SARGASSO SAILS

CHAPTER 12

THE BATTLE AT SEA



   The plan seemed simple enough; coconuts filled with cane liquor were to be tossed at the enemy, thus immobilizing them. The Irogators could then close in and finish the Coners off with their hardwood paddles. The only problem seemed to lie in the fact that most of the ammunition had been consumed at the jam session. Bunky and Nelligan had returned to their respective islands to procure reinforcements.
   As we prepared to meet the approaching forces, the sky became increasingly gloomier. The volcano on Konkerland was spewing out dark clouds of ash and smoke, intimidating us as we drew closer. Then for the first time ever, it began to rain in the Summerlands. The astonished islanders did not quite know what to make of it, but they held fast in grim determination.
   Wave after wave of mollusks were approaching. the Irogators paddled off to confront them. The plan worked well for a while and caused a lot of mayhem in the front ranks of the mollusks. The Coners were sinking by the dozens. Then, sure enough, the Irogators ran out of ammunition and were reduced to using their paddles.
   Now the tide had turned and the Irogators were in retreat. A couple of dugouts had been attacked and their occupants harpooned by the Coners. The clacking of their teeth in their death throes was unbearable. Akviro paddled back to Sargasso breathlessly saying:
   -We are finished. We are being overwhelmed. What is taking Bunky and Nelligan so long? With that said, he paddled back towards Mangroville with the remaining Irogators. There were a few stragglers that had been overcome by the Konkers. It was a pitiful sight. Their hideous cries were hard to endure.
   Throwing all passivism aside, I unfurled the jib and sailed straight for the Coners. It was a piteous sight as the straggling Irogators fought for their lives. Then I spotted Kayaya. A big Triton had her by the foot as she swatted her paddle at her other assailants. Coners were slithering over the gunwales of her dugout. They paused as they saw Sargasso bearing down on them. In that instant, Kayaya brought her paddle down hard on the Triton, and smashed it to pieces. Blood pouring from her foot, she turned the dugout around and started paddling for her life.
   There were still hundreds of Konkers giving chase as I rushed to the foredeck. Thank goodness I had remembered to fill the jerry cans. I had three jerry cans full of gasoline that were lashed to the stanchions. The fuel was intended for the outboard of the dinghy that was back in Key West. I started emptying them overboard until the water had an oily film on top. Then I lit a smoke and threw it as far as I could. The sea came alive with fire and smoke. It decimated a good third of their fleet. Now I was out of gas, and tacked to return to Mangroville.
   To my surprise, the rest of the Konkers were heading back towards Konkerland. I was about to congratulate myself until I saw the reason for their panic. About a dozen bamboo rafts were heading our way. Bunky stood on front of the leading raft, 'Tuk Tukking' away. The Irogators paddled out to greet them and get resupplied.
   At the same time, Rastjahzz had cleverly concocted a series of catapaults, and the Jahstamoments were pelting the Konkers with fruit bombs. The acid in the bombs was eating through the shells of the retreating Konkers. I had to duck as their projectiles wizzed over the cockpit. A dozen more Coners met their watery demise.
   Once the Konkers were out of range, an aerial assault began. Lead by Nelligan, the combined forces of the Peliguins, Mccormants and O'Henries were dive bombing the enemy. It was a total rout! We had sent them reeling. Only about a dozen Coners limped back to Konkerland. Nelligan crash landed on Bunky's raft. I suspected that he was in need of some Bam. There was much cause for celebration.
   On our return to Mangroville, we could see Akviro tending to Kayaya's foot. Part of it was missing. She would spend the rest of her life walking with a limp. When he had finished with Kayaya, Akviro stood and said:
   -We have won the battle but not the war. Now it's our turn to attack.


ON TO CHAPTER 13 "ATTACK ON KONKERLAND"
GET ME OUTTA HERE...CONERS ARE EATING MY FOOT