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on your adventure. Now it’s time for another piece of the puzzle. Our parent volunteers will hand you a paper with some pirate words and phrases. See if you can figure out what they mean before we begin our tour of the mission.”
    â€œAwesome,” Quinn said as he took a sheet of paper from a parent. “I’ll bet we get all of them.”
    Cody looked at her sheet. This was going to be fun! The first phrase was easy—she’d heard it a million times—but the puzzle got harder as she went on down the list.
    1. Ahoy there!
    2. Avast ye!
    3. Hornswoggle
    4. Jolly Roger
    5. Parley
    6. Shiver me timbers!
    7. Freebooter
    8. Landlubber
    9. Cackle Fruit
    10. Davy Jones’s Locker
    The Code Busters translated the ten phrases, then checked their answers with one another by tapping out Morse code so no one could understand them.

    Code Buster’s Key and Solution found on this page , this page
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    Luke recognized “hornswoggle” from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Yosemite Sam often accused Bugs of hornswoggling him. Quinn and Luke both knew what a Jolly Roger was, but M.E. knew the literal translation, since she’d studied French as well as Spanish. “Jolly” was actually
jolie
, meaning “pretty,”and “roger” was
rouge
for “red.”
    Next was “parley,” and Cody knew this one from watching Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, who used the word a lot. M.E. said “parley” was actually
parlez
in French.
    â€œShiver me timbers” was obvious—the exclamation point gave it away. They guessed at “freebooter” and “landlubber,” thinking they had something to do with pirates.
    â€œÂ â€˜Cackle fruit’ is probably some kind of food,” M.E. said, then made a guess and tapped it out in Morse code. The others agreed, even though it wasn’t actually a fruit.
    â€œÂ â€˜Davy Jones’s Locker’ was in a SpongeBob cartoon,” Luke said. “Mr. Krabs ends up at the bottom of the sea in Davy Jones’s Locker filled with smelly gym socks.” He tapped out the meaning and the others compared their answers.
    Just as they finished translating the pirate slang, Ms. Stad called everyone to attention.
    â€œAll right, students. If you’ve finished the puzzle, keep it handy. In a few minutes you’ll find out theanswers. But for now I want you to follow me. We’re going into the basilica. Does anyone know what a basilica is?”
    A girl named Mia from Cody’s class raised her hand. “A church?”
    â€œCorrect! It’s a church, so please be respectful. That means quiet. I’ll lead you through it to the museum, where you’ll meet a docent who knows all about the Carmel Mission and Pirate Hippolyte de Bouchard.”
    Cody heard murmurs at the mention of the pirate’s name. The students gathered up their trash and tossed it in nearby cans, then lined up behind their teachers. Ms. Stad led the first group down the flower-lined courtyard, past the fountain, and through the wooden doors. Cold air and tall ceilings were the first things Cody noticed about the basilica. A student in the front of the line said, “Brrr!” and the word echoed throughout the cavernous chapel.
    Someone began to play the organ, and the basilica filled with the song “Ave Maria.” Cody thought it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. As she passed by the pews, headed toward the front,she noticed there were only three people in the church. An elderly woman sat in one of the dark wood pews at the back, her bent head veiled, her hands clasped in prayer. Cody wondered what the lady thought about all these kids trooping through. On the other side stood a man and a woman who seemed out of place in their baggy clothes; they had sour looks on their faces. The man was dressed in a plaid shirt and old jeans and had a long gray beard.
Is that a toothpick in his mouth?
Cody