Berend receives news that a distant Scottish uncle he never knew about died without offspring, leaving him heir to the Brocken castle. Now ship cook seems beneath his new dignity of laird. Butler McDoedel overhears his intent to engage the mates as staff instead of him and his daughter, cook Moyra, so he sets out to chase them or worse to save their jobs and home. He needn't have bothered, as the mates refuse to abandon pirate life, but manages to persuade Beernd that goes for him too.