“The pebbles looked like coffee beans in the semi-darkness. That was why I made the coffee with them.” It was the best explanation Alistair could come up with. After all, it was the truth. And the situation was dire. The pirate captain wanted coffee. Somebody else had stolen the coffee beans and replaced them with pebbles. Somebody who had wanted Alistair to fail. Somebody who had wanted Alistair to walk the plank.

The captain growled. “Argh! You know how I love my coffee! Why else do we hang around in the Caribbean? Why else would we keep capturing cargo ships full of coffee beans? Besides the fact that coffee is more expensive than gold.” The captain laughed.

He stopped and looked directly at Alistair. Alistair saw Jim behind the captain. The quartermaster was grinning. Alistair wondered if Jim was the one who stole the beans to make Alistair look bad. After all, he was the one who had control of the stores. And he was the only one who could have swapped the beans and the pebbles.

“Well, matey? What have you got to say for yourself?”

“Well, sir…” Alistair thought fast as the captain growled and glowered at him. “Jim and I were in the galley this morning. I saw the pebbles and like I said, I thought they were the coffee beans, so I put them in the pot to boil for your morning brew with your breakfast. I’m not saying that he has anything to do with the beans. He just might know who else was in the galley this morning or last night.”

The captain turned toward the quartermaster. “Well?”

Jim’s face had lost all its color and his smile. He started, “Well…”

“Out with it! Did you see who changed the coffee beans for pebbles?” The captain put his face right up to the quartermaster’s.

Alistair could see the sweat bead up on the quartermaster’s forehead.

“Well, matey? What say you, Jim?”

The quartermaster said, “Well… I don’t think anybody but Alistair has been in the galley sir.”

The captain’s eyes widened. He breathed in and out. His eyes narrowed. “Say… that… again.”

The quartermaster gulped hard. “Uh… I don’t think anybody’s been in the galley but me and Alistair.”

The captain narrowed his eyes. “That’s what I thought you said.” He turned toward the first mate. He nodded his head toward Jim. The first mate nodded back. The captain turned toward Alistair. “Breathe out.”

Alistair breathed toward the captain, who leaned in and sniffed.

The first mate had gone below deck and had come up behind Jim. He had a rope. And he had another pirate with him. They grabbed Jim and tied his hands behind his back.

The captain turned toward the quartermaster. “Anything to say in your defense, Jim?”

Jim lowered his head. He knew he was caught. Red-breathed or red-nosed as it were. He walked toward the plank.

Alistair stepped between the captain and the quartermaster. “I know he doesn’t like me Captain. I know that’s why he tried to frame me, but he’s a good quartermaster. He gets me the ingredients I need for meals, and he gets me equipment for the galley.”

The captain eyed Alistair. He leaned in close. “You wanna walk with him, matey?”

Alistair stood straight. “No sir. No sir, Captain Red-Nose.”

Captain Red-Nose smiled.

Jim looked back from the end of the plank. “You’ve got excellent taste in food and coffee Captain. It’s a shame that I won’t be here to taste it anymore.” He looked at Alistair. “The captain’s nose will be the death of you too one day. One day, you’ll take a taste of the food or drink and the Captain will think you are a thief like me.”

Jim turned and walked off the plank. Alistair’s forehead beaded up with sweat. He was glad he had not drunk any of the coffee Jim had offered. Coffee that Alistair had thought came from the pot he had brewed from what he now knew were the pebbles.