Konundrum
by Katie Sullivan
Chapter 8
Don Karnage and Scarlet crept through the undergrowth and peered out over the dark cove
to where Javier de la Valle's yacht was moored. It was a ritzy vessel whose sails were now
folded back, at rest a hundred feet offshore. The sound of a radio news broadcast reached
them across the waters, but otherwise all was silent.
Karnage turned to Scarlet. "Can you swim that far?" he whispered.
"I think so."
"Good." He took off his boots, and she did the same. "Now no splish-splashing. We must use the stealth."
"And then what?" she asked, her irritation fading.
"Then we get rid of de la Valle and his minion and steal the boat!"
At last she smiled. "Good plan."
"Of course," he said grandly. "Now, quiet-like, let us go."
Don Karnage walked slowly into the surf, bent low to avoid being seen. Scarlet followed
his lead. The tropical sun had left the ocean warm enough for comfortable swimming. They
started out for the boat as quietly as possible.
He was a strong swimmer, and Scarlet found herself struggling to keep up. The surf was
relatively high, and soon her legs began to ache and her breathing was labored. He reached
their destination some time before she did, and hardly seemed winded by the exercise.
Scarlet hung onto the anchor chain and tried to catch her breath. He waited impatiently
for her to recover, then pointed up toward the deck with a questioning look. She nodded,
refusing to appear weak in front of him.
The blood of generations of pirates stirred in Karnage's veins, bringing fire to his eyes.
He showed a dangerous smile and began climbing. The rim of a porthole provided an easy
foothold, and soon he was able to peek over the deck. He motioned to Scarlet to come up
after him, and she did, awkwardly. Now out of the water, the trade winds seemed chilly,
and she shivered. She cautiously looked up onto the deck.
The lights that had guided them were coming from inside the cabin. A pair of potted ferns,
a few white deck chairs and a low table with a sun umbrella adorned the deck. Above the
radio, de la Valle's voice was audible.
"...for this beauty. Maybe even two million. They just don't make 'em like this any more."
"Can I touch it, boss?"
"No, you cannot touch it, lamebrain!"
While the goon complained, Karnage made his move. With slow, deliberate movements, he climbed up over the railing and onto the deck. His bare feet hit the wooden surface in total silence. Turning, he gave Scarlet his hand, and she pulled herself up beside him. There was an extra rope lying nearby. Karnage grabbed one end and handed the other to her. Stooping to stay below the cabin portholes, he situated himself so the rope was stretched across the door. He briefly pantomimed tripping, then made an arc with his hand, gesturing over the railing. Scarlet nodded, understanding, and grasped her end of the rope tightly.
"...now get the sails furled, or whatever it is you do to them, and let's get going!" de la Valle told his lackey.
"All right, boss."
Lumbering footsteps approached. Karnage pulled the rope taut and spread his feet apart,
bracing.
The door opened, and the towering otter hurried out. He immediately tripped on the rope,
lurched forward with a whoop, and fell across the deck railing on his stomach. The two
foxes each grabbed one of his legs before he could recover and flipped him overboard. The
hapless goon hit the water with a loud splash and a yelp.
"Now what?" came an irritated voice from inside the cabin. Javier de la Valle stormed out. "What the--" He didn't have time to finish the sentence, because a potted plant suddenly crashed downward on his skull, courtesy of Scarlet Hindenfur. Before he had a chance to clear the explosion of stars from his head, he found himself shoved over the railing, landing in the ocean with an undignified sploosh.
Don Karnage wasted no time in getting the ship's engine running, then scrambled up the rigging to get the sails open. As the yacht slowly pulled away from the pair of stunned gangsters, Scarlet leaned over the railing and gleefully made a rude gesture. "Ha! Screw you, de la Valle! I'm a pirate now, and pirates always get what they want! Say hi to the sharks for me! Hee hee!"
Karnage called down to her from high on the mast. "Stop taunting and get steering, señorita!"
"Steer? Me?"
"Do you see any other señoritas on this boat?"
"But I don't know how!"
"Learn!"
Scarlet sneered but obeyed, taking the ship's wheel. It was an old-fashioned oak wheel
that came up to her chest, and it was rather heavy to move. Somehow she managed to keep it
steady.
Within minutes, Karnage jumped down from the rigging and took over for her. He grasped the
wheel firmly and directed the yacht out to sea. "Ha! Once again the great Don Karnage
stands victorious over his enemies!"
"Thanks to his newest crew member and a potted fern," she added.
"Yes, yes," he said quickly with a wave of dismissal.
She rolled her eyes behind his back and went into the cabin. "And here's my diamond, back where it belongs!"
"Do you see my sword?" he called.
There were a few long seconds of silence. Then she sprang forth with a loud "HARR!", brandishing his sword. Unimpressed, he held out a hand until she gave him the blade. "I've always wanted to do that," she said with a laugh. "Do real pirates ever say 'harr'?"
"Rrrarely."
"How disappointing." She stepped back into the cabin, grabbed her own dagger, and slipped it into the sheath above her ankle. "Yeesh, we smell like we've been living in a salt shaker. It's been awhile since I've gone swimming in the ocean."
"Invigorating, no?"
"I suppose so." She peeled off her leather jacket and threw the dripping
garment onto a deck chair, then wrang out her hair. "I wonder if there's a towel
inside." She went in to investigate.
Javier de la Valle's yacht was luxurious by nearly anyone's standards. Crystal lighting
fixtures, oak cabinets, persian carpet... Very nice. There was even a kitchenette, stocked
with food and drink. Scarlet spent several minutes looking around, and finally located a
bureau that held a number of towels, and, even better, clean clothes! She gratefully
exchanged her sodden purple blouse for a dry, white T-shirt. Her khaki pants were not only
wet but smeared with dirt and green sludge from the jungle, and she was happy to discard
them in favor of a pair of baggy black shorts. She tucked the Humberfeather Diamond deep
in the pocket and used her own belt to tighten the waist. It wasn't a perfect fit by any
means, but at least now she was dry. A vigorous rubbing with a towel got most of the water
out of her hair.
Thus refreshed, she went back outside into the moonlight. Don Karnage had spread his blue
coat out on a deck chair to dry, apparently content to let the strong breeze remove the
moisture from his fur. Scarlet paused briefly in the doorway, about to tell him about the
wardrobe inside. Upon evaluating his physique, however, she decided there was no hurry.
Instead she leaned on the railing next to him and let her eyes have their fill.
"I didn't know you were a sailor, too," she said with a grin.
"One of my many talents." He held his head high and sniffed the salty wind. "I was raised on an island, do not forget. My father was a pirate, and his father before him, and his father before him, et cetera. The clouds may be in my heart, but the sea is in my blood."
"I've never been sailing before," she said. "Not when I was responsible for the boat, anyway." She put a hand on the wheel. "I think I like it."
He clearly noticed her new clothes but said nothing. "Would you like a lesson?"
"By all means."
He stepped aside and let her take the wheel. "These new boats with the engines, they are not as uneasy to steer. The sails are the real challenge. But we need all the quickness we can have today. Señor de la Valle should be as far behind us as possible."
"I imagine he'll be stuck there for a while. The nearest civilization is way on the other end of the island," she said with a malicious laugh.
He reached over and corrected her hand positions. "No, no. Like this. Become one with the boat."
She giggled. "Zen and the art of sailing."
"Escuzi?"
"Never mind. 'Become one with the boat...'?"
"Yes. Feel of the entire boat beneath you. Put your feet down strong." Karnage came up directly behind her and put his hands on top of hers. "Like this." He turned the wheel slowly, and the boat angled to starboard. "Now, watch the compass."
Scarlet was unable to concentrate on much except his arms surrounding her, but she nodded and looked as the compass needle wobbled and turned. "Now we're going south," she said.
"Sí. South to Pirate Island. Home."
"Home..." she whispered, testing the sound of the word.
"Yes, indeed, my most new crew member."
She allowed herself to relax, and stood in contented silence, gazing out over the ocean. Stars shone sharply in the sky, unmuted by the lights of civilization. The only sounds were the hum of the engine beneath her feet, the flap of sails and creak of rigging far above her, and his breathing just behind her. In that moment it seemed as if they were the only two people on earth. Two days ago that thought would have brought apprehension, but tonight...tonight was different. She leaned back against his chest and half-shut her eyes.
"By the way..." Don Karnage began in a soft voice.
"Yes?" she replied dreamily.
"Since you are the only female in the crew, would you mind doing the laundry? I usually have the prisoners do it, but many times the cells are empty, and they do not do such a good job."
Scarlet made a disgusted noise, shoved him backward and stormed into the cabin, slamming the door behind her.
Karnage blinked. "What did I say?"
On to Chapter 9
Back to Chapter 7
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This story and the characters Scarlet and Javier de la Valle 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.