A BEAR WITH A HAT!
“What in the name of the Four Archangels,” Jack roared down a minute minutes later, “is a bear doing in your boat?”
“It’s hard to explain, Captain!” Robbie yelled back. “Don’t worry! He’s friendly!”
“All bears are friendly, until they’re not! And they don’t warn you first!”
“Fine! He’s civilized! Can’t you see the hat?” Beside him, the bear shifted, and patted the headgear in question. “He’s a refugee! We have to give him succor!”
The bear itself was downright mundane, for cursed Jersey: a black bear, no visible tentacles or bubbling pools for eyes. Its head might have been a little larger than the bears back home; then again, it might have not. True, the bear was covered in mud, scratches, and dried blood, but so was everybody else in the golboats. Nobody seemed to be missing any bits, which was the important thing.
And… “All right,” Jack sighed, and signaled to his crew.. “Hoist up the boat.” Charlie made an interrogative noise, and he shrugged. “If the bear hasn’t eaten anybody’s face yet, it’s probably safe enough. Besides, if the entire crew can’t handle a damned bear, we’re all in the wrong line of work.”
So does he fight forest fires? 🙂