Time Castaways #1

by Liesl Shurtliff

  “Bloody idiot,” said Brocco. “Never liked him anyway.”

  “I don’t need a doctor,” said Matt. “Or a hospital. I’m fine.”

  “But—”

  “I’m fine.” Matt sat up straight. The room was still spinning a little, but he forced himself to look his sister fiercely in the eye. He was more determined than ever. He was not going home. Not now, anyway. How many opportunities like this would come his way? If they went home they might never get a second chance to be on the Vermillion, and he still had so many questions about the compass and the ship, how it all worked, all the places they had traveled and would travel, their missions, and a thousand other things. And he kept seeing his name on the mast. He was supposed to be here.

  Ruby and Corey shared a look. Even Corey looked a little worried. “You sure you’re okay, bro?”

  “Yes. Honestly, I already feel better.” He ate another cracker with cheese and forced a smile.

  “It’s been a long, eventful day,” said the captain. “A bit of rest will help the time sickness as well. I’m sure you’re all exhausted.”

  “Where will we sleep?” Ruby asked.

  “Can we sleep in the crow’s nest?” Corey asked.

  Matt groaned. He nearly vomited thinking about climbing up there right now.

  “I would say yes if I trusted Vermillion to behave,” said the captain, “but the truth is she can be a bit of a trickster at times. She’s been known to transform without warning, and the crow’s nest is probably not the safest place for that. I had Santiago prepare a room in case you did decide to stay, even if just for a night or two.”

  “Santiago?” asked Ruby. “You mean the rat prepared our room?”

  “It’s nothing so fancy,” said the captain. “But Santiago’s a very domestic and hospitable rat. He quite enjoys housekeeping and making things comfortable for us. Santiago, why don’t you scurry ahead and light the lanterns, will you?”

  Santiago squeaked and popped out of the captain’s jacket. He skittered down his side and paused at the top of the stairs leading to the lower decks. He turned around and beckoned with his tail for them to follow, like a rodent bellboy leading some guests to their hotel room.

  “Follow the tail!” said the captain.

  Their room was on the second deck, about midway down the ship. When the captain opened the door, Santiago scurried up the wall with a match between his teeth. He struck the match and lit a sconce, illuminating a small room that reminded Matt of an old person’s attic. Three hammocks hung in the corners. On one side of the room stood a small wooden table with a Delft pottery pitcher and washbasin. A gilded mirror hung above it. Paintings hung on the walls, landscapes and portraits, modern art that didn’t look like anything. There were old trunks and chests. One of them was open and full of seashells and sand. “Ooh, these are pretty.” Ruby reached for one of the big, swirly pink seashells when a claw suddenly shot out, snapping at Ruby’s fingers. She screamed and tossed the shell back into the trunk, which made some of the sand spill onto the floor.

  “What the . . . ,” said Corey as the claw retreated back into the shell and Santiago scurried over to sweep the sand up with his tail, glaring at Ruby.

  “Pardon the surprise,” said the captain. “The Vermillion has somewhat of a habit of taking in live creatures on some of our travels. She seems to think they’re her pets.”

  “Oh . . . really?” said Ruby. “What else has she brought on board? Anything very wild or . . . or dangerous?” She looked around cautiously, as though a lion might burst out and attack her.

  “No, no, usually harmless creatures,” said the captain. “Stray kittens and bunnies mostly, though once when we went to Africa she somehow brought a baby elephant on board! It was a real disaster. Poor Jia was repairing the ship for weeks.”

  “That’s awesome,” said Corey. “Can I get a pet too?” Corey was always begging their parents for a pet—a puppy, a ferret, a snake. But the answer was always a firm no. They wouldn’t even allow a goldfish.

  “Of course!” said the captain. “I think everyone should know the delights of animal companionship. Santiago is a great friend to me. Come, Santiago, these children need their rest.” The rat swept up one more bit of sand with his tail, climbed up the captain, and tucked himself inside his jacket.

  “If you ever need anything don’t hesitate to come and see me. I am at your service. We are very glad you’ve come aboard the Vermillion. Good night!” He gave a short bow and shut the door, leaving the Hudsons alone.

  “What a day, huh?” said Corey, sinking into one of the hammocks.

  “It felt more like years,” said Ruby.

  “Well, it was, wasn’t it?” said Corey. “We traveled over a century!”

  “I wonder where else he’ll take us,” said Ruby. “Where would you like to go?”

  “I don’t know,” said Corey. “We’ve never been anywhere, so it all sounds good to me. Maybe we could travel to the dinosaur age and I can get a baby woolly mammoth for a pet!”

  “Wrong age,” said Matt a little sleepily.

  “What?” said Corey.

  “Dinosaurs lived like a hundred million years ago, in the Mesozoic Era. The woolly mammoth lived like ten thousand years ago, in the Ice Age.”

  “You’re such a nerd,” Corey grumbled.

  Matt was too exhausted to reply or care. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the hammock. It enveloped him like a cocoon and rocked him back and forth. Corey and Ruby continued their conversation about where they would go and when, what they’d like to see and who they would want to meet, but Matt couldn’t process their conversation in his mushed-up, scrambled brain. Within moments he was fast asleep. He dreamed about stealing the Mona Lisa while riding a woolly mammoth being chased by a T. rex inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He knew it made no sense, but he couldn’t make his brain correct the mistakes. Oh well.

  10

  The Vermillion

  Matt woke to the smell of cinnamon and bacon and a loud bang! He shot out of sleep, flailed all his limbs at once, and flipped out of his hammock, landing hard on the wooden floor. It took him a minute to figure out where he was.

  I’m on a ship, he remembered. A time-traveling ship. I just traveled to Paris in 1911 and stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre.

  “Careful there, bro,” said Corey, laughing. He was swinging in his own hammock with his legs sticking out.

  “Are you okay?” Ruby asked. She was standing in front of the mirror, braiding her hair.

  “I’m fine,” said Matt, picking himself up. He teetered a little but stabilized himself against the wall.

  “How are you feeling?” Ruby asked.

  “Better, I think. Just hungry.” The smell of cinnamon and bacon hit his nose again, and his stomach grumbled loudly. He was starving, which he supposed was a good sign.

  “Me too,” said Corey. “I’ve been smelling breakfast for the last hour, but Ruby said we couldn’t leave the room without you.”

  “How would you have felt if you’d woken up in this room all alone?”

  Corey shrugged. “Like I had a little breathing room for once.”

  Bang! The explosion was followed by what Matt thought was laughter. “What is that?”

  “No idea, but it woke me up this morning,” said Ruby a little grumpily.

  “Maybe they’re shooting cannons,” said Corey. “Maybe they’ve spotted an enemy ship!”

  “Who’s the enemy in Nowhere in No Time?” said Ruby.

  “Other time pirates? Come on, I really need to pee. Ruby wouldn’t let me do that either.” He hopped out of his hammock and strode for the door. When he opened it, Jia was standing right there.

  “Good morning!” she said brightly.

  “Ah!” Corey shouted, and stumbled back.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you! Captain Vincent wanted me to check on you and see if you needed anything.”

  “Yes,” said Corey. “I could use your amazing flushing
toilet again, pronto.”

  “Of course!” said Jia. “I’ll show you the one closest to your room. It has a shower, too, if you want. And after breakfast Brocco wants to measure you all for clothes and costumes for future missions.”

  “Do we have another mission planned?” Corey asked eagerly.

  “Not yet,” said Jia. “Our last mission did some damage to the rudder, apparently. I’ll need to make some repairs before we can travel again. But don’t worry, there’s plenty to do on the Vermillion. You won’t be bored for a moment!”

  After they’d all used the bathroom they went to the dining hall where they’d eaten dinner the night before. The table was now spread with a huge breakfast buffet—warm cinnamon rolls, boiled eggs, fresh-squeezed orange juice, fruit, pastries, and a mound of crisp bacon and plump sausages. There were also some Pop-Tarts and a few boxes of cold cereal—Lucky Charms and Froot Loops, and a box of some cereal called “Sugaroos” that Matt thought had to be from the 1960s.

  “Medicine,” said Corey, reaching for the Lucky Charms.

  “You’re not even sick,” said Ruby.

  “It’s preventive.”

  Mrs. Hudson never bought cold cereal, not even plain, healthy kinds. She would have regarded these as candy rather than a decent breakfast, but Matt poured himself a little bowl of Froot Loops and also dished up a bit of everything else.

  BANG! The explosion was much louder now, and it was followed by a high-pitched, somewhat maniacal laugh.

  “What is that?” said Ruby.

  “That’s Brocco,” said Jia. “He’s doing target practice.”

  “With guns?” said Corey. “Can we do it too?”

  “Sure, Brocco loves to teach people how to shoot and explode things. It’s one of his special skills. That and clothes. He’s our Weapons and Disguise Master.”

  “Excellent,” said Corey, rubbing his hands together. “I’ve always wanted to shoot a gun.”

  “Mom would go ballistic,” said Ruby.

  “I know!” said Corey, delighted. He took a huge bite of Lucky Charms and chewed with his mouth open.

  After they’d finished breakfast, Jia led them above deck. The first thing Matt saw was Brocco standing in the middle of the deck holding a gun. He was wearing a completely new outfit this morning, perhaps even wackier than the one he’d been wearing yesterday—a fur vest, blue-and-yellow-striped bell-bottoms, and pointy purple boots with gold buckles. Around his forehead he wore a thick gold headband that pushed all his hair upward so that it spilled over the sides, making his hair looked like a hairy plant growing out of a pot.

  Brocco reached into a crate, tossed something up in the air, and shot it with his gun.

  BANG!

  The object exploded and rained down over the deck. Matt thought it was a dish or something, but it didn’t make that much noise when it fell.

  “Oh no, Brocco stole the vegetables again,” said Jia, shaking her head. “Agnes will not be amused.”

  Brocco pulled out another object from a crate and tossed it high up into the air. It looked like a head of lettuce or cabbage. He shot his gun and leafy chunks rained down on the deck.

  Brocco finally noticed them all watching. He smiled and waved.

  “Want a turn?” Brocco asked, holding out the gun.

  Corey practically ran toward Brocco, hands outstretched. Brocco set a large pumpkin on the edge of the ship then showed Corey how to hold the gun and cock it. Corey, being just a little overeager, pulled the trigger right away and was knocked back like he’d shot himself.

  Ruby yelped and covered her eyes.

  “He’s all right,” said Jia. “Just a little backfire. I’m going to go check out that rudder now. I’ll see you around!”

  Brocco picked up the gun and helped Corey up. Corey was a little more hesitant this time, but he took the gun in his hands and Brocco stood behind him to give him some extra support. Corey aimed the gun, and cocked it, focusing on the pumpkin. Ruby plugged her ears and turned her head while Corey pulled the trigger.

  BANG!

  The pumpkin exploded and sprayed all over the deck.

  “Woo-hoo!” Brocco crowed, and did a little jig.

  Corey grinned. “Can I do it again?”

  “Sure, you can,” said Brocco. “What’s your least favorite vegetable?”

  “Eggplant,” he said.

  “Let me see . . .” Brocco pulled out a big purple eggplant and set it on the side of the deck. Corey set himself up this time, but Brocco still stood behind him for support. He shot and the eggplant was no more.

  “He’s a natural!” said Brocco. “A little bullet himself.”

  Corey grinned.

  “Do you think this is safe?” Matt whispered to Ruby. “Mom and Dad would never in a million years let us handle a gun.”

  But Ruby wasn’t listening to him. She wasn’t even watching Corey anymore. Her gaze had moved to the other end of the ship where Captain Vincent was swinging around a sword, slashing at a wooden post. His focus was razor sharp. He was clearly a master swordsman, and Ruby watched, mesmerized, until the captain finally noticed them and paused. He wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “Good morning!” he said. “How are you feeling, Mateo?”

  “Fine,” said Matt. “Better.”

  “Very good. Glad we don’t have to feed you to the sharks! And Miss Ruby? Did you sleep well?”

  She nodded, still staring at the captain’s sword.

  “This is only my practice sword,” he said. “It isn’t sharp. Would you like to try?”

  Ruby grew suddenly shy. She looked at Matt as though she needed someone else’s permission.

  “Go ahead,” said Matt, smirking a little.

  Ruby stepped forward. She gingerly took the sword from the captain’s outstretched hand.

  “It’s a little big for you, but I’m sure Brocco can find you a proper fit.”

  Ruby rotated the sword in her hand, admiring it.

  The captain showed Ruby how to grip the sword, the proper posture and stance, and then took her through a series of simple movements to get used to the feel and weight of it in her hands. Soon he was adding footwork, simple steps forward and back while they moved the sword up and down and back and forth. Ruby moved fluidly, her feet weaving smoothly over the deck as she moved the sword up and down and side to side.

  “Good! Very good,” said the captain. “You look as though you’ve done this before.”

  “Our mom is an expert on swords,” said Ruby proudly. “She has a really big collection from all over the world.”

  “Really?” said the captain, brows raised. “Your mother must be a fascinating woman. Has she taught you how to use the sword, then?”

  Ruby shook her head. “She’s not that kind of an expert. We’re not allowed to touch any of her swords. But I’ve always wanted to learn.”

  This was news to Matt. Ruby was always so calm and practical, it was surprising to see her get excited about anything associated with violence.

  “Well, on the Vermillion a sword is a tool and dueling is an art! I would be honored to teach you.”

  Ruby beamed, and her cheeks flushed. Matt couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her this excited.

  “Now, Mateo,” said the captain. “It seems your brother has a passion for guns, and your sister for swords.”

  “It’s not so surprising,” said Matt. “Corey’s always been a bit explosive, and Ruby’s a lot like our mom.”

  “Am not,” said Ruby, jabbing the captain’s sword at one of the masts. “Mom would never pick up a sword except to carbon-date it.”

  The captain laughed as Ruby started making circles around them, swiping the sword. “So what will be your passion, Mateo, as a time pirate?”

  “I don’t know, sir.” He didn’t have any desire to pick up a sword or a gun.

  “Come now, everyone has something they’re passionate about. What sorts of things do you like?”

  Matt shrugged and shoved his ha
nds in his pockets. What he was really interested in on this ship was the Obsidian Compass. He wouldn’t mind getting a closer look, figuring out how it worked, but he doubted the captain would be willing to teach him how to use it in the same way he was teaching Ruby how to use a sword. He seemed very protective of it.

  “I like baseball,” he blurted.

  “Baseball?” Clearly that was not the answer the captain was expecting. Matt wasn’t even sure why he said it.

  Matt nodded. “Yeah, I mean, I’m not very good at playing it. I just like watching the games, I guess, and studying all the statistics and things. It’s a very strategic game, and there’s always more going on than meets the eye.”

  The captain cocked his head at Matt, clearly amused. “Strategy can be a very useful skill on the Vermillion. We always need good planning for our missions. Perhaps you will be able to assist me.”

  Matt nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Just then Jia poked her head above the wheel of the ship, a screwdriver in one hand and a bit of metal in the other. Her hands and face were smudged with oil, but she was smiling.

  “I think I found the problem, Captain!” said Jia, waving something in the air. “Some of the train got stuck in the axle.”

  “Ah! I should have known,” said the captain, smiling and shaking his head.

  “The train?” Matt asked.

  “Sometimes that happens during transformation,” said Captain Vincent. “A few pieces of whatever the Vermillion turned into get stuck in parts of the ship as it changes back. Most of the time it doesn’t make a difference, but sometimes it can cause damage that keeps us from traveling until it’s fixed.”

  “So we can travel again now?” said Matt.

  “Yes, though we’ll want to take it easy,” said the captain. “You could still experience some time sickness, or your brother or sister could come down with it too.”

  “Hey!” shouted Corey, waving at them from the other end of the ship. “Come on! Brocco wants to fit us for new clothes in his shop!”

  Ruby reluctantly handed the captain back his sword. “Can I have another lesson tomorrow?”