no one came to his aid. He defended himself with a sword still wet with the blood of my brother. He was over-confident but soon found I was not the sickly fighter like poor Ignacio. I got him backed into a corner, and he begged for mercy like a spoiled child. But Ignacio's blood stained my shirt and poisoned my sympathy." Karnage grasped his swore fiercely, reliving the moment. His muscles coiled in rekindled fury, and he felt Scarlet tense beside him. "And I killed him. Ran him through like the shish kabob. Left him lying there in the corner like the rat he was. And I would do it again. A million times, for what he said, and what he did to my family. To my brother." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "It was the first time I killed," he said quietly. "Have you, ever?"
Scarlet sat back and shook her head in an almost apologetic manner.
"Is strange. I wanted to howl in triumph or vomit. Or both. Is power, but is...is sickening, too. Very strange. Sadly, it gets easier. When my father came home to find his son and greatest enemy dead, he was devastated. But angry, too. With me. Because he had wanted to kill Lorenzo Calaveras himself. We fought. The start of bad feelings that still continue today. A rivalry. Who was head of the family? Who...who was Don Karnage? After Ignacio passed, he treated me like an upstart. Whenever I tried to learn, to take authority, he accused me of trying to throw-over him."
"Overthrow," Scarlet whispered.
He didn't bother to acknowledge her correction. "Finalmente, I could not take his mistrust any more. With just barely eighteen years of age, I left Cabo Orgulloso. I had nothing but my plane, a small, old Flyright 400, and a sack of silver pieces I managed to steal from the family treasury the night I left. I have not returned here since."
Scarlet shook her head in pity and wonder.
"I first went to Spain. It was the farthest country from home that was Spanish-speaking. I knew no other languages then. But I had family in Spain, and my father had told them to look for me. To capture me. To bring me home to answer to him. So I had to leave Spain. I tried France for a few months, but I found nothing there for me. Then I went to Italy. There I meeted some pirates, and a few knew Spanish. They taught me enough Italian to get by. In return I did jobs for them. Dangerous jobs. I spent quite a bit of time in jail in Milan. And Rome. And Florence, and...well, you get the idea. But eventually I learned. I learned to be sneaky, and clever, and violent when I had to be. In short, I learned on my own all the things my father refused to teach me. For he did not think I was good enough to follow in his bootsteps." He paused, grimacing at the bitter taste of the memory. "In a year, I had a new plane. A CT-37. You are familiar with it."
She nodded.
"Things were not so good in Europa then. The Great War was just over, and there was much problems. I heard that Usland was prospering, and the center of aviation, too. It was also as far from Cabo Orgulloso as I could possibly be. It did not take long for me to decide to go. I came to Cape Suzette in June of 1926. I had my plane and some money, but again I did not know the language. I had to learn myself. By listening, reading and trial and error. Was not easy. Was very, very much not easy."
Scarlet shook her head in admiration. "It took me years of formal schooling to learn what Spanish I know."
"And you speak it well, señorita."
"Thanks."
"But more about me. I saw Cape Suzette as a great opportunity for piracy. A rich port town, isolated, vulnerable... The only way in was by boat or air, through the cliffs. The mountains on all other sides keep out land transportation. The more I saw of Cape Suzette, the more convinced I was. It would make the greatest plunder in history! But it would take a large force. An armada, or..." Karnage turned and gestured across the ravaged landscape to where the Iron Vulture was moored offshore. "Or I could go by air."
"How did you build that?"
"It was a big job! You see, after I was a few months in Cape Suzette, I met Mad Dog in a tavern by the docks."
"Steffi's Den of Liquor and Stuff?"
"Yes, actually," he said in surprise.
"Great daquiris there."
"Yes. So I meet Mad Dog. He introduced me to Ratchet and Dumptruck. They were pathetic thieves. Penny-ante burglars who were more interested in drinking, flying and sleeping than conquering. Not necessarily in that order. Ratchet, though, he was different. He was smart. Relatively. I saw potential."
Now that the difficult part of the tale was past, Karnage leaned back against the listing palm and loosened his grip on the sword. Scarlet settled in beside him and began carving lines into the trunk with her dagger. "I began recruiting pirates from the underworld of Cape Suzette. Was difficult to find bad-types who could fly, but eventually I had a band of men. My own crew! So one fine afternoon, about sixty kilometers out to sea, we attacked a cargo plane, and came away with silver! An entire shipment of silver! Cups, plates, dishes, bowls, candlestickers, whole boxes! And the new art of air piracy was born." Uncontrolled pride beamed from his face. "This went on for many months, plundering from our planes. During those times, I discovered Pirate Island. An uncharted island, usually covered in fog. Was perfect! So we moved in, and used it as a base for our plundering trips. A great hideout."
"Yes, although I can't say much for the scenery," Scarlet said with a teasing smile. "So where does the Iron Vulture enter the picture?"
"Ah, yes. The Iron Vulture. One night I saw a strange man at Steffi's. My enormous intellect deduced that he was a spy from Siliconia. And everyone knows the Siliconians have the most fancy technological thingies. So I stole his briefcase."
"And just how did your enormous intellect deduce this?"
"Well, he had a Siliconian-type accent, and he wore the traditional pocket protector thingie. Is obvious to the trained eye."
"I see." She sounded more amused than impressed.
"Later, when I got to be looking inside this briefcase, I found the plans for a great airship. My very brilliant self and Ratchet worked out a few changes, and whala! Iron Vulture!"
"Just like that?" she asked, snapping her fingers to punctuate her question.
"Well, first I had to plunder the materials. That took some time. But it was helpful that Pirate Island had the natural heat for working the metal. There were many setbacks--you know how stupid my men are--but eventually it was complete. Much pillaging, spying and flying later--ooh, that rhymes! I was able at last to enter Cape Suzette. You remember from the newspapers, the Lightning Gun?" She nodded. "I was not able to plunder for as long as I wanted, but I got many valuables."
Scarlet interjected, "Yes, before the Sea Duck gave the Iron Vulture a nose job."
A dark frown creased his brow. "Do not be reminding me! Besides, I wanted to get in and pillage, and that is exactamente what I did. Just for a small time. But one day, señorita, be marking my words," he said, raising a finger to accent his vow, "I will get into Cape Suzette again. And when I do, I will plunder every last thing, right down to the doorknobs! You'll see!"
"I hope I will."
"And, a few years later, I met your beautiful self, and that brings us up to today. So here we are." At long last he tore his eyes away from the aquamarine horizon, and refocused on her.
"Yes," she said quietly. "Here we are."
Karnage sighed and set his sword aside. "And there you have it. My life story. Happy now?"
Scarlet gave a gentle smile. "Yes, actually."
He turned and noticed for the first time what she had been doing while he was talking. A fresh carving on the palm tree sported two letters, S and F, within a heart shape. She made an embarassed coughing noise and brushed shavings from her dagger. "Nice," he said with less than his usual amount of mocking.
"Gracias." Then, drawing attention away from her artwork by putting her arm around his shoulders, she said quietly, "You've had quite a life, Felipe. I'm impressed."
"I roll with the lunches."
"Punches," she murmured.
"Whatever."
She brought her other arm around for a full embrace. "And don't worry. Your secrets are safe with me."
"They had better be," he threatened mildly.
Scarlet rested her head against his neck. "Trust me, querido. For once in your life, trust someone. I promise I'll keep your secrets. And not because you threaten me, or even because you're my Captain. But because I love you. Now, there's just one last question I want you to answer. Do you love me?"
Don Karnage took her face in his hands and grinned. "Silly señorita,
asking questions when you already know the answer." He slowly eased her backward onto
the warm sand and gazed down into her eyes. "But if you need reminding..." Their
lips came together in a kiss, and soon the devastation around them was forgotten, replaced
by much more pleasant thoughts.
On to Chapter 3
Back to Chapter 2
Back to main Pirate Island page
This story and the characters Scarlet, Dolores, Lorita, Ignacio, Gonzalo, and Lorenzo Calaveras are © Katie Sullivan and may not be used without permission. Don Karnage, the Iron Vulture, the Air Pirates, Mad Dog, Dumptruck, Cape Suzette, Tale Spin and all related indica, etc, are © The Walt Disney Company and are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes only.