“Cage.” said Neep suddenly. “Oh dear fishermen lost at sea!” he exclaimed and jumped over the quarterdeck, hitting the deck running and disappeared down into the gun deck, leaving Daisy and Bones looking quizzically at each other.
“He keeps doing this.” Said Bones.
“He does at that.” Said Daisy, raising an eyebrow.
Neep ran along the gun deck, bobbing and weaving around the powder boys reloading the cannons, Boom at the far end watching in horror, looking through the hatch at the relatively undamaged Torta Di Frutta. Already the first light of dawn was breaking on the horizon. Neep estimated they had time for one more volley; at best two. Boom was looking at him as he approached, no doubt wondering what was going on.
“Wouldn’t do to be getting in the way. Mister Neep!” said Boom, “Or we are never going to see that lovely looking volcano close at hand, oh no!”
“The cage.” panted Neep, out of breath, “covers the hull.”
“Steel protector?” sighed Boom, despondency filling his face as Neep nodded. Neep however leaned out of the hatch and pointed at the hull.,
“Fire there.” he said, pointing at a particular piece of the hull amidships.
“Why?” asked Boom curiously.
“Just do it!” shouted Neep and Boom stood and shouted orders. Aims were shifted, recalibrated and the cannons fired again. The smoke cleared. Still the Torta Di Frutta’s steel cage protected it. Slowly he saw the canons of the Torta Di Frutta coming into line with the Magpie. At best they had one more shot.
***
Mister Lex stood on the deck of Torta Di Frutta, temporarily in charge whilst Captain Jenkins stayed ashore to supervise the movement of the gunpowder. The attack by the Magpie did take him by surprise, granted, though as he stood on the quarterdeck he revelled in the destruction of the Magpie’s front mast and Daisy’s seemingly futile attempts to harm his ship and laughed heartily. As he did so however, a pirate appeared next to him wringing his hands and looking terribly worried.
“Mister Lex.” he said, and Lex noted how very pale he looked. “We have analysed their attack sir, and there is a danger. Shall I have a rowing boat standing by?”
“Nonsense!” said Lex, laughing in disdain, “Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I Think you overestimate their chances, sir!”
From the gun deck below he heard the bombardier shouting, “Cannons realigned, prepare to fire!”
***
Neep stood still. The last shot had hit the wrong place, and Neep desperately racked his brains for the correct dimensions. In his head he walked the deck of Jenkin’s ship again, and now he put himself back on the Torta Di Frutta. Quarterdeck to deck, twenty-four paces, forward seventeen, starboard two, down to the galley six, then forward sixteen. He paused, doubt in his mind. Or was it seventeen? He counted off on his fingers. Eighteen, damn it, not seventeen.
“There.” he said to Boom. “The grog is stored there.” he said, and smiling, Boom gave orders and the cannons were re-aimed once again, only this time only slightly.
“You evil bastard, Mister Neep.” Smiled Boom. “You evil, evil bastard!” Seeing that everything was to his satisfaction, Boom grinned and shouted, “Fire!”
The Magpie’s cannons roared and the full force of the cannons hit the grog store.
The result was devastating.
The Torta Di Frutta seemed to actually rise out of the water keel and all a good six feet before the entire side of the ship exploded. Up on the quarterdeck Neep could hear Daisy giving orders to try and withdraw the Magpie back from the Torta Di Frutta, such was the unexpected ferocity of the explosion. Neep watched through the hatch in horror as Jenkins ship hit the water again, the deck buckling and a massive wave rolling out from the epicentre of the blast.
Cheering could be heard all over the Magpie as the Torta Di Frutta upon hitting the water leaned over at an angle of forty-five degrees, members of the crew clinging to anything they could, some tumbling across the leaning deck and falling into the water. The masts of the ship collapsed, the sound of wood splintering and crashing into the sea as the ship broke apart.
“My, my.” muttered Boom as Neep made his way back out from the gun deck, running back to where Daisy and Bones were looking in disbelief as the large ship broke apart as they watched.
“By my day…” muttered Bones, “What did you do, Neep?”
“Grog store.” he said, dawn now swiftly broken. The sinking of the Torta Di Frutta was now but a matter of time. “I remembered where it was and we targeted that.”
“By the Seven.” Said Daisy, handing Neep the telescope, as the Magpie withdrew even further, the masts of the Torta Di Frutta crashing down into the sea. “That was well done, Mister Neep. That was well done indeed.”
Neep looked at the sinking ship through the telescope, watching the hull lean even closer to the sea, breaking up. On the steeply sloped deck he watched as the rats attempting to desert the sinking ship stood back for a moment, quivering in fear as they let the ship’s biscuits run past them and jump over the side and into the sea. Already there was a foaming in the waves, thrashing sounds, and Neep leaned closer to the sea, focusing the telescope. He was refocusing when Daisy took the instrument from him.
“Sharks, Neep.” she said, “It won’t be nice. Don’t look.” Neep gulped as screams began to rise from the water, Jenkins's ship’s hull finally capsizing before it broke into two. The Magpie rode a wave and began to move towards the shore as the Torta Di Frutta finally vanished beneath the waves.
“I may consider travelling without grog from now on.” Whispered Daisy, retrieving the telescope, Bones nodding glumly.
“Can’t we save them?” Whispered Neep as the screams grew louder, the water between the ships now filled with fast moving thrashing shapes, the ocean clouded with blood.
“They are Jenkins men.” Said Bones sadly. “I am sorry Neep, but no.” Neep nodded once. He was not happy about the situation, but he understood.
Daisy focused on the shore. Dawn had broken now and the island was clearly visible.
“What are they doing?” Asked Bones.
“Making barricades.” Snorted Daisy, “Jenkins seems rather red in the face.”
“Numbers?” There was a pause while Daisy counted.
“Ten by the look of it. That’s as many as I can see of course.”
“No white flags?” Asked Neep and both Daisy and Bones laughed.
“Not captain Jenkins’s style, surrendering.” Said Daisy. “Take us nearer to the shore and ready a boat.” Shouted Daisy, and the Magpie began to move nearer to where Jenkins was currently barricading himself in.
Neep looked at the bay, and where Jenkins had landed. The sheer size of the door cut into the mountain was now apparent. It was as Neep had estimated at least ninety feet high, and seemed to be currently closed. There was a huge keyhole cut into the door half way up, and at the base of the door itself Jenkins had been busy piling gunpowder. Neep estimated that there must have been at least two hundred barrels ashore, which must have been nearly all of the powder store for the entire shop, though he reflected that it did not matter now, bearing in mind that the Torta Di Frutta was currently in pieces at the bottom of the ocean.
Jenkins had been busy with the broken wooden frames that seemed to litter the beach, pulling them into a barricade behind which his men now hid, muskets and pistols clearly jutting from gaps in the wood.
“Looks like a parley.” sighed Bones, “I do love a good parley.”
“Usual routine?” asked Daisy and Bones raised his arm and dropped it, before smiling. Neep simply looked on, now completely puzzled as Bones made his way to the rowing boat being lowered over the side of the Magpie, and began to row towards the shore. As he did so, Neep was surprised to see Bones drop his robe into the small boat, now rowing himself slowly forwards, his skeleton form clearly on display.
“What is he doing?” asked Neep, puzzled. Daisy smiled.
“Well now. Captain Jenkins
is sure to open fire on any who approach. Mister Bones has a bit of an advantage when it comes to bullets.” Neep looked puzzled. “They tend to go right through him.” She winked.
“What’s the usual routine then?” asked Neep as Daisy watched the rowing boat stop just a small way off the shore. Already Bones was being shot at, but he stood up in the rowing boat, arms apart as if inviting them to shoot at him. Across the bay the sun began to rise as day broke, the swift sunrise reflecting against the door in the cliff, bathing it in light. It stayed firmly shut.
“Quite simple.” said Daisy, tight-lipped as she watched Bones shrug off a few more pistol shots, smoke rising from behind the barricade on the shore as the guns were discharged, “And if mister Bones hold up his left arm then I command the Magpie to open fire.”
“I see.” said Neep, stopping as Jenkins’ voice carried across the water.
“You pusillanimous jack snapper!” Roared Jenkins, his head popping up from the barrier before he strode around it to face Bones, “You larcenous lily livered bag of rabbit’s doings! You have sunk my ship, sir!”
“Sorry about that.” Said Bones, not sounding sorry at all. Neep focused his attention on Jenkins, and pulled the telescope to his eye, noting that the captain of the ex-Torta Di Frutta was in full battle stance, his beard braids alight, a pistol in each hand. He even seemed to have a lit candle in his hat, “Yet it is time for you to surrender, Jenkins. You have but nine men, and no ship. It would be a wise decision.
“I will do no such thing.” Shouted Jenkins, “I still have the map.”
“So do we.” Laughed Bones.
“Nonsense!” Roared Jenkins, “There is only one map!”
“I have a copy.” sighed Bones, “Or we would not be here, would we?” Jenkins did his best not to look confused, but he obviously found it a struggle. Bones continued.
“Also a key.” He smiled, holding his medallion out before him, the metal it was made from catching the rising sun, “Perhaps a key to the door.” said Bones, pointing to the huge closed door in the cliff behind Jenkins, “Who knows? Stranger things have happened.”
“You gluttonous jellyfish breeding son of a maggot worm!” Snarled Jenkins, firing a pistol in Bones’ direction. The skeleton merely shrugged as the shot bounced of the bones of his ribcage.
“I bought this map fair and square and you have no right copying it!” yelled Jenkins.
“I think you will find that the map was stolen from Daisy and I by the person who sold it to you quite some years ago.” said Bones, “But let us not dwell on such minor details. You need to surrender Jenkins, or I am afraid Daisy may just grow impatient.”
“To hell with the witch chiselled son of a bitch's cloth clad arse!” Shouted Jenkins, and if Bones had any eyebrows he certainly would have raised at least one of them at that point.
“Eh?” he said, as Jenkins stamped about back and forth on the beach.
“Your scurrilous edge weaned captain can go and sup from the blind man’s spoon!” Yelled Jenkins.
“You really are as mad as a box of frogs, aren’t you?” Laughed Bones wearily and then he sat down to begin rowing again, only this time he seemed to be heading back to the Magpie. Before he took the oars however he raised one bony arm straight in the air and Daisy held hers up too.
Seeing his signal acknowledged Bones began to row back towards the Magpie for all he was worth.
“Fire at will, Mister Boom!” yelled Daisy, “Target the gunpowder!” she said as Neep rushed to the guard rail to watch as Bones was rowing as fast as he possibly could back to the ship.
“Yes captain!” shouted Boom, excitement evident in his voice. There was a small gap and then the Magpie fired, hitting the hundreds of stacked gunpowder barrels on the shore mere seconds later.
There was a huge explosion, and the island seemed almost to shake, large rippled waves heading out across the bloody waters of the bay. As the barrels exploded the entire coast in front of them disappeared in thick clouds of smoke, hundreds of smaller explosions throwing fire and flame through the clouds as each barrel exploded. Boom had made it up to the quarterdeck from the gun deck to watch and he stood transfixed as the explosions continued for a good five minutes.
Eventually the explosions stopped, but a thick pall of smoke lay upon the island as all of the occupants of the Magpie watched intently. Slowly it began to clear. Neep stared across the water as the smoke drifted away from the cliff face, large boulder of rock dropping down from the cliff face onto the ground below, shattering into great chunks of rock, shales of stone and granite falling all around.
Yet as the smoke cleared even further, blown away by a slight early morning breeze that blew across the bay, it soon became evident that the door was completely unscathed. There came a collective gasp from the pirates on board the Magpie as the door was now revealed to be completely untouched. Most of the wooden structures off to each side of the beach remained untouched too, though the barricades that Jenkins had hastily erected were covered in rocks and debris from the cliffs. Where the gunpowder barrels had been stacked there was just a large hole in the ground. Nobody moved on the shore at all.
“Take us in a little closer.” said Daisy to the helmsman who nodded and began to move the ship forward, “Ready landing parties.” Bones had reached the Magpie by now but he remained in the rowing boat, now being joined by other pirates as they prepared to swarm ashore. They were waiting for Daisy however, “With me, Neep.” she said and they made their way to the boats. Neep marvelled at the size of the door as they approached the shore, and the puzzling wooden scaffolds, the purpose of which completely eluded him.
Slowly the rowing boat crossed the short distance to the island, three more boats following Daisy as he reached the beach and strode out along the edge of the sea and onto the beach. There was a roar behind her from the pirates as she strode towards the door, Neep close behind. As she passed the first piles of debris however there was a loud groan and a pile of rocks fell from a small pile. From the ground, covered in dust and beard just about guttering, Jenkins rose and placed himself in front of Daisy.
“Urgh.” he said, and Daisy stopped right in front of him, crossing her arms across her chest as the captain swayed back and forth, his eyes rolling.
“Bagimous cur rattling coxswain.” He muttered, swaying backwards and forwards. Daisy stepped forward, standing on a small rock so that she and Jenkins were eye to eye.
“Put your beard out, Jenkins.” She said. “You look like an idiot.”
“Farraginous barrel banded sea witch.” spat Jenkins and Daisy snarled and reaching forward, head butted Jenkins directly on the nose. Jenkins squeaked and collapsed to the ground at Daisy’s feet, dropping like a stone.
“Whatever.” Said Daisy dismissively and strode off to examine the door in the cliff, leaving Jenkins sprawled unconscious on the beach. Neep followed her as she went.
The battle to secure the island was over.
Chapter 29
~ The Mouse and the Lion~
“I don’t understand it at all.” said Daisy, “I can’t see any way of opening this door whatsoever.” After setting foot ashore Daisy had set the crew busy clearing the potential entrance to the cliff of debris, the piles of crushed rock on each side of the enormous door increasing as the way was cleared. Pirates laboured away stripped to the waist, sweating in the hot sun as the day wore on. Eventually the path was cleared, but apart from the man sized keyhole half way up the door there was no apparent way to either open the door or indeed any sign of hinges anywhere about the edifice to discover how it opened.
Bones had also been puzzled by it. He had the medallion about his neck which he had always thought of as a key, but the sheer size of the keyhole in the door seemed to preclude that it was the right key for this door. He had tried waving the medallion at the entrance, reciting the words the man in the moon had told him were inscribed there. “The spirit of the air.” He whispered at the solid stone door towering above him as i
f he was embarrassed to be heard trying it, though he had still felt relatively disheartened when absolutely nothing happened at all.
They all gave up eventually and Daisy, Bones and Neep set about examining the remains of the wooden constructions that ran along the shore instead. They were quite mystifying. Some were no more than ten feet in height, some as high as thirty, all made of bamboo lashed together, some having steps, some not. Some had crude steps of bamboo lashed to their sides, but most looked rickety or damaged; unsafe.
“I think the whole thing would fall apart if you tried to climb it.” Said Neep quietly. “Don’t think I would risk it.” He noticed that Daisy seemed to be of a similar opinion, testing one bamboo step with her weight. Almost instantly it cracked and fell to pieces beneath her foot.
“If it were in the water I would think it was some kind of crude quay.” she muttered, “but the vegetation here proves that the sea never rises this high. I am mystified.”
“Me too.” said Bones. “I cannot define what is their use or indeed their purpose at all.”
The previous part of the day had not just been spent moving rocks, though that was Daisy’s main preoccupation. There had also been the task of setting up camp, and Daisy had also been sure to place Jenkins in chains off to one side of the camp with a guard on him at all times. Neep thought that she hadn’t made up her mind what to do with him yet, though Jenkins had so far been a model prisoner, even if he did seem to spend an awful lot of time cursing at anyone with hearing range.
“Perhaps we could drop someone on a rope from the cliff top above the door to examine the keyhole. Perhaps it opens from the inside?” speculated Neep as the three of them walked back from the shoreline to the camp on the beach.
“May take a day or so for someone to make their way around the outcrop to get atop.” said Bones. The cliff itself was sheer on each side of the door, and any route to the cliff top would seem to need a journey into the jungle to try to find a way up.
“I’m not keen to split up the crew just yet,” said Daisy, “After all we are not completely sure that we are alone on the island. Perhaps if we get desperate I will consider it.” Neep wondered to himself just how desperate she had to be, for so far they had had no luck at all in getting beyond the door or discovering what the strange wooden structures were.
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