Part 17 (2/2)

Weapons drawn, Luke, Vurg and Beau stood in the shallows, hurrying the crew past them. ”Get aboard quick, mates, loose all sails an' up anchor!”

Cordle, Denno and Dulam helped the first few over the side and set to, turning the windla.s.s to haul up the anchor.

Wild with their desire to capture a s.h.i.+p, vermin thundered recklessly into the water. Luke swung back and forth with his sword, slaying and wounding wherever he struck. Vurg hit out with his spear and Beau went at them, a club in each paw. ”Yaaah! Back, back, ye sc.u.m!”

Other vermin were coming in from both sides now, to cut the trio off from their vessel. Aboard the Sayna, Sayna, Coll and some others went to work. Hanging over the stern, they whizzed arrows and slingstones at the mob in the shallows. It was Cardo who saved the day, though. Grabbing an ax, he chopped the rear anchor free of its rope, then, heaving until he had pulled a fair length from the windla.s.s, the resourceful mouse cast the thick line into the sea. ”Grab ahold, mates, we'll haul ye aboard!” Coll and some others went to work. Hanging over the stern, they whizzed arrows and slingstones at the mob in the shallows. It was Cardo who saved the day, though. Grabbing an ax, he chopped the rear anchor free of its rope, then, heaving until he had pulled a fair length from the windla.s.s, the resourceful mouse cast the thick line into the sea. ”Grab ahold, mates, we'll haul ye aboard!”

Luke held off the closest foes while Beau seized the rope and knotted it into a wide loop, which he threw over Vurg and Luke with one wide cast, then ducked inside to join them. Bound together within the noose of anchor rope, they struck out at the surrounding attackers, with Vurg bellowing back to the s.h.i.+p, ”Heave away, mates, fast as y'like!”

Billowing sails caught the wind, whipping the Sayna Sayna out to sea. Every available crewmouse bent his back at the windla.s.s spokes, making it fly around. Luke smashed a spearhead with a swipe of his swordblade, but before he could strike at its owner, his footpaws left the seabed and he was swept away backward with Vurg and Beau pressed either side of him. Even spraying sea water slos.h.i.+ng at his mouth could not silence the hare. out to sea. Every available crewmouse bent his back at the windla.s.s spokes, making it fly around. Luke smashed a spearhead with a swipe of his swordblade, but before he could strike at its owner, his footpaws left the seabed and he was swept away backward with Vurg and Beau pressed either side of him. Even spraying sea water slos.h.i.+ng at his mouth could not silence the hare.

”Fare thee well, vermin, glub glub! G'bye, chaps, gluggle! gluggle!

With the Sayna's Sayna's outward momentum and the windla.s.s winding them in, they soon outdistanced the maddened vermin. Vurg felt his back b.u.mp hard against the s.h.i.+p's side as Beau hooted, ”Steady on, chaps, outward momentum and the windla.s.s winding them in, they soon outdistanced the maddened vermin. Vurg felt his back b.u.mp hard against the s.h.i.+p's side as Beau hooted, ”Steady on, chaps, glub! glub! We ain't the blinkin' enemy. We ain't the blinkin' enemy. Gluggle ug! Gluggle ug! D'ye mind lettin' us live a trifle longer! Pshaw! This seawater tastes jolly foul, wot!” D'ye mind lettin' us live a trifle longer! Pshaw! This seawater tastes jolly foul, wot!”

Willing paws pulled them aboard, and Luke wriggled free of the rope. They stood astern, watching the island recede as the enraged mob fought among themselves in the shallows. Luke put aside his blade and took off his sopping tunic.

”How did we do, Cardo? Everybeast safe?”

”Aye, they're all alive, mate, one or two wounds. I took a slingstone right across the paw meself!”

Vurg inspected the cut on his friend's paw. ”Nasty! Is that the paw you use t'cook with?”

Cardo smiled cheerfully. ”No.”

Vurg gave a disappointed sigh. ”Wot a pity!”

The crew laughed heartily at the indignant Cardo.

Beau looked from one to another, unable to fathom the joke. ”What's so funny? Is the blighter an awful cook?”

This caused further laughter and more indignation from Cardo. ”Take no notice of 'em, Beau. They're all lousy cooks. You'll be sorry you signed aboard this s.h.i.+p, mate, 'specially when y'taste the grub. It's dreadful. Even the fishes throw the sc.r.a.ps back aboard!”

Immediately the hare cast off his raggy garb and began wrapping a length of canvas around his waist like an ap.r.o.n. ”Lucky you found me then, chaps. Aboard my old s.h.i.+p I was voted the choicest chef to be chosen from all chief chefs!”

Coll nudged the hare. ”Bet you couldn't say that again?”

Beau dismissed him with an airy twiddle of both ears. ”Couldn't I though, hah? I was the cheese chosen chief of all choosers, no, wait a tick, I was choked by a chosen chief chook, no, that ain't right...”

Luke interrupted him. ”If y'can cook, then stow the blather an' get t'the galley. Cardo, you can be Beau's a.s.sistant. Denno, attend the wounded, you were always good at healin'. Coll, you take the tiller. Keep that westerin' sun at your right shoulderwe're followin' the red s.h.i.+p south. The rest of you trim the sails an' see she moves along steady!”

Beau turned out to be an excellent cook. That night he served the crew of the Sayna Sayna a meal to gladden their hearts. Being a hare, he cooked victuals in generous portions, so there was more than enough for all. a meal to gladden their hearts. Being a hare, he cooked victuals in generous portions, so there was more than enough for all.

”Right ho, I know this'll be wasted on you famine-faced chaps, but here's tonight's menu, wot. Starters, cheese an' onion turnovers, with my own flaky pastry, followed by shrimp an' mushroom bake in a parsley an' turnip sauce. For afters there's a pear an' plum pudden. To drink, mint an' dandelion tea or some rather good cider I found in your s.h.i.+p's stores. Hold hard a moment there, don't touch a bally crumb 'til I've said grace, you savages!”

Luke lowered his eyes, admonis.h.i.+ng the crew. ”He's right. No need to get sloppy an' bad-mannered 'cos we're not at home. Carry on, Beau.”

The hare intoned the grace at tremendous speed.

”Fate'n'fortunes smile on us, An' of this crew take care, But let no greedy robber try, To guzzle up my share!”

Before anybeast could raise an eye or pick up a spoon, the hare was tucking in as if there were no tomorrow.

Vurg pa.s.sed the turnovers to Luke. ”Our cook can certainly s.h.i.+ft the vittles, mate!”

Luke sniffed the hot turnovers appreciatively. ”Beau can do wot he likes, long as he keeps servin' up meals as good as this 'un!”

”Aye. Better put some aside for Cordlehe's on tiller watch.”

The Sayna Sayna plowed steadily south on fair seas under a waning moon. Weary after the day's exertions, her crew lay down to rest, though food seemed to have the opposite effect on the garrulous cook. Beau quoted endless rhymes, danced and sang ceaselessly, now that he was not alone but in the company of friends. Luke sent him on deck to guard the tiller, and he did a double watch, serenading the sea and the night skies. Dulam wadded his cloak about both ears, complaining bitterly. ”A good cook he may be, but a tuneful singer he ain't. Sounds like somebeast attackin' a plank wid a rusty saw out there. Hoi, give yore gob a rest, will ye, Beau!” plowed steadily south on fair seas under a waning moon. Weary after the day's exertions, her crew lay down to rest, though food seemed to have the opposite effect on the garrulous cook. Beau quoted endless rhymes, danced and sang ceaselessly, now that he was not alone but in the company of friends. Luke sent him on deck to guard the tiller, and he did a double watch, serenading the sea and the night skies. Dulam wadded his cloak about both ears, complaining bitterly. ”A good cook he may be, but a tuneful singer he ain't. Sounds like somebeast attackin' a plank wid a rusty saw out there. Hoi, give yore gob a rest, will ye, Beau!”

But insults and pleas had no effect on the off-key warbler.

”Oooooh flunky dee an' a rum tumtum, The good s.h.i.+p Flinkydogg, Flinkydogg, Set sail with a crew o' fishes, An' fat ole cap'n frog.

Oooooh doodle dey make way make way, The frog said to the fishes, 'All fins on deck an' use yore tails, To wash these dirty dishes!'

Oooooh skiddle deedoo, a fig for you, The fishcrew boldly cried, 'Just chuck 'em in the ocean, They'll be washed up by the tide!'

'Tis mutiny oh woe is me, The frog did croak so sad, 'If I'd a crew o' boiler crabs, They'd not be'ave so bad!'

'Twas after dark, a pa.s.sin' shark, Heard what was goin' on, So for his tea, impartially, He ate up everyone.

Oooooh goodness me hoho heehee, The shark smiled, 'Lackaday, I can't abide a f.e.c.kless frog, Nor fish who won't obey!'”

Beau neatly dodged an apple core flung at him from the cabin. His ears stood up indignantly. ”Rotten bounders, fancy chuckin' missiles at a chap who's doin' his level best to sing y'to sleep, ungrateful cads!”

He was answered by an irate bellow. ”Y'great lanky lollop-eared breezebarrel. Shuttup!”

Beau lay back on the deck, tending the tiller with a long footpaw.

” A wink's as good as a nod t'me, old lad. If y'don't appreciate good music then I'll withdraw the privilege of my melodious meanderings. But I'll finish this little ditty first. Stay calm, there's only another forty-six verses to go. A wink's as good as a nod t'me, old lad. If y'don't appreciate good music then I'll withdraw the privilege of my melodious meanderings. But I'll finish this little ditty first. Stay calm, there's only another forty-six verses to go.

Chapter 23.

In the following weeks the Sayna Sayna covered many sea leagues. They were well out of the cold lat.i.tudes and the weather became almost tropical, with constant suns.h.i.+ne beating down out of clear blue skies. But Luke was getting edgy and frustrated. There had been no sign of the red s.h.i.+p, which could be anywhere in the trackless wastes of ocean they were searching. Between them, he and Denno began drawing up a chart, from the northern sh.o.r.es to the isle where Beau had lived and onward. Luke was disappointed that there were no other landfalls to act as route markers. covered many sea leagues. They were well out of the cold lat.i.tudes and the weather became almost tropical, with constant suns.h.i.+ne beating down out of clear blue skies. But Luke was getting edgy and frustrated. There had been no sign of the red s.h.i.+p, which could be anywhere in the trackless wastes of ocean they were searching. Between them, he and Denno began drawing up a chart, from the northern sh.o.r.es to the isle where Beau had lived and onward. Luke was disappointed that there were no other landfalls to act as route markers.

”We're sailin' blind, mate. At least if we sighted land there might be some news of the red s.h.i.+p, but all we've seen for ages now is nothing but sea on every horizon.”

Denno put aside his quill pen, nodding agreement. ”Aye, we could do with takin' on some fresh water, too, an' the supplies are runnin' low. That hare must think his one job in life is dis.h.i.+n' up mountains o' vittles to the crew. Lookit the stomach I've put on!”

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