Owned by Pirates

“Well, Miss Flora,” O’Doule said, “Not that there was ever any doubt that you were one of us, it’s clear now.”

The Captain kissed the top of my head, and I snuggled into his side. “I’m so proud of you, lass,” he said. Turning to the men, he grinned. “You should have heard her. She sounded half-crazed.”

Larry and Davy nodded. “Aye,” Davy said. “I heard a bit through the window. Our Flora could act in the theater, she could.”

“You were truly wild, Miss,” Larry agreed. “I almost felt sorry for the guard.”

“He’ll recover,” the Captain said. “His pride was hurt but not a scratch on him. Just a story to tell, to be sure.”

“So,” O’Doule said slowly, looking to the Captain, “This seems to be proof that smuggling and trading might be a tad safer for us lot that outright piratin’?”

The Captain didn’t answer, simply looking around as the rest of the men nodded. I respected that he listened to the whole crew, his decisions depending on the opinion of the group.

“Aye.” The Captain nodded thoughtfully. “We haven’t run

up the black in a long while, and I don’t think we ever will again. Perhaps we should create a new flag. Something more respectable.”

“With stars.”

“With a fish.”

“And a mug of rum.”

“Gold pieces.”

“Plaid.”

“Ye can’t have a plaid flag.”

“Well, ye can’t have a flag with a fish, ye daft–”

“ Boys! ”

Everyone turned in shock at my exclamation. I had raised my voice to them. At first I was as shocked as they were, until they all grinned. It looked like each man was practically bursting with glee.

I took a breath, then continued more calmly. “First we ask the question, what message do we want to say with a new flag? It’s how far off ships introduce themselves. What do we want strangers to think of us?”

I looked up at the Captain. “What does this ship represent above all else?”

“Traveling,” he said. The group nodded in agreement.

“What do travelers need besides a good ship?” I asked.

“The north star,” Larry said.

“The sea,” O’Doule added.

I jumped up to grab a few sheets of paper and a pencil where I’d been trying to write down recipes to teach McGee. Flipping it to the back, I drew out a rectangle for the flag, with a star by the top right, and two wavy lines under it.

“The sea and the star,” the Captain said thoughtfully. “Wishing on a star is lucky.”

“Aye, that’s how we have good fortune,” Larry agreed. “The Fortune’s Favor, the North star and the sea. That sums up our whole lives.”

I felt the Captain’s hand stroking the back of my hair, and turned to him. “And a flag designed by lucky number seven,” he said proudly.

“That’s just the first idea,” I said quickly. “We can all think on it for a spell.”

“We’re headed to Leelard Island soon,” O’Doule said. “There’s a shop there that sells sail fabric. They’d have material for a flag.”