Waiting at the base of the cliff where it joined the beach, Annabel was completely camouflaged. Her cloak blended in so perfectly with the surrounding dirt and stones that, even had someone walked within arm's reach of her, they would not have thought her to be anything other than a natural part of the cliff.

Standing there as the rowboat neared the beach, she wondered, Why are there three men? She had expected only the one man from whose room her cloak had been recovered. Remembering how she worded her note, Annabel realized she had not specifically stated that he come alone. Not that it mattered, of course. An army of people would not see her until she was ready.

As the rowboat touched shore, the man in front stepped out. Average in height and weight, he wore his dark hair cut short, just barely reaching his shoulders. It's a style more for comfort and ease-of-care than appearance, Annabel thought. She wasn't sure of his age. If he were Noordan, I'd guess around thirty. Looking at him standing there, she had the oddest feeling, almost as if she knew him already.

Watching the man closely as he looked up and down the shore, she saw him turn and look in her general direction. His eyes, she noted, were a pewter grey. Unexpectedly, he spoke to her. "Hello, Annabel Tooke. I'm pleased that we finally meet."

Hearing her name and the direct manner this gentleman addressed her caused Annabel to start. That's impossible, she thought. There's no way he can see me. Regaining her composure, she replied, "How is it you know I am here?" She was pleased to see the startled reactions the sound of her voice caused the other two men.

"Why, because you said you would be. I believe you to be a lady who keeps her word."

Annabel relaxed. He couldn't see her after all. "Thank you. Before we continue, may I ask if you have the item with you?"

Jason reached into his pocket and removed the Mindspin key. He held it up for her to see. "The Mindspin key is here. I apologize for the key not being in your cloak when you recovered it. I had removed it from your cloak earlier in the week for examination and neglected to return it. Besides," and he gave her a most impish smile, "I didn't know you were to pay me a visit last night."

Annabel looked closely at the gentleman standing before her. She had been concerned that he would be angry with her for invading his room the way she had, yet the emotion she felt from him was... curiosity. Most interesting. "Yes. I had you at a disadvantage last night and you have me at one today. You know my name, but I do not know yours."

"I shall remedy that at once, then. My name is Jason. The gentlemen with me are our ship's captain, Philip, and our ship's doctor, Henry." Each of them acknowledged his introduction with a slight bow of the head.

"Good morning, gentlemen. I hope that I am pleased to make your acquaintances." Annabel wasn't certain why three of them had decided to come here rather than only one, but she felt no danger from any of the men. In fact, she was getting a feeling of quiet amusement from Philip. Henry she couldn't quite read, but he definitely wasn't threatening. "Jason, will you take the key and place it on the sand five paces in front of where you now stand?"

"Gladly." Jason stepped forward as asked and then laid the key on the sand.

"Thank you. Now, will you return to where you were standing next to the boat?"

Jason turned around and moved back to where he had been standing. He decided to do this rather than back up while still facing Annabel's direction. His intent was not lost on her. When he had gotten back to his spot, he turned back around.

This, thought Annabel, is a man I can trust. There is nothing devious at all about him. With that thought, Annabel removed the hood of her cloak and allowed the cloak to stop hiding her.

All three men jumped at her sudden appearance. None of them had ever experienced anything like it before.

Philip was right, thought Henry, she is young. Very young. Henry momentarily angered. Too young to be on this quest by herself! He calmed as he more closely observed her. She seems to be healthy enough, though I’ll know more when I see her move. It seems that Jason may have been unnecessarily concerned regarding her condition. Thankfully.

Annabel walked forward from against the cliff base and retrieved the key. She looked at it to make certain it was undamaged and then placed it in her cloak. She smiled at the three men and said, "Thank you. You have completely changed the course of my life from what I expected it might be this time yesterday."

Jason was thrilled to know they had arrived in time to allow her to return to her home. He gave her a huge smile.

Annabel wanted to return his smile, for she had been studying the men carefully since they arrived and felt they were no danger to her. How strange this is, she mused. I have only met them, yet I do seem to know them. And not just one, but all three.

What Annabel didn't know was that her wand, which had spent most of the week with these men, did know them. It was the wand's feelings toward Jason, Philip and Henry that were affecting her. Realizing something was amiss, but not certain what, she understood that this was no time to get careless. There was one important question that required asking. "Are you pirates?"

"Pirates? No, Henry and I are in our country's navy. So are all the other men on my ship as well as all the men on the other ship. Jason, well, he's not in the navy, but he is helping the navy out with a device he invented. Why do you ask if we are pirates?"

"Because there are pirates here." Annabel reached into her pocket and removed the pistol ball she had withdrawn from the tree. She placed it on her upturned palm for them to see. "One of them injured a tree that was close to me with this. I needed to make sure you weren't some of them."

Philip stood up. "Annabel, may I see that?"

She nodded and moved forward so he could take the ball from her palm.

"It's a pistol ball, Annabel. Had you ever seen one before this?"

Annabel shook her head 'no'.

Philip was very grave as he addressed her. "This is shot out, at an extremely high rate of speed, of a device called a pistol. A pistol is a very dangerous weapon small enough to be held in one hand. Were they shooting at you when they shot the tree?"

Annabel listened to the unfamiliar terms, trying to understand Philip's meaning. Believing she understood his question, she replied. "I think they may have been." She looked slightly embarrassed. "I had just pilfered their food stores and was in the process of escaping."

All three men looked at her in amazement. Finally, Philip found his voice. "You took some of their food? But, how did they see you? Couldn't you be invisible the way you were when we arrived a few minutes ago?"

Annabel shook her head. "No. I can never be invisible. If I am wearing my cloak, I can be concealed. But I didn't have my cloak. It was on your ship..."

Philip appraised her once again as he realized her bravery. "You are lucky to have escaped, Annabel. When did you have time to retrieve the pistol ball from the tree?"

She shrugged. "Oh, I did that after I went back to their camp and emptied out the containers of grey powder and pistol balls. I also took their pistols and buried them where they wouldn't be found."

"Oh my..." Henry rubbed his forehead as he looked at her with real concern. "Annabel, do you realize what would have happened to you if the pistol ball had hit you instead of the tree?"

"I don't really know. I've never seen a pistol or pistol ball before. What could something so small do?"

"You saw what it did to the tree?"

She nodded.

"It would have done the same thing to you. And it is very likely it would have killed you."

Annabel looked at the small ball still held in Philip's hand. "How could something that small..."

Jason spoke up. This was something he understood. "It's a matter of physics, Annabel. Though the ball is very small, it travels extremely fast. The force it would impact with is equal to its mass time its acceleration. It's really very simple..."

"That's enough, Jason." Henry looked at Annabel. "Just trust us, Annabel. You want to stay out of the way of pistol balls."

"Force equals mass times acceleration?" She thought about this concept and what it meant. Annabel then nodded as she understood its implication, touching the side of her head as she remembered the injury she had sustained the day she arrived here. "I believe you. Still, I haven't heard this word 'physics' before. What does it mean, Jason?"

Before Jason could speak, however, Philip said, "Make it brief."

Jason nodded his understanding. If there were pirates around, time was critical. "Briefly, Annabel, physics is the science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two. It is grouped into various disciplines such as acoustics, mechanics, optics, and thermodynamics."

He pointed at the pistol ball. "With a pistol ball, there is a certain amount of energy expended when it is shot out of the pistol. There is a similar amount of energy required to stop it. In your case, that energy was supplied by a tree. At other times... We can discuss that later if you would like."

"Later, yes, if time allows." She turned to Philip, who held the pistol ball out to her. She quietly accepted it and then returned it to her pocket.

Knowing he spoke for Henry and Jason, as well as himself, Philip said "We're relieved to know that you escaped unharmed. The pirates are very bad people." Turning, he pointed at Undaunted. "The people on that ship are searching for the pirates. Their orders are to find the pirates and stop them from harming any more people or sinking any more ships. So far, the pirates have eluded them."

Annabel looked at Undaunted and then thought of its size compared to that of the pirate ship. She thought that it didn't compare favorably, but decided not to mention it. After all, what did she know about ships? "Your people haven't found them because the pirate ship is hidden in an inlet that can't be seen from the open sea."

"Can you lead us to them? I mean, will you lead us to them?"

Annabel studied Philip's face as she considered her response. "That, Captain, depends."

"May I ask on what does it depend?"

"Certainly. Time, for one thing. The device that sent me here did so for a period of seven days. At the end of the seven days, it will retrieve me. Today is my seventh day. If I am correct as to when I arrived, the time for me to return will be sometime this afternoon. Probably in six to eight hours time from now.

Another thing it depends on is what you plan to do to the pirates. If you plan to kill them, or get some of your men killed, I cannot lead you to them. I don't know you or your people, but mine don't kill. So, you see, if killing is involved, then I cannot lead you to them."

Annabel gave them time to consider her words. "That probably sounds odd judging that I know the pirates have killed. I overheard them talking about it. But, if you can solve the pirate problem without killing, and you can do so during the time that I am here, then I will take you to where they are now hiding."

"Annabel, we can leave within the half hour. I don't think time will be a problem. As to not killing them, I must talk with Captain Broussard, the Captain of the other ship. We will not ask you to do this if it is against your beliefs. Now, if you will excuse me, I must gather my officers and meet with Captain Broussard. Jason, do you wish to stay here with Miss Tooke, or return to the ship with us? If we agree to Miss Tooke's terms, I will return within thirty minutes and escort you both back to the ship."

"Excuse me, Captain. Why would we go to the ship? The pirates can best be reached by traveling overland."

"Overland?"

"Yes, Captain. They are not that far distant from here."

Philip rubbed his jaw. "Miss Tooke, maybe it would be helpful if you joined us now and explained the situation to everyone. Will you do that?"

Annabel hadn't expected that question! Think, Annabel! She turned to Jason. "Jason, I need a question answered. What is the reason that Philip brought his ship here?"

"Why, Annabel. I thought you knew. We came here to give you the Mindspin key so that you could go home."

She digested this information. "Yes, Captain, I will join you." As she stepped past Jason to get into the rowboat, she had just the tiniest bit of moisture form in the corner of her eye.