After Elise relieved herself in the brig, Archibell invited her to the captain's quarters. Even though the storm had subsided and they were safe in the harbor, the captain retained a grave look on his face. "First things first," he said peering out the porthole. "We're gonna need a new sail. Such a shame because it was stitched with a lot of heart and memories!"

Elise nodded as she reclined on the cot. It was a shame, she thought, while gazing out the window. It was such a pretty picture of a harp.

"Fortunately," Archibell said with a smile, "There are plenty of sails"--he made a full stop--"men on this island."

Elise gave a confused smile at his attempt at humor. "But…"--he said stopping again--"I cannot show my face on this island for reasons I can't get into…"

Elise narrowed her eyes; she was about to ask "why" when Tony the Troutface sobbed in his gravely voice too. "I can't either...if me old gang saw me now, they'd laugh and tell me I was living up to my name."

"Cheese Louise!" Elise examined with a precious pun. "Are you guys in the Pirate Protection Program or something?"

"No comment," Archibell said, strolling over with an avuncular smile. Elise continued to look at him with distrust. He handed her the sailor's wallet he had pilfered.

Archibell raised an eyebrow. "Being the only one on board this ship without any tragic baggage. It is up to you to explore Central Commerce Island and find a suitable sail for our poor ship. Are you up to the task?"

There was a knot in Elise's belly but there was also a feeling of excitement. "Aye aye!" She nodded and with those words she was ushered onto a brand new island.

The CCI port was much larger than Prospect Islands port; in fact, Prospect Island's port looked like a tiny wooden fishing dock in comparison. At least 70 ships were docked on the finger of stone. Every vessel possessed its own character and class, and it was only the characters who emerged that were more colorful.

Merchants in vibrant robes and hats unloaded rare items such as painted vases and silver statues from places Elise had never seen. A bunch of hardy looking men with eye patches and hooks cackled to themselves, clearly up to no good. Most interestingly, humanoid creatures strolled around on the dry land. They were kelp green and long antennae with glowing yellow balls sprouted from their heads. Tall and athletic, they had features of both a human and a fish with elegant faces and fin-like arms and legs . Her father had once told her about these creatures--fishysuaz as they were called, but she had never seen one visit her island.

She heard a snicker and turned around. A few feet from her, a tall, musuclar man with a greasy dark pompadour and a black tank top glared at her. Most disturbingly, he had a large stitch that extended from ear to ear--right over the bridge of his nose. He was accompanied by much smaller lackeys who also wore their hair in pompadours. A smirk travels across his face as he saw Elise and him and his crew began to snap their fingers rhythmically.

Normally, Elise would have laughed at their ridiculous hairdos and their perfectly choreographed snapping, but seeing as she was completely alone, she hustled as fast as she could into town.

Much to her relief, the strange men didn't give chase, but she could not shake the feeling they were eyeing her.

Fortunately for the young wayfarer, the town part of Central Commerce was a lot more idyllic. Outside the stone gate of the town, there was a homely cafe and veranda. Children played out in the grass while old folks went for a stroll or sipped tea and coffee at the cafe. One such old folk caught Elise's eye.

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With his long, whispy beard and hair, squinting eyes and a nearly toothless smile, Elise recognized him as none other than Old Man Sei.

"Hoy there, Elise!" Sei called, waving to her.

The young girl was stupified and exclaimed. "Old man Sei? What the sea shell are you doing here?"

Her eyes were bigger than cannonballs and it caused the old man to chortle. "Well my sea lily," he remarked. "Inspired by you, I've set out to see the world one last time. Consider it my retirement tour."

"One last time?" Elise asked. "Have you seen the ocean before?"

"Oh yes," the old man said, his eyes dim but wistful. "I once lost a bet with my brothers that led me to becoming a sea man, but that's beside the point. What brings you to this port of scurvy and villainy?"

Elise pointed out to port. "Cap'n and I tore his sail, and we need to get a new one."

Sei pointed at the stone gate beside the cafe. "Right through there is the market place. There you'll find what you're looking for."

Elise thanked the old man and turned to go, but Sei called after her. "But watch out Elise. Land pirates abound."

"I will," Elise said, thinking back to those odd, tank-topped, pompadour men.

"Oh and last thing,"--the old man's face turned dire--"Beware; those who seem like friends might not be so in the end!"

Elise heeded the old man's wisdom, even if she had no clue what it meant. She traveled beneath the stone gate and disaster struck. Standing up against the wall, were the gang of seven pompadoured men. At the far end, was their leader, the tallest and scariest one of them all.

Upon seeing the small girl, he immediately sprang forward. As the smell of hair grease lingered around her as he approached her, she immediately cried, "Who the sea shell are you people?!"

The tallest man snickered. "Those are exactly the words we like to hear, small fry."

Two of his smaller minions flanked him. The man turned his knees inward and raised a finger. "We're the Land Sharks!"

The two smaller men opened and closed their hands together and went, "Snap snap!"

The tallest man swaggered forward and pointed his spindly finger in her face. "And we don't take kindly to a small fry encroaching on our territory!"

The two minions opened and closed their hands and went "Snap snap!"

Elise closed her eyes and put on a brace face. "And who are you to say that?"

The tallest pompadoured man put his hands on his hips and slicked his shark fin-like hair. "I am their leader, Whyte"-- the man leaned in close--"Or as the gentlemen call me...Great Whyte!"

"Snap snap!" The cronies went but Whyte screamed at them.

"Stop it you palookas!"

"Gee boss," one of them said, "You dont need to SNAP at me!"

Whyte turned bright red, an odd color for a great white shark, Elise thought, but he faced back to her. He flashed a jagged tooth grin and extended a hand to Elise. "Anyway, pleased to eat you!"

Elise pulled her hand away. "I need an adult," she said uncomfortably.

"Too late for that," Whyte said, drawing a switchblade. "We saw that sea captain give you a wallet and we want it!"

"You'd rob a child?" Elise shivered, backing away.

"We're Land Sharks toots," one of Whyte's goons hissed. "We're totally down with stealing bait from a minnow."

Elise staggered up against the opposing wall as the goons converged on her. Tears trickled down her face and she whimpered. She turned a petrified shade of pale as she prepared for the worst.

"Wat ho!" A loud squawking voice came from above the stone gate. "Poaching from children? Not on my watch ...and I don't even have one!"

Elise gasped in amazement. Standing at the top of the gate was a very ravishing man.

His skin was tanned, his eyes equally dark and gallant and his voice sounding like a sea bird. And even better, he had a rapier in hand.

"Archie?" Elise gasped, utterly confused. Was the sun playing tricks on her eyes?

The man leapt down from the gate and when he did, he landed with a sickening crack in his knees. "YOWZA!" he cawed. "People need to stop writing that kind of entrance in books. Someone is going to get hurt!"

The thugs didn't laugh when he appeared: in fact, they flinched in fear. Elise sighed and turned rosy pink. Her hero had finally arrived. But as he drew closer, she noticed something different about Archibell. For one, he wore an alligator green soldiers uniform with golden buttons. His hair was permed into a kinky afro with a hair comb sticking out of it.

"Archie?" Elise asked out loud.

The man was caught off guard by her words but he immediately answered, "That's Admiral Archibell to you, tater tot. Head of the royal navy!"