Chapter 71

The cats turned up their combined noses at bag cat food. The Pennies tried them all. Al Sanchez found the only good use for dry cat chow ... not necessarily the brand ... to the cats it's generic ... like fridge ... kleenex ... coke ... things of that nature ... it's all cat chow ... and they won't eat it.

Al put it in a cheesecloth bag and tied it to a fishing line in front of the hook, so ... if a fish bites he gets the hook too ... sea bass love cat chow ... the cats love fish guts, especially sea bass.

It's purely disgusting to watch the cats tear into a pan of guts ... except for Connie ... she likes to watch the gulls invent new strategies for getting past the cats. If that girl keeps it up ... she'll have a doctoral thesis before she has a highschool diploma.

Letting the cats have the guts and heads solved the shark problem ... the crew wasn't chumming now. The sharks lost interest. This was good ... now the crew could go swimming. David took a page from some Napoleonic War novel he read ... lo these many years ago ... and slung a mizzen sail over the side with the clew and tack attached to the safety lines and the head attached to the the swung out boom at the foot. This made a sort of pool of seawater that kept the nasty things in the water ... monsters and sea dragons ... out of the pool. It was a great place to play. Just remember to rinse off the salt.

The crew has gotten too large for the on deck hot tub. A twelve just doesn't cover the 18 people on board ... the freshwater shower is big enough for six though.

Even though Pretty Penny is a warship, she operated more along the lines of a cruise or charter boat. The mid fore deck spent most of the time covered with nude sunbathers. That is ... until Admiral Lightweight showed up at the Puerto Cortez public docks with a pair of inoperable vehicles. The wrecker towing them was a wild conglomeration of parts and vehicles.

"'Morning, Captain."

"'Morning, Admiral. What do you have there?" The entire crew could hear the trepidation in Davids voice. David stepped off the gangway ... saluting ... perfunctorily ... the flag and the quarterdeck.

"A couple of cars."

"Got something in mind?"

"Yes, Captain."

"You're planning on taking them with?"

"I am, sir."

"They look like junk to me."

"One mans junk is another woman's treasure."

"I have heard that said." David looked ... annoyed, "I suppose. It is your boat. What are they?"

"The red one..."

"One of them is red?" David was rather amazed that she could see beyond the surface. The surface was rust. 'I guess rust is a shade of red, ' he thought.

"Smart ass!"

David bowed.

"The red one is a Simca ... the pickup is a Fiat."

"Funny ... from the front they both look alike."

"Probably because Fiat built them both ... mostly."

"Mostly?"

"The Fiat used to be a stationwagon. Some clever soul exercised his cleverness before I was born ... I suspect. Quit poking holes in the canvas."

"I was just wondering." David had a surreptitious grin ... he hid it well though.

"The Simca is a convertible and I need the canvas intact so I can use it as a pattern." Andrea was getting a little short ... I mean, she was a lot short, but her temper was getting ... pushed ... if you know what I mean.

"And what did you pay for these stunning examples of Italian styling."

"Fifty bucks ... each. Such a bargain! I just had to have the Simca."

"But you have TWO."

"The man of the house said, 'Take two, they're small.' I was given to understand that they were a matched set."

"And they were... ?"

"On blocks ... in the front yard. The tires and wheels were in the house."

"I am amazed ... I was wondering where you picked up the dirty face ... and the bloody knuckles."

"The bastard was no help what so ever." Andrea said, "His wife was overjoyed."