Part 33 (1/2)

”Well done, Mr. Hook,” said Leonard. Hook's lips twisted into what could possibly be described as a smile.

”Slightly!” called Leonard. ”Take your crew and man the starboard cannons.”

”Yes sir,” answered Slightly, climbing quickly down the rigging. Reaching the deck, he paused and said, ”Which one is starboard again?”

”That side.” Leonard smiled, pointing to the right.

The De Vliegen soared over the capsized canoes. The Scorpions, already spooked by the porpoise-and-mermaid attack, pointed and shouted in fear as the dripping hull pa.s.sed overhead. When the flying s.h.i.+p had pa.s.sed over the Scorpions, Hook put it into a starboard turn; the s.h.i.+p was now between the island and the dozens of swamped canoes. One by one, the porpoises and mermaids surfaced beneath the s.h.i.+p, forming a line in the water.

The Scorpions struggled to get their canoes righted; they bailed them out with their bare hands. They had recovered some of their paddles, but most of their bows, arrows, and spears were lost. They now faced a choice: they could try to get back to the island, which meant fighting their way past the demonic sea creatures that had capsized their canoes and the flying s.h.i.+pa”a flying s.h.i.+p!a”only to face the wrath of their chief, a man who was not merciful to those who had failed him. Or they could do something unthinkable for a Scorpion warriora”retreat.

BOOM!.

The fire-thrower blazed from the s.h.i.+p's side; a cannonball hurtled across the water, barely missing a just-righted canoe. It skipped twice across the water before sinking.

BOOM!.

A second balla”this one blasted an overturned canoe to smithereens as the warriors who had been in it swam for their lives.

The mermaids, hooting and whistling, began swimming toward the Scorpions. The porpoises, squeaking and clicking and dancing high on their tails, did the same.

The Scorpions were panicked. How could they fight this enemy?

BOOM!.

Another ball whistled past.

The line of mermaids and porpoises drew closer. One of the canoes in their path began to turn away, its occupants using hands and paddles to escape the oncoming creatures. Another canoe turned with them, then another, then anothera Panic swept through the Scorpions as the unthinkable became thinkable. They all turned away, every canoe, the entire attack force, paddling out to sea as fast as they could, away from these magical foes, away from their wrathful chief, away forever from this cursed island.

A cheer went up on board the De Vliegen. ”Cease firing!” Leonard shouted to Slightly and the gun crew below. A moment later Peter landed on the deck next to him, soon joined by Molly.

”That was brilliant, Father,” she said.

”The credit goes to Mr. Hook and the crew,” said Leonard.

I beg your pardon? chimed Tink, alighting on Peter's shoulder.

”Not to mention Admiral Tinker Bell and her naval forces,” said Leonard.

Tink glowed brighter with the compliment.

Peter watched the Scorpions paddle toward the horizon. ”Is that all of them, do you think?” he asked.

”Not likely,” said Leonard, his voice suddenly grim. ”They wouldn't have left the Mollusks unguarded. There will be more of them on the island, and they will be well-armed. We'll have to face them without the element of surprise, anda”unless we can get them into the watera”without the help of Ammm or the mermaids. We've improved our odds considerably, but I fear we may still be in for a battle.”

Just then the De Vliegen lurched again, this time more violently than the first time. Leonard looked at Hook, who shrugged, having no idea of the cause. Peter quickly vaulted over the side. He returned less than a minute later with a worried look on his face.

”The bulge is worse,” he said. ”There's a good-sized crack in the hull now.”

Leonard and Hook exchanged glances.

”It didn't do her no good, coming down in the water,” said Hook. ”No telling how long she'll hold together.”

”No,” agreed Leonard. ”If we're going to attack, we must do it now.” Leonard looked his crew over. ChildrenaBut what choice was there?

”Mr. Hook, make your course for the Mollusk camp.”

CHAPTER 71.

THE MONSTROUS MAW.

THE SCORPION CHIEF, surrounded by four of his senior warriors, had watched the water battle with disbelief from a rock outcropping just above the compound. He had watched his warriors paddle their canoes toward the s.h.i.+p; had watched as they were attacked and overturned by sea creatures, both natural and unnatural. He had watcheda”though at first he doubted his eyesa”the s.h.i.+p rise from the sea as though its sails were wings, then fly over his men, and finally turn and fire on them.

And he had watched in disbelief, then fury, as his mena”Scorpion warriorsa”had fled to the sea. He watched them for a full minute, then spat on the ground. Cowards. He knew every man in those canoes. When the time came, he would find them and kill them all.

But first he had to deal with the flying s.h.i.+p. It was turning now, clearly coming to the island. The chief glared at it. If the men on that s.h.i.+p expected to frighten the Scorpions on the island into fleeing, they were greatly mistaken.

He would see to that.

s.h.i.+ning Pearl emerged from the thick jungle onto the path. The pirates stumbled out behind her one by one, the last being Smee.

s.h.i.+ning Pearl held her finger to her lips for quiet, and they all listened for a moment. They heard the now-familiar cras.h.i.+ng sounds of Mister Grin following them, but the sounds were coming from farther away than they had been. s.h.i.+ning Pearl allowed herself a small smile. She had deliberately led the pirates through a part of the jungle where the trees grew very close together. It had been hard going for the pirates, squeezing between the trunks; but it had been harder still for the monster croc. They had gained both distance and precious time.

”Where does this path lead?” said Boggs.

”To the village,” said s.h.i.+ning Pearl, pointing. ”It's not far now.”

Boggs started to speak again, but he was interrupted by the sound echoing from the direction of the village.

”What was that?” said Smee.

”That's a cannon,” said Hurky.

”And what is that?” said Boggs, pointing skyward.

”That,” said Hurky, not quite believing his own words, ”is a flying s.h.i.+p.”

”Fire two!” shouted Leonard.

BOOM!.

The second ball whistled through the air. This one, better aimed than the first, smashed a hole through the high tree-trunk wall surrounding the Mollusk compound.

”Fine shot, Mr. Slightly!” shouted Leonard.

”They don't seem pleased about it,” observed Hook, gazing down at the Scorpion warriors. They were swarming beneath the De Vliegen, shouting and shooting arrows up at it. But the s.h.i.+p, thanks to Hook's deft airmans.h.i.+p, was just out of reach of all but the strongest archers. The few arrows that reached the s.h.i.+p had lost most of their velocity and bounced harmlessly off the hull.