‘Vere’s Atticus?’ Zenia Klob asked suddenly.
*
‘Only, Biscuit vants to chew him.’
Atticus froze. They mustn’t give him away!
The children glanced at one another.
‘He’s on the ship,’ Michael said.
‘He hates water,’ Callie added.
Atticus breathed a sigh of relief. He should have known he could rely on the kids!
‘Of course,’ Zenia said. ‘Poor little Atticus. Doesn’t vant to get his fur all vet. I’d forgotten he’s such a cowardy cat.’
Atticus didn’t care what Zenia Klob said about him. As long as she believed he was on the ship, they still had a chance.
‘You’re under arrest, Klob,’ Mrs Tucker said grimly. ‘You’re wanted by Interpol.’ She advanced on Zenia Klob and Ginger Biscuit.
‘Nice try, Agent Velk,’ Zenia Klob said. ‘But I think you’ll find you’re outnumbered.’
‘Outnumbered?’ Mrs Tucker repeated. ‘How? I don’t get it.’
Atticus did. He waited, wriggling as far as he could into the vine.
‘Biscuit!’ Zenia Klob clapped her hands. ‘Get Captain Black Beard-Jumper and the pirates!’
Captain Black Beard-Jumper emerged from behind the rocks. He was followed by the surviving pirates and a man in raggedy clothes. His hands were tied together behind his back with rope.
‘Fishhook Frank!’ Mr Tucker exclaimed.
‘Herman Tucker!’ Fishhook shouted with relief.
‘Very touching, I’m sure,’ Captain Black Beard-Jumper snarled. ‘You can go to Davy Jones’s locker together.’ He pushed Fishhook Frank towards Mr Tucker and prodded a boot at the sleeping Bones. ‘With this traitorous mongrel.’
Atticus’s whiskers twitched with fury.
‘Leave her alone!’ Mr Tucker shouted. He scooped Bones up in his arms so the Captain wouldn’t hurt her.
Atticus’s eyes moved back to the Captain. Upon Captain Black Beard-Jumper’s left shoulder sat a large green parrot. Pam, Atticus thought. Sitting beside her was Jimmy Magpie. Atticus’s eyes narrowed. It was just as he expected: Jimmy had wheedled his way in with Pam the parrot, so he could be the first to get to the mermaid and say the rhyme.
‘CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA.’
The chattering came from a wicker cage carried by one of the other pirates. Atticus squinted at it. Thug and Slasher were inside. At least they wouldn’t be any trouble. It was Jimmy he was worried about, and Biscuit. He could see Ginger Biscuit padding about, his yellow eyes searching for something. Atticus swallowed. Ginger Biscuit was looking for him! The kids might have fooled Zenia, but Biscuit knew he was out there somewhere.
‘Think you could outsmart the greatest pirate in the world, did you, Tucker?’ Captain Black Beard-Jumper roared. ‘By leaving us to die on the Ocean of Terror? Well, unluckily for you we had help, see?’ He nodded in Zenia’s direction. ‘Ms Klob brought us here in the good ship Submarine. Came under Volcano Island we did. But not before we blasted the sea creatures with the latest Russian underwater bomb so they can’t do no more nibbling and munching and drowning.’ He grinned. ‘We beat you to it, Tucker. You and your friends have lost.’ He consulted his watch. ‘Half an hour to go until sunset.’ He glanced at Inspector Cheddar. ‘Not long now until this hornswoggling weasel be struck by the curse.’
‘Hooray!’ the pirates sang. There was no TV on the Golden Doubloon so watching someone being struck by the curse of the black spot was what counted for good entertainment on a long voyage at sea.
‘Now, let’s be waking the mermaid,’ Black Beard-Jumper said.
All eyes turned to the lagoon.
Stretching out across the water, Atticus could see a series of smooth dark stones. And beyond that, in the centre of the lagoon, something twinkled.
Captain Black Beard took out his eyeglass. ‘The glass casket,’ he said rapturously.
‘Let me see!’ Zenia Klob wriggled out of her mermaid tail. She snatched the eyeglass from Captain Black Beard-Jumper. ‘Magic mermaid on the shore, please grant me vot I’m vishing for,’ she chanted softly. ‘Vot shall ve vish for first, Biscuit? How about a lovely banquet of rat and pike-head stew?’
Captain Black Beard-Jumper snatched the eyeglass back. He glared at Zenia Klob.
‘It be me that’s doing the wishing,’ he roared. ‘Not you.’
Atticus peered out. This was his chance: whilst the villains were arguing he could race across the stepping stones and summon the mermaid himself! He squeezed his way behind the vines towards the stones.
‘Vot?’ Zenia Klob said menacingly. Her hand reached towards her grey mat of hair. She pulled out a fistful of hairpins. ‘No vun tells Zenia Klob, Russian mistress of disguise, vot to do.’
‘Threaten the greatest pirate who ever sailed the sea, would you?! I’ll have you flogged, you turncoat,’ the Captain shouted. ‘Men! Seize her!’
The pirates closed in on Zenia Klob.
ZIP! ZAP! Hairpins flew everywhere.
Atticus hesitated. He couldn’t risk making a break for the stepping stones now. He might get hit by one of Zenia’s poisoned hairpins. And if the pirates saw him, they’d cut him to ribbons with their cutlasses. And where was Biscuit? He had disappeared from Zenia’s side.
‘I’ll get you for this!’ Zenia gasped as the pirates tied her hands behind her back like Fishhook Frank.
‘Tie up the others!’ Captain Black Beard-Jumper ordered.
The pirates did as they were bid. Only Bones and Inspector Cheddar remained free, and they were both asleep.
‘Right, men, let’s go.’
Captain Black Beard-Jumper made his way towards the stepping stones.
Atticus got ready to spring. He still had the element of surprise. He could dodge past the pirates and get to the mermaid before they realised what was happening. He tensed his back legs, watching for his opportunity.
Captain Black Beard-Jumper lifted his boot towards the first stone. Suddenly Pam whispered something in his ear. He stopped: his boot in mid-air. ‘Get Fishhook Frank,’ he ordered.
Atticus wondered what was wrong. He waited.
The pirates man-handled Fishhook Frank towards the stepping stones.
‘Why didn’t you cross it?’ Captain Black Beard-Jumper grabbed Fishhook Frank by the hair and held his cutlass to his throat. ‘When you had the chance before? You got this far. Why didn’t you summon the mermaid yourself?’
It was a good question, Atticus thought. Fishhook Frank must have reached the lagoon the last time, otherwise he couldn’t have made the map. So why didn’t he finish the job?
‘I wanted to,’ Fishhook Frank said miserably. ‘But I was too afraid, even after everything I’d been through to get here, all those years of searching. I had a feeling something was watching me. Something in the water. Something terrible that I couldn’t see.’
Funny. Atticus had had that feeling too, when they swam through the cave.
‘What sort of thing?’ Black Beard-Jumper demanded.
‘I don’t know,’ Fishhook Frank said hopelessly. ‘It was just a feeling. I believed I would die if I crossed the stones. I was too scared to go on. It felt like the place was cursed. That’s why I turned back.’
‘The sea creatures all be dead now,’ the Captain ruminated. ‘I saw them being bombed with me own eyes not three hours ago.’ He dropped Fishhook Frank, satisfied. ‘Come on, men. There’s nothing can stop us now!’
He began to pick his way across the stepping stones, the other pirates following.
‘What are we going to do?’ Mrs Cheddar said despairingly.
Atticus glanced up towards the roof of the volcano. The light was fading slightly. The sun would be setting soon.
‘Can anyone think of anything that rhymes with curse?’ Inspector Cheddar spoke in his sleep. ‘Apart from hearse.’
‘Don’t give up, Dad!’ The children begged.
‘Atticus will save you,’ Callie whispered. She looked around
the cavern. ‘I know he will.’
‘So do I,’ Michael said. ‘Because he’s the best cat ever.’
Atticus felt his heart glow with pride. They still believed in him! He couldn’t let them down.
‘Atticus is here?!’ Zenia looked astonished. Then she snorted. ‘He von’t save your dad,’ she sneered. ‘Biscuit vill kill him first.’
Atticus took a deep breath. It was all up to him now. He had about fifteen more minutes to save Inspector Cheddar’s life.
Atticus emerged from his hiding place and padded cautiously across the rocks towards the stepping stones. There was still no sign of Biscuit.
The pirates strung out in a line across the stones, picking their way carefully from one to the next, their eyes focused on the casket. At the head of the line was Captain Black Beard-Jumper. He only had a few more stones to negotiate before he reached the mermaid. Pam and Jimmy were still on his shoulder. Atticus saw Jimmy Magpie flex his wings, getting ready to fly. He was relieved to see Pam give Jimmy a hard peck on the head. Pam was keeping her beady eye on Jimmy. Jimmy would have to wait until the very last minute if he didn’t want Black Beard-Jumper to pot him with his pistol.
Atticus crept forward to the lagoon. He leapt on to the first stone. Then the next. And the next. The pirates hadn’t seen him. The stones were slippery. They were too busy concentrating on keeping their own feet to notice him. Atticus was beginning to think luck was on his side after all.
Just then he felt something pin his tail. Atticus struggled to escape but he couldn’t. A large cat-shaped shadow spread across the stepping stone.
‘Going somewhere?’ a voice hissed.
‘Biscuit!’ Atticus tugged at his tail. Ginger Biscuit had it firmly by the claws. ‘Let me go!’
‘I knew you were here,’ Biscuit said. ‘Skulking about as usual.’
‘Get off me!’ Atticus yowled. ‘I need to get to the mermaid.’
‘Don’t we all!’ Biscuit laughed. ‘And guess what my first wish will be? A nice slow cat-drowning. Yours,’ he added unnecessarily. He flicked out the claws on his free paw.
POP! POP! POP! POP!
Biscuit’s claw raked through the air towards Atticus’s face. Atticus ducked.
‘We don’t have time for this!’ Atticus yowled. ‘Jimmy’s up there with Captain Black Beard-Jumper. We need to hurry or he’ll be the one who summons the mermaid. And it’s not just me he wants revenge on, remember? He hates you too!’
Understanding dawned in Ginger Biscuit’s eyes. He released his grip. ‘I’ll get you later, Claw,’ he threatened. ‘At least the mermaid will.’ He leapt on towards the casket.
Atticus leapt after him.
Atticus had reached the line of pirates. He dodged between the first pirate’s legs and leapt on to another stone, then another. One of the pirates swiped at him with his cutlass but Atticus barely noticed. He had to catch Biscuit and stop Jimmy! He got ready to take the next spring.
Just then something strange happened.
He felt the stone tilt beneath his paws. It began to rise out of the water. Atticus looked round in confusion.
Something odd was happening to all the other stepping stones too. The pirates had their arms out like aeroplanes to try and keep their balance as the stones bucked under their feet. Ahead of him, Ginger Biscuit was struggling to keep a pawhold.
‘What’s happening?’ Captain Black Beard-Jumper shouted furiously.
One of the pirates gave an agonised cry. ‘Stonefish!’ He screamed. ‘They’re not stepping stones. They’re stonefish!’
Stonefish? Atticus had never heard of stonefish. He looked down between his paws uncertainly.
The pirates began to curse. Some of them tried to turn and retrace their steps but the stones, or whatever they really were, bucked and reared, as if they were trying to shake them off.
SPLASH! Other pirates tumbled into the water.
‘Run, Atticus!’ Mrs Tucker’s voice cut through the pirates’ curses. ‘Whatever you do, don’t get stung! Stonefish are deadly. They’re worse than snakes!’
Worse than snakes! Atticus bounced from one stonefish to the next, trying to touch each one for only a few seconds so it didn’t sting him. Biscuit was still up ahead of him, but he was losing ground. The ginger cat’s ears lay flat on his head as he crouched on a stone, not knowing whether to go on or back; water all around him. Atticus could tell he was terrified.
Only a short time ago Atticus would have felt the same. But he wasn’t afraid of water any more. Not since he’d met Bones. And he didn’t have time to be afraid of the stonefish. He had to save the Inspector.
One of the pirates passed Atticus in the other direction, heading away from the casket. The pirate jumped heavily on to the next stonefish. Suddenly he let out a terrible cry. His body became rigid. The pirate’s face froze in an expression of shock. His flesh turned grey. His limbs stopped moving. Atticus gasped. The pirate hadn’t just been poisoned. He had actually turned to stone! These stonefish were magical, like the other sea creatures that guarded the mermaid. Fishhook Frank had been right to be afraid!
‘Careful, Atticus!’ the children cried. ‘Get off the stepping stones!’
Atticus jumped on to the stone pirate. The same thing was happening all around him.
One by one Captain Black Beard-Jumper’s men were turning into statues as the stonefish poisoned them with their magic venom to protect the mermaid. A few of the statues toppled into the lagoon. Most simply stood there frozen in their positions of flight.
Atticus saw Ginger Biscuit float by on a piece of driftwood. He wouldn’t be any more trouble. There was only Jimmy and Captain Black Beard-Jumper to go now.
Atticus jumped on to the arm of the next stone pirate, then on to the head of the one after that, making his way nimbly towards the casket without touching the venomous creatures that lay beneath the surface of the lagoon.
‘CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA!’ a familiar voice chattered.
Atticus started. Thug?
‘It’s that bloomin’ cat again!’ another voiced croaked.
And Slasher?
For one dreadful moment Atticus thought the other magpies had escaped. Then he saw that one of the pirate statues still held the wicker cage of magpies in his stone fingers.
‘Watch out, Boss!’ Thug screeched, poking his head out between the bars. ‘It’s Claw!’
‘Make sure you say the rhyme first, Boss!’ Slasher screamed after him. ‘Before Claw does!’
‘I’m doing my best, you morons!’ Jimmy squawked back. ‘A little help would be appreciated!’
Up ahead on Black Beard-Jumper’s shoulder, Pam had Jimmy by the tail feathers.
‘CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA-CHAKA!’ Jimmy was trying desperately to escape.
‘Oh, no, you don’t, Jim!’ Pam squawked. ‘That mermaid belongs to the Captain.’
‘Leave me alone!’ Jimmy screamed.
‘I should have known you were no good when I first set eyes on you,’ Pam lamented. ‘I should never have agreed to marry you.’
Married?! Jimmy Magpie was married?! That was news to Atticus. He jumped on to the next stone pirate. He was closing fast now. Black Beard-Jumper was only three stepping stones ahead of him.
‘Get off me you stupid parrot!’ Jimmy kicked and struggled. ‘I never wanted to marry you in the first place. I’d rather be eaten by a shark.’
The two of them tugged and fought.
‘Er, Boss,’ Thug’s voice trembled. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t have said that.’
Atticus glanced at the lagoon in horror. A large grey triangular fin was making its way swiftly towards the stepping stonefish. The fin was at least twice the size of the one they had seen at the start of the voyage when Atticus had accidentally knocked Inspector Cheddar off the ship.
‘Shark!’ Slasher screeched.
‘Help!’ screamed Thug.
Atticus gritted his teeth. Only two more stones to go and he would reach Black Beard-Jumper and Jimmy
. Two leaps from that lay the casket, twinkling brightly in the water. He took another leap, perching on the last stone pirate, getting ready for his final pounce. He couldn’t make it to the casket in one go. There were two stones left. He’d have to go through Black Beard-Jumper’s legs and risk the venom.
Captain Black Beard-Jumper struggled on to the last stone. It rocked and swayed beneath his huge boots. Why hadn’t he turned to stone like the others? Atticus wondered. Then he realised. The boots! They were so thick they must be protecting him from the venom.
‘Claw!’ Jimmy’s glittering eyes turned on Atticus. They glowed with hatred and frustration. ‘You can’t win this time, you know.’
‘You bet I can, Jimmy!’ Atticus growled. ‘Congratulations, by the way.’
‘Pam, warn the Captain!’ Jimmy cawed. ‘The tabby wants the treasure.’
‘CAT! CAT! CAT! CAT! CAT!’ Pam screeched in the Captain’s ear.
Captain Black Beard-Jumper turned to face Atticus. He raised his pistol.
Just then a ball of black fur hurtled past Atticus towards the Captain. ‘Watch out, Atticus!’ a familiar voice cried.
‘Bones!’ Atticus shouted. She must have woken up! All that energy had defeated Zenia’s sleeping potion.
BANG!
The pistol let out a shot. It winged past Bones. Bones crumpled. The bullet had grazed her shoulder. She landed on the final stepping stone between Captain Black Beard-Jumper’s boots.
‘No!’ Atticus yowled. He had to reach Bones before she turned to stone! Any second now and the stonefish would release its deadly venom again.
Atticus hopped lightly across to the last stonefish. Somehow he managed to throw Bones on to his back. Her body was light. ‘Hang on, Bones!’ A trickle of blood threaded down his whisker but he felt Bones’s sinewy front legs clasp him round the neck.
Above him, Black Beard-Jumper slashed wildly at him with his cutlass, cursing.
Suddenly Atticus had an idea.
He popped out his claws and ripped the toe of Captain Black Beard-Jumper’s boot where it connected with the sole. With his last ounce of strength Atticus leapt off the stonefish and on to the rim of the Casket of Desires.
Atticus Claw Goes Ashore Page 12
