The Island of Destiny

by Cameron Stelzer

  ‘It can’t be,’ Ruby said. ‘We sailed straight through those waters. There’s definitely nothing there. There’s only one island and it’s to the west of the mainland, not the east.’

  ‘You don’t need to convince me,’ Whisker said, shaking his head. I can see the real island with my own eyes. It must be a mistake.’

  The tip of Mr Tribble’s nose appeared halfway up the side of the boulder.

  ‘Mistake?’ he said. ‘I assure you I copied the map correctly in every detail.’

  ‘Except the three sets of waves,’ Ruby muttered.

  ‘That was a stylistic alteration,’ Mr Tribble said defensively. ‘The island is identical.’

  ‘Identical to the original map, maybe,’ Whisker said, running his finger over the coastline, ‘but not the actual island. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the secret cove is drawn on the opposite coast and I swear the eastern mountain should be higher than the western one.’

  ‘East, west, north, south. There’s not even a stupid directional symbol,’ Ruby said in a condescending voice.

  ‘You’re right,’ Whisker said. ‘We just presumed the top of the map was north.’

  ‘You didn’t presume anything,’ Mr Tribble said in frustration, reaching the top of the boulder. ‘The compass in your paw tells you which way is north.’

  ‘But it also tells me which way is east and west,’ Whisker said.

  ‘So north is north and south is south but east is west and west is east,’ Ruby snapped. ‘Who cares? We’re wasting time on insignificant details when we could be planning an ambush.’

  ‘None of this is insignificant,’ Whisker said. ‘Don’t you both see that?’

  Smudge raised his arms as if to say I do.

  Whisker continued, ‘The Island of Destiny is almost symmetrical. If we hadn’t discovered these small details we would never know –’

  ‘That the map is drawn in reverse,’ Mr Tribble exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with a sudden realisation. ‘Turn it over and see.’

  Ruby flipped the map over and held it up to the morning sun. Light streamed through the yellowed paper, revealing the entire map as a mirror image. The small island lay to the west, the sheltered cove hugged the eastern coastline and the tallest mountain rose to the east. Exactly as it should appear.

  Whisker removed the King’s Key from his pocket and inserted in into the key-shaped hole in the map. In reverse, the symbols took on new meaning – right became left, clockwise became anticlockwise.

  While the words of the map appeared as indecipherable scrawl, one word took on a new meaning. Standing out against the dark shadow of the eastern mountain was a white-lettered word. It had once read Mobziw. Now it read wisdoM

  ‘… wisdom is found in the shadows behind,’ Whisker recited.

  ‘We have been enlightened,’ Mr Tribble marvelled. ‘We looked and looked but it is only now that we truly see. No wonder the treasure has remained hidden. We had the wrong mountain all along.’

  The Other Mountain

  The startling discovery called for immediate action. According to the reversed map, the secret entrance to the mountain of wisdom was located directly north of the Hermit’s lair. Whisker knew they could reach it in less time than it took the Captain to trek through the forest. He also knew that embarking on a treasure hunt meant leaving Eaton at the mercy of the Cat Fish. It was a choice he didn’t want to make.

  In the end, Mr Tribble made it for him.

  ‘I am responsible for all of your safety,’ he said, putting a paw on Emmie’s shoulder, ‘and for Eaton’s. If we attack the Cat Fish in broad daylight, there will be casualties – Eaton may be one of them. If we hand over the key, we have no guarantee they will spare any of us. But if we find the treasure, we might just have a chance of ending this peacefully …’ He choked up.

  ‘There, there,’ Rat Bait said, trying to comfort him. ‘Sabre cares more ‘bout the treasure than eatin’ the wee lad. No ‘arm will come to Eaton while we’re in the mountain. Mark me words.’

  Whisker couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Rat Bait’s logic made perfect sense, as did Mr Tribble’s, but Whisker felt he had a duty that went beyond logic – a duty to rescue Eaton even if he perished in the process. That was the price of loyalty. Ruby looked uncomfortable, too. She was never one to shy away from a fight.

  Mr Tribble looked from Whisker to Ruby as if reading their thoughts.

  ‘Not today, young rats,’ he said, sounding like an overprotective school teacher. ‘Be patient. The time for battles will come.’

  It took Ruby a moment to agree with him, but when she did, there was no going back.

  ‘We head for the treasure,’ she said decisively. ‘Smudge, tell the Captain to meet us on the eastern mountain. Give the same message to the Hermit if you cross paths with him. Whisker, lead the way.’

  Without further discussion, Smudge disappeared into the cloudless sky and Whisker led the others down the slope of the western mountain. The treasure hunters backtracked along the weathered boulders, heading east past the mountain spring. It was an easier journey in daylight, even with a stiff headwind. Whisker hoped any lingering onion odours weren’t reaching the Cat Fish.

  They arrived in the general vicinity of the Hermit’s lair and, after a couple of minutes of searching, located its concealed entrance. The companions piled inside and threw themselves onto the ground to catch their breaths.

  The confinement of the cave felt strangely comforting to Whisker. The dangers of the island were momentarily blocked by solid walls of rock arching above his head.

  Emmie discovered several piles of pine nuts in the corner of the cave and divided them among the hungry rodents. She made no attempt to offer anyone the mouldy onions from the opposite corner. With renewed strength, they departed the cave for the next stage of their quest.

  ‘If anything happens, we’ll meet back here,’ Whisker said, removing the broken pencil lead from his bag. He scratched a subtle mark on a nearby rock. ‘This should help us find the entrance.’

  The companions travelled due north, scaling one boulder after another. It was unfamiliar territory for Whisker. The boulders were larger and smoother than those lower down the slope, and the mountain shrubs were shrivelled and lifeless. Whisker had his suspicions that scorpions would be hidden in many of the dark crevices they passed.

  Withered thistles began to appear in the rocky, black soil between boulders. Whisker guessed they were close to the true treasure site.

  ‘Look out for a group of three boulders,’ he said. ‘It might take some hunting, but don’t give up. They’ll be here somewhere.’

  Ruby pointed directly behind Whisker. ‘Do you mean three boulders like those?’

  Whisker turned to see three round boulders in a tight row.

  ‘Err, that could be them…’ Whisker said, embarrassed.

  Mr Tribble took out Emmie’s symbol sheet.

  ‘We need to dig under the end boulder,’ he said.

  ‘Remember the symbols are reversed,’ Ruby pointed out.

  ‘Yes, I’m aware of that,’ Mr Tribble said emphatically. ‘It would seem the boulder on the right is our target. It appears slightly squarer than the other two boulders – like a doorway.’

  ‘There’s only one way to find out,’ Ruby said, pulling out one of her swords.

  With powerful blows of her blade, she began hacking at the hard ground. Whisker and Rat Bait joined in with their own scissor swords. Ruby handed Mr Tribble her second sword and Emmie found a strong shard of rock to use. Together they broke up the soil and scooped out the loose fragments with their paws.

  No one doubted a good shovel or two would make the job a much swifter process, and the rodents’ arms quickly grew tired. To save their strength, they reverted to shifts of scraping and scooping rather than all digging at once. They had dug through several centimetres of hard earth when Rat Bait’s blade struck something solid.

  ‘Over ‘ere!’ he exclaimed. ‘I think I’
ve found somethin’.’

  Whisker and Ruby rushed over to assist. The three rats brushed away a thin layer of dirt to reveal the upper edge of a round metal object resembling a large cog or a ship’s wheel. A long metal shaft ran from the centre of the wheel into the ground. The shaft was attached to the rim of the wheel by thick metal spokes.

  The five companions clapped their dusty paws in triumph. There was still more scraping to do before the wheel was free from the earth, but the excited diggers made short work of the task. When the last pawful of dirt was removed from the hole, they dropped their digging implements and each took a spot along the rim of the wheel.

  ‘The wheel requires a clockwise turn,’ Mr Tribble said, reversing the symbols on Emmie’s sheet. ‘Let’s hope the shaft hasn’t rusted solid.’

  ‘We turn on three,’ Ruby instructed. ‘One, two, three!’

  The companions heaved, their muscles strained, but the wheel didn’t budge. They tried again, with greater effort – still no success.

  ‘We need more leverage,’ Whisker puffed. ‘If we insert our sword blades through the holes in the wheel, we can use them to pry the wheel forward.’

  ‘It’s worth a try,’ Ruby agreed.

  The four swords were spaced around the wheel. Each blade passed through a hole on an angle, its tip digging into the ground.

  ‘On my cue, pull your sword towards you like a lever,’ Whisker instructed. ‘The straightening blade should turn the wheel. Ready? Now!’

  The rodents pulled with all their strength. There was a sharp CREAK from the shaft as the wheel began to turn. At the same time, the sound of grating stone filled their ears and the boulder on the right slowly swivelled into the mountain.

  The blades of the swords straightened. The excited treasure hunters paused, panting for breath, and looked across at the boulder. It had rotated several centimetres. A small gap had appeared to its left. Cold, musty air seeped out.

  ‘Keep pulling,’ Ruby said. ‘Not even Smudge would fit through that gap.’

  The swords were repositioned and the heaving began again. The boulder turned further, widening the gap. The companions repeated the process again and again, their muscles burning with every attempt. The boulder finally ground to a halt, revealing a small, dark passageway into the mountain.

  Whisker and Ruby rushed over and stepped inside, letting their eyes slowly adjust to the gloom. The tunnel continued into blackness. A scattering of broken rocks lay strewn across the floor, following the arc of the boulder.

  ‘No wonder it was hard work,’ Whisker said. ‘From the look of these shards, we’ve been pushing a pile of rubble along.’

  ‘Well, we’re in now,’ Ruby pointed out, brushing the rocks aside with her foot, ‘so let’s get going.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be in such a hurry, if I were you,’ Mr Tribble called out. ‘I’m not convinced that’s the correct passage.’

  ‘What?’ Ruby gasped.

  ‘We need to take a right tunnel,’ Mr Tribble said. ‘That one’s on the left.’

  ‘But there’s only one tunnel,’ Ruby frowned.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ Whisker said, examining the right side of the passage. ‘There’s a small gap between the boulder and the wall. I can see two larger rocks wedged in the gap. I think they’re preventing the boulder from moving any further, but there appears to be hollow space on the other side of the wall.’

  Rat Bait walked into the passage carrying a lit lantern and held it up to the gap.

  ‘Ye be right,’ he said. ‘There’s another passage b’yond.’

  ‘Give me a hand with these rocks,’ Whisker said.

  Rat Bait put down the lantern and helped Whisker remove the first rock from the gap. No sooner had they pulled it free than the boulder jerked forward of its own accord. It stopped when it reached the second rock.

  ‘Yikes!’ Whisker cried, jumping back. ‘Who’s turning the wheel?’

  Mr Tribble and Emmie held their empty paws in the air.

  ‘It could be built-up tension,’ Whisker considered. ‘A direct result of the boulder straining against the rubble. By removing the obstacles, the tension is being released, turning the door.’

  ‘Ey?’ Rat Bait said, scratching his chin.

  Ruby rolled her eye. ‘Aren’t you the engineering expert, Whisker? Leverage, levers and all the rest … It pays to have an inventor for a father.’

  ‘I, err, guess so,’ Whisker said humbly. ‘Circus inventions are far less complex than rotating boulders, but the principle’s the same.’

  ‘So can we release the tension by turning the wheel in the opposite direction?’ Ruby asked.

  ‘Trying – it – now,’ Mr Tribble groaned. ‘Sword – won’t – budge.’ He quickly gave up trying and slumped to the ground. ‘I think this is a one-way-only kind of door.’

  Whisker ran his paw over the boulder.

  ‘The door is actually a carved piece of rock,’ he said. ‘From what I can see, it has three sides like a triangle. Two of them are flat and the third is curved. The curved side is currently facing us.’

  ‘So from above it would look roughly like a slice of pie?’ Ruby surmised.

  ‘Exactly,’ Whisker said, stepping outside the passage. He scratched a rough diagram on the ground with his sword.

  ‘Only one passage is accessible at a time,’ he explained. ‘As soon as the rubble is removed, the left passage will close and the right passage will open.’

  ‘And there’s no way of knowing if the left passage can be reopened,’ Mr Tribble added. ‘Or if it leads anywhere at all.’

  ‘But the only way to remove the rocks is from inside,’ Ruby said, ‘and that would mean …’

  ‘Saying goodbye to a scoundrel,’ Rat Bait called from the passage.

  Whisker looked up to see Rat Bait grabbing hold of the second rock.

  ‘I never expected to leave this island alive,’ Rat Bait muttered. ‘Tell the Capt’n – tell ‘im I did it for his crew.’

  He lifted the rock. The mountain rumbled and the boulder spun on its axis.

  ‘NO!’ Whisker shouted, leaping forward in desperation.

  Ruby grabbed Whisker’s arm and pulled him back as the wedge of rock scraped past like an oversized millstone. Whisker watched helplessly as Rat Bait disappeared behind a wall of stone, his final words drifting through the narrowing gap. ‘It’s a fittin’ destiny to be trapped in a treasure mountain, don’t ye thi …’

  THUD! With the echoing sound of stone hitting stone, the boulder came to a standstill. Rat Bait was gone and the right passage was wide open.

  Whisker grasped the wheel and frantically tried to turn it – clockwise, anticlockwise, up and down. He beat it with his paws. He kicked it with his toes. It was no use. The wheel held fast.

  He slumped to his knees in defeat, staring helplessly up at the wedge of rock blocking the left passage. Rat Bait was right in front of him, close enough to touch, yet trapped behind countless tons of immovable stone.

  Whisker couldn’t bring himself to look at the open passage. It didn’t feel right. Despite all of Rat Bait’s lies and deceit, Whisker knew he had ultimately made the biggest sacrifice: he had put the crew first, forsaking his own chance of survival. His actions were those of a noble captain, not a selfish scoundrel.

  Loyalty before all else … Whisker thought. There was good in Rat Bait after all.

  Finding the strength, Whisker rose to his feet and gave the wheel a futile heave. He knew it was pointless, but there was nothing else he could do.

  ‘Let it go,’ Ruby said quietly. ‘He made a choice.’

  ‘A forced choice!’ Whisker snapped, his frustration turning to anger. ‘The Captain treated him like he was already dead.’

  ‘How dare you judge my uncle,’ Ruby hissed, prodding a finger into Whisker’s chest. ‘Rat Bait ruined his life and the life of my family. The Captain has a right to feel the way he does, don’t you forget it.’

  Whisker lowered his head. ‘But it’s not the
way it’s supposed to be. This island is for second chances.’

  ‘Rat Bait got his second chance,’ Ruby said firmly. ‘And he did something good with it. Leave it at that.’

  ‘I can’t,’ Whisker said, setting his jaw. ‘I just can’t.’

  Ruby stared back at him and shook her head. ‘Why must you insist on fixing everyone else’s lives, Whisker?’

  Whisker felt his anger boiling over.

  ‘Because I can’t fix my own,’ he yelled.

  He grabbed the remaining lantern and rushed into the tunnel before Ruby could see the tears filling his eyes.

  The Right Turn

  Ruby and the mice joined Whisker in the dark passage. There was no more talk of Rat Bait – or of Eaton. Their sole focus was the treasure and the twisting path that would lead them to it.

  The passage appeared to be a continuous rock cave, its walls lined with long, hexagonal shaped rocks expanding upwards to form a jagged roof high above the silent party.

  The strange block-like structure consisted mostly of basalt, a black volcanic rock with an occasional dark-green tinge. Whisker wondered if the entire island had once been a raging volcano with the circular ridge of the Treacherous Sea forming a giant volcanic mouth.

  Many of the walls had images scratched into the rock with white, chalky stone. Some of the images resembled animals; others looked like primates or two-legged creatures called humans. There was no doubt they were drawn long before the treasure arrived on the island.

  ‘I believe our mysterious mapmaker made use of pre-existing passages,’ Mr Tribble said, studying the images. ‘Inhabitants must have lived here long ago.’

  ‘Let’s hope they’re not still around,’ Ruby said warily. ‘I’ve heard humans hate rodents more than cats.’

  The companions pressed on uneasily until they reached a point where the tunnel split in two. Both passages rose steadily upwards. Steps were intermittently carved into the rocky ground.

  ‘The symbol sheet says left,’ Mr Tribble said. ‘So we need to take the reverse passage, which of course is on the right.’

  ‘Obviously,’ Ruby muttered, already disappearing up the right stairs. ‘Hurry up with that lantern.’