I am giving for the fastest The powerful waves thumped again the barnacle-encrusted hull of the ship with a sickening rhythm, rolling and tossing the ship around like a rag doll. Rusty and Walt were old hands, but even they were feeling squeamish. The pair had been sailing the high seas of French Polynesia aboard Captain Jack's ship, The Rapscallion, for almost a year now. The captain and his crew were always in search of treasure. This week, it was oysters and the elusive black pearl.

As the ship neared the coastline of a small island, the sea began to calm. The pirates could see their next hunting ground: a long stretch of golden beach. It was a beautiful sight, but both Rusty and Walt felt nauseous. This time it wasn't seasickness. They were worried they wouldn't find any pearls at all, let alone a rare, black one. Many a pirate had walked the plank for returning to the ship empty-handed. Captain Jack was a bad egg. He was as cunning as a fox but mean and nasty, too. If he didn't get his way, there would be trouble.

"The world's your oyster, men!" Captain Jack shouted as the crew climbed down into the row boats and headed to shore. "Or should I say, my oyster!" he continued, laughing maniacally. "Don't let me down, or it will be the plank for you!"

Walt was Rusty's best friend, but he hated being paired with him on these search missions. Walt was lazy as a sloth. He liked to stand around calling out orders while Rusty did all the hard work. This time was no different. While Rusty dug for oysters, Walt stood in the shade, pointing at any shellfish he thought looked promising. Rusty pried oyster after oyster open but found no pearls. He was scanning the beach for more oysters when he realized he hadn't heard Walt's commands in a while. That's when he turned and saw that Walt was asleep under a palm tree! Rusty was a bull seeing red. He'd had enough. He picked up an oyster and threw it at his friend. It hit Walt square on the head with a resounding thud.

"Owww!" Walt screeched, sitting up abruptly and rubbing his head. "Whatcha do that for, Rusty," he stopped as suddenly as he'd sat up. "Well, looky here, Rusty, you found a black pearl after all!"

Rusty ran over. He could barely believe his eyes when he saw the small, shiny black peal in Walt's hand. The pair wouldn't be walking the plank this time. They were safe for another day.

"I guess what they say is true," laughed Rusty. "Two heads are better than one!"

Read the story A Treasured Companion:

Monty Dover lived a double life. As far as anyone was concerned, he was just a professor that taught ancient civilizations courses at a local university. He may have appeared to be a quiet, nerdy type, but he was actually an adventurous raider of tombs!