Konundrum
by Katie Sullivan
Chapter 3
"Rise and spine, señorita! The diamond awaits!"
A shaft of only slightly less gloomy light fell across Scarlet's face, and she stirred, disoriented by her unusual surroundings.
"Come, come, come! Time waits for no pirate!"
She rubbed her eyes and sat up. The dashing figure of Don Karnage stood silhouetted in the doorway. "Oh, yeah," she mumbled. "The diamond. Owmaitoe. Right. Got it." She yawned, stretched, and got to her feet. It occurred to her that perhaps she should make the bed, but it would have seemed terribly out of place in the slovenly room. Instead she turned to him and smiled sleepily. "Buenas dias. I'm ready when you are."
Soon Scarlet was on the bridge of the Iron Vulture, peering with great interest at everything around her. "Is that a periscope?" she asked, pointing at a contraption hanging from the ceiling.
"Yes and no," Karnage said. He left the table of maps he was studying and came over to explain. "It is hooked up to a telescope up above. Try it." She peered into the eye holes and saw mostly darkness, broken only by the glint of torch light on the water and the walls of the immense cavern.
"I can't see much in here," she said.
"Yes, well, we will soon be outside in the sun. Speaking of which...Scotty! Are we ready to go?" A short terrier with strange goggles nodded and gave the thumbs up signal. "Excellamundo. Then let us be off! To Owmaitoe Island, men!" Karnage drew his sword and pointed ahead in a theatrical pose. Scarlet cleared her throat pointedly. "Er...and lady." She nodded in approval.
Scotty pulled a lever that was almost taller than he was and a deep rumble reverberated through the whole airship. The floor began to shudder beneath her boots as the massive engines grumbled to life. What a thrill, she thought, to be on board the famous...or at least infamous Iron Vulture!
A puny but powerful tugboat gave the airship a boost out into the open sea, and before long they were high in the air, sailing onward to the southeast. When Scarlet was satisfied with a preliminary tour, Don Karnage led her to a lavishly furnished room that appeared at first glance to be an office or study of some sort. Old sea charts were framed on the walls, and a shiny mahogany desk sat between two red-padded chairs.
"My cabin," he explained simply, plopping down in the large chair behind the desk. The sun-coated ocean stretched behind him, hidden only by a few patches of clouds. Scarlet took a smaller chair across from him and gazed at the fine decor. A potted plant stood just to the left of a doorway, through which she could see an even more elaborately-decorated bedroom. The giant gold "K" on the headboard was a bit ostentatious, but she chose to keep that thought to herself.
"So, señorita," Don Karnage said as he leaned back in his chair, "where are we going, exactamente? Owmaitoe is a big island."
"As opposed to Hawaii, which is The Big Island," she observed.
"Escuzi?"
"Never mind. Wait a sec, that was Italian, wasn't it?"
"I tell you, I have lived all over the place. I spent a few years in Italia, too. But never mind that. Tell me about your secret cache. Is it buried somewhere?"
"Heck, no. I'd never find it back again!"
Karnage looked disappointed. "I have yet to dig up an actual pirate treasure," he said with a sigh.
"I'm not a pirate, anyway. I'm a jewel thief."
"Today, mi amiga, you are a pirate. And a forgery-person, shoplifter, bank robber, counterfeiter, scam-artist and vandal, too, I hear. You were born in Chipmunk Falls, Usland, on the ninth of Agosto, 1916. You have one older sister, your parents were bootleggers during Prohibition, and you graduated from Youston East High School, class of 1934. You once had a pet goldy-fish named Fluffy, you broke your leg in a skiing accident when you had twelve years, and you have a birthmark on a very interesting part of your body shaped like the little kitty-cat. Does that cover the highlights?"
Scarlet puffed up her tail defensively and blushed. "How did you know all that?"
He smiled mysteriously. "I have my ways, señorita. Do not be under-estimating the feared pirate captain Don Karnage."
"All right, fine. You know my life story, and I know virtually nothing of yours. And I'm not telling you where the jewels are just yet."
"Why not?" he snapped.
"Because then there'd be nothing to stop you from turning me into shark bait and going after the treasure yourself."
He gave a sly grin. "Very good, pretty one. You are very much not stupid."
"Uh, thanks...I think." She paused, planning her next move. Her companion was a perplexing individual. He was handsome, there was no doubt about that. But there was something undefinable about his features that made her question his species. She decided to experiment a bit. "Besides, you can trust me. Honor among thieves, remember? And we're both foxes of honor, right?"
A glimmer of tension passed over his face, so briefly that she wondered if she had imagined it. "Yes," he said quickly, making a grand gesture with his sword. "Of course."
She grinned outwardly, but found herself more intrigued and confused than before. He was suave, exotic, arrogant, self-confident... Almost too self-confident. Scarlet was beginning to wonder if she was more prisoner than guest. No one had asked for her weapons yet, but she was quite sure a sentry had been outside her room all night.
He put his feet up on the desk and pointed to the atlas of the Owmaitoe island chain. "Show me where we are going."
She leaned forward in her chair and studied the map on his desk. It was clear Don Karnage could not be defined in a day, but that pall of mystery was alluring, and she was determined to figure him out. In the meantime, could she trust him? Perhaps, but there was no need to be overly specific just yet.
"Here," she said at last, indicating a point on the south coast of the island. "Take me to that cove, and I'll lead you the rest of the way on foot."
"Very well. But do not even think of trying any funny business. I do not take kindly to traitors." He ran a finger lightly along his sword, the blade glinting in the morning sun.
"I get the idea. There's no need for the cutlery, Señor...? What should I call you, anyway? Don? Karnage? Captain?"
"Captain is fine," he said with a haughty air of authority.
Drat, she thought. I was hoping for a first name. One more puzzle piece left undiscovered.
Don Karnage was in no hurry to get to Owmaitoe. His men had been restless lately, and a nice long plundering trip would release that tension. Dumptruck's baritone voice still rang in his head with the one word all captains dread: MUTINY. Granted, at the time he had been superglued to that fat cargo pilot, but even under normal circumstances the thought of mutiny was one of the few things that frightened him. And the only way to avoid it was to hide that fear.
That wasn't the only reason for his lack of haste. He was intrigued by the beautiful blonde stranger who had wandered into his life. Best to bide his time while he tried to figure her out. Scarlet was, by his standards, exotic. Moreover, she didn't seem afraid of him or his pirates. Respectful, yes, but not afraid. That alone made her unique.
Karnage studied her out of the corner of his eye as she inspected the map of Owmaitoe. She was beautiful. Golden hair cascaded down her back, framing her face like a madonna in a Renaissance painting. Her eyes, now intent on the small print of the map, were a dusty grayish blue, the shade of the sky before a winter squall. She was exquisite, from the line of her long, graceful neck, curving all the way down to the bushy tail that billowed behind her like a cloud.
Paella wasn't the only thing lacking from Pirate Island.
She must have sensed his eyes upon her, for she looked up, straight into his own dark pupils. Her gaze was filled with mistrust and prying curiosity. The purpose of her carefully-worded questions and remarks did not escape him, but he was not about to fall into her trap. He had many secrets, true, but they would remain just that: secrets.
At last he spoke. "By the way, mi amiga, I understand you are curious about me, but please keep your questions to yourself. Don Karnage is a man of mystery. And he intends to stay that way."
She gave a look of practiced innocence. "You seem to know everything about me. You've got me at quite a disadvantage. How much of what you told me in the café is true? You're obviously not Felipe Rivera."
He nodded smugly.
"Is anything else you told me true?" she asked.
"Perhaps."
"And perhaps not."
"Perhaps."
A flash of anger crossed her otherwise attractive features. "You're not being fair."
He laughed. "Señorita, I am a pirate. Pirates do not do 'fair'!"
"Neither do jewel thieves, but...couldn't you give me just a little hint?" She switched on the charm again, blinking her long eyelashes at him with a coy smile.
"Fine. Ask me a question."
Startled by his sudden compliance, she sat back to think. He waited patiently, his fingers steepled regally before him. Finally, she said, "What's your first name?" When he didn't answer, she gave an impatient scowl. "Well?"
"I said you could ask a question. I did not promise to answer it."
"Oh, for the love of-- All right, be that way. Where are you from?"
"I am sure you've never heard of it."
"Try me."
"Cabo Orgulloso."
"I've never heard of it."
"I told you so." He grinned, enjoying her flustered expression.
"Enlighten me."
"You need a lamp?" he asked in momentary confusion.
"No, I mean, tell me where that is."
"It is on the ocean."
"Which ocean?"
"A blue one."
"Now you're just taunting me!" she said crossly, stiffening her posture.
"Is what I do best."
She sighed, rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms on her chest. "All right, we'll do this your way. Tell me something about yourself. Something. Anything. Your favorite color, or your favorite food, or something. Give me a shred of knowledge to work with, here. Just to even the score. I mean, you even know about my late goldfish!"
"And the birthmark," he added, just to see her wince.
"Yes, fine, and the birthmark." She fixed her stare on him and refused to look away until he revealed a fact.
Karnage made a great show of contemplating, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table, gazing off into space and squinting. "Let me see... Something about my wonderful self..." He put a hand to his chin and thought. "I will tell you this. I hate mangos." He took his feet of the desk and assumed a more dignified pose.
She gave a disbelieving laugh. "That's it? That's your big revelation? Give me a break!"
"All right, and I have never owned a goldfish."
She put her head in her hands. "I give up," she moaned in frustration.
"Good." He stood suddenly, returned the atlas to the bookshelf in the corner, and opened the door. "Shall we go have a drink? Owmaitoe is still a hour or so away."
Scarlet looked up in exasperation and followed him out the door. "Fine. You win. But I will figure you out eventually."
He twirled his sword carelessly and showed a crooked smile. "I would not count my
bushel of gift horses before they are hatched, señorita."
On to Chapter 4
Back to Chapter 2
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This story and the character Scarlet are © Katie Sullivan and
may not be used without permisson. Don Karnage, the Iron Vulture, the Air Pirates, Mad
Dog, Dumptruck, Cape Susette, Tale Spin and all related indica, etc, are © The Walt
Disney Company and are used without permisson for non-profit entertainment purposes only.