There was tension in the air.

The pirate ship was rocking on the waves. At one point, a lifeboat was lowered from it, which began to sail towards the shore. You could see that the white flag was fluttering in the wind.

- Don't shoot - George ordered - We'll see what they want.

Everyone waited for the lifeboat to reach the port.

There were five cats in it. One of them was leaning against the pole of the white flag.

As the lifeboat approached the quay, Max felt fear growing inside him. However, he was very curious about what the pirates would talk about with the city delegates, led by his grandfather. So he quietly crept up to the quay, hiding behind the bollards until he was close enough to hear every word.

The pirate lifeboat reached the quay, and the cats inside looked confident and ready for anything. One of them, an old pirate with a piercing gaze and scarred gray fur, stepped forward.

- Which one of you is George VMax?" - he asked in a hoarse voice.

Without a shadow of fear, George stepped forward, looking the pirate straight in the eye.

- It's me. What do you want? - he replied firmly.

The old pirate pulled a letter in a sealed envelope out of his bag and handed it to George.

- This is a message from Lame Joe. Read it and give us your answer, because this may be your only chance to avoid trouble.

George tore open the envelope, and as he began to read, his expression changed to serious. After a moment of silence, he handed the letter to Jack, and then to the Harbormaster. The words in the note made everyone around them wait in suspense.

- This is some kind of joke, - Jack growled - We absolutely do not agree to this!

- There's no way we're going to accept those terms - ​​the Harbormaster added, handing the letter back to George.

George turned to the pirates, clenching his fists.

- You heard the answer. No deals with Lame Joe. Tell him we won't bow to pirates. Stay away from our town, or you'll regret it if you try anything.

The old pirate looked at George with a slight smile, as if the answer didn't surprise him at all.

- Oh, George... Joe doesn't ask. Joe takes. You may think you're in control, but you'll soon see how fragile the security you're trying to maintain is. You remember how many times the pirates visited this place before One-Eyed Joe showed up? We're coming back... and we have plans of our own. - The pirate looked at Max, who was hiding behind the bollards.

- The boy should learn a good lesson about real life. What's coming will change everything.

George tensed his muscles, ready to defend himself. He looked at the pole the old pirate was looking at and saw the tip of a tail peeking out from behind it. He immediately guessed that Max was hiding behind the pole.

- If you think Felinopolis is going to surrender, you're wrong. You've got one chance to sail away and never come back. One-Eyed Joe may be gone, but we're still here.

The old pirate just shrugged.

- See you sooner than you think, George. And then we'll be calling the shots. We back to the ship! - he shouted to his companions, who took up the oars almost simultaneously.

The lifeboat began to sail away, and the old pirate took one last look at the city.

Max, despite his fear, felt that this was only the beginning. Were the pirates going to attack? And would Grandpa George be able to protect Felinopolis from the approaching danger?

To be continued.....😻

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