Book excerpt: Long John Silver, the antagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's book, 'Treasure Island', disappeared two and a half centuries ago and his further wanderings have remained a mystery-until now. We learn that Long John Silver survived, as his descendants are discovered on a deserted Caribbean island and brought to 21st century America. It's a story of conflict between pirates of the past and pirates of the present, as Silver's people face pirates at nearly every turn; in business, government, in the streets, at school, and in the newspaper. Regardless, the story is not all about conflict. Most people they meet have hearts of gold. And the interaction between people from different centuries will cause many a reader to laugh out loud. But in the end, Long John Silver and his people find civilization today is not as civil as they hoped, nor is America the place they wish to make their home.