Nailing It Down

There was no wind today. A column of smoke rose almost straight into the sky, visible from far out at sea.

"They're holding a funeral."

"For whom?"

"Probably you."

Sise opened his mouth, then realized Kamara had a point. If he hadn't been lucky enough to run into the King of Ten Thousand Birds' ship, he really would have died.

Meanwhile, Frederick stood at the bow, about to jump into the sea, while everyone gathered around, laughing and watching the spectacle.

"I won't accept this!" he shouted at them. "You can't do this to me!"

Since they were preparing to go ashore, Frederick had asked Kamara to give everyone a talk about local customs and traditions, so they wouldn't offend anyone by accident.

Kamara mentioned that many local chieftains had titles. His father, for instance, was called the "Black Iron Rhino," while Sise's father, Mendy, was called the "Ground Swordfish."

So everyone decided that the Grand Duke Wessen needed a grand-sounding title too.

Someone suddenly clapped a hand to his forehead and said, "Aren't more feathers a sign of greater status around here? The more birds there are, the more feathers you get. The Grand Duke is practically half a king, so let's call him the 'King of Ten Thousand Birds.'"

Everyone thought it was a great idea and unanimously approved it. So Frederick was about to jump ship.

Someone said to Frederick, "My lord, come down. We've got a trawl net hanging off the stern now. If you jump, they'll just haul you back up."

They were in coastal waters now, with no deep-sea monsters around, so they'd lowered fishing nets to catch fish. If Frederick really jumped into the sea, they would certainly fish him back out.

Frederick glared at the man. "When we get back, I'll have