Summer in Enchantia (5 page)

“Thanks!” Rosa said in relief as she and Nutmeg ate their secret supper in silence.

“The sooner we get off this ship the better,” Nutmeg sighed, as one of the
pirates rolled a barrel of bilberry wine to the front of the ship and all the other pirates clustered round, filling up their tankards.

“We’ll wait until everyone is asleep tonight and then have a proper look round for the stolen goods,” said Rosa.

However, they didn’t have to wait that long. The more bilberry wine the pirates drank, the louder they got, and some of them began to sing while others argued or slumped down on the ground.

“They’re all getting drunk,” hissed Nutmeg as she and Rosa watched from their hiding place.

“What shall we do with the drunken pirate,” sang the pirates, clinking tankards together.

“They’re so busy enjoying themselves I bet they won’t notice us having a look round,” said Rosa. “This is our chance, Nutmeg!” Her eyes shone. “Let’s start looking for the stolen goods!”

The two girls got up quietly and made their way to the centre of the ship. The big treasure chest they’d brought on was still there, its lid shut. “Well, we know the stolen goods aren’t in the living quarters or King Rat’s cabin,” said Rosa. “Maybe they’re down this other set of steps in the hold.”

“Let’s go and see,” whispered Nutmeg.
They started to tiptoe down the staircase. A floorboard creaked and they froze, expecting someone to come and shout at them. But to their relief, no one seemed to have heard. They carried on.

At the bottom of the staircase was a heavy wooden door. Rosa unlatched it and pushed it open. “Look!” she breathed.

There were chests of jewels, fine silks, shining satins and delicious food piled high.

“We’ve found it!” hissed Nutmeg.

They walked into the hold, looking round in amazement. It was dark under the deck, but gradually their eyes adjusted to the dim light and they saw how far back the room went and how full it was with stolen goods.

“How are we ever going to get all these things back to shore?” said Rosa.

“If we could get the treasure back on to the beach then I could use my magic to transport it to the palace,” said Nutmeg. “But I don’t know how we can get it off the ship.”

“What
are
we going to do?” said Rosa.

There was a harsh laugh from behind them. “That’s just what I would like to know!”

They swung round. King Rat was standing there, flanked by One-Eye and Scarface. “I thought I heard someone sneaking down here,” he snarled, his red eyes furious. He turned to One-Eye and Scarface. “Grab ’em and shove ’em in the brig!”

The two pirates charged forward.

“Quick, Nutmeg!” Rosa shrieked.

They ducked around the pirates. The burly mice couldn’t move anywhere near as fast. Heart pounding, Rosa darted away from their outstretched paws and nimbly dodged round King Rat. He tried to grab her, but missed and yelled in frustration.

Rosa charged up the stairs with Nutmeg on her heels.

A pirate with a gold earring was about to roll another barrel of bilberry wine from the main mast up to the front of the ship.

“Stop those boys!” hollered King Rat from inside the hold.

The pirate saw what was happening and began a running jump over the diamond-filled treasure chest but just in time, Rosa darted forward, grabbed the lid and flung it upwards like a shield. The mouse hit the lid and bounced off.

“OW!” he shouted.

“Quick, Rosa!” Nutmeg gasped. “Let’s try and get in one of the rowing boats!”

But even as she spoke, One-Eye and
Scarface came charging up the steps from the hold. “Not so fast, you little squirts!” Scarface growled.

“The buckets!” Rosa said, spotting the pails of dirty water that they had been using earlier when they were scrubbing the decks. She grabbed one and Nutmeg grabbed the other and, pirouetting round, they flung the dirty water at the two mice as they appeared at the top of the steps. One-Eye and Scarface both spluttered and fell over in surprise.

Two other pirates had heard the commotion and were running towards them now. Nutmeg threw her empty bucket at one of them. It banged into his knees and he turned a somersault and fell on his back
with a yell. Rosa chucked her bucket at the other and it fell over his head. He staggered around shouting, “I’ve gone blind! I can’t see!”

“Get to the rowing boats!” Rosa gasped to Nutmeg.

King Rat appeared at the top of the steps. “Stop right there!” he roared and, pulling out his cutlass, he charged towards them.

Rosa grabbed the nearest thing to hand – a small barrel of bilberry wine. She shoved it on to its side and gave it a massive push to roll it quickly towards King Rat. The ship obligingly moved in the water as if the sea were getting rougher. As the ship rose upwards on a wave, the deck tilted and the barrel increased in speed.

“Whaaa!” King Rat shouted as the barrel thwacked into him, knocking the evil rat backwards, straight into the open treasure chest! He popped his head up. He was covered with sparkling stones.

Despite her fear, Rosa giggled. He looked very funny!

The pirates, who had all come running by now, caught sight of him and started sniggering too.

“Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!” yelled King Rat furiously, his eyelashes twinkling with diamonds. “Get those boys, or it’ll be nothing but ship’s biscuits for dinner for the whole year!”

At that threat, the pirates roared and charged towards Rosa and Nutmeg, hands out. They were coming from all directions. “There’s only one thing for it. Up the rigging!” Rosa shouted. She leapt to the main mast and start to climb the rigging as quickly as she could. Nutmeg followed her. It wasn’t easy, because the ship was now moving up and down in the rough sea.

“Where are we going to go?” Nutmeg cried.

“I don’t know! Just keep climbing!” gasped Rosa, clinging on to the ropes with all her strength as the pirates started climbing up behind them. Her mind whirled. Sooner or later they would reach the top of the rigging, and then what would they do? There was no escape! But she still kept climbing, faster and faster, higher and higher. She and Nutmeg were both light and nimble and they could move much faster than the heavy, cumbersome pirates.

“Now where?” said Nutmeg as they reached the top of the main sail. There was nowhere else to go, so they edged
out along one of the wooden spars at the top of the sail, until they were above the rolling waves.

“I … I don’t know,” said Rosa, panic rising inside her. She glanced down. The pirates and King Rat were gathered on the deck, yelling up at them, while two more pirates slowly climbed the rigging towards them, eyes
gleaming, daggers between their teeth.

“We’re completely trapped, Rosa!” said Nutmeg. “Whoa!” she cried, hanging on as the ship tossed upwards on a large wave. “And it doesn’t feel very safe up here!”

“Why’s it so rough suddenly?” Rosa exclaimed. There was no wind blowing the sails. The waves shouldn’t be as big as they were. Still, she didn’t have time to worry about that now. The ship plunged down a wave and she felt her fingers slip on the ropes. She tried to cling on, but she didn’t have a proper grip. The ship bucked like a horse and suddenly Rosa lost her footing and was flung off the rigging.

She heard Nutmeg yell and saw her in the air too. They both cried out as they started to fall …