Chapter 6.
“What’s happening now?” gasped Meredith as Cory lifted the cover to peep out.
“The pirates have won,” he said gloomily. “They’re carrying a big treasure chest over a plank onto their ship. Oh, and it looks like they’ve taken the captain prisoner.”
“Where? Let me see.” Meredith risked a quick glance. “Oh no, that’s the one we saw fighting with the pirate chief. He looked so brave and now they’re going to kill him.”
“I don’t think they’ll kill him,” said Cory thoughtfully. “They would have done that already. I think they must be keeping him for a reason.”
“Perhaps they are going to hold him for ransom,” shuddered Meredith. “I don’t like this magic at all. Push the button, Cory and let’s go home.”
Cory had to agree with her. The last thing he had seen was the pirates setting fire to the other ship by hurling flaming torches onto the deck. He knew he would have nightmares about people burning to death if he didn’t leave quickly.
A quick push of the button and a jolt took them back to the shed where the children climbed thankfully out of the boat.
“You were right, Cory. You weren’t making it up. I’ll never read stories about pirates again, they were horrible.”
Cory was inclined to agree and Maggie was pleasantly surprised to find that the two children were content to spend a day playing Scrabble and Monopoly inside.
“I’ll take you to the movies tomorrow,” she promised “There’s a really good pirate one on or else there’s a cartoon, but you’re probably both a bit big for the cartoon.”
“No we’re not,” Meredith assured her, and Cory agreed that he definitely didn’t want to see any more pirates.
After two days of wet weather, Meredith was feeling bored. She and Cory talked about the pirate ship as they moved the cattle into a fresh paddock. Moving the cattle was more a case of opening the gate and standing back as they rushed hopefully towards Meredith, looking for a bucket of Moosli or a bottle of milk.
“I can’t help think about the captain,” said Meredith worriedly. “Where do you suppose they will keep him prisoner?”
“Dunno. Probably tied up in one of the cabins, or else down the bottom of the ship in the hold.”
“They might not tie him up,” said Meredith, “Because it’s not as if he can go anywhere. He’s way outnumbered and the ship was in the middle of the ocean.” She shuddered as she remembered the sailors falling in the water. “Do you suppose we could go and rescue him?”
“What, us?” Cory said in amazement. “We’re only a couple of kids. How can we take on a whole ship full of pirates? They’re very strong.”
He remembered the pirate chief hauling him from the boat and how his hands had felt like iron pincers.
“There must be something we can do. Perhaps we can go there when it’s dark and sneak him away. If he came in the boat with us we could help him escape. I can’t sleep at night I worry so much,” Meredith said plaintively.
“I know what you mean,” agreed Cory. He hadn’t slept so well the last couple of nights either. It was very unsettling thinking about the way the pirates had thrown the other sailors into the water. “Perhaps it would work if we go at night, but we’d need to take a knife or something to cut the ropes if he’s tied up.”
“Dad’s got a pocket knife I can borrow,” said Meredith confidently, “and we can at least take him some food. I could make some sandwiches when we do the dishes after dinner.”
“Good idea,” agreed Cory remembering the maggoty ship biscuit. “But what we really need is to take something to create a diversion. You know, something that will make the pirates run to one place while we help the prisoner escape.”
“I know just the thing,” said Meredith, after a few minutes thought. “The kitchen timer. It’s that green plastic thing that looks like an apple,” she told Cory. “You turn it for how many minutes you want, then it makes an alarm when it has counted them. It’s really loud so Mum won’t use it.”
“Sounds perfect. When shall we go?”
“We know it only takes a couple of minutes here no matter how long we stay but we’d better wait until Mum goes to bed. I’ll set my watch alarm for just before midnight and wake you up then.”
Cory agreed to this, although part of him was still a bit unsure about the coming adventure. As he settled down in bed, with all his clothes on under the covers, he realised that they hadn’t thought what they were going to do with the prisoner when or if they managed to rescue him.
“Bother,” he thought. “Typical girl. She rushes into things without thinking them through. I’ll have to think of a good plan,” and promptly fell asleep. He woke with Meredith shaking him and together they tiptoed to the shed, with Meredith firmly clutching his hand.
“I don’t like the dark much,” she explained.
Cory didn’t like the dark either and he felt better holding Meredith’s hand, though he would have died rather than admit it.
They climbed into the boat with a few mutters of pain as Cory bashed his ankle on the side of the trailer.
“Why can’t we have the light on?” he asked crossly.
“ Because someone might see it and tell Mum. Come on, hurry up.”
“ Shine the torch over here then so I can see which button to press.”
Cory pressed the button on the GPS screen and the boat jerked and rocked violently. The rocking continues as he peered out.
“We’re here,” he hissed. “There’s quite a big sea out there so we’ll have to go carefully.”
At least the wind made quite a noise, Cory reflected gratefully as he crept along the deck. They had decided that he would set the kitchen timer on the opposite side of the ship from their lifeboat.
“Ten minutes should be enough,” Meredith had said, so Cory wound the dial around and poked the timer in between the folds of a spare sail that was stored on the deck. He had one nasty moment when he realised there was a man by the wheel steering the ship. A lantern cast a dim glow over his shoulder.
“We should have thought of that,” he muttered to himself as he crawled past on his stomach and made his way quickly back to find Meredith at the opening of the hatch. Together they climbed down the stairs and into the darkness. There was an overpowering smell of rum and a tremendous noise of snoring men.
“Where do we go?” asked Meredith softly.
“Not that way, that’s the galley,” whispered Cory. “Keep going down, I’m sure that’s where he’ll be.”
He was right. After stumbling down another short flight of steps, they arrived in what they assumed was the hold. There were barrels and boxes stacked and roped in place and in one corner, faintly illuminated by the moon shining through a porthole they saw the prisoner. He was a stocky faired haired young man dressed in a leather jerkin over a wide sleeved shirt with a lace collar. Close fitting trousers with braid down the sides covered his legs but his feet were bare and red with cold.
“They’ve taken his boots away,” said Meredith indignantly. “I can’t believe anyone could be so mean.”
As she spoke the captain groaned. He was lying curled up, his feet and hands bound behind him.
“We’ve come to rescue you,” said Meredith quietly, as the prisoner jerked awake and stared at them with wondering eyes.
“A little maid and a lad. Do my eyes deceive me?” he croaked.
“No, I mean yes, I mean, oh do keep still so we can cut these ropes.” Meredith held the torch steady while Cory sawed at the ropes binding the man’s wrists.
“I’m Meredith and that’s Cory,” said Meredith encouragingly.
“Joshua Barnett, at your service,” said the prisoner politely. As soon as his hands were freed he grabbed the knife from Cory and rapidly parted the rope around his ankles. He massaged his legs and groaned.
“Black Harry will rue the day he took me prisoner,” he said bitterly. “Now where is your ship?” He looked at the children expectantly.
“Well, it’s a bit complicated. You’ll have to come with us and we’ll show you. But first you’d better have something to eat. Here, we brought you some sandwiches.”
Joshua sniffed at the sandwiches suspiciously then wolfed them down hungrily.
“What is this strange foodstuff?” he asked.
“Peanut butter and jam,” said Meredith.
“Are there any more?” asked Joshua hopefully.
“Plenty,” replied Cory firmly. “But you’ll have to come with us to get them.”
Joshua started to object to this but the thought of more sandwiches obviously had a powerful effect on him and he consented to follow the children. They made their way up the steps and were just setting foot onto the deck when the kitchen timer went off with a loud clanging noise.
“Quick, this way,” Cory urged Joshua, and dragged him in the direction of the lifeboat as shouts and curses heralded the imminent arrival of the pirates.
“We can’t get in here. We have to lower it first,” protested Joshua.
“Oh just get in.”
Meredith was in an agony of impatience. The pirates were now pouring out of the hatch and she wanted to go quickly.
“I’ll not hide like a coward, but fight like a man,” said Joshua grimly, standing firmly on the deck with his arms folded and refusing to move.
“Come on,” said Cory. “Meredith, climb in first and we’ll follow.”
Standing behind Joshua, he gave him a sudden shove. Joshua stumbled and fell towards the lifeboat. Meredith pulled as Cory pushed from behind then Cory quickly climbed in and pulled the canopy over. He pushed the GPS button and the boat rocked once then was still.
”Where are we?” asked Joshua in bewilderment. The boat was safely in the shed again and the children’s heartbeats were gradually returning to normal as Cory drew back the canopy.
“You’re quite safe now,” Cory assured him. “We’re not on the pirate ship anymore.”
“But where are we? What is this vessel?”
Cory and Meredith looked at each other then Cory had a sudden inspiration.
“You are in a secret hiding place. If you will consent to sleep the night here we will bring you food in the morning then help you to get to another place.”
Joshua grudgingly agreed to this after Meredith told him it was imperative for his safety.
“And don’t touch any of those buttons,” she warned. “They are a powerful magic and only Cory can control them.”
Joshua seemed impressed by this and consented to stretch out on one of the bunks with a couple of life jackets and towels over him for warmth.
“What are we going to do?” Meredith whispered to Cory as they walked back to the house.
“We’ll worry about it in the morning,” yawned Cory. ” At least we should sleep better knowing he’s not a prisoner anymore.”
Meredith agreed and they crept to their own rooms, planning on an early breakfast.