It’s nice that the kids are connecting, even though Tommy is about a year older than Joy and Charlie, while Grace is two years younger. Joy has not been able to stop playing with 4-year-old Grace, and now that the kids are sitting on the living room floor while most of the grownups talk around the table - Grace is sitting on Joy’s legs, playing with Joy’s fingers. 

Tommy, being Tommy, gives Joy and Charlie a complete list of the games he has at home. Charlie talks about the games he has at home, which, it turns out, are not half as many as Tommy’s. 

Joy’s face grows red a bit. Her games, the ones famously confiscated during the lava god adventure, are not, uh, for kids. Suddenly, her face lights up. “I have a pirate ship!” 

“No you don’t!” Tommy says immediately. 

“Yuh-huh, she does!” Charlie helps. 

“Wanna see?” 

“You don’t!” 

“Want to see my pirate ship, Grace?” Joy asks her. 

“Piwate sheep!” Grace answers. 

Joy gets up and holds Grace in her arms. Grace is more than half her length, but Joy holds her without a problem. It's amazing to see how strong that girl is. 

The kids run out.

I look around. No one’s noticed. I think there should be at least one adult, right? 

Far more slowly than any of the kids, I walk out. 

They’re already on board Bonny’s Revenge and they’re all running around Master Mind, who stands there almost motionless. 

“You have your own robot?!” Tommy is shocked. 

“He’s a killer robot!” Joy says proudly as she holds Grace’s hand while they’re running around Maser Mind. 

“So coooool!” 

“Young Cousin,” Master Mind says. “Perhaps you misunderstand what the Little Pirate has said. I understand that in your vernacular ‘killer’ means ‘cool’. Because I am 98% cool, I am a killer killer robot. Do you understand?” 

I shake my head. That Master Mind!

“Did you ever try to kill people?” 

“I have killed many people.” 

“Did you ever try to kill Joy?”

“In truth, only a handful of people have not tried to kill Joy,” he answers. “I am not among them.” 

I frown at that. That first part does not make for a good childhood. 

“Let’s play pirates and adventure!” Joy shouts. 

“Yai!” They all shout back. 

“Right! We need weapons!” Holding Grace’s hand, Joy runs to the weapons cabinet and opens it. 

“No no no no!” I shout as loudly as possible. “Joy, stop! Justin! Justin! Joy, stop!” 

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt