The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt - Megan Mcdonald [3]
“But it doesn’t have a bridal veil,” said Judy.
“It does if it’s flying a white flag,” Stink said.
“All I know is that churches have brides.”
Judy was right. Churches did have brides. What a bilge rat.
“And you could say churches are up all night,” said Judy. “You know, they’re always open in case people need them.”
“Flagpoles are up all night, too,” said Stink.
“But they take the flag down at the end of the day.”
“Scumbuckets!” Stink said. Judy was right again. “But what about the weeping? People cry when somebody dies, and the flag is put at half mast.”
Stink had a point. “But people cry in churches, too,” Judy said. “Like at a wedding. I say church.”
“Flagpole,” said Stink.
“Church.”
“FLAGPOLE!”
“Hey! I call Pirate Rule Number Eight. No fighting,” said Judy.
“That’s only aboard ship,” said Stink.
“I give in,” said Judy. “Let’s go to both places.”
Judy craned her head back and squinted up at the flagpole outside the post office. “Stink, this flag isn’t white.”
“It’s white between the red stripes,” said Stink.
“Oh, brother. C’mon, let’s go to the church,” said Judy. But when they got to the church, it was locked.
“Aha! So it’s not up all night,” said Stink.
“At least it’s tall and white and has brides,” said Judy. But no Assistant Pirate with a sash was anywhere in sight.
“Think. What else is tall?” Stink looked up, down, and all around. He saw the lighthouse sticking out of the trees. “A lighthouse is tall!”
“And painted white!” said Judy.
“And it has a light that’s shiny bright!” said Stink.
“And it’s up all night!” said Judy. “And if it stops, ships will crash on the rocks.”
“To the lighthouse!” said Stink, pointing the way.
The lighthouse stood tall, blinking in the sun. Stink squinted to read the plaque. “This lighthouse is so old.”
“I know,” said Judy.
“It’s almost two hundred years old,” said Stink.
“I know.”
“This lighthouse is so tall,” said Stink.
“I know.”
“It’s like seventy-five feet tall.”
“I know.”
“King Kong was only twenty-five feet tall.”
“I know.”
“You can see the light if you’re fourteen miles away at sea.”
“I know.”
“They used to have to light it like a candlewick, in whale oil.”
“I know.”
“Every lighthouse has its own pattern of blinks, so ships will know where they are,” said Stink.
“I — what?” Judy asked.
“Some even use Morse code. Didn’t you know?” asked Stink.
“No, I didn’t know lighthouses blinked out a secret message in Morse code. Rare!” said Judy. “Stink, you’re a genius.”
“So how do we find the next clue?” Stink asked.
Judy wasn’t listening. She was watching Tall Boy and Smart Girl talking to a park ranger. A park ranger wearing a pirate sash! “Let’s go talk to that lady Assistant Pirate.”
The park ranger had short curly hair and a Smokey-the-Bear hat. She smiled at Judy and Stink. “What’s the password?” she whispered.
“Um . . . lighthouse?” they whispered at the same time.
“You just earned five pieces o’ eight!”
Five! The ranger reached into a bucket and poured coins into Stink’s hands. They jingled all the way.
Stink dug into his backpack, pulled out a shiny red pouch, and tied it to his belt. “This’ll be for all our pirate booty. We have six already!”
“Ye better guard that booty with your life,” said the ranger. “There be pirates all over these parts!” Then she handed them the next clue.
Judy and Stink sat on a driftwood log and opened the clue.
-... .-.. .- -.-. -.- -... . .- .-. -..
“It’s in Morse code!” said Stink.
“Morse code? Oh, no! We don’t have a clue what this means.”
“Who says?” Stink reached into his survival backpack again.
“Shh!” said Judy. “Spies on deck. Spies on deck.”
“You have the map,” they heard Tall Boy tell Smart Girl. “Where’s the library?”
“The library!” Judy whispered. “Good idea. Let’s go —”
Stink held up a spiral notebook with Morse code on the cover.
“You have Morse code in your survival kit?” Judy asked.
“You never know when you might get marooned on a desert island, like Gilligan’s Island, and have to send out a rescue signal.”
“Stink, have I told you lately you’re a genius?”
Stink grinned.