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SUMMARY: A pirate trading a virgin sacrifice for a treasure map gets an unexpected surprize.

The water at the edge danced as the volcano shook the island, but Captain Black Bill only smirked, watching the long boat rowing towards shore from the Devil's Strumpet - and its beautiful raven-haired passenger.

"You see Chief Kelalako?" he said, leaning over to the husky native elder next to him. "You wanted Chief Leniki's daughter, I got her. And Keiko's yours - when you give me Hairy-Cheek's map."

The boat ran aground on the beach. The rowers jumped out and began pulling the boat further up the beach while the First Mate kept an eye on the girl at his feet.
"Ugly John!" Black Bill called, "Bring her majesty here!"
"Aye, Captain!"

Ugly John leapt over the side, then reached in and hauled her out by her tied wrists. Princess Keiko struggled with him, only to get dunked in the shallow water and hauled indignantly ashore by the smirking First Mate.

"We got a deal, Chief?"
"Your men not... touch girl?"
"Naw. She's no good to you or me if my men did, so I told them what I'd do the dog that laid a hand on her."
"You trade me?" Keiko demanded, her eyes like daggers at Black Bill. "For his pig son?"

The Chief stepped forward and slapped her hard. The Captain shook his head.
"Princess, you sure do know how ta make friends," he said, looking up at her. "When you turned down his son, you tore his lad's heart out. Boy drowned his self. Chief here wants justice - your life for his son. So we got a deal, Chief?"

"Deal," nodded Kelalako. He turned and muttered something to his kahuna, who reluctantly pulled a rolled piece of parchment from his bag and handed it to the Chief, who then handed it to Black Bill. The Captain undid the cord and took a peek, and looked up with a wide grin his beard couldn't hide.

"Ugly John, give the chief his sacrifice. Wouldn't want to keep the volcano waiting."
"No!" Keiko struggled, but two of the Chief's warriors took hold of her and started dragging her away. "I curse you Black Bill! I curse your ship!"
"Back ta the ship lads, our business here is done!"


"Captain? What they gonna do with her?"
Black Bill frowned, looking up from his prize at Ogre on the oars. Faintly he could hear the beating drums behind them.

"Ye daft? They're going ta throw her in the volcano. Sacrifice ta their heathen god."
"What for?"
"So the volcano won't destroy their bloody island."
"Oh," Ogre frowned. "Why he wanted ta know if we touched her?"
"Bloody fool. She's got ta be a virgin, volcano won't take her if she's not - why?" Black Bill demanded, squinting suspiciously at Ogre. "You ruddy bastard, you didn't...!"

The drums stopped. Then the volcano roared. Black Bill turned, staring back in time to see a ball of flame and smoke shoot out of the volcano's top.
"What the..." he demanded as balls of flame began shooting out of the top as liquid fire poured over the edge. Patches of the jungle were already burning. He could almost hear the screams. A flaming fireball splashed in the water near the boat, spashing them all with warm spray.

"Row! Put yer backs inta it!" Bill howled, turning - and stared wide eyed as a massive ball of flame arched overhead - and into the side of his ship.