officers to capture the pirates. The policemen’s shrill whistles added to the cacophony. Unfortunately, the cops were outnumbered and out-muscled. Many officers ended up being knocked down by pirates or trampled underfoot by hordes of panicked people. Others were rounded up by pirates and tied up. One was even shoved face first into a garbage can.

On stage, Gibber murmured into Karnage’s ear.

“Yes, I also love a captive audience, too!” Karnage chortled as he proudly surveyed the mayhem. His attention was drawn away from the chaos by a gold-plated plaque repeatedly, lightly smacking him on the back.

Seventy-five-year-old Mrs. Sara Coopersmith-Fitzwarren-Goldenheimer-Stein was exacting her vengeance with, well, a vengeance. Her feeble blows didn’t hurt as much as they were annoying.

“Ouch! Ow! Stop that, you stupid old hag!” Karnage snarled. He snatched the plaque from her, crammed it in her mouth, and pushed her off the stage where she landed on top of Detective Thursday.

Mayor Tuskany ran around in confused circles, shouting incoherent orders. “This is anarchy! This is an outrage!”

“No, it is pirating!” Karnage said. He doubled over laughing when the mayor lost his balance and fell off the stage only to land on Mrs. Sara Coopersmith-Fitzwarren-Goldenheimer-Stein and Detective Thursday.

Vexed with the entire situation, Shere Khan murmured in Owen’s ear, “Call out the air force.”

“Yes, sir.”

Owen snaked his way through the mob of hysterical people to get to a payphone. With shaky fingers, he put a nickel into the slot and dialed the number. “H...hello, Commander Meander? This is...um,” watching a pirate with a saber chase a screaming slim brunette minx down the street, he momentarily forgot that he was on the phone; “uh, Owen, Shere Khan’s assis...assis...er, right-hand man. Shere Khan wants you to immediately deploy the air force to fight off these pirates.”

“That’s impossible, Owen. All of the tires have been slashed. We’re currently working on repairs.”

“T...the tires are slashed? All of them? On all the planes?” At the thought of Cape Suzette being completely defenseless, a cold sweat broke out on Owen’s forehead; he absently wiped it away with his palm.

“Allof them. We’re completely baffled as to who did it,” the commander replied grimly.

A scruffy brown canine knocked on the door of the payphone booth. The husky pirate, who towered over the phone booth, said in a sing-song voice, “Time’s up, shorty.”

Owen glanced timidly up at the pirate, who had an evil, toothy grin on his face. “Um, I...I think I have a very good idea who did it. Gotta go,” he said quickly, hanging up the phone. He eyed the gun in the pirate’s hand. He almost hoped that the pirate would kill him. It would be preferable to relating the bad news to Shere Khan.

Back to the Stage

While pandemonium reigned around him, Shere Khan sat stoically on stage. Flicking his sharp claws in an out, he said quietly, but menacingly, “You double-crossed us, Karnage.”

Clomping across the stage to the tiger businessman, Don Karnage replied nonchalantly, “Are you surprised? A pirate does what a pirate has to do. Plunder!” Seemingly unconscious of the cannon shells falling around them, he said airily, “I was saying to myself a few months ago - ‘Self, why are we messing with the small french fries when we could have the whole enchilada? We need to go after something big, something grand, something that would look good on a T-shirt.’”

Gibber whispered in his ear.

“Yes...my face would look excellemundo on a T-shirt, but why would we conquer my face?” His expression contorted into a savage snarl as he poked his sword at Khan’s chest. “We are going on a little field trip.” He prodded Khan into the back of a nearby police car.

With Gibber at the wheel, they started down the street. Pedestrians had to jump out of their path.

Karnage, sitting beside Khan, said, “Now, we talk business, big-time businessman. You have something that I want.”

As if being kidnapped by pirates was an everyday occurrence, Khan simply quirked an eyebrow. “What, pray tell, is that?”

“Everything! I want your everything!”

“Khan Industries?” Khan said icily.

“Prezactly! Your building has everything we need - top-secret equipment, an unlimited power supply, and lots and lots of swivelly chairs. Those are fun. Hee-hee.” Karnage cleared his throat and instantly became serious. “And you’re going to help us get what we want - all your money and power.”

“Why should I?” Khan said, staring balefully at the pirate captain.

“Corroborate or you will be skewered like the shish-kabob.” He pressed the tip of his sword into Khan’s chest where it gouged a hole in the ten thousand dollar suit coat.

“Forget it, Karnage,” Khan retorted. He coolly pushed the sword away and dusted off the front of his suit. “You will not get any assistance from me, despite your empty threats.”

“Empty?” Karnage’s jaw tightened. Khan’s utter disregard of the pirate captain’s ultimatums as well as his cold demeanor made Karnage’s blood boil. No one ignored Don Karnage and got away with it.

The police car screeched to a halt in front of Khan Towers. Karnage flung open the door and got out. Grabbing Khan by the lapels, he hissed between gritted teeth, “I’ll show you empty, Mr. Shere Khan. You’ll see your dominion topple pell-mell from the top floor.”

Five minutes later, Shere Khan was looking ninety stories down at the city of Cape Suzette. However, he wasn’t in his office. He was on a ledge outside of his living quarters, which were above his office. The warm wind whistled past his ears as he glared at the pirates on the other side of the glass. "I'm not amused, Karnage," he said loudly.

Karnage tapped on the glass and put a hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you! Oh, one more thing - watch that first step. It’s a Doozyburg.” Laughing, he walked away from the window. Gibber thumbed his nose at Khan before following Karnage to the elevator.

A moment later, the elevator door opened in Khan’s office. Humming a silly little off-key tune, Karnage strutted across the room and sank into Khan’s chair. He pushed the intercom button. “Attention, everyone in the Khan building. This is Don Karnage here, speaking to you in my voice. I am now in charge! Get me...oh, let’s start with something small.” Thinking, he tapped his index finger against his chin. Then, his eyes lit up. “I know! The world. That will be all.” He twirled until he was dizzy in Khan’s chair.

The Sea Duck

Rebecca reflexively clenched her fingers around the armrests as the Sea Duck dove sharply in a Pelican Dive. She watched as the blue ocean loomed closer and closer. Her voice dripped with bitterness when she said, “This is not how I planned to be spending my wedding day.”

“Yeah, we were s’posed ta be dancin’ with each other, not pirates.” Baloo pulled the seaplane out of the dive, causing the CT-37 that was pursuing them to splash into the harbor. “An’ chowin’ down on cake, mints, nuts...oh, I forgot.” He dug into his pocket and produced a handful of mints and nuts. “Here’s some yummies for your tummy, Becky.”

Aunt Louise’s voice crackled over the radio, “How’s it goin’, Baloo?”

Baloo put the munchies into his wife’s hands before picking up the microphone. “Okay on this end. How ‘bout you?”

“Fine and dandy as candy, Randy,” she said jauntily.

“That’s your opinion, Aunt Louise,” said Louie’s quaking voice.

“Seems there’s a big piratical shindig goin’ on downtown.”

Baloo shared a look with Rebecca. “We’ll check it out. Can you handle these pirates by yourself?”

“Can Louise L’Amour handle pirates?” She laughed disdainfully. “Piece of carrot cake. Watch those pirates in those pathetic excuses for planes eat my prop wash.” To the pirates, she jeered, “Hey, boys, it’s time to play follow-the-leader. Bet you can’t do this!”

“No one can do that!” Louie screamed hysterically over the radio. “Pull up, Aunt Louise! Oh, maaaaaaaaaaaaaan!”

TheSea Duck banked left towards downtown Cape Suzette.

“Baloo, look!” Rebecca said, pointing to the top of Khan Towers. Usland’s flag had been replaced by a Jolly Roger flag.

“So that’s what Karny’s up to. He’s taken over Khan Towers.”

“And made it his fortress.” The Sea Duck landed on an empty street a few blocks away from Khan Towers. “What are we going to do, Baloo?”

Baloo, fiddling his fingers on the control yoke, thought for a moment. Then, he went to the cargo hold and began rummaging through his junk trunk, throwing things over his shoulder as he dug. “I got an idea, an’ I got an idea that you’re gonna hate it.”

“What?” Rebecca ducked as an empty coffee can and a set of bongos hurtled towards her head.

“Promise ya won’t get mad?”

Rebecca, her temper flaring, snapped, “Spit it out, flyboy!”

He held up his Aloha Night Band costume - a gaudy, frilly pink and orange dress - then tossed it aside. He continued to search. “Yer gonna hafta trade yer riches for rags. Ah-ha!” He showed her a beige shirt and a pair of torn khakis.

“You’re right; I hate it!” Rebecca grabbed the ugly clothes from him, grimaced with distaste, and threw them to the floor. “Besides, I’m not leaving my beautiful two hundred dollar dress behind for some thieving pirate!”

Baloo chuckled. “What - do ya

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