[Gpdd] [Virtual] Fair Winds and Following Seas Chapter 9 On To Turtle Island resubmitted

[Sandra Oliver-Poore]

The preparations had turned the main deck and cabin into work rooms and factories.  An unfortunate whale who had passed to the bridge himself a few days ago had provided blubber the piggies had rendered into tallow to make natural tea candle wax. An unpleasant job, the piggies still honored the whale for his unwilling contribution. and made a boat for him. The Misfits had found a vine that could be twirled into serviceable wicks, and the Piggy Friends had found leaves whose cup shape held the cool wax without breaking and made nice tea lights for all the home made boats the piggie teams had fashioned.  There were stacks of colorful origami paper brought from home, and paper pounded from natural plant pulp found in the forests and swamps on their ports-o-call.  The crew pulled up anchor as the last zodiac brought the final load of the tallow on board. “To sea!” They yelled together.

The piggies cleaned up from breakfast, exercise, swimming, and gathered into work groups. Some teams folded the paper boats which were quite crisp looking from the long practice they had. Most every piggy had folded their own hat, especially the cresteds so they wouldn’t get sunburned in the Coral Sea late summer. Other teams worked with  natural inks and feather quills to write the names of the bridge piggies. Friday, Velvet, Onyx, and Chips labored carefully on the boat for their friend, husband, brother and sister, the lost Weapons Master Beans. Chips copied the delicate designs Beans had traced into his weapons, faithfully onto the boat in beautiful mimicry. Pixel brought colored inks and offered much advice. Their intensity was touching. 

Ringers, Gingerpuff, Sammy, and Puff worked away on boats for California Cookie and Little Bear, Otto the very vocal guinea pig, and Puffs older sister Hershey; the scene was repeated every where on board. Those not scribing names and designs on boats, worked on the folding and packing the finished boats together in boxes so they could be launched quickly together. The secret agents worked on a piggy sized fireworks display whose sparkles would mimic the glittering tea lights. The Coral Sea would be luminescent this Peter Gurney Day. Lizard Island HO! by Sandra Oliver-Poore