فصل 73

CHAPTER 73

THE PROMISE

IT WAS TEN DAYS BEFORE the ship from England arrived at Mollusk Island. It was escorted past the reefs by Ammm and his cohorts, who had gone to England to inform the Starcatchers there that Leonard, Molly, and the others needed a way home.

Leonard had spent most of the ten days searching for the starstuff, but he found none; evidently it had seeped deep into the island.

For the Mollusks, the ten days had been a time of healing from the wounds, physical and mental, inflicted by the Scorpions. The physical healing happened surprisingly quickly, and the Mollusks began to suspect, correctly, that the reason was the starstuff-infused water. It tasted subtly different—a bit sweeter and lighter somehow; it sparkled more in the sunlight; and at night the waterfall cascading down the hill above the lagoon seemed to glow.

In time, the Mollusks—and the other inhabitants of the island—would discover that, as long as they drank the island’s water, they would not age, not so much as a day. But for now, all the Mollusks knew was that the more they drank from the spring and bathed in it, the better they felt. Soon there was laughter in the village again—although the Mollusks found themselves, from time to time, casting anxious glances toward the sea. It would be a while before they stopped doing that.

For the pirates—the ones who’d been enslaved by the Scorpions, as well as Smee and his band of six—it was a confusing time. The Mollusks, their former enemies, were now treating them as friends, offering them shelter and all the food they could eat. At first the pirates had enjoyed this hospitality, but after a few days, they became restive.

On the fourth morning after the Scorpions left, Boggs and Hurky had hiked across the mountain to see what had happened to their fort. They returned that night with the news that the fort was still in decent shape—and Hook was living in it. Somehow he’d managed to bring the De Vliegen down in the lagoon by the fort. Because of the large hole in the hull, the ship had settled to the bottom, but in water only a few feet deep. Hook had fled the ship to avoid Mister Grin, who was still lurking about. Hook had holed up inside the fort wearing only his underwear and living on rainwater and coconuts.

“Just coconuts?” Smee had asked, when Boggs and Hurky finished their report. “Raw?”

“That’s all he can prepare,” said Boggs.

“Cap’n don’t like his coconuts raw,” Smee said softly, looking at the ground. The other men nodded.

The pirates mulled over the situation. Yes, Hook was a scoundrel who had abused them relentlessly. Yes, the Mollusks had treated them well. Yet the inescapable fact remained: they were pirates, not villagers. Hook was their captain. And he had a ship. Granted, it was sitting on the lagoon bottom. But it was a ship.

The next evening, when darkness fell, the pirates quietly crept out of the village to return to piracy. They told only one Mollusk: Shining Pearl. She saw them off, giving a hug to each of the seven men she’d led across the mountain. The last to leave was Smee. They embraced for a full minute, the little round man snuffling into Shining Pearl’s shoulder.

When they pulled apart, Smee said, “Will you come visit us at the fort?”

“I don’t think Captain Hook would like that,” said Shining Pearl. “Once you’re back with him, I think we’ll officially be enemies again.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Smee. “But even if we’re official enemies, you know I’d never hurt you, don’t you? Truth is, I never hurt nobody. I’m not really much of a pirate.”

“Yes, you are!” said Shining Pearl. “Why, you were the captain of the pirates! And you did a fine job.”

“Really?” said Smee, his face brightening. “You really think so?”

“Of course I do,” said Shining Pearl. “Now, hurry, before you’re left behind.” Then she kissed him on the cheek, and he turned to waddle after the men he had once commanded as Acting Captain Smee.

The orphan boys who’d been Zarboff’s slaves—Slightly, Curly, Tootles, Nibs, and the twins—took to Mollusk Island as though they’d been born there. They loved the lagoons, the beaches, the jungle, the mountains, the caves. They were enchanted by the Mollusks and amazed by the mermaids. Above all, they reveled in the freedom. After years spent in the harsh confines of St. Norbert’s, then under Zarboff’s brutal thumb, the boys were finally free to do as they pleased. They moved into the underground lair with Peter and the other boys, and spent their days exuberantly exploring the island—hiking, climbing, fishing, and swimming, from sunrise to sunset and beyond.

They were not happy when the ship arrived from England. They went to the beach, along with Peter, James, and the other boys, and stared glumly at the longboats rowing to shore. A moment later, Leonard joined them, with Molly, George, and Bakari. Fighting Prawn emerged from the jungle and walked down to the group. The Mollusk chief thanked the Asters, Bakari, and George for their help, and told them they were always welcome back on the island. Leonard, in turn, thanked Fighting Prawn for his hospitality. When he was done, he turned to Slightly’s group.

“Are you ready, boys?” Leonard asked.

“No, sir,” said Slightly.

“What?” said Leonard.

“We’re staying here, sir,” said Slightly. “We talked about it, me and Tootles and them. We don’t want to go back to England.”

“But we agreed you would return,” said Leonard. “I’ll look after you. You won’t be returned to St. Norbert’s. You’ll be placed in a good school. You have my word.”

“We believe you, sir,” said Slightly. “But we like it here better than any school. We don’t want to go, sir.”

Leonard stared for a moment at Slightly, and the other former slaves gathered behind him, barefoot and sun-browned.

“Are you certain?” he said.

The boys nodded.

“All right,” said Leonard. “I won’t force you. You’ve been forced enough. But if you change your mind—if you decide to return to England—you tell Peter, and he’ll get word to me through Ammm. Promise me that.”

“I promise, sir,” said Slightly. “And thank you.”

Leonard nodded, then turning to Molly, George, and Bakari, said, “I suppose it’s just us, then.”

James cleared his throat.

“Sir,” he said, “we want to go.”

“What?” said Leonard.

“What?” said Peter.

James looked at Peter, then at the sand, and then, in words so soft that Peter could barely hear them, he said, “I’m sorry.”

“But why?” said Peter. “You love it here, don’t you? He looked from James to Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted. “Don’t you?”

“Yes,” said Ted. “We love it now. But…”

“But what?” said Peter.

“But we’re not going to be boys forever,” said James, looking at Peter, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Don’t you see? We’re going to be men.”

“Why can’t you be men here?” said Peter. “The Mollusks are here! The pirates are here! They’re men!”

“We’re not Mollusks,” said Prentiss. “Or pirates.”

“And there’s no books here,” said Thomas. “Sometimes I wish I could read a book.”

“And no pudding,” said Ted.

Peter stared at his four friends. James took a step forward. “Peter,” he said, “come with us.”

Now it was Peter who looked at the sand.

“I can’t,” he said. He heard a sob and looked up; Molly had pressed her face into her hands. “I can’t,” he repeated. “I’m not like you. I’ll never be like you.” He glanced down at his shadow. “I’m not sure if I’m really still me.”

The longboats had reached the shore. The sailors were pulling them up onto the sand.

“Well, then,” said Leonard. “It appears we’ll have boys with us on the journey home after all—just not the ones we expected.” He turned to James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted. “Is there anything you boys want to take with you?”

The boys shook their heads; they had no possessions, other than the rags they were wearing.

“I have something for them,” said Fighting Prawn. He untied a small brown leather bag from his loincloth and handed it to Leonard, who looked inside, then at Fighting Prawn.

“Are these diamonds?” he said.

The Mollusk chief nodded. Leonard looked into the bag again.

“But they’re enormous!” said Leonard. “They’re worth a fortune!”

“In your world, yes,” said Fighting Prawn. “Here they are trinkets—troublesome ones, at that. Use them for the benefit of these brave boys.”

Leonard nodded and told James and the others to thank Fighting Prawn. This they dutifully did, though none of them understood that he had just transformed all four of them into very wealthy young men.

When they were done, Leonard walked over to Peter, and, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder, said, “Will you come to visit us in London?”

That horrible place? said Tink, from atop Peter’s hair.

“It’s not so bad,” said Leonard, smiling. “What about it, Peter? Will you visit?”

Peter glanced at Molly. “Maybe,” he said. “Someday.”

“I hope so,” said Leonard. He put his hand out, and Peter took it. “Peter,” said Leonard, “I—we—have no proper way to thank you. I’ve given up trying. But if you ever need anything, anything…”

Peter nodded, and the handshake turned into an awkward hug. Then Leonard pulled away, red-faced, and in a businesslike voice, said, “All right, then. We’ll want to catch the tide.” He started toward the boats. Bakari was next, giving Peter a brief, heartfelt hug before turning to go. Then George stepped up to Peter. They shook hands, the handshake of two people who respected each other far more than they liked each other.

“Perhaps I’ll see you again, Peter,” said George.

“Perhaps you will,” said Peter, and George was gone.

Peter turned then to his mates, four boys becoming young men, four boys with whom he’d set out to sea…how long ago? It felt like a hundred years. Peter went down the line, hugging Prentiss, then Thomas, then Tubby Ted. After he hugged Ted he stepped back and said, “You know, Ted, you’re not really tubby anymore.”

“I’m not?” said Ted. He looked down at himself.

“Not really,” said Peter. “You’re big, is what you are. And strong. And a good fighter.”

“I am?” said Ted.

“You are,” said Peter. “And I think we should call you just plain Ted from now on.”

“Plain Ted,” said Ted. “I’d like that.” He paused. “But when I get back to England, I still want pudding.”

The last in line was James. Peter hugged him, and that was the hug that broke the dam, the two friends sobbing into each other’s shoulders for a good minute before they could separate, their teardrops spattering the sand.

“Come see us, then?” said James, his voice a croak.

Peter answered only with a shrug. James turned and, with the others, trudged toward the boat.

And then there was only Molly. He stepped toward her, and she toward him. Her face was red and wet with tears. She thought she looked awful; Peter thought she had never been more beautiful. She held out her hands, and he took them in his.

Wake me up when this is over, said Tink, lying down in Peter’s hair.

“I don’t want to know what she said,” said Molly.

“No,” said Peter, managing a tiny smile. “You don’t.”

“Will you really visit some day?” said Molly.

“Do you really want me to?” said Peter.

“But Peter, of course!” she said. “Why on earth wouldn’t I?”

Peter glanced at George, who was watching them from the boat. “Because you’ll grow up, Molly. You’ll be a mother, with children of your own. Will you still want to see a flying boy from a strange island? Will you want your children to know me?”

Molly looked at Peter for a moment, then pulled him to her and hugged him long and hard. Then, pulling her face back, she looked into his eyes again and said, “I will always want to see you, Peter. Always. You must promise me that you will visit.” She stared at him, waiting.

“I promise,” said Peter.

And then Molly kissed him on the lips. It was the first time either of them had ever kissed anybody on the lips, and it was a kiss they would both carry in their minds for the rest of their lives.

Molly turned and walked to the water’s edge, not looking back. Peter watched her climb into the boat—George helped her—and he watched as the sailors pushed the boat into the lagoon and began rowing toward the ship. Molly still had not looked back. Peter kept watching, and finally she turned her tear-streaked face toward him and mouthed one word: Promise.

Peter nodded once, and he knew then that he would keep his promise. He would visit her. Someday.

Then he turned and walked up the beach toward Slightly, Curly, Tootles, Nibs, and the twins. They stood watching him—his new mates, his new Lost Boys—waiting expectantly for their leader, and whatever adventures lay ahead.