“It’s not gone. It’s not,” Adri declared. She was sitting on the deck of the Peregrine Dragon, her writing notebook open in front of her, but forgotten. Her muses, Windsplitter and Sulfur, were looking at her anxiously.

“We just saw him yesterday!” Babs said, equally disbelieving. Falconfyre sat idly petting Saba, the crew’s white tiger, and wondering why, as the King’s Biographer, she had not been alerted of such groundbreaking news in advance. La Mer, having just rejoined the crew after taking shore leave, had been equally shocked to hear the news.

Tails had left her customary perch in the captain’s chair and had joined them on deck. She was sharpening her cutlass, dangerously sharp, while muttering to herself, “That be the *last* time he ever leaves without an escort!”

TJ, Blue, and Red stood near the rail. “How long have they been like this?” Red asked.

“Ever since they heard the news. It hasn’t been pretty,” TJ answered.

“The King leaves the ship for one day and he gets his hair cut off,” Blue said, shaking his head.

Starhawk had joined them onboard the ship, offering her condolences on the loss of the King’s hair. “How did you receive the news?” she asked.

“Phoenix delivered it last night,” Blue said.

“I spend one night off the ship getting concert tickets and everything changes!” Adri muttered, talking mostly to herself. She got a far-off look in her eyes for a moment. “No!” she shouted, jumping up and startling her muses. “See, this is a trick. It has to be.”

“What’s a trick?” the Dread Pirate Thomas asked, as he made yet another of his mysterious entrances.

“Captain! You’re back!” Tails shrieked, running up to greet him.

“And you have your hair!” the Oliverettes cheered together.

“Umm, yeah, I do,” King Thomas said, smoothing his ponytail and glancing behind him as if he expected someone to be sneaking up on him with a pair of scissors.

“But we were told that JDF got his hair cut,” Red pointed out.

“Well,” La Mer eyed their King up and down, then down and up, then up and down again, then realized everyone was waiting for her to continue. “He looks to have it all to me.”

“Of course!” Falconfyre cried, snapping her fingers. “It’s Oliverette logic!” she smiled happily as she too jumped up.

“Aye matey!” La Mer assented. “That be what it is!”

King Thomas looked bewildered at the Oliverettos, who could only shrug, as they did not understand what the Oliverettes were up to either.

“Yeah,” Babs joined in. “Just because JDF got his hair cut, it doesn’t mean the King did!”

“Oh no,” TJ muttered, “they’re in denial.”

“How is it denial? He’s standing right there, uncut and gorgeous,” Tails sighed. “Not that we wouldn’t still love him no matter how long his hair was,” she added.

“It’s Oliverette logic,” Adri explained to the Oliverettos, “Like this schooner that flies in deep space, it works ‘cause we want it to,” she smirked.

“Sounds like denial to me,” Red said.

“Oliverettes obviously have their own names for everything,” Starhawk smirked.

“Oh, and like you don’t, Ms. Intense Focus,” Adri teased. Starhawk stuck her tongue out at Adri, prompting a similar response in return.

“Save it for your Notice pages, mates!” Falconfyre said, smiling at the two.

“Do I want to know what you’re talking about?” King Thomas threatened, grinning.

“Umm, no,” Tails winked.

“It’s most likely safer if I don’t,” he admitted.