The cat's silly servant Shel saving seashells on the sea shore saw a swimming soggy moggy. Perhaps I should say a floating soggy moggy? Indeed the cat (a dark grey tuxedo pattern cat) was on the verge of drowning. Wading into the surf Shel pulled the cat ashore "Why Admiral Toronto why are you in the surf?"
Coughing up water the cat replied "Estupida' humano O que você quer dizer (Stupid Human what do you mean)?” in Portuguese as he limped onto the beach of the Catavenger crew's island, Shelcat cay.
As stupid as Shel is he recognized the cat. Although the Catavenger's captain Admiral of the fleet Toronto speaks 37 languages it was unusual for him to be speaking anything but English to Shel.
"Oh quit teasing me" the dense Shel said thinking that Toronto was once again having fun at his expense. Without being asked Shel began drying the wet feline with a beach towel he had. As he dried he asked it "Do you want lunch?"
"Lunch?" Replied the cat in English. (For he did speak some English.)
He followed the human, as he walked ahead Shel was saying what he had prepared for lunch. Shel had prepared most of the luncheon in advance.
Since Portuguese was Greek (so to speak) to Shel and the skinny cat knew little English they were having problems communicating.
Chapter Two:
Once in the bunker; (yes with the fat but constantly hungry crew of the Catavenger instead of a pantry their food is kept locked in a bunker not a pantry).
When they arrived there they noticed that the door was open and inside they found the Captain Of The Guard Victoria munching away on the snacks. "Oh Oh" she commented,"looks like I'm busted!"
"But have you been chowing down it looks like you have whip cream on your lip?" She said noticing the cat's mustache.
Something about the still damp cat didn't seem right to Victoria and she flipped on another of the bunker's two lights.
"Why you aren't Toronto!" Exclaimed the orange Victoria. "Who are you?"
"Who is this Toronto?" In a mix of broken English and Portuguese the strange cat replied. "I am Winston, named that by my parents, although much of my memory from before I was hit on the head and forced onto the slave ship is missing"
"I hadn't been prisoner long before I slipped my bonds and swam until my strength gave out. Indeed I might have drown in sight of the fair island if this human hadn't waded into the surf and dragged me ashore!" Fortunately Victoria understood Portuguese.
"By your weight I can see that you must not have been imprisoned long" Victoria said, as she looked at his filled out form. "Indeed you look much like Admiral Toronto, however
(because he runs every day to keep in shape), he is thinner than you. That is how I knew that you weren't Toronto."
Then Victoria said
"It's possible you were being taken to the island I escaped from. I was in much worst shape than you when I arrived here."
Victoria
"Now that you have eaten let us find Admiral Toronto and see what he has to say."
Chapter Three:
So the trio set off with the silly human Shel pushing a cart (he had loaded while the cats conversed) full of the still ample cold luncheon.
As they went along they passed members of the crews of the Brigantine Catavenger and the other vessels of the cat's small fleet.
Automatically thinking that Winston was the Admiral they saluted without so much as a second look. When Victoria commented about this, Shel in his usual dumb manner said "gee I wonder if Toronto will know that Winston isn't himself?"
As a reply Captain of the Guard Victoria told the daft Shel "Shut up and keep pushing the cart!"
Soon they reached the pavilion where the luncheon was to be held.
They saw the Admiral sitting at a table drinking cool catnip tea from a carafe (Shel had set out earlier).
Calmly Toronto arose held out his paw in greeting and shook that of Winston. He gestured for him to sit down, then Saying in perfect Portuguese a greeting
with the strange cat's name (his code name which only Toronto would know).
"Welcome brother Winnipeg I was expecting you . . ."
Admiral Toronto
EPILOGUE
Agent Winnipeg & Admiral Toronto
So ends one period and starts another of the Brigantine Catavenger and it's attendant fleet and crews.
