Why I Was Shanghaied Revealed : Hunting Dragons

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Captain Black Jack Murphy finally pulled me into his cabin to talk about why I was shanghaied and what his plans were for me on Day 4 of my experience. I stuck to my guns though. I wasn't about to do for me exactly what he wanted without providing some resistance. You'll hear what I mean in this week's episode.

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Day 4. I finally understand why I was shanghaied. Murphy invited me to dinner in his cabin–well, “invited” is relative. One of the crew stuck a poorly written note in my hand while I swabbed the deck. It read “Be in my cabin for dinner at 6. Or else.”

That sounded like Murphy. No use riling him though, so I showed up at his door at the given time. “Come in, come in!” he bellowed, in that loud voice I remembered so well. “I haven't seen you since ‘Kiss My Arse'!”

“Kiss my arse…kiss my arse!” squawked his parrot. That molty old bird hasn't liked me since he had a close call with one of my cats.

It was the first time I had seen Murphy since we worked together on Kiss My Arse.

Over a fine meal of salted pork, roasted potatoes with onions, and apple pie, we talked of the good times we had compiling Pogue Mahone Means Kiss My Arse. And we did have some good times. Being a pirate didn't take away his sense of fun.

After several tankards of rum, he told me he had heard I was allowing people to pirate my music, and he was all in favor of that. He didn't seem to understand the difference when I told him I was giving away my music…

Anyway, he said we were more alike than I believed. Since we had such a good collaboration on Pogue Mahone Means Kiss My Arse, he decided I was the only person who would be able to help him with his next project. He wanted to make another album. He asked me to record some songs he had written, as well as others he had found about dragon hunting and pirates. He wants me to spread the legends of pirates vs dragons—apparently, there is trouble recruiting new crew these days. The music part sounds great. But he also wants me to experience the hunt first hand so I can get a “feel” for it, and make the music more powerful. After seeing that red up close yesterday, I really don't want to get any closer to them than absolutely necessary.

So, after I left Murphy's cabin–listing a bit from side to side…I never was as good at putting away the rum as Murphy–I was in quite a quandary. I didn't want to hunt dragons, but I did want to get home…and if the only way to get home was to be present when the crew tried to harpoon a dragon, I guessed I was stuck.

Still, I plan on participating to the least possible degree. I will be able to see some of the mythical beasts up close, though, so it will be a perk…and maybe I can get some really good songs out of the affair. The sighting yesterday has already put lyrics swimming around in my brain–now where did I put that pencil and paper Gus smuggled into me…?