The Pirates of Shan: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story “Dangerous Discovery” - Chapter 11 The Dancing Pirates

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eleven of the Pirates of Shan, a Rick Brandt's
science adventure story by Harold L. Goodwin. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Cinda J. M.
Chapter eleven, The Dancing Pirates, The swift Arrow rode at
anchor in the gathering dust inside a snug bay formed

(00:21):
by a U shaped island of the Kinnoposan group. This
island was very small and uninhabited. It was surrounded by
larger islands that formed a kind of screen. Let's hope
we can spend the night undisturbed, Zerkon boomed as he
finished the last of his coffee. I could use a
good night's sleep. We all could. Rick agreed. He helped

(00:43):
himself to more of the stew. Scottie had concocted Fanny
about a fight. That one was over in a few minutes.
But I feel as though I'd done a day's work
at hard labor, perfectly normal reactions. Erkon replied. Our minds
and bodies are wonderful things. When we faced danger, our
whole system goes into high gear. Our Enderkan's pumping fluids.

(01:05):
They get our bodies ready for fast action or for wounds.
We operate at top physical efficiency. Then, when the danger
is passed and our minds signaled that it's time to
get back to normal, we show the effects of our
omer stimulation by a kind of lassitude. That was true.
Rick knew it from his own experience. It seemed that

(01:25):
he was always scared, stiff before a fight, cool as
could be during it, and limp as boiled lettuce when
it was over. Zircon changed the subject, Scotty, when you
first spotted the pirates from which direction were they coming?
The boy thought it over from about due south, he said,
at last, But when they spotted us, the line shifted

(01:47):
to the east on an interception course. They came from
the south originally, though not southwest. Zircon persisted, No, if anything,
it was a little east of south. Not well, uh huh,
that was my impression, but I wanted to be sure. Now.
According to the chart, most of the scattered islands of

(02:07):
the Tawi Tawi group lie more westerly than south of here.
If the pirates came from due south, it means they
swung wide to miss the inhabited islands. Shahada asked, what
means this to you, sir? I'm not sure I think
it means we'd better search the seas to the eastward
of the main Tawi Tawi chain. The pirates would certainly

(02:29):
have come from a westerly direction if their headquarters were
anywhere near Tawi Tawi. The big scientist rose, I don't
know about the rest of you, but I'm forbid who
has the first watch. I'm on the eight to midnight.
Rick replied, it's after eight now, so I'll stand by
shahadaver leaves me at twelve. You come on at four,
Scotty finishes the night. They had arranged the anchor watches

(02:52):
that way because a single guard would be enough while
at anchor, and it would allow each of them a
good night's sleep. Zirkon and Shahada reach out at once,
but Scotty lingered. The two sat on the after deck
and watched the stars for a few moments. How are
we doing, Scotty asked quietly. Rick knew what he meant.
I'm scared, he said. It's a big ocean and we

(03:12):
could miss easily. Also, I'm thinking about what Shahadas said.
Even if we find Shan, we won't get Tony and
Shannon back without a fight. There must be hundreds of
pirates if the fleets we've seen are a sample. He
was sure that the northern attack had been made by
a different group than the one that attacked earlier in

(03:33):
the day. Do you think they're still alive, Scotty asked.
We have to assume they are. What else can we do? Nothing,
Scotty replied, sensibly except say our prayers faithfully. Amen, Rick said,
go to bed. You must be tired. I am see
in the morning. After Scott had gone below, Rick sat quietly,

(03:54):
depending more on ears than eyes to keep watch. Again
and again, he reviewed every bit of information they hit
him obtained, re examining it to see if any nugget
of value might have been overlooked. At last, he decided
they'd done everything possible. The rest would be persistence and luck.
His thoughts turned to home, and he wondered what his
folks were doing. It was nine o'clock Manila time. At Spindrift.

(04:17):
It was eight this morning. The family would be gathering
for breakfast, and Barbie would be slipping dismal. The family
pup scraps of bacon under the table. Rick resolved to
send a cable from Tawi Tawi if they should stop there,
he knew the family would be anxious to know how
things were going. The watch ticked away without incident. A

(04:37):
few minutes before midnight, Rick woke Shahata and joined the
Hindoo Boy in a glass of cold coke. Then he
went to bed and drifted off to sleep. Immediately, some
inner instinct awakened him. For a moment, he lay quietly,
his heart pounding, his eyes blinking in the darkness. Then
he heard the pad of bare feet as Scottie got
to his feet. What's up, Rick whispered, restless, I guess,

(05:01):
Scotty whispered back. Rick was wide awake now. He slipped
into his shoes and trousers while Scotty did the same.
A few minutes in the cold air on deck would
make him sleepy again, he thought, Ah debt. Shahada gave
a wild yell, Come quick. The words were punctuated by gunfire. Instantly,
Zirkon leaped to his feet and ran for the door.

(05:22):
Rick emerged into the lesser darkness of the deck in
time to see Shahata fire at moving shapes on the water.
The Hindoo Boy's shot was answered by a dozen rifles,
and Rick heard Shahada gasp pirates. Shahata yelled where is light?
For answer, Scotty switched on the boat's searchlight and swiveled it.

(05:43):
Rick shouted A dozen Vintas were closing, rapidly, propelled by paddles. Fleetingly,
He thought that some sound or sense of danger must
have awakened him. Then he grabbed for Shannon's bow and
realized at the same instant it would do little good
in the darkness. Put it back. Zirkon took the pistol
from Shahata while Scotty found his rifle. The two started

(06:05):
a steady fire that was returned in ragged volleys as
the pirates tried to shoot out the light. They came close,
but the light stood undamaged. Rick thanked his guardian angel.
They were poor sharks. It was obvious that even pistol
and rifle fire could not keep the pirates from boarding.
Rick jumped to the controls and started the engines. If
they could only slip the anchor, it might be possible

(06:27):
to ram through the pirate craft and find safety in
the open water. But even as he borrowed Shahata's chris
and started to run for the bow to cut the anchor, rope.
The first Vinta slammed into the torpedo boat. Dark figures
swarmed up the sides with piercing yells. Rick ran to
meet them, swinging the Chris. He realized vaguely the pirates

(06:47):
yells had turned somehow to screams that seemed anguished, but
his thoughts were occupied only with getting the Moros off
the deck. In the faint scattered light at the side
of the searchlight beam, he saw that they were dancing
wildly like Indians and a TV horse opera. Scotty joined
him in the wild rush up the deck, and the
two boys hit the Morrows at the same instant. Rick

(07:09):
swung the Chris like a flail, while the butt of
Scotty's rifle slammed into bodies and heads. The Moros turned
with one accord and went over the side. Zirkon yelled
another boat back here, but Rick and Scotty had troubles
of their own. Moros were pouring onto the deck from
the bow, where another Vina had tied up to the
anchor rope. They ran to meet the new attack and

(07:30):
were astonished to see the pirates go into the same
screaming dance. Then they were fighting again. Rick wielded the
Chris with deadly effect, too frantic to even wonder why
the Moros weren't fighting more fiercely. From the stern came
a wild yell from Zircon, a great bellow that had
overtones of pain. Rick's breath caught had the big scientist
gone down, but the bellowing were continued, and he knew

(07:53):
Zirkhon was still alive. Rick could do nothing at the moment, anyway,
except to swing the Chris until his arm felt as
though the muscles were on fire. Next to him, Scotty
slammed home a butt stroke that lifted a pirate high
off his feet and threw him outward into the water.
It was an instant before Rick realized the deck was clear.
Then he turned and ran to the stern, while Scotty

(08:14):
reversed his rifle and shot the Vinta clear of pirates
in the glare from the searchlight. From a corner of
his eye, Rick could see the Moros from the bow
Vinta scuttling through the water toward other boats and toward land.
At the stern, Zirkon towered like a mighty champion of mythology.
Rick saw him lift a pirate bodily pluck the barong

(08:36):
from his hand and throw him against two other pirates.
At the scientist's side, Shahada fought valiantly with his left hand,
his flying bark glittering in the scattered back light of
the searchlight. By the time Rick reached his friends, the
deck was clear. Shahada ran and swiveled the searchlight, and
Rick saw the Vintas were pulling away amidst yells of
rage from the pirates. Up on the bow, Scotty was

(08:59):
shooting as fast as he could, aim and pull trigger
with pauses, only to slap a fresh clip into the rifle.
The return fire continued, but without order or enthusiasm, and
in a few moments it stopped altogether. They're gone, Rick said,
with relief. Is anyone hurt? Little bit? The Hindu boy answered,
when is time? Maybe could use bandage. Scotty joined the

(09:22):
three on the stern. I'll get the first aid kit, Professor,
you hurt like fires, or answered grimly, I'll never be
the same again. He sank down on a convenient seat
and began to examine his feet. But let's get out
of here and attend to Shahata. When we're underway. They
may attack again if they can find shoes. The comet

(09:44):
baffled Rick, but he didn't stop to question. He hurried
forward to pull the anchor and found the ventus still
attached to the rope. For a moment, he debated about
cutting it loose, and realized it would only be picked
up by the pirates and used against them. He untied
the vent a line from the anchor rope and temporarily
hitched it to a bit while he hauled in the anchor.
The venta was light and easy to tow. He hauled

(10:06):
it to the stern of the MTB and attached the
line to a cleat. Scotty was already at the wheel
go Rick commanded Scotty shot the searchlight beam toward the
entrance to the harbor and put the engines in gear.
The MTB moved with gathering speed, following the clear path
indicated by the searchlight. Once the light picked up a
vinta but off to the side, Scotty gave it a

(10:27):
wide berth. As they cleared the bay, Rick got the
first egg kit and took Shahata down into the cabin.
The Hindu boy's shoulder was covered with blood Rick hurriedly
cut away the clothes, afraid of what he might find.
Zirkon joined him, watching anxiously. Is not bad, Shahada said,
just make me stop fighting. For a few minutes, Rick

(10:48):
saw the boy was right. A bullet had creased his
right shoulder, digging a deep furrow from which the blood welled.
It was painful, but at least they weren't faced with
a problem of getting the bullet out. He still, like
the wound, bound it tight with gauze pads. Then he
washed Shahata clean of blood and put him to bed,
with a blanket over him in case of shock. How
about you, professor, Rick asked, You said something about being wounded,

(11:12):
but I don't see any blood. Zirkon chuckled grimly. Not
much blood anyway. How did you happen to be wearing shoes?
Rick explained that he and Scotty had awakened before the attack,
had gotten partially dressed to go on deck. Then you
don't know, Sirkon said. Suddenly, he put his head back
and roared with laughter. Did you ever see anything weirder

(11:33):
than those pirates dancing? I thought they'd gone insane in
wholesale lots. Rick stared at the scientist. I noticed, and
I wondered about it too, But you don't know the reason.
Zirkon pointed at Shahata, who grinned weakly from his bunk.
There's the cause of it all. He routed the enemy
with a minimum help from us, even after he was wounded.

(11:56):
Rick turned to stare at Shahata. What's he talking about?
The Hindu boy shook his head. I was sleepy and afraid,
maybe fall asleep, which big disgrace. So what I do?
I fix things to hurt pirates, but I also hurt
Professor zurkh On, which I have plenty. Sorry but how

(12:17):
Rick demanded, Oh, I remember that in Holo, I never
see Moros wear shoes, not very many. Anyway, Sir Khon
had mentioned shoes too. Rick groaned with impatience. What have
shoes to do with it? Shahata grinned. I borrowed the
professor's canyon ammunition. All around edge of deck I sprinkled.

(12:39):
So when pirates come, they dance, and soon they have plenty.
Rick got it. Then he sat down and laughed until
Scotty had to stick his head in to see what
was going on. Rick pointed at Shahata, the Hindu wizard.
He roared. You know what he did. He sprinkled the
deck with tax No wonder, the pirates danced. End of

(13:01):
chapter eleven,