SINCERELY AND WITH NO REGRETS,
M. B. HUDSON
Matt read the letter a second time and then a third.
“Matt?” said Jia. He looked up. He’d almost forgotten she was there.
“It’s from my dad,” he said.
“Your father?” asked Jia. “Are you sure?”
“I think so,” said Matt, even though he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it all. The ink was smeared, making the writing a bit blurry, but the untidy handwriting was familiar enough, and the mention of maps made it all the more likely.
“But how does he know the captain?” Jia asked.
“I don’t know.” It was only one of about a hundred questions racing through Matt’s brain. What did his dad have to do with the Obsidian Compass? How could he know where the captain was traveling without being on board the Vermillion? Maps . . . Maybe his dad’s obsession with maps went beyond antiquities. What if some of his maps could show the mark of a certain ship at certain times and locations? He thought of the old map above their dining room table. Matt often saw his dad studying it, tracing his finger over certain markings, as though he were seeing things for the first time. He’d been doing it the morning Matt, Corey, and Ruby had boarded the Vermillion, just before he and Mrs. Hudson left. It was like he knew the captain had been coming for them. Maybe his parents had gone to try to stop him, but they must have gone to the wrong location or miscalculated the timing somehow. And that brought to mind a more troublesome question: What were Captain Vincent’s real motives in bringing them on board the Vermillion? The captain clearly had not been completely honest with them.
“What are you going to do?” Jia asked.
“I don’t know yet. I need to talk to Corey and Ruby.”
“Talk to us about what?” said Ruby. She and Corey were just now entering the room, Corey with a bag of Doritos and a can of Dr Pepper.
“I think I’ll go check on Albert,” said Jia, starting to rise.
“No, stay,” said Matt, and Jia sat down again.
“Talk to us about what?” Ruby repeated.
Matt unfolded the letter and held it out to them. Corey and Ruby both took it and read it together. He watched their faces go from confusion to wonder and disbelief.
“Jia found it in the captain’s office,” said Matt. “It’s the letter we brought him from Queen Elizabeth.”
Ruby looked to Jia. “I don’t understand. Dad wrote to the captain? But . . . how? And why?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” said Corey. “Dad’s a time pirate!”
Ruby gasped. “Do you think Dad is the one who got to the queen before us? Could he be the maker of the compass?”
“I’m not sure that’s what this means,” said Matt. It was clear their dad knew something about the Vermillion and the Obsidian Compass, but it was difficult to picture him on board the Vermillion, going on wild adventures and heists. When Matt thought of his father he always pictured him sitting in a chair, reading, or poring over old maps.
“Well, how else do you explain that letter?” said Corey. “What do you think he stole from the captain?”
“Whatever it was we were supposed to get from Queen Elizabeth, duh,” said Ruby. “Probably one of his precious maps or something.”
Matt folded up the letter.
Matt doubted this too. The Hudsons weren’t poor by any means, but Mr. Hudson had never seemed preoccupied with wealth or treasure. He was far more interested in borders and trade routes, how land and geography shaped culture and civilization. He always said a good map could tell more about ancient civilization than novel-length recorded history, and he loved to collect old maps from all over. But what map could possibly have been so alluring to him that he would steal from Captain Vincent and inspire such rage? It didn’t all seem to add up in Matt’s mind. “Whatever it is, the captain probably knows where it is now. It’s probably at the museum, maybe even in Dad’s office, which sort of puts us in an awkward position. It’s not like we’re going to steal from our own dad, which brings us to another problem. Clearly Dad and the captain know each other, and it doesn’t seem like they’re very friendly, does it? Which means the captain lied to us. He’s been using us against our own father.”
They were silent for a few moments as they let this information sink in.
“But the captain has always been so nice to us,” said Ruby. “What if he didn’t know Dad was our dad?”
“But clearly he does,” said Matt. “The letter proves that.”
“Yeah, but who knows when that letter was written?” said Ruby. “I mean, what if this letter is talking about things from the captain’s future? Maybe the captain hasn’t even been to the Siege of Ascalon yet. What if whatever Dad steals hasn’t been stolen yet? What if Dad is trying to steal the compass from the captain!”
Matt thought about this. “But clearly he stole something the captain wants now. Whatever it was that the Mona Lisa key unlocks. What if the captain has known all along that Dad is working against him and is using us as ransom and revenge, as tools against our own father?”
The Hudson children all sat in silence. Memories started to flash before Matt, all of them taking on new meaning. Their parents’ strict rules, their mom’s aversion to transit. They knew the captain would be looking for them.
“I want to go home,” said Ruby. “I want Mom and Dad.”
A cord seemed to have been snapped with those words. “Me too,” said Corey.
Matt nodded. “We need to talk to the captain.”
“Please don’t show him the letter!” Jia pleaded, her eyes panicked. “He’ll know I took it. He’ll think I was being disloyal.”
Matt nodded. He didn’t want to get Jia in trouble. “We won’t show him the letter. We don’t have to. We’ll simply ask him to take us home.”
“But will he?” said Corey. “I mean, I know he said he would, but it seems like he wasn’t exactly telling us the truth.”
They all looked to Jia. She squirmed a little. “I don’t know. The captain has never held anyone on board the ship against their will, but . . .”
But they were a different matter, Matt thought. Their father was clearly an enemy to Captain Vincent. “Maybe we can convince him that our dad will give us what he wants if he takes us home.”
There was an awkward pause. Jia wouldn’t look at any of them, but Matt could see that her eyes were glistening with tears. He had the impulse to reach out and hug her, but she got up quickly.
“I’d better go check on Albert,” she said. She picked up her box of medical supplies, hurried to the door, and then stopped. “Please don’t leave without saying goodbye. Promise?”
“We promise,” said Matt.
Jia shut the door behind her, leaving the Hudsons alone.
“She doesn’t seem too happy for us to leave,” said Corey.
“Of course not,” said Ruby. “When we leave she’ll be stuck here with no one but Albert and Pike for company. We’ll likely never see her again.”
“If the captain takes us home,” said Matt.
“He will,” said Ruby. “He has to.” But her voice was thin, and none of them were certain what the truth was.
They talked a little while longer, discussing what they should say to the captain, how much they should reveal. They decided it would be wise not to mention their father or the letter.
“Our best bet is to simply tell him we think it’s time to go home,” said Matt.
“And what if he says no?” said Ruby.
“One of us could fake sick,” said Corey. “Matt could pretend to have one of his seizures, and we could say he has to go home to get his medicine, or say he needs a hospital.”
“I’m not sure that will work,” said Ruby. “He could very easily travel back and have another crew member get the medicine or just take him to the hospital himself at some other time and place.”
“Maybe we should tell him that our mom is dying,” said Corey. “And we just really want to sp
end some time with her, but we want to come back later?”
“Is it really necessary to lie?” said Ruby.
“Do you really think Captain Vincent will take us home if we tell the truth? I’m just trying to increase our chances here.”
But Matt worried their chances were fairly slim no matter what.
“Well, there’s no reason to wait, is there?” said Matt. “Should we go talk to him now?”
“I guess,” said Ruby.
Ruby and Corey changed into their clothes from home, and they all gathered their backpacks. They didn’t see anyone on their way to the captain’s cabin. No one was in the dining hall.
Matt lightly knocked on the door of the captain’s cabin, but there was no response. He knocked again. “Captain Vincent? It’s the Hudsons. We need to talk to you.”
He kept knocking until the door finally opened. It was not the captain who opened the door but Santiago. He stuck his nose around the doorframe and sniffed, showing his long teeth.
“Uh . . . Hi, Santiago. We’d like to speak with Captain Vincent, please.”
Santiago scurried down the frame and pushed opened the door. He swished his tail, motioning for the children to enter.
The captain’s cabin was in quite a bit more disarray than the first time Matt had seen it, when he and the captain had found the Mona Lisa key. Clothes were strewn everywhere. Trays of food, much of it untouched, rested in different areas of the room—on a chair, on the bed, on the floor. There were crumpled-up papers all over the desk and floor. The captain was standing in front of all the paintings of the dark-haired woman, his sword in hand. Matt noticed that the paintings had been further slashed, stabbed, and torn. One had a dagger sticking right in the woman’s eye. The captain looked a bit sweaty and rumpled. Santiago climbed up onto his shoulder, red eyes glaring suspiciously at the children as they approached.
Captain Vincent seemed a bit surprised to see all three of them, especially in their regular clothes with their backpacks. “Good evening,” he said with what Matt felt was forced cheerfulness. “And to what do I owe this honored visit? Mateo, are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, sir,” said Matt, then he hesitated, not sure how he should start. He decided diving right in was probably best. “Sir, we want to go home.”
Captain Vincent blinked, like he needed a minute to process what Matt had just said. “My dear Mateo, I know you had a close call this last adventure, but you can’t let that stop you from fulfilling your grand potential as a time pirate! There is still so much for you to do!”
“It’s not that,” said Matt. “Well, it sort of is . . . I mean, we’ve had a great time and everything. It’s been amazing, more than we could ever have hoped for, but the truth is we miss our home . . . and our parents. So with respect and, um, much gratitude, we request to go back home to New York.”
The captain just stared at them. He said nothing for what felt like a very long time, and it made Matt squirm a little. He looked to Corey and Ruby.
“We could probably come back, though,” said Corey. “At some point in time, if you want us to.”
The captain slipped his sword back in the scabbard at his side. “Request denied. You may go.”
“What?” the children all said together.
“I’ve other pressing matters of business and don’t have time to take you home at the moment.”
“Then tomorrow?” said Matt.
“No, I’m afraid my business will take a bit longer than that.”
“How long?” Ruby asked. “What pressing matters of business?”
“That is none of your business,” said the captain with a tight smile on his face.
“It is if it has anything to do with our father,” said Corey in a brazen voice.
“Corey . . . ,” growled Ruby, her teeth clenched.
The captain’s smile froze on his lips. “And pray, why would my business have anything to do with your father?”
Matt sighed. He glanced at Ruby, who simply shook her head in defeat. They were busted. Matt took out the letter and held it out to the captain. The captain stared down at it.
“Where did you get that?” he said, his voice half whisper, half growl.
Matt thought quickly. How to explain without getting Jia in trouble?
“I took it,” said Ruby suddenly.
The captain raised an eyebrow. “You, Miss Ruby?”
Ruby nodded. “I wanted to know what was in that letter, so I snuck into your cabin when Jia was bringing you food. Neither of you saw me, and I took the letter off your desk.”
The captain appraised her, searching for the lie. Ruby didn’t flinch at all. “You really have become little thieves, haven’t you?” he said. “Stealing my private correspondence from my private quarters.”
“And you lied to us,” said Matt.
“I never lied,” said Captain Vincent.
“You withheld the truth from us,” said Ruby, “which is pretty much the same thing.”
“In that case your father is just as much a liar as I am, isn’t he?”
“You kidnapped us!” Ruby shouted.
“I most certainly did not kidnap you. You boarded this ship without any force or even bribery. We opened our doors and you stepped aboard, and once you board the Vermillion you are bound by its rules. My rules. And stealing from my desk is against the rules.”
Matt defiantly stuffed the letter back in his pocket. “How do you know our dad?” he asked. “Why was he writing to you?”
“Was he a time pirate?” Corey asked. “He was, wasn’t he?”
“Pfft,” said Captain Vincent. “Your father could never be a time pirate. Doesn’t have the stomach for it. No, your father is nothing more than a common thief.”
“What did he take from you?” Corey asked.
Captain Vincent’s jaw tightened at this question. “Something that did not belong to him. And believe me when I say he will be very sorry that he did.”
“And does whatever he took rightfully belong to you?” Ruby asked. “Or did you steal it, too, like you do everything else? Maybe our dad took it with noble intentions, to keep it safe from you.”
The captain gave Ruby a tight smile. “What makes you think your father is the noble one in this situation? Simply because he’s your father? Children always think the best of their parents. They always want to believe that they are good and honest and have never done anything wrong, but one day you will grow up and learn otherwise.”
“Take us home,” said Matt. “Whatever it is you want, you won’t get it by keeping us here. If you bring us back, my dad will give you what you want.”
“Are you sure about that?” said the captain. “Some people will guard their treasure at any price.” He smiled, but his eyes were distant and cold. It made the hair at the back of Matt’s neck prickle.
“Not our dad,” said Matt. “Whatever it is, he’d never choose it over us. Never.”
The captain considered, fingertips beneath his chin. “Perhaps you are right. In any case, I’ve already made plans to return to New York.” He brought out the compass and lightly circled a finger around the dial. “But I’m afraid you three won’t be able to join me this time.”
“What?” said Matt.
“Why not?” demanded Ruby.
“Leverage, Miss Ruby.” The captain turned the inner dial of the compass to the left. “I’m not taking any chances this time. I believe I’ll fare better in my bargains with you three out of their reach”—he turned the dial to the right—“and out of my way.”
Matt gulped. Ruby and Corey backed away a little, eyeing the compass.
“It’s a shame, really. I did enjoy our time together, but I’m afraid I can no longer trust you. When you board the Vermillion you are making a very simple choice: loyalty”— Captain Vincent turned the middle dial—“or nothing. If you’re not with me, then you’re against me.” He turned the third dial to the left.
Matt made a split-second decision. He lunged towa
rd the captain, reaching for the compass. Corey and Ruby must have had the same idea because they all crashed into each other, knocking heads and shoulders, while Captain Vincent quite easily sidestepped them all. And then it was too late. The captain made the final turn of the outer dial, and the compass clicked. The lamps in the captain’s cabin flickered, the ship tilted sharply, and they were all thrown to the floor as the ship began to transform.
19
Time Castaways
The Vermillion screeched and roared as it transformed, as if it were some kind of monster that had been violently ripped from a deep sleep. The walls pressed in on them, the floors melted beneath their feet, turning to metal. The furniture sank into the walls and floor. The captain’s desk became a control panel with buttons and dials, levers and gauges. The roar began to pulse in a steady rhythm. The Vermillion was a helicopter.
The captain was flying, though not very steadily. The helicopter swooped and tilted erratically, and Matt was shoved against the side while Ruby and Corey fell to the floor. Out the window Matt could see a hazy spot of land in the distance.
The helicopter tilted sharply to the right, and Matt went sprawling. When he looked up he saw the rest of the crew all huddled together in the back of the helicopter. They all looked at Matt with mixed expressions of pity and surprise. Jia was pale and trembling, her eyes welling with tears.
The helicopter sank suddenly, and Matt’s insides smashed up against his ribs. He was going to be sick.
The captain turned around. “Open the gate!” he shouted, and Brocco and Wiley sprang into action. They pulled open the side of the helicopter. The beating roar was deafening. They were hovering just twenty feet above the water, which was rippling furiously outward from the beating rotors. The captain shouted something from behind him, but Matt couldn’t tell what. He turned to see what was going on. Brocco was trading places with the captain in the pilot seat. The captain came toward Matt, his dark eyes blazing, yet at the same time, empty. He grabbed Matt by the collar and without a word of warning pushed him out of the helicopter.
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