by Ellis Byrd
Cheers erupted at this statement, and Peck stood there in shock. Then Liza yelled, “Arr! Destroy Jamaa!” and, after a moment of staring at her in surprise, Peck and Cosmo caught on.
“Down with the Alphas!”
“Arrr!”
“And now, Bandanna Anna,” Captain Red Eye said once the ruckus had died down. “I believe you’ve promised us a tale the likes of which we’ve never heard. Or else . . .”
Luglow giggled. “Or else she’ll be walkin’ the plank!”
Peck could feel Liza and Cosmo staring at her, and she knew they must be worried. But when she’d been putting together her disguise, in the back of her head she’d started concocting a story about her hooks and peg legs. Peck loved stories, and she knew she could spin a great one.
Turning to Cosmo, she whispered: “Open the door. The smoggier, the better.”
Then she faced the table and smiled. “A tale the likes of which ye’ve never heard? Aye, I think I can manage that.”
And with that, Peck leaped up onto the table, kicking aside a bowl of muck, and began to sing.
“It was a dark and stormy night
When my first feeler I did lose.
A chest, with coins that shone so bright,
So wrongly I did choose.
I took that chest so heavy with gold.
The lid snapped down like a mitt.
It plunged into the sea so cold
And took my feeler with it!”
As Peck sang, she stomped her peg legs on the table in rhythm, and several of the Phantoms began clapping their tentacles along with her as she launched into the chorus. No one noticed when Cosmo opened the door, and more swirling, greenish-gray smog drifted into the cabin.
“Yo ho! Yo ho! My name be Bandy.
Yo ho! Yo ho! My feelers were lost at sea!”
To her right, Peck saw Cosmo trying to hide his giggles. She grinned and added a little dance before continuing.
“Now the second time I came upon
A chest with yet more treasure,
The lesson I’d learned, it was long gone,
For gold gives me so much pleasure.
This chest was heavy, it weighed a ton.
In truth, it needed a diet.
For lurking inside wasn’t gold I’d won
But a sea beast with a taste for pirate!”
The Phantoms roared with laughter and waved their mugs in unison. This time, they joined in on the chorus.
“Yo ho! Yo ho! Her name be Bandy.
Yo ho! Yo ho! Her feelers were lost at sea!”
Peck spun around in the center of the table, enjoying herself so much she almost forgot she was on a Phantom pirate ship in the smog-filled cabin of a dangerous captain. She danced and stomped in time with the crew’s clanking mugs, then continued.
“Well, the next loss I suffered was quite a shock,
I don’t mind tellin’ ye.
This tale involves a rickety dock
That cost me my feeler three!”
As Peck prepared to finish the verse, she stomped on the edge of a plate. It launched a mound of seaweed across the table—right into Captain Red Eye’s red eye.
A terrified hush fell over the cabin. Peck froze, one peg leg sticking straight out in front of her, as the Phantom crew lowered their mugs. Everyone stared in horror at the captain as he slowly wiped the seaweed off. His eye was more bloodshot than ever, and it glared right at Peck.
“Well, Bandanna Anna,” Captain Red Eye hissed. “It seems your story wasn’t worthy of ahh . . . ahhhh . . . CHOO!”
The force of his powerful sneeze almost knocked Peck off her peg legs. She gazed at his watering eye and was hit with a realization.
“Oh, that’s why your eye’s so red!” Peck exclaimed, forgetting to use her pirate voice. “You’re allergic to seaweed!”
Behind her, Luglow giggled. “A pirate allergic to seaweed! Now that’s a good story!”
The rest of the crew was so shocked, they didn’t even notice Peck’s voice had changed. They just stared at Captain Red Eye, who was now attempting to hide the fact that he had the sniffles.
“It’s true!” one said. “It’s the seaweed that did it!”
“His eye doesn’t have special powers!” another cackled. “Just allergies!”
The Phantoms began to jeer and laugh as Captain Red Eye sneezed again.
“You ever heard such a funny story, Scuzzy?” Luglow howled, slapping Liza on the back. And to Peck’s horror, the white shell that had been Liza’s Phantom eye flew off.
Cosmo and Peck gasped. Not even the smog could hide Liza’s face. Silence fell once more as the crew gaped at her.
The captain glared with his hazy eye, and now his lips curled up in a wicked smile. Triumphantly, he pointed a tentacle at Liza, Cosmo, and Peck, and bellowed:
“Alphas! Get them!”
Without a word, the three Alphas fled the Befouler, the Phantom crew hot on their heels.
CHAPTER NINE
After watching Liza and Cosmo board the Befouler, Greely had searched the nearby jungle for vines. He returned with a bundle of them between his teeth to find Wylie right where he’d left him, lying flat on his belly on top of the highest platform.
Greely dropped the vines. “No signs of trouble so far?”
Wylie bit his lip. “Not exactly . . . but a few minutes ago, another Phantom showed up. A really odd Phantom.”
“Odd?”
“He didn’t have any tentacles,” Wylie said. “Just two hooks, and two peg legs! And he was still pretty short.”
“Hmm.” Greely stared at the Befouler, thinking. Then realization dawned, and he almost smiled. “Ah. Peck.”
“Where?” Wylie asked, glancing around eagerly.
“I believe that Phantom was, in fact, Peck in disguise,” Greely said. “When I was collecting these vines, I saw what looked remarkably like bunny prints in the dirt, leading up to a mud puddle.”
“Oh!” Wylie beamed. “That means the others are close, doesn’t it?”
“Quite close,” came a voice behind them. Greely turned around sharply.
“Sir Gilbert!” he exclaimed, then cleared his throat. “I trust you’ve enjoyed your stay on the island?”
The tiger Alpha chuckled. “It’s been quite the adventure: quicksand, buried treasure—”
“You found the treasure?” Wylie interrupted, eyes shining. “Was it gold?”
“Sadly, yes. Jewels as well.”
“How dull,” said Greely dryly.
“Indeed,” Sir Gilbert agreed. “Fortunately, Graham has made good use of them.”
He glanced at the Befouler and frowned thoughtfully. “Liza and Cosmo are also on board, I presume?”
Greely nodded. “Though in disguises less creative than Peck’s, it would seem.”
“We were going to rig a trap for the Phantoms,” Wylie told Sir Gilbert excitedly. “Just in case things go wrong.”
Sir Gilbert nodded, glancing at the pile of vines. “A net?”
“That was my initial idea,” Greely said. “But we wouldn’t be able to build one fast enough. However . . .” He walked to the edge of the platform and pointed to an enormous brown lily pad floating in the bay.
“Ah,” Sir Gilbert said. “Allow me to help.”
While Wylie watched the Befouler, the two Alphas quickly tied the vines end to end to form a long rope. Then Greely hopped down to the walkway below their platform, leaped to the lowest walkway, and slipped into the shallow bay. He swam silently over to the lily pad, then called up to Sir Gilbert:
“Now!”
Sir Gilbert tossed the rope down, and Greely caught it with his teeth. He cut a small hole on the edge of the thick lily pad with his claw, then looped the rope through and tied a tight knot. He could hear thumping and chanting coming from the Befouler, as if the crew was singing a sea shanty.
After double-checking to make sure the knot was secure, Greely leaped back up to the walkway and hurried to rejoin the o
thers on the highest platform. Sir Gilbert handed him a section of the rope, and together they began to heave the enormous lily pad, heavy and dripping with mud and slime, up to their platform.
“I must confess,” Sir Gilbert said as they worked. “I was a bit angry with you for cutting the ropes to our lifeboat before everyone had boarded. It seemed a rash decision, especially for you.”
Greely arched a brow. “It was strategic. A tidal wave was coming, and I knew we didn’t have time to get everyone on the lifeboat.”
“We might have, had you allowed us to help free Wylie’s leg,” Sir Gilbert countered. “And even if we hadn’t, we would have stayed together.”
“But nowhere near the Wayfarer and the rest of the crew,” Greely said. “Graham was on your lifeboat—I assume he’s been successful at rebuilding the ship?”
“Quite successful, yes. Ah, I see.” Sir Gilbert paused for a moment. “You made the right decision. I should have seen that.”
Greely kept his eyes on the lily pad, but after a moment, he dipped his head in acknowledgment of the compliment. He had always found himself more at odds with Sir Gilbert than the other Alphas. But after facing so many dangers together, they’d grown to respect each other . . . if a bit reluctantly.
With a final heave, the two Alphas pulled the lily pad onto the platform. In the silence that followed, Greely’s ears flicked.
“Something’s wrong.”
“They stopped singing,” Wylie whispered from his spot at the edge of the platform. Greely and Sir Gilbert stood still, listening. Then:
“Alphas! Get them!”
“They’re coming.” Greely grabbed the edge of the lily pad and carried it to the end of the platform. Sir Gilbert did the same with the other end, while Wylie scurried to hide behind him. He peered out from behind the tiger Alpha’s cloak when the doors to the captain’s cabin burst open.
Liza and Cosmo sprinted out onto the deck first, and Wylie immediately noticed that Liza’s shell eye was gone. They were followed by a Phantom with hooks who was hopping remarkably fast considering she had peg legs—Peck, Wylie remembered with a grin.
His happiness soon turned to fear when at least a dozen real Phantoms charged out of the cabin, chasing the animals down the walkway. A Phantom wearing an eye patch tripped and fell onto a lower platform.
“Help!” he yelped, rolling around on the wooden planks, his tentacles flailing. “Don’t let the sea beast get my feelers!”
Captain Red Eye emerged from the cabin last, his bloodshot eye wide and wet as he watched the chase. Greely stiffened, watching the captain’s gaze travel up and up until it landed on the two Alphas on the highest platform.
“It’s a trap!” the captain roared, but it was too late. His crew slowed and stared around in confusion right below Greely and Sir Gilbert, who let go of the lily pad at the same time. It landed on the crew like a giant soggy blanket, muffling their yelps and pinning them to the walkway.
“Run!” Sir Gilbert grabbed Wylie and leaped down the series of platforms, Greely right behind him. They joined the other Alphas, but there was no time for a happy reunion. The animals ran as fast as they could into the jungle, and it was several minutes before Captain Red Eye’s shouts and threats finally faded.
CHAPTER TEN
Graham was the first to spot his fellow Alphas when they emerged from the jungle. He ran down the beach to greet them, Eugenie on his heels.
“Are the Phantoms coming?” Graham called the second the others were in earshot.
“They didn’t follow.” Liza leaned on her staff and tried to catch her breath. “Did they, Greely?”
Greely eyed the jungle for a long moment, then nodded. “Our trap gave us the time we needed to escape. And they will likely be more concerned with setting sail for Jamaa than finding us.”
“The Phantoms are sailing for Jamaa?” Eugenie gasped. “How awful!”
“Yes, we must—oh my goodness!” Liza gazed at the ship out in the water. “Is that really the Wayfarer?”
Graham beamed with pride. “It is!” he said. “Although she’s like a new ship in so many ways, I was thinking perhaps we should rename her.”
Eugenie squirmed excitedly. “Great idea! Anyone have any suggestions?”
The six Alphas, Eugenie, and Wylie fell silent, marveling at the ship. In place of white sails, the masts were now holding thick, bright green lily pads stitched with fine leaves of a much darker green. Purple and blue shells covered the hole in the hull, and the entire ship sparkled thanks to the multicolored jewels and gold coins Graham had used as nuts and bolts. Best of all, though they could only see it when they took turns using the spyglass, was the bow, where Graham had embedded the stone with the heron-feather imprint.
The overall effect was so beautiful, Peck found her eyes filling with tears.
“I’ve got it,” she said at last. “The Spirit of Jamaa.”
Sir Gilbert bowed his head. “It’s just perfect, Peck.”
“Indeed.” Liza wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. “And speaking of Jamaa, we need to move fast if we’re going to intercept the Befouler!”
* * *
A few hours later, the Spirit of Jamaa glided effortlessly across the water. The Alphas stood at their stations once more, watching as the island disappeared behind them. As fascinating as the new land had been, they were happy to be making their way home—and eager to defend it.
Liza stood at the helm, gripping the wheel and marveling at the speed of the ship.
“It’s faster than ever!” she called to Graham, who gave her two thumbs-up before disappearing belowdecks to check on the propellers.
“Thanks to the Phantoms’ treasure,” Cosmo said with a giggle. “It’s funny, isn’t it, Peck? You thought gold and jewels would be boring, but they turned out to be just what we needed!”
Peck blushed. “They did, yeah.” She cast a sheepish look at Sir Gilbert. “I guess it’s a good thing I was so obsessed, huh?”
Sir Gilbert chuckled. “If you hadn’t found that treasure, we wouldn’t have a working ship. Obsessed might be too harsh a term, but I think your enthusiasm paid off.”
“I bet Captain Red Eye isn’t going to be too happy about your thievery, Bandanna Anna,” Cosmo added, and Peck laughed.
“Probably not!”
A gruff shout from the crow’s nest caused them to fall silent. “We’re coming up on the Befouler!” Greely pointed, and everyone stared at the horizon. The sky above the ship was dark, and the waters were churning.
“Captain Red Eye seems to be preparing another storm in the hopes of destroying our ship once again,” Sir Gilbert said grimly.
Liza lifted her chin. “That’s not going to happen. The Spirit of Jamaa can take whatever those pirate Phantoms throw at us. Everyone, to your stations!”
The crew leaped into action. Liza spun the wheel as hard as she could to the left, calling instructions to the crew, who adjusted the pulleys and manned the sails. Belowdecks, Graham and Eugenie tinkered with the propellers, and soon the Spirit was sailing even faster than before. In the crow’s nest, Greely braced himself against the wind and watched the Befouler grow larger, along with the trail of green slime it left it its wake.
“We’re gaining on them!” he called down to the others. “Ready the rope!”
Sir Gilbert joined Cosmo, Peck, and Wylie in tying an extra-long rope made from dozens of vines to the ship’s sturdiest mast, ensuring the knot was as tight as possible. The Befouler was so close now, they could see Captain Red Eye’s snarl from where he stood behind the helm.
“My treasure!” he howled when he saw the Spirit’s shining nuts and bolts. “My jewels, my gold! You’ll pay for that, Alphas!”
Captain Red Eye began shouting orders to his crew, and Liza grimaced.
“Brace yourselves!” she cried, and a moment later:
BOOM!
Brown and black goop shot from the Befouler’s cannons, spattering all over the sides and deck of the Spirit. Li
za wrenched the wheel hard, and now the ships were side by side.
BOOM!
More gunk rained down on the Spirit, causing the crew to duck. Liza steered the ship directly into a cresting wave, which washed over the deck and rinsed the slimy goop away. The jewels and coins sparkled more brightly than ever, and Captain Red Eye scowled.
“You’ll have to do better than that!” Cosmo taunted, dancing a little jig and waving at the crew of the Befouler. The distraction worked: Captain Red Eye roared and ordered another round of goop fired, and the Phantoms scurried to obey.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
This time, the Spirit’s crew was ready. As the gobs of muck flew toward them, they pulled out the extra-strong strips of bark Graham had given them right before they’d set sail. Each monkey, panda, fox, and otter picked a gob, swung back, and . . .
Thwack!
They hit the gobs, sending them flying back over to the Befouler and causing the Phantoms to scatter.
In the chaos of the battle, none of the Phantoms saw Peck jump from the bow of the Spirit to the bow of the Befouler, the end of the vine rope in her paw.
She worked at lightning speed, triple-tying the rope in a knot around the Befouler’s bow, then leaping back to the Spirit just as another BOOM! sounded. Peck landed on the deck next to Cosmo, along with several spatters of goop, and gave Liza the thumbs-up.
“All right, Captain Red Eye!” Liza called. “Let’s see whose ship is truly seaworthy, shall we?”
Using every bit of strength she possessed, Liza spun the wheel all the way to the right and held it there. The Spirit began to sail in a fast circle—and, thanks to the rope connecting the ships’ bows, so did the Befouler.
Captain Red Eye roared again as his wheel spun out of control. The Befouler began sailing in a circle opposite the Spirit, like two dance partners twirling round and round. Between them, the murky waters began to churn faster and faster . . .
“It’s working!” Peck cried, holding on to the railing with one paw and the map with the other. “We’re creating a whirlpool!”
“Helllllp!” Luglow went flying over the railing of the Befouler, landing in the water with a great splash. Two more Phantoms followed, and even Captain Red Eye had to grab on to a mast to keep from falling.