‘The Golden Toilet? Arrrr! Next you’ll be telling me you’re entering the Great Pirate Race with her tomorrow,’ Crunchbone snorted. ‘Ha ha ha ha!’
Captain Halibut’s eyes blazed. He didn’t take kindly to anyone insulting the Golden Earring, least of all his old enemy. ‘How dare you?’ he thundered. ‘At least I’ve got a ship. As I recall, last time I saw you and your mangy crew, your rotten boat was on fire!’
Crunchbone gave a scornful laugh. ‘That old thing,’ he sneered. ‘Have you not seen what I’m captain of these days?’ He pointed at the dock. ‘Made an insurance claim, didn’t I? Take a look at the Dastardly Plunderer over there, me hearties. She’s mine, all mine.’
Everyone turned to follow Crunchbone’s finger.
‘Wowzers,’ gulped Patch as she saw where he was pointing. The Dastardly Plunderer was a huge and handsome ship indeed, with a massive skull-and-crossbones flag, impressive shiny cannons and not one, not two, but THREE lookout points. Plus the mast looked really good for claw-sharpening.
‘Cor,’ sighed Ginger longingly. ‘What a beauty.’
‘Imagine the kitchen on that,’ murmured Cannonball with a dreamy expression.
‘I bet the crew cabins have proper beds and everything,’ said Butch, whose bunk was so tiny that he had to sleep with his feet sticking out at the end every night.
As for Captain Halibut, he just made a choking sound, too jealous to even speak.
Patch glanced back over at the Golden Earring with its tatty sails, its tangled rigging and shabby cabins and felt a tingle of envy herself. Next to the Dastardly Plunderer, it looked a complete wreck.
Captain Crunchbone smirked a horrible, gloaty smirk. ‘Good, eh? I reckon there’ll only be one winner of the Great Pirate Race tomorrow,’ he said. ‘And something tells me it won’t be you, old Halibobs.’
Patch had never heard of the Great Pirate Race and she was pretty sure Captain Halibut hadn’t either – which was why she was surprised when he snapped, ‘Oh, really? We’ll just see about that. Fifty gold coins says we’ll win it, thank you very much! Arrrr!’
Captain Crunchbone hooted with laughter and slapped his raggedy-trousered thigh. ‘Ha ha! In your dreams, sunshine.’
Meanwhile, the rest of the Golden Earring crew were gazing at one another in alarm.
‘Great Pirate Race?’ whispered Ginger. ‘Do you have to be great to enter it, do you think, or can any old pirate take part?’
Butch’s enormous knees were knocking together. ‘I don’t like the sound of it,’ he muttered anxiously. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this race. It might be dangerous!’
‘I’d better stock up on grub,’ Cannonball fretted. ‘Maybe some jellyfish fritters will help the captain run faster.’
‘Run faster?’ repeated Captain Crunchbone, overhearing. He threw back his head and laughed so hard the bone through his nostrils waggled. ‘Run faster? Bellowing barnacles, Halibut, you’ve got a crew of dimwits here and no mistake! The Great Pirate Race is a sailing race, not a running race – from Ingot Bay to Hammerhead Island. Ha! I’ll see you at the finish line … when you arrive there in last place. As long as your crummy old ship doesn’t sink on the way!’
And, with that, he barged past Halibut, still sniggering, and disappeared into the Piratical Emporium of Bloodthirsty Bargains.
‘That flame-haired flounder,’ growled Captain Halibut. ‘That rotten-toothed rogue. He’ll be laughing on the other side of his ugly face when we romp over the finish line in first place and seize the prize. Just you wait!’
Sue Mongredien has had over one hundred children’s books published, including the Oliver Moon and Secret Mermaid series’ for Usborne, and the Prince Jake books for Orchard. She is also one of the authors behind the internationally bestselling Rainbow Magic series, as Daisy Meadows. She lives in Bath with her husband and their three children. Captain Cat and the Treasure Map is the first in the Captain Cat series.
Kate Pankhurst lives in Leeds with her family and her spotty dog, Olive. She has a studio based in an old spinning mill where she writes and illustrates children’s books. Recent projects have included the bestselling Fantastically Great Women series and the Mariella Mystery Investigates series. Kate is distantly related to the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, something that has been an influence on the type of books she enjoys creating for children.
First published 2019 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2019 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
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www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5098-8391-2
Text copyright © Sue Mongredien 2019
Illustrations copyright © Kate Pankhurst 2019
The right of Sue Mongredien and Kate Pankhurst to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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Captain Cat and the Treasure Map Page 5
