Outside the South Attic, Thursday Afternoon
Kiki was on her way to Phoebe's when she heard them.
"Arrr! Helm-a-lee! Back the main tops'l! 3.1415926, there, lads!"
Kiki turned, and couldn't believe her eyes.
It was a running toilet, making a break for liberty and the open channel of the staircase, closely pursued by a second that raced not a full point abaft the beam to leeward, unmistakably flying a pirat's colors, and manned [edit: ratted?] by the scurviest crew of rats ever to emerge from the bilges.
"Port two points!" bellowed the pirat that must have been the captain. "Put her on the port tack close-hauled! 3.14159265358979323!"
Not about to get in the middle of the pirats and their quarry for any money in the world, let alone a silly little handle-jiggle, Kiki darted quickly out of the way, with Jiji digging his claws into her shoulder, tail puffed in alarm.
"AVAST, ARRRRRRR! 3.14159!!!"
Looking after them for a moment, Kiki murmured, "I kind of got the feeling we should have rendered passing honors or something."
Jiji's claws relaxed a little. I think they were a little too taken with the chase to notice.
Still glancing back over her shoulder, Kiki quickly darted to Phoebe and Bel's door and knocked.
"Arrr! Helm-a-lee! Back the main tops'l! 3.1415926, there, lads!"
Kiki turned, and couldn't believe her eyes.
It was a running toilet, making a break for liberty and the open channel of the staircase, closely pursued by a second that raced not a full point abaft the beam to leeward, unmistakably flying a pirat's colors, and manned [edit: ratted?] by the scurviest crew of rats ever to emerge from the bilges.
"Port two points!" bellowed the pirat that must have been the captain. "Put her on the port tack close-hauled! 3.14159265358979323!"
Not about to get in the middle of the pirats and their quarry for any money in the world, let alone a silly little handle-jiggle, Kiki darted quickly out of the way, with Jiji digging his claws into her shoulder, tail puffed in alarm.
"AVAST, ARRRRRRR! 3.14159!!!"
Looking after them for a moment, Kiki murmured, "I kind of got the feeling we should have rendered passing honors or something."
Jiji's claws relaxed a little. I think they were a little too taken with the chase to notice.
Still glancing back over her shoulder, Kiki quickly darted to Phoebe and Bel's door and knocked.