whispering. ‘Promise you won’t tell, Jim?’ she begged.
Jimmy’s eyes gleamed. Pam’s information was better than anything he could have hoped for. He gave her a little pat and removed his wing from her shoulder.
‘Of course I won’t, Pamela,’ he said solemnly. ‘It’s
our
secret now!’
‘I’d better get off and see if the Captain wants anything,’ Pam said. She sidled to the edge of the boom and lifted her tail feathers.
SPLAT!
The first dropping landed on Thug’s head.
PLOP!
The second one landed on Slasher’s beak.
Pam glanced down at the poop deck. ‘Keep scrubbing!’ she yelled. ‘OrI’ll make you do the Captain’s poo bucket. He had curried eel for dinner last night.’ She flew off.
Jimmy fluttered down towards the poop deck and perched on the railing. He looked at Thug and Slasher with distaste. ‘Clean yourselves up, you two.’ He grimaced. ‘You’re a disgrace to magpies.’
‘Sorry, Boss.’ The magpies hopped into the bucket and splashed about. They hopped out, dripping with filthy water.
‘What did she say?’ Thug asked eagerly.
‘Yeah, what’s the secret?’ Slasher echoed.
Jimmy glanced round. ‘It seems like we’ve landed on our feet after all.’ Jimmy told the gang about the mermaid in the casket. He told them about the message in the bottle. He told them about Fishhook Frank being marooned on a desert island and how Fishhook would lead them to the casket when the Captain had captured him. He told them about how to summon the mermaid with the rhyme.
‘A mermaid!’ Thug sat down on the mop. ‘That’s lovely, that is. It’s like a fairytale! ’Ere, Jimmy, do you think she’ll give us some of her hair to make a nest snuggler with?’
‘She’ll give us anything we want, Thug,’ Jimmy said patiently. ‘That’s the point.’
‘Anything?’ Thug repeated. His beady eyes grew round. ‘You mean like shiny things.’
‘Yeah,’ Jimmy grinned. ‘Shiny things, worms, a new nest under the pier, clean washing to poo on, revenge on Atticus Claw. You name it: the mermaid will give it to us. Once the Captain finds the casket all we have to do is say the rhyme.’
‘Magic mermaid on the shore, please grant me what I’m wishing for,’ the words rolled out of Slasher’s beak. ‘Chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka!’
‘That’s nice, that is, Slash,’ Thug said. ‘Very poetic.’
‘Thanks, Thug,’ Slasher said modestly. ‘I made up the last bit.’ Suddenly a thought struck him. ‘What if the mermaid can’t understand us, though?’ he said anxiously. ‘What if she can’t speak Magpie?’
‘Of course she can speak Magpie,’ Thug said promptly. ‘She’s magic.’
‘But what if Captain Black Beard-Jumper says the rhyme first?’ Slasher said doubtfully. ‘The mermaid will grant his wishes instead of ours.’
‘Relax, Slasher,’ Jimmy Magpie soothed. ‘He won’t. Think about it. Thug’s right. The mermaid understands Magpie,’ he said slyly, ‘but the Captain doesn’t.’
‘I still don’t get it, Boss,’ Slasher said.
‘That’s cos you’re stupid!’ Jimmy flared. ‘You’ve got to use your brain. The Captain won’t think twice if he hears a bunch of magpies chattering, will he? He won’t know we’re summoning the mermaid in Magpie. By the time he realises what’s going on, it’ll be too late.’ Jimmy’s eyes shone bright with glee. ‘The mermaid will be ours. Until then all
you
have to do is keep scrubbing.’ Jimmy made himself comfortable on a pile of nets. ‘And all I have to do is lie back and wait.’
9
Two days later …
At a busy port in the Moluccan islands of Indonesia, Commander Whale was introducing Mr Tucker and his crew to their new vessel.
Atticus crept along the pontoon after the children. The temperature was roasting. All the humans were wearing loose cotton clothes and hats. Atticus’s paws felt hot and sticky. His fur was dusty. He wanted a drink of water. He couldn’t wait to get out of the
Jimmy’s eyes gleamed. Pam’s information was better than anything he could have hoped for. He gave her a little pat and removed his wing from her shoulder.
‘Of course I won’t, Pamela,’ he said solemnly. ‘It’s
our
secret now!’
‘I’d better get off and see if the Captain wants anything,’ Pam said. She sidled to the edge of the boom and lifted her tail feathers.
SPLAT!
The first dropping landed on Thug’s head.
PLOP!
The second one landed on Slasher’s beak.
Pam glanced down at the poop deck. ‘Keep scrubbing!’ she yelled. ‘OrI’ll make you do the Captain’s poo bucket. He had curried eel for dinner last night.’ She flew off.
Jimmy fluttered down towards the poop deck and perched on the railing. He looked at Thug and Slasher with distaste. ‘Clean yourselves up, you two.’ He grimaced. ‘You’re a disgrace to magpies.’
‘Sorry, Boss.’ The magpies hopped into the bucket and splashed about. They hopped out, dripping with filthy water.
‘What did she say?’ Thug asked eagerly.
‘Yeah, what’s the secret?’ Slasher echoed.
Jimmy glanced round. ‘It seems like we’ve landed on our feet after all.’ Jimmy told the gang about the mermaid in the casket. He told them about the message in the bottle. He told them about Fishhook Frank being marooned on a desert island and how Fishhook would lead them to the casket when the Captain had captured him. He told them about how to summon the mermaid with the rhyme.
‘A mermaid!’ Thug sat down on the mop. ‘That’s lovely, that is. It’s like a fairytale! ’Ere, Jimmy, do you think she’ll give us some of her hair to make a nest snuggler with?’
‘She’ll give us anything we want, Thug,’ Jimmy said patiently. ‘That’s the point.’
‘Anything?’ Thug repeated. His beady eyes grew round. ‘You mean like shiny things.’
‘Yeah,’ Jimmy grinned. ‘Shiny things, worms, a new nest under the pier, clean washing to poo on, revenge on Atticus Claw. You name it: the mermaid will give it to us. Once the Captain finds the casket all we have to do is say the rhyme.’
‘Magic mermaid on the shore, please grant me what I’m wishing for,’ the words rolled out of Slasher’s beak. ‘Chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka!’
‘That’s nice, that is, Slash,’ Thug said. ‘Very poetic.’
‘Thanks, Thug,’ Slasher said modestly. ‘I made up the last bit.’ Suddenly a thought struck him. ‘What if the mermaid can’t understand us, though?’ he said anxiously. ‘What if she can’t speak Magpie?’
‘Of course she can speak Magpie,’ Thug said promptly. ‘She’s magic.’
‘But what if Captain Black Beard-Jumper says the rhyme first?’ Slasher said doubtfully. ‘The mermaid will grant his wishes instead of ours.’
‘Relax, Slasher,’ Jimmy Magpie soothed. ‘He won’t. Think about it. Thug’s right. The mermaid understands Magpie,’ he said slyly, ‘but the Captain doesn’t.’
‘I still don’t get it, Boss,’ Slasher said.
‘That’s cos you’re stupid!’ Jimmy flared. ‘You’ve got to use your brain. The Captain won’t think twice if he hears a bunch of magpies chattering, will he? He won’t know we’re summoning the mermaid in Magpie. By the time he realises what’s going on, it’ll be too late.’ Jimmy’s eyes shone bright with glee. ‘The mermaid will be ours. Until then all
you
have to do is keep scrubbing.’ Jimmy made himself comfortable on a pile of nets. ‘And all I have to do is lie back and wait.’
9
Two days later …
At a busy port in the Moluccan islands of Indonesia, Commander Whale was introducing Mr Tucker and his crew to their new vessel.
Atticus crept along the pontoon after the children. The temperature was roasting. All the humans were wearing loose cotton clothes and hats. Atticus’s paws felt hot and sticky. His fur was dusty. He wanted a drink of water. He couldn’t wait to get out of the
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