Once back onboard The Jellyfish and out of sight of the merchant ship, Captain Peanut Butter said to me, “You will accompany me to my cabin.”

I did as he said.

“Do you realize how foolish you were?” The Captain said sternly.

I looked at the Captain but said nothing.

“You told them your name. And that you are a Baron.”

Then it sunk in.

“Is a pretty face worth hanging for? If you are fortunate, they will forget your foolish outburst. You may be a Baron. But as long as you remain on this ship, you are also a pirate. Do not forget that. And hold your tongue in the future.”

“I am truly sorry. I will remember.”

“Then, we are done. Let’s go examine our spoils.”

We left the cabin, and the rest of the crew was waiting on deck with the cargo. As we opened the crates, I noticed that much of the cargo the Captain had taken was rum, clothing, tools, and other practical things. Nothing exceedingly valuable.

“Are you surprised by what I chose?” The Captain asked.

“I admit that I am,” I replied.

“Merchant ships rarely carry highly valuable cargo like gold or jewels. Heavily armed Galleons transport those. But anything that crosses the sea has value. You only need to find someone in need of it, or someone wanting to buy and resell it.

But it is not all practical. I did allow myself one bit of whimsy. Take a look.”

The Captain held out his hand toward something that looked like an enormous egg basket.

“What is it? It looks like a large basket.”

“That is correct. It is indeed a basket. But this basket is meant to fly. Inside there is a large sack. When the sack is filled with heated air, it will lift the basket and its passengers into the sky.”

Andelbert and I stood there with our eyes wide.

The Captain continued.

“Last year, I was exploring the French countryside on horseback when I looked up in the sky and saw a marvel I could scarcely believe. A man in a basket was floating far above me. He waved and shouted a greeting. I began following his flying basket, and eventually, he crashed gently to the ground. I assisted him in gathering up his contraption.

While we were working, he told me all about his flying machine, which he called a balloon. He said he and his brother were paper manufacturers and discovered that cloth bags would rise when hot air was blown into them. So they began trying to create a balloon large enough to carry a man.

After explaining the fundamentals of his balloon, he offered to give me a ride in it the following day. However, to my great misfortune, his balloon journey had attracted considerable attention—as you would expect. I could not risk being recognized. So I was unable to take him up on his offer. But now I may finally get my balloon ride. If I can figure out how to fly it.”

“It defies imagination,” I said.

“I would be thrilled to assist you in learning,” Andelbert replied.

“Excellent. I will need as much help as I can get,” the Captain said.

“I am quite familiar with forges. I assume we will need something similar to create the heated air,” I added.

“Indeed. As I recall, there is a small cast iron stove inside the basket that provides the heated air. You are just the man to test it out. With Andelbert’s vast knowledge on all subjects and your skill at working with forges, I believe we might just manage it.”

The Captain grinned a boyish smile.