The Pirates of Shan: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story “Dangerous Discovery” - Chapter 9 The Moro Knives

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dream Oudie Books presents the Pirates of Shan a Rick
Brandt science adventure story Dangerous Discovery.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
By Harold L. Goodwin, Chapter nine, The Moro Knives. Rick
walked to the bow as the Swift Arrow approached the
harbor of Yolo in the early morning hours. He used
Shannon's long glass to inspect some curious looking houses to
the west of the harbor entrance. The glass showed him

(00:28):
they were built on stilts over the water and connected
by a series of bamboo walkways. Zirkon joined him and
borrowed the glass for a look Samal village, he explained,
I've never seen one, but I spent last night reading
a pocket guide I picked up at Bayat's. The Samals
or Moros noted as fishermen and pirates, Zirkon smiled. The

(00:51):
book didn't say in spite of the primitive Samal village,
the dock and the city were fairly modern. As Scotty
took the swift Arrow closer, Rick and zirr Khon looked
for a place to tie up. Shahada saved them the trouble.
The Hindu boy appeared on a bale of a baka
and waved both arms until they saw him. Then he

(01:11):
motioned them to the left and ran down the dock.
Scotty swung the MTB past the dock and saw a
smaller dock where a few pleasure boats were tied up.
In a moment they were alongside. Shahada caught the line,
Rick through and hauled the bow in. The Hindu boy
jumped aboard as soon as they were tied up. You early,
he greeted them. We could have been here last night,

(01:34):
but we decided to take it easy and not risk
running into vintas and things in the dark. Rick replied,
it was a fine trip. Scotty added, we met some friends.
Friends you mean purposes porpoises, Rick corrected, not exactly, he
means pirates. They took some shots at us. Shahata's wide

(01:55):
eyes took in the bullet holes. He muttered to himself
in Hindi. We were a little surprise. Urkhan added, we're
not even sure they were especially after us. They might
have been waiting for any craft that came along. We
can't imagine how they could communicate so rapidly unless they
had advanced notice of our plans. Shahada shook his head.

(02:15):
Smarter than you think these moros sometimes used strange way
to get litter far distances. I amazed. What is this
strange way? Zurkhan asked, You know there are plenty parrots here.
Moros teach birds to talk, then tell message and say, okay, bird,
you go, now tell Charlie. Rick and Zirkon stared at

(02:38):
the Hindu boy incredulously, but Scotty had been the object
of Shahata's humor often enough to recognize. At first, he
grabbed the lithe brown boy and held him out over
the muddy harbor waters in spite of his struggles. Take
it back, he demanded, is took shahatas yelled. He straightened
his shirt as Scotty hauled him in again and looked

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at the dark haired boy, accusingly that plenty good yarn,
you just sculptical, that's all scaptickle. Rick corrected, Is so anyway,
if parrots don't fly, pigeons do. Sometimes. My Indian friends
use pigeons for messages to islands with no radios. So
why not pirates? Why not? Rick thought jod have very

(03:23):
likely had the answer. Carrier pigeons would serve a useful
purpose in remote place like the Sulusi and one could
have reached the channel from Zamboanga after they departed. Let's
go into the cabin, Zirkon suggested. The boys followed him
and took seats on the bumps, waiting expectantly. Let's start
with Shahata. Learn anything. The Hindu boy nodded little. Some

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people's here think pirates took plenty boats now missing. Not
many here of pirates, but more than in devout any
guesses on their hideout, Scott, he asked, done good. Some
saye are to south, maybe near Tawi Tawi, plenty small islands,
No people, I agree. Zurkon added, I've studied the chart

(04:10):
and that seems to be the most likely area. We
can go right on to Borneo if need be. It's
only about one hundred and twenty five miles from Holo.
It's even possible the pirate hangout is off the Borneo coast.
Rick spoke up, I've been thinking about that pirate attack yesterday.
We got away through sheer speed right well, word about

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our speed will spread now. We don't want the pirates
to give up because our boat's too fast for them.
We want them to think they can attack us successfully
because the attacks are our best clue to whether or
not we're on the right track. He believed that no
further attack would mean that they were getting cold, while

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increasing attacks would mean they were getting warm. To use
the old game terms, the closer to the pirate stronghold,
the more to termin the attacks would be, particularly if
the pirates saw a chance of taking over the MTB.
Scotty saw what Rick had in mind. You mean we
have to convince them we're no longer fast. That's it.

(05:14):
There must be pirate spies here in Holo. Why not
plant a story that one engine is bad? Very good,
Zirkon exclaimed. We could do it by trying very publicly
to get some engine part, which one Scotty has to
be one we won't be able to get. Gootty thought
it over while the others watched him anxiously. Then suddenly

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he snapped his fingers. Got it a new timing gear.
I'd be surprised if there's one nearer than Manila. I
can juggle the sparks and the engine sounds as though
the timing were off. That will make it more convincing,
Sir Conrose, We'll do it, Shahata. You've seen the town
can you stand by while the rest of us make
a quick trip. We must see the constabulary, and I

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have a purchase to make. Gladly do Shahta scented. First,
I go and get suitcase. This time I stay with
you until we find our friends. The Hindu boy got
his luggage and a paper wrapped package from the dock
guard's hut rick, and the others left him to guard
the swift arrow. The main street of Holo started only

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a few hundred feet from the dock area. Wooden stores
and houses predominated, but there were a few of ancient stone.
The people were almost entirely borow, with only a sprinkling
of Christian Filipinos. They saw no other Americans, although a
few lived in the town. Wish we had more time here,
Zurkon remarked. After all, Holo is the seat of Islam

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in this part of the world. Of what Scotty asked,
Islam is the proper name for the religion we call Mohatamism.
Moros are Moslems. The name is from the Old Spanish.
For more, this island, my guide book says is the
whole of the Sultan of Sulu, the spiritual head of Islam.

(07:03):
In the Philippines. Rick noted a strange pair of men
making their way down the street. Their skins were brown,
but their bushy hair was an odd orange red. They
walked with knees bent sharply, as though on the verge
of sitting down. Their legs were spindily. The knees prominent.
Bajos Zirkon said, see gypsies. I recognized them for my

(07:26):
talks with Tony. He was interested in studying them. They
spend their entire lives in ventas, usually in a squatting position.
That's the reason for the odd posture. They have troubles
standing upright. Their hair is that color because the sun
and salt had bleached it. A pair of Morrows went
by carrying a bamboo pole from which a dozen small

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sharks were suspended by the gills. Rick saw that the
fins had been cut off, probably bought by some Chinese
for making soup. There were shops everywhere. Cirkum looked them
over carefully. Watch for a hardware store, he requested. They
reached the Constabatory office before finding a hardware store. However,
Rick and Scotti decided to wait outside and enjoy the

(08:09):
interesting street scene while Zirkon checked in. The boys noted
that many Moros were armed with chrisses or barrongs in
fancy sheaths. Some had small daggers with pistol grip handles
tucked in their sashes. While Rick and Scotty watched, they
were on the alert for possible enemies, but so many
Moros eyed them curiously it was hard to pick out

(08:30):
any one of them as being suspicious. Just the same,
both had the feeling of being tailed. Zircon emerged shortly.
Laxon and Limb have both sent messages transmitting what details
we have. All detachments in the area have been alerted
to watch for the sam Buncoguita. Now they'll also be
told to keep a lookout for pirates or information concerning them.

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Our report on the attack has gone to Manila already.
They wasted no time. The spin drifters resumed their hike
up the main street and came upon a hard goods store. Inside,
Zirkon finally succeeded making his wants known. To the boy's amazement,
he bought ten dozen boxes of ordinary household tax. He
refused to tell them what the tax were for. He's

(09:16):
going to nail down the facts, Rick suggested. Scotty shook
his head. Nope, he thinks we have a sailboat, and
anyone knows sailboats have to tack into the wind. Zircon
merely grinned and said nothing. Visits to four ship supply
stores followed Zirkon, expressing amazement at the top of his
voice that no timing gear was available. He bemoaned the

(09:37):
loss of one engine unless the gear was forthcoming. He's
sounded pretty convincing. We got it, made Scotty say with satisfaction,
as the three walked back to the dock, did you
know we have a tail? He's good too, I had
trouble spotting him. You can bet he heard the professor's
sad story, which means Savinus will know all about our
bad engine. The swift Era was in sight now. Rick

(10:01):
starred for a heartbeat, then broke into a run. Come on,
shahatas fighting with someone. Rick had seen the Hindu boy
dance into sight on the stern of the boat, then
lunge behind the pilot house again a long knife in
his hand. The three pounded down the dock and leapt aboard,
then stopped short at the sight on the stern, Shahada
had suspended a large bunch of bananas from a convenient

(10:23):
hook and was methodically slicing it to pieces with a
long moraw knife in each hand. Rick exploded, what in
the name of an Indian idiot are you doing? Shahada
paused in his dancing attack to welcome them aboard with
a grin. I get in shape. You like my weapons?
Rick and the others examined them with considerable interest. One

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was a brong with a heavy blade about two feet long.
The blade curved along the bottom or the cutting edge,
but was nearly straight along the top, which was nearly
a quarter of an inch thick. The second weapon was
a chris, about the same length, but with two cutting edges,
both of which were wavy in typical Chris fashion. The
chris was more sword like, but it was a cutting weapon,

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not used for stabbing. Shahada proceeded to give a demonstration,
a blade in each hand. Rick was amazed to see
that he used both hands equally. Well. Why all the
sudden interest in weapons, Rick asked. Shahatas sent the remainder
of the bananas flying with one cut. We go after scientists, Yes,
we find them too, But Rick don't think we get

(11:29):
them back without one big fight. End of Chapter nine.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Dream Audio Books hopes you have enjoyed this program.