Barnaby "Barnacle Butt" Bartlett, a retired pickle-brine sommelier (yes, that's a real thing, in his world), hummed a jaunty sea shanty. He was stirring a vat of fermenting cucumbers. The air in his tiny, cluttered workshop was thick with the sharp, vinegary tang of dill and garlic. Outside, a gentle drizzle painted the cobblestone streets of Port Picklewick a glistening grey.
