“We would.” The captain sounded smug. “Give me my boy back, send us on our way and I’ll make sure the barrels are sent over. I shouldn’t have tried to fool you. The oil is yours.”
Nell snorted. “Strangely, Barnaby, I don’t trust you. Go back to your Phoenix, send over the oil and the real coordinates. Then I’ll return your son. If you don’t, I’ll have him thrown overboard. It’s a long drop from the deck of the Banshee.”
Toby listened as his father strode back towards Birdie. He could hear the frustration in the heavy thud of his father’s boots, but he felt a thrill of relief. As soon as Birdie launched, Toby and Hiko could run for the cable and rappel across to the Phoenix. They might yet get off the Banshee alive.
“Captain.”
Toby’s heart sank. It was the girl he had left in the sunken passageway: Nell’s daughter. “The boy in the cage isn’t Barnaby’s son. He’s an imposter, and—”
“An imposter,” Nell spat. “I suppose nothing on the Phoenix is what it seems, eh, Barnaby. Do you even have oil, or is this flask all there is?” Toby heard the bottle slosh as Nell shook it. “But you care about this boy, yes? Not enough to hand over the real coordinates, but enough to try and save him with fakes when you could have run.”
“Don’t do something you’ll regret, Nell.” Toby could sense his father’s mind racing. If Nell didn’t have his son, where was he?
“Oh, there’s only one thing in my long life that I regret, Barnaby.” There was a pregnant pause.
It was time to go.
Toby took a deep breath, skidded across the deck, reached under the cannon and dragged Hiko out by the arm.
“There they are,” Ayla shouted.
Toby met his father’s eye. Barnaby lurched towards him, but Toby shook his head.
“Use the zip wires,” Toby yelled to his father. As pirates from the Banshee sprinted towards the stern of their ship, he caught Hiko’s wrist and they ran for the cable. “Hold on, Hiko.”
“Crackers!” Polly shrieked, as Hiko clambered on to Toby’s back and wrapped his legs around his stomach.
Toby didn’t even pause at the Banshee’s rail. He whipped off his scarf, wrapped it round the cable and, ignoring Hiko’s weight, he leaped.
His head jerked back as a pirate’s swiping hand clawed at him. For a second they all hung, gasping, over the side, but then Polly flew into the woman’s face and she released him with a shriek. Then they started to slide.
Toby looked back to see Ayla crash into the railing. Her oil-black hair flew in a gust of wind and she pushed it back from her eyes, watching him across the waves. He tore his gaze from her and turned back to the Phoenix, which was coming up on them, fast.
On the deck of the Phoenix, pirates were rushing to the end of the cable he was flying on, already reaching out for him.
“Cut the lines!” Nell’s voice carried across the water.
For one horrifying moment Toby felt his cable go slack, but then hands closed around him and he and Hiko thudded on to the deck.
Below him the line slid into the sea. The loosened hook landed on deck, then slithered off under the weight of the line attached to it.
Toby rolled out of its way, Hiko still clinging to his back.
Toby’s breath was shallow. “Let go, Hiko,” he gasped. Hiko released him and he sat up with tears in his eyes.
“Can anyone see the captain? Rahul, can you see him?” Toby yelled at the crow’s nest.
“They’re coming, Toby,” Rahul cried. “Phoenix, get ready to catch them.”
Toby whipped round to see the captain, Marcus, Amit and Ajay, all flying along cables towards the Phoenix, copying Toby, their scarves fraying as they flew. Polly raced alongside, chivvying them with wild squawking.
Over on the Banshee pirates worked, frantically sawing at cables.
Marcus was first to land. He flipped on to his feet and immediately turned to catch Ajay.
The captain and Amit were not so lucky. Their cables split with the sound of cracking wire.
Toby screamed as his father disappeared from view. He scrabbled to his feet and ran for the railing. Fifteen feet below, Amit was clutching the razor wire of the paddle cage with one hand and the captain with the other. Blood dripped down his arm and beside them their empty cables swung.
“Throw us a rope. Now.” Amit’s face was creased with agony.
“He’s going to lose his bloody fingers.” Peel was already tossing a coil overboard. The rope snaked down the side of the Phoenix and hit Barnaby in the back. Immediately he wrapped one arm around the rope and the other around Amit, who released the wire. Then Peel started to haul them up.
As the captain was helped on board, Uma grabbed Amit and pursed her lips over his hand worriedly.
“They’ve got a trebuchet aimed at us.” Toby shouldered his way to her side. “If they fire it’ll hit the mess hall. We have to run.”
The captain followed Toby’s gaze over to the Banshee. Nell stood next to her daughter. For a long second the two captains stood, glaring at one another. Then Nell raised her hand.
“She’s going to fire.” The captain burst into action. “Marcus, throw that barrel overboard. Harry, start the engines. Everyone else, find something to hold.”
Marcus and Arnav rolled the barrel to the broken rail and tossed it overboard. Toby heard Nell’s cry as the plastic shattered against the side of the Phoenix and black oil exploded over her hull.
“There’s more where that came from,” the captain yelled.
“Hold fire,” Nell cried. “We need that oil.”
Toby spun. “Cut the grappling hooks.” The Phoenix’s crew were already moving, slicing rope after rope and tossing metal hooks into the sea after the clattering cables.
With a jerk and a purr Toby felt the Phoenix settle as her old engines turned over.
“I’m coming for you, Barnaby,” Nell howled. “You can’t outrun the Banshee. And when I board you, the first one on the point of my sword is your son.”
The captain looked around at the battered men and women of the Phoenix. Most leaned, either on rails or on one another. Weakened bow legs were more splayed than usual. Blood stood out scarlet against skin that was paper pale. Limbs dangled, weighed down by weapons they could barely lift. Exhaustion lined every face.
“We won’t win another battle,” Barnaby muttered.
The Phoenix was already moving. She pulled out from the shadow of the Banshee with a crunch of shifting junk.
“After them!” Nell waved. “Prepare more grappling hooks. Destroy them!”
Toby closed his hands on the railing, watching the Banshee. Her siren chased them across the bouncing waves, but she was not turning. The Phoenix loved her old engines and she was flying – ten knots already and heading hungrily for her top speed of fifteen.
Nell’s howl of frustration was buried beneath the Banshee’s wail.
“Why isn’t she following?” The captain leaned over the rail beside Toby. “What do you know that I don’t?”
Polly settled on Toby’s shoulder and checked that none of the crew could hear. “He wrecked their steering mechanism, Captain. The Banshee can move, but not in the direction Nell wants her to go. The only way she’ll turn is with those oars and that’ll take time.”
“You did that?” The captain stared at his son. “I’m not sure whether to hug you or kill you right now.” His wrinkles drew into a frown. “You have no idea how it felt hearing that you had been taken to the Banshee, so I’m leaning towards murder.” Then he glared at Polly. “As for you, you bloody useless parrot. You’re supposed to be able to predict his behaviour. Why do I need you, if you’re going to let him do things like this?”
“Hormones,” Polly muttered, ducking her head. “He’s becoming unpredictable.”
“You’re the most advanced AI there has ever been.” The captain leaned closer and spoke in a low voice. “Factor them in.”
He turned to Toby. “Get down to the mess hall and take Hi
ko with you. You’d better hope Uma gives you a clean bill of health or I’ll give you a few injuries myself.”
Toby clutched Polly and backed away from his father. Then he caught Crocker’s furious glower.
“That’s right, Crocker,” Toby said, his eyes narrowed. “I went off the Phoenix. I sabotaged the Banshee and I rescued Hiko. What do you think of that?”
ELEVEN
Hounded by the captain’s final growl, Toby and Hiko sped towards the mess hall.
“I didn’t think anyone would come,” Hiko said, as they jogged past the galley. “Thank you.”
Toby stopped. “Of course I came. You’re a member of the Phoenix’s crew. We’re family.”
“My family left me before,” Hiko muttered.
Toby stared down at him. “Really?”
“My father died and the man my mother was travelling with sold me at the bazaar. She tried to stop him, but he beat her. That was the last sight I have of my mother – it’s how I remember her.” His eyes filled with pain.
“I’m so sorry.” Toby squeezed Hiko’s hand. “I don’t remember much about my own mother.” He shuffled his feet. “All I know is that she didn’t come on board the Phoenix with us. We waited for her, but she never showed. We never found out what happened to her.”
Hiko’s brows came together. “She was caught by Greymen?”
Toby shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she just didn’t want to sail with us. The captain doesn’t talk about her.”
Hiko wrapped his thin arms around his stomach. “Have you looked for her? I’d look for my mother if I could.”
“I think the captain did, at first.” Toby sighed. “But I’ve never been off the ship.”
Hiko gaped. “Never?”
“Not since we left St George ten years ago. Today was the first time.” Toby rubbed his eyes and Polly crooned in his ear. “Yes, Polly, we need to get checked over. My leg needs bandaging.” He glanced at his ankle. Blood had dripped on to the top of his foot and dried into a red sock. His rib ached, his back throbbed, his chin was tender and his head hurt. “I need to lie down,” Toby mumbled.
Hiko reached up to wrap an arm around Toby’s shoulder and pulled him towards the mess hall.
Toby limped into the makeshift hospital and all eyes turned to face him. Uma was bent over Theo, wrapping a bandage around his leg. When Toby entered the room, she dropped the dressing.
“You devil.” Uma rushed across the room, the relief in her voice undermining her angry words. “Where are you hurt? Let me see.”
She sat him on an empty table and pulled his leg up. “This needs stitches. Hiko, bring me my case.”
Hiko hurried away and Toby sagged. “I hurt everywhere,” he groaned. Polly shuffled miserably on his shoulder.
“Get off him, you flea-bitten budgie.” Uma flapped at Polly. “He doesn’t need your weight on his bruises.”
“Polly want a cracker!” Polly snapped, but she hopped off Toby to perch on the table by his side.
Uma eased Toby’s old shirt over his head and unbuckled his tool belt. She winced when she saw his mottled skin.
“You’re black and blue, Toby.” Big Pad was watching closely.
“I don’t think I can lift my arms.” Toby tried to raise them to his shoulders and flinched.
Uma’s cool hands pressed his back and ribs. She shook her head. “It’s only bruising, but you’ll ache for a few days. I’m going to get you some ibuprofen, it should ease the swelling. You should have been resting, not running around the Banshee.” She tutted. “You could have been killed. I can’t even imagine how the captain is feeling right now.”
“He threatened to murder us.” Hiko had returned with Uma’s bag.
“Seems reasonable.” Big Pad sighed. “I can’t keep my eyes open, Uma.”
“Then sleep, Paddy.” She soothed his forehead with her wrist.
“I keep thinking I’ll not wake up.” Big Pad closed his eyes.
“Go to sleep. You need it.” Uma pressed her fingers on his forehead and the Irishman exhaled quietly. “I’ll keep checking on you.”
After a moment she lifted her fingers and Paddy’s eyes remained closed.
“They used to have the technology to fix what’s broken in Paddy’s spine,” Uma whispered. “I’d have had him back on his feet in a matter of weeks.”
“But not now.” Toby hung his head. “I feel awful. If I hadn’t landed on him…”
“Hush.” Uma admonished him with a gentle frown. “You won’t be blaming yourself for Big Pad. Imagine if it had been the other way around and he had landed on you.”
“You’d be flat as seaweed.” Hiko looked away, sheepish. “Sorry.”
“You’re right, Hiko, he would be. Hand me my bag.” Uma took it gently from the boy. “You’d better sit, too, and I’ll check you over. Goodness knows how long you’ve been living in the walls.”
Hiko shrugged, but he sat.
Uma pulled a needle and thread from her bag. “Let me see that leg, Toby.”
Toby raised his leg and looked away, while Uma pushed up his trouser leg. “A clean cut.” She pressed his knee. “This isn’t going to feel very nice, and I don’t want you waking Big Pad or Nisha. Bite down on your glove if you need to.”
“I’ll be fine.” Toby focused on the serving table across the wall where Nisha lay sleeping, one arm curled around her stomach, and Uma started to sew.
The combination of painful pricks and odd tugging swiftly began to make his head spin. Toby thought of the moment he received the injury. Ayla was clearly a trained fighter and Toby had never fought with Nix before. It was incredible that she hadn’t managed to inflict worse on him. He had to remember to thank Callum for his lessons in combat.
He pictured the girl cartwheeling on to the gangway, her hair swinging and her coat flying around her. Her eyes were a shade of green he had never seen before, and almond-shaped like Nell’s.
“I can’t believe she’s Nell’s daughter,” he muttered.
“Huh?” Hiko leaned closer.
“Nothing. The room’s going round.” Toby wobbled.
“Almost done, Toby, then you can find your bed.” Uma was tying off the thread.
“Right.” Toby swayed again and Polly fluttered at his side. He closed his eyes and saw Ayla once more. “I’m never going to see her again, am I?” he whispered.
Ayla’s voice rang in his memory. “I don’t think so, boy,” she replied.
Toby was woken by Hiko shaking his shoulder. “The captain says Harry’s passed out and the engines are dry, so you need to get the paddles started. And the secondary rudder is a nightmare so you need to prioritize fixing the steering when we dock. And if I don’t get out of his way he’s going to use me as bait on the next fishing expedition.”
Toby groaned. His leg felt stiff and his back still ached.
“Uma says don’t I dare wake you up, sleep is doing you the world of good. But I’m more scared of the captain using me for bait, so you do have to get up really.” Hiko hesitated. “But not if you don’t want to.”
Toby rolled out of his hammock and clutched his bruised rib. His eyes were full of grit. He rubbed them and moaned again.
“Are you all right?” Hiko edged closer. “I expect I could get the paddles started by myself if I tried.”
“No.” Toby stretched and was surprised to find that he did have movement in his arms after all. “I feel a lot better.” He yawned. “How long was I out?”
Hiko shrugged. “Hours. I’ve been sleeping, too.” He nodded at a little nest of blankets on the floor next to Toby’s berth.
Toby blinked as he looked at the porthole. “Is it nighttime?”
Hiko shook his head. “Day.”
“So I slept all night.” Toby rose on shaky legs. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“I didn’t dare. The fat man knows I’ve been stealing food. He doesn’t like me.”
“Right.” Toby pulled on a fresh shirt, wincing as he had to raise hi
s arms. “Let me sort out the boiler room, then we can find something to eat.”
Toby exhaled as he entered the boiler room, immediately feeling less tense. The heat soothed his bruises and he stretched. Polly had joined him in the passageway.
“Where’ve you been?” Toby muttered
“Uploading the captain’s log.” Polly flew to the top of the attemperator, head cocked to one side.
The Phoenix hummed through his feet and Toby nodded. “The captain’s right, those engines are about to run dry.” Swiftly he switched them off. “It was good while it lasted though, wasn’t it, old girl?”
The Phoenix grew quiet and Toby yawned once more. “What’s the water level?” he asked.
Hiko ran to check. “Over half full.” He tapped the gauge.
“All right, let’s get some power in those paddles. Give me a hand with the lever.” Together Toby and Hiko pulled the lever to divert power from the heating array to the paddles. Steam rushed along the delivery lines and Toby grinned. “Fill the combustion chamber and let’s get some more fuel compressed.”
They worked quietly until Hiko started humming. Toby listened at first, then started tapping his toes against the fuel compressor.
“I think we’ve got enough,” he said eventually. “Thank goodness the Banshee never fired that weapon, or we’d be in real trouble.”
Hiko nodded. “They were bad pirates.”
“Not like us. We’re good pirates, right?”
“Right.” Hiko giggled and then threw his hand over his mouth, to hold it in.
“It’s OK, Hiko, you’re allowed to laugh,” Toby said.
Hiko released his mouth slowly. “Never was before,” he mumbled.
Toby and Hiko entered the mess hall, their faces and hands grey with soot. All patients had been moved into the sleeping quarters and the room had been returned to its original purpose. Most of the crew were gathered, eating a quiet breakfast.
Toby grabbed two bowls and dragged Hiko to the counter. A vat of watery porridge stood on the bench. Toby sighed and ladled out spoons of the congealing grey mass.
“What’s wrong with breakfast?” Rahul stood beside him, looking horrified.
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