The Golden Anchor

by Cameron Stelzer

Whisker stayed with his vision a moment longer to see the fox placing his hand of cards face up on the table.

  ‘Four diamonds,’ the fox said in an expressionless tone. ‘A rather pertinent way to end the game, don’t you think? Some would even call it symbolic …’

  ‘Hey! You in there!’ Horace cried, waving his hook in front of Whisker’s face.

  ‘Huh?’ Whisker said, his mind drifting back to the present.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Horace asked. ‘One minute you’re with us and the next minute you’re off with the pie fairies.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Whisker said, his head still in a spin. ‘I was thinking about something.’

  ‘Care to elaborate?’ Horace urged.

  Whisker took a deep breath, and looked up at his companions. ‘This might sound crazy, but I think the stranger in the high rollers’ room was Governor Cazban.’

  ‘Shiver me felt-covered card tables!’ Horace exclaimed. ‘That’s beyond crazy. That’s absurd! Just because the governor has his eye on the Wild Peninsula, doesn’t mean he is in cahoots with the fox. I mean, Cazban threw the fox in Hawk’s View Prison, for crying out loud.’

  ‘Which was conveniently on the same day as the full moon feast,’ Whisker argued, ‘making it the easiest day of the year to escape.’

  ‘Err, yes, that’s true,’ Horace conceded.

  ‘Are you saying the fox’s arrest and the jailbreak were staged?’ Ruby said.

  ‘I’m saying the governor orchestrated the entire thing,’ Whisker said, his words gushing out like a waterfall. ‘Look at the facts. First he empties Aladryan waters of its pirates, pickpockets and plunderers, locking them together in one central location. Then, with the fox’s help, he acquires the Trophy of Champions and parades it in front of them, threatening to fast-track their executions. With the pirates’ spirits crushed, the fox then steps in as their saviour, giving them an incentive to escape by spreading a rumour about a new gold mine.

  ‘While all this is happening, Governor Cazban is building up his navy and trying to convince the Freeforians that they need his protection. The tribal chiefs’ greed for gold forces them to sign over a worthless piece of land, which actually contains a secret diamond mine. The governor then plans to blow up the fake mine to destroy the evidence, while sending General Thunderclaw and his fleet of Blue Claw ships to wipe out the pirates in one fell swoop.’

  Whisker extended one arm in front of him, his palm facing upwards. ‘First the governor creates the problem –’ He extended his second arm. ‘And then he provides the solution.’

  There was complete silence as Horace and Ruby tried to process everything that Whisker had said.

  Horace shook his head several times and then exclaimed, ‘Shiver me shipwrecks! That’s one epic conspiracy theory.’

  ‘A theory that could well be the truth,’ Ruby said, slumping down on the rock next to the meerkat. ‘It looks like the governor has played us all for fools. And it would explain the high bounty on our heads. If Whisker’s theory is correct, Madam Pearl wasn’t arrested for smuggling, she was arrested because she knew about the fox’s cane.’

  ‘I hadn’t considered that,’ Whisker said. ‘But you could be right. The governor must have wanted a valuation on the diamond to make sure it wasn’t an inferior stone.’

  ‘And an uncut diamond would have been too suspicious,’ Ruby reasoned.

  ‘Hence the diamond was crafted into the hilt of a cane and passed off as an antique,’ Whisker said.

  ‘But the fox made the mistake of sending the meerkat in his place,’ Ruby pointed out. ‘And when Madam Pearl started asking questions about the cane, the governor was forced to put her behind bars to stop any word of the diamond from reaching Freeforia.’

  ‘I bet he didn’t count on a bunch of Pie Rats breaking her out of prison,’ Horace said with a satisfied smile.

  ‘Indeed not,’ Ruby said. ‘But it explains why the price on our heads has continued to rise ever since. The governor must have been worried that Madam Pearl had mentioned the diamond to us. And after Whisker witnessed the secret payoff in the high rollers’ room, he became the number one threat to the governor’s plan.’ She looked across at the apprentice. ‘Lucky for Whisker, the fox needed him alive to steal the trophy.’

  ‘Yeah, but as soon as the fox had the trophy, I became a dead rat,’ Whisker said. ‘It makes sense now why the fox told me where to find Anna. It wasn’t because of the promise he made, it was because he wanted to mock me. He knew I’d never reach Cloud Mountain to save her – not with the battalion of soldier crabs hiding in the inn. The governor must have planned to rub me out and fake the fox’s arrest in the same evening.’

  ‘And he almost succeeded,’ Horace said, with a shake of his head. ‘But then we showed up on the back of our pet parrot and snatched you from the clutches of the crabs’ claws. Cazban must have been furious.’

  ‘Furious enough to circulate all those wanted posters for our arrest,’ Ruby added.

  ‘Now that I think about it, even Anna was part of the governor’s plan,’ Whisker said. ‘The fox must have used her as his cover for visiting the mountain prior to the jailbreak. Why else would he trek all that way when he could easily sell her at the closest port as a slave girl? He must have handed her to the birds of prey before staking out the town and the prison.’

  ‘I’d bet a quiver of arrows the fox told the pirates about those fishing boats, too,’ Ruby said. ‘Chances are the governor arranged to have a few more vessels tied to the jetty to ensure no pirates were left behind.’

  ‘The governor is certainly one thorough fellow,’ Horace said.

  ‘Thorough, manipulative, greedy … yuh name it, mon,’ Benny said, wandering over to join them, with Papa Niko by his side. ‘Dere’s something yuh should know about mi dear Uncle Cazban.’ He moved closer and spoke softly, ‘Not many animals know dis about him, but he has a history of sending spies to foreign lands to search for certain opportunities.’

  ‘Riches to plunder might be a more accurate description,’ Papa Niko added.

  Benny continued, ‘Mi fada threatened to tell da Aladryan newspapers about it some years ago, along with all of his other wicked schemes, but Cazban locked him up to keep him quiet.’ He rattled his gold chains. ‘Thank goodness for lock picks. It’s likely dat one of Cazban’s spies – da fox, perhaps – discovered a diamond deposit in da Wild Peninsula and set dis whole ting in motion.’

  ‘So the evidence all points to Cazban as our number one bad guy,’ Ruby said. ‘The question is, what are we going to do about him?’

  ‘Not much until we deal with those pirates,’ Whisker said. ‘If a single one of those scurvy dogs set foot on the island before sunset, Freeforia’s famous pink diamonds will be lining the pockets of the governor.’

  ‘I suggest you head back to the Apple Pie immediately,’ Papa Niko said. ‘I’ll rustle up a gang of sun bears from East Freeforia to help me secure the diamond mine. They’re a tough bunch, those bears – stronger than Hercules and more ferocious than the Minotaur!’ He looked at his son and added, ‘Oh, and it would be best if you kept this whole diamond thing under wraps. Tell Pete and the Captain, by all means, but that’s as far as it goes. If the pirates catch wind there’s a pink diamond mine on the peninsula, things could get very ugly.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ Horace promised. ‘Now, which is the fastest way out of here – preferably avoiding the crocodiles, vampire bats and booby traps?’

  Ruby looked down at her captive. ‘Well? Surely you know a shortcut to the entrance gates.’

  ‘I, um, might recall a way back to the village,’ the meerkat said tentatively. ‘If you promise not to feed me to the crocodiles.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Ruby considered, looking back at the door. ‘Those Chomping Crocs did look rather hungry … oh, alright. I’m a reasonable rat. If you can lead us to daylight, I’ll promise not to open that door.’ She glanced across at her grubby, dishevelled companions. ‘That being said, we’re still left w
ith the problem of leaving the island unnoticed. I doubt we could pull off the same Pie-Rats-in-girls-clothing trick again, let alone find the time for Horace’s two-hour beautification session.’

  ‘Leave dat to me, Cinderella,’ Benny said, wrapping a long arm around Ruby’s shoulder. ‘Mi banana boat isn’t da only vessel I keep on da dock. I have something rather peculiar waiting for a situation just like dis. Rumour has it, that it was designed by Freeforia’s most famous adventurer. Yuh may have heard of him – Anso Winterbottom.’

  Part 3

  The Crumbling

  Rock Islands

  A Sea of Scoundrels

  Staring through a small porthole window, Whisker watched a school of silvery fish swimming into the estuary. Darting and weaving through long strands of seaweed, the wary fish maintained a safe distance from the strange-looking vessel.

  Named the Sea Cucumber, Anso’s submersible boat was truly ingenious. Constructed from thick strips of copper cladding over an iron frame, it had a slender, cylindrical-shaped body with domed ends, and greenish-blue markings to render it almost invisible. Long and sleek, it glided silently through the water by means of a hand-operated screw propeller. A hollow metal keel at the bottom of the vessel could be flooded or emptied by hand pumps to raise or lower the submarine. Behind the keel was a large rudder, controlled by a steering wheel. A conning tower was positioned halfway along the submarine with an entry hatch, a periscope and a snorkel for air.

  While Benny, Whisker and Ruby took turns winding the propeller crank, Horace sat at the front of the Sea Cucumber and steered the submarine through the maze of barnacle-covered rocks filling the bay. Smudge perched on his shoulder, watching out for obstacles with his sharp eyes.

  The gentle rocking of the submarine had a calming effect on Whisker and his troubles above the surface were momentarily forgotten. His thoughts wandered from the schools of pearl perch and gold-spotted rock cod swimming around him to his great-grandfather’s fantastic invention, before finally coming to rest on the fate of his family. It had been more than two days since he had watched Anna and Rat Bait disappearing over the alpine forest on their giant swan, and he wondered what had happened to them since then.

  Have they located Anso’s treasure in Port Abalilly, he pondered. Do they know the location of my parents?

  With all the drama of the volcano caves, Whisker had barely thought about his mother and father since venturing ashore, and it made him feel guilty. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn’t help thinking that his memories were somehow keeping them alive.

  If he stopped thinking about them now, would they suddenly cease to exist? Would Anna and Rat Bait come back empty handed?

  He touched his bare neck, wondering if the absence of his golden anchor was to blame. For so long it had been his reminder – his symbol of hope. But now it had a new wearer and a new purpose to serve.

  As Whisker pondered the significance of the small pendant, he recalled a quote from the Book of Knowledge. An anchored ship is a safe ship. But it is only when the anchor is raised and the vessel is at the mercy of the wind and the waves that a ship is truly a ship.

  The words seemed to be speaking directly to him.

  Am I the ship? he asked himself. Is it time to face the turbulent seas of life without the safety of my anchor? Is it time to leave the timid circus rat behind?

  He had grown to love the crew of the Apple Pie during his time aboard, but he had been so focused on finding his family that he had barely considered what his Pie Rat apprenticeship was leading towards. And now, one test away from becoming a fully-fledged Pie Rat, he was beginning to realise just how much he had changed.

  He had learnt skills as an apprentice that he never thought he would possess – swords-rat-ship, strategy, survival … the list went on. They were skills he had used in his quest to rescue Anna. And they were skills he needed right now to defend the villagers of Freeforia.

  Before he had left Aladrya, he had let go of the burdens that had plagued his mind. He had released Anna into the care of Rat Bait, said goodbye to his anchor pendant and shared his darkest fears with Ruby. But there was still one thing that held him back – one final thing he had to let go. And that was his old self – Wentworth Winterbottom.

  Wentworth Winterbottom, the tremble-tailed circus rat, viewed the world very differently from the Pie Rats. He saw things in stark black and white, with no grey area in between. But the grey tones were what made life real, and Whisker could no longer pretend otherwise. He was in the middle of the action, face down in the grey dirt. To some he was a villain, to others he was a hero, but what really mattered was what he was fighting for – family, friendship, freedom.

  Like his Grandpa Rat Bait, Whisker’s path in life had led him to the Pie Rats, and like Rat Bait’s alter ego, Ernest Winterbottom, Wentworth’s time had come to an end.

  ‘Think like a Pie Rat, act like a Pie Rat,’ he murmured decidedly to himself.

  ‘Nice mantra,’ Ruby said, looking up at him from the crank. ‘Although if you obsess about pies too much, you might end up like Horace – a little mushy in the head.’

  ‘Hey! I don’t obsess about pies,’ Horace protested.

  ‘Oh yeah?’ Ruby said. ‘So what have you been thinking about for the past twenty minutes with your tongue hanging out of your mouth and a pile of dribble pooling on the floor?’

  ‘I was concentrating on steering,’ Horace said indignantly. ‘The only food that crossed my mind was a sushi roll – and that was purely because of all the fish and seaweed in our way.’

  Smudge pointed out the front window as if to say, he isn’t exaggerating about the seaweed.

  Ruby rolled her eye. ‘What a terribly traumatic experience for you both.’

  ‘Oh, go and suck on a sea urchin!’ Horace snapped, releasing his hook from the wheel and shaking it at Ruby.

  ‘That’s enough, both of you,’ Whisker said, before the banter became a slanging match. ‘And keep your hook on that wheel, Horace. The Apple Pie is out there somewhere, and I’d hate to be responsible for a submarine-shaped hole in her hull.’

  ‘Have yuh thought about using da periscope, mon,’ Benny said, pointing to the metal tube protruding from the roof of the submarine.

  ‘Err, no,’ Whisker confessed. ‘But now that you mention it …’

  He moved to the centre of the tubular vessel and raised the periscope until the small eyepiece was level with his head. Closing his left eye, he squinted through his right eye and focused on the world outside.

  Above the waves, he was relieved to see the Apple Pie anchored just a short distance away with its sails furled and the Golden Anchor bobbing beside it. The Jolly Rat flew from its foremast, flapping wildly in the brisk east wind.

  Directly to the stern of the Apple Pie was a second ship – a vessel that rivalled the Apple Pie in peculiarity. Its dinosaur-bone mainmast, dog kennel wheelhouse and bright blue water bowl hull made it instantly recognisable as the Blood an’ Bones, the infamous pirate ship of the Sea Dogs.

  Looking closer, Whisker noticed a small rowboat making its way from the Blood an’ Bones towards the Apple Pie. An angry bulldog was seated on the rear rowing bench, behind a poodle with a mohawk and a bone through her nose.

  ‘Anything to report?’ Ruby called out.

  ‘I have a confirmed sighting of Bartholomew Brawl and his charming first mate, Tuffy, heading for the Apple Pie,’ Whisker said.

  ‘Are there others?’ Ruby asked. ‘Can you see Sven anywhere?’

  Whisker swept the periscope in a wide arc over the ocean. He recognised Penelope Pond Scum’s green-sailed galleon, the Leaping Lilly, near a sinister-looking craft covered with cobwebs which, he guessed had to be Seven-legged Sven’s spidery ship the Widow’s Web.

  ‘Spiders, toads, you name it,’ Whisker groaned, alarmed at the number of vessels sailing into view. ‘I didn’t know there were this many pirates in the prison.’

  ‘Gold news travels fast,’ Ruby quipped. ‘A few
tagalongs must have joined the convoy between Aladrya and Freeforia. Can you make out any of the crews?’

  As Whisker continued to stare at the imposing fleet, he spotted a long, silvery ship with three masts and a fish-skeleton figurehead.

  ‘Oh, fish gizzards!’ he exclaimed, as sunlight shimmered off a sardine tin on the ship’s armoured hull. ‘Who invited them?’

  ‘Who?’ Horace asked in alarm. ‘All I can see down here are jewfish and mullet.’

  ‘You’d better add sardines to your list,’ Whisker said bitterly. ‘Captain Sabre and the crew of the Silver Sardine have just crashed the invasion party.’

  ‘Curse those Cat Fish!’ Horace exclaimed, almost losing his grip on the wheel. ‘We have enough on our plate right now without adding flaming fur-balls to the menu.’

  ‘There’s no sign of cannon fire just yet,’ Whisker said. ‘But there are an awful lot of rowboats heading towards the Apple Pie.’

  ‘The Captain must have called a pirate council,’ Ruby said.

  ‘And what does that involve?’ Whisker asked.

  ‘It’s an ancient custom, allowing a captain to present his case before any fellow pirate ships attack,’ Ruby explained. ‘The crews will be sending delegates over to negotiate.’

  ‘And what if the delegates can’t reach an agreement?’ Whisker said, pulling away from the periscope.

  Ruby looked across at him with an anxious frown. ‘Then Brawl and Sven will blast the Apple Pie into a million tiny pieces, leaving us to fish out the survivors.’

  By the time the Sea Cucumber had reached the Apple Pie, most of the pirate delegates had already clambered aboard and were jostling for a spot in the navigation room. Several deck hands and first mates sat waiting in their rowboats at the bottom of the rope ladder. They nearly jumped out of their skins when the submarine surfaced without warning and a large green blowfly buzzed out of the open hatch, followed by three tunic-wearing rats.