فصل 31

CHAPTER 31

THE POWER

“PADDLE!” J.D. SHOUTED, reaching over the side and scooping seawater. The tiny Peter Pan’s Flight boat had settled into the azure sea directly in front of the pirate ship, which was closing in quickly, foam surging along both sides of its bow. J.D.’s frantic efforts to move them out of the way were having little effect, and Sarah was not helping; she was still staring at the shouting man in the front of the pirate ship.

“That’s him!” she said. “That’s Captain Hook!”

“Yes, and we’re going to be fish food if we don’t get out of the way. Paddle!”

Suddenly aware of the danger, Sarah leaned over to help J.D. move the little boat. But their efforts had little effect; the hull of the big ship loomed closer, about to crush them. At the last second, Hook bellowed a command, and the ship turned sharply left, its sails suddenly slack. The ship slowed and settled gently next to the little ride boat.

More commands from Hook, and a sailor swung down to J.D. and Sarah on a rope. Agile as a monkey, he tied the rope to their little craft—a good thing, since the starstuff had almost worn off and it was about to sink. A minute later it was being hauled upward, with J.D. and Sarah still in it. As they rose, Sarah nudged J.D. and pointed; in the distance, rising majestically from the water, was a green and mountainous island.

“That’s it!” she said. “That’s Never Land! J.D., we’re here!”

“Not to be a wet blanket or anything,” said J.D., “but we’re also being captured by pirates.”

They had reached the big ship’s rail; their little vessel lurched sideways, spilling them both onto the deck, Sarah clutching her backpack in front of her.

“Well, well,” said an unpleasant rasp of a voice. “What have we here?”

They looked up to see Hook, tall, gaunt, and sun-baked, regarding them with a sneering smile that revealed a random collection of jagged, yellow teeth. Enjoying the drama of the moment, Hook slapped back the ragged hem of his faded red coat and prepared to stride manfully toward them, only to catch the toe of his worn boot on an uneven deck plank and stumble forward, saved from falling onto his hatchet face only by landing on Smee, his barefoot, rotund, and balding first mate.

“Out of my way, you clumsy idjit!” bellowed Hook, belting Smee on the ear, fortunately with his non-hook hand.

“Sorry, Cap’n!” whimpered the little man, scurrying aside to join the rest of the ragtag pirate crew, who were staring, mouths agape, at the new arrivals.

Hook resumed his manful striding, managing to reach Sarah and J.D. without further mishap. For a moment he stood there stroking his matted beard, which was festooned with food scraps. Sarah and J.D. looked up with expressions that were equal parts fear and disgust; Hook smelled like the wrong end of a goat.

Hook turned to look at their little boat, lying sideways on the deck. “What kind of craft have we here?” he said. He tapped it with his hook, then dragged the sharp tip, peeling off a curl of paint with a screech that made the pirates wince. “Seems a tad…puny for the open sea, don’t it, boys?”

The pirates nodded vigorously. No matter what Hook said, they either nodded or shook their heads in unison. Hook appreciated his crew’s unflagging loyalty.

“No, you couldn’t go far on this ship, not in the water,” said Hook. He turned toward Sarah and J.D. “Of course, you two wasn’t in the water, now was you? No, you was flying when we spied you. That’s mighty curious, ain’t it, men?”

The men nodded vigorously.

“Yes,” said Hook, a hardness coming into his dark eyes. “Around here we’re very interested in things that fly. Very interested.” He spat onto the deck, then glared at his men.

They all spat onto the deck.

Hook moved closer to Sarah. She stiffened as his hook found its way to her trembling chin. “And who might you be? Hmm? Such a fine lass these eyes have not seen for…” He looked at Smee.

“One hundred four years, three months, and twenty-two days, Cap’n.”

“A long time,” said Hook, catching some of Sarah’s hair in his hook and letting it slide off the metal slowly back onto her shoulder. “A very long time. So who are you, girl?”

Sarah pulled her head away from the hook. “My name is Sarah Cooper,” she said.

“Cooper, is it? I knew me a cooper once, and a fine cooper he was, too. Made a fine barrel, never leaked a drop of rum. Eh, Smee?”

“Kaden Cooper, I believe it were, Cap’n. Off St. Bartholomew’s, it was. Though it might have been Kaleb.”

“Expensive place, St. Bart’s,” the captain said to Sarah. “Ever been?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“If you ever get there,” said Hook, “take money.”

J.D. cleared his throat. Hook glared down at him. “Are you clearing your throat at me, boy?” he said. “Yes sir,” said J.D. “I…”

“Stand up when you speak to me, boy!” roared Hook.

J.D. scrambled to his feet.

“What’s your name, boy?” said Hook.

“J.D.”

“What kind of name is that?”

“It’s initials,” said J.D. “It stands for…”

“I know what initials is!” roared Hook, who had no idea what initials were.

“I’m sorry,” said J.D. “I was just going to say, we, that is Sarah and I, we don’t want to cause any trouble. We’re very grateful to you for rescuing us, and we’re just wondering if you could take us to that island?”

Hook put his hand to his chin and frowned thoughtfully, as if he were seriously considering this request.

“No,” he said.

“But—”

“Shut yer hole, boy, before I fill it with hot tar for you!”

J.D. shut his hole.

Hook stepped closer to J.D., who struggled not to gag from the stench of the pirate captain’s breath. With a delicate motion, Hook raised his hook, then lowered it slowly until it touched J.D.’s plastic digital watch.

“What manner of bracelet is that?” he said.

“It’s a watch,” said J.D. He held it up so Hook could see the display. “It has a lot of functions; like, here’s the stopwatch.” J.D. pressed a button and the watch beeped. The pirates gasped. Hook stared at the flashing numbers on the watch display.

“It’s digital,” said J.D. Seeing Hook’s frown, he said, “That means it—”

“I know what digitile is!” roared Hook.

“Sorry,” said J.D.

“Give it to me,” said Hook.

J.D. quickly removed the watch from his wrist and handed it to Hook, who held it awkwardly.

“Do you want me to put it on for you?” said J.D.

“Do you think I don’t know how to put it on?” bellowed Hook.

“No, sir,” said J.D.

“Of course I know how to put it on, boy. But I choose to have you put it on me.” Hook held out his hook; with shaking hands, J.D. fastened the watch to the pirate’s bony wrist. Hook admired it for a moment, then turned to Sarah.

“Now,” he said. “Let’s see what gifts the lady Cooper brought me.” He grabbed hold of her backpack. She tightened her grip.

“Let go, girl,” he snarled.

“No,” she said.

“No?” said Hook, shocked. Nobody said no to Hook. He yanked on the backpack. Sarah yanked back. With a roar, he raised his hook hand. “Sarah!” shouted J.D. “Let go!”

Sarah let go of the backpack. Hook staggered backward, and would have fallen if Smee had not caught him from behind. “Let go, you idjit!” bellowed Hook, giving his first mate a bony elbow to the head. “Aye, Cap’n,” said Smee, scuttling away. Hook now examined the backpack, turning it around, upside down, and backward, clearly confused by it.

“Smee!” he yelled.

Smee scuttled forward again.

“Aye, Cap’n?”

“Open this,” said Hook, handing over the backpack.

The little man turned the backpack in his hands, his face knotted in puzzlement.

“But there ain’t no hasp, Cap’n,” he said. “No buttons. No laces nor strings.”

Hook stepped toward Sarah, hoisting a hairy eyebrow.

“Tell me how it opens,” he growled.

“No,” said Sarah.

Hook stepped toward her and raised his hook again.

“Tell him!” said J.D.

Sarah remained silent. Hook took another step.

“Zippers!” said J.D.

All the pirates laughed at this strange new word.

“Silence!” Hook cried. He turned to J.D. “What’d you say, boy?”

“Zippers. It opens with zippers.”

The pirates, eyes on Hook, stifled their snickers.

“Zipplers,” said Hook.

“Zippers,” said J.D. “They’re a kind of…”

“I know what zipplers is,” said Hook. He snatched the backpack from Smee and thrust it at J.D. “Open it!” he barked.

J.D., with a glance at Sarah, unzipped the backpack’s small front compartment, avoiding the larger compartment that held the golden box.

“See?” he said. “That’s a zipper.”

Hook’s eyes were wide. “Do that again,” he ordered. Smee and the others gathered around to watch as J.D. worked the zipper back and forth. The pirates oohed and aahed. Convinced that there was no danger, Hook grabbed the backpack away from J.D. and played with the zipper himself. “Looks like a saw blade,” he muttered. He touched the plastic zipper. “But it don’t cut your finger.”

“It’s a very useful invention,” said J.D., hoping to distract Hook from the backpack. “Zippers can be used in all kinds of ways. Clothing, for example.” He pointed to the zipper on his jeans. This created an uproar among the pirates.

“What are you doing?” Sarah said.

Ignoring her, J.D. worked the zipper. Hook’s eyes were now as big as saucers.

“Get me them trousers!” he bellowed.

Immediately, two sailors grabbed J.D. and turned him upside down; two others yanked his jeans off. He was returned to his feet in his boxer shorts.

Hook turned his back and, shielded by his coat, exchanged his torn leggings for J.D.’s blue jeans. He played with the zipper repeatedly, then shouted “Owww!” and bent over.

“What happened, Cap’n?” said Smee.

“Never mind what happened!” roared Hook, turning back around, his face beet-red. He pointed at the backpack and snarled. “Open it!”

Sarah and J.D. exchanged helpless looks as Smee gingerly opened all the zippers, then tipped over the backpack. Sarah’s iPad and cell phone tumbled onto the deck, followed by the golden box. The pirates were in an uproar now, gathered around these strange objects.

“Stand back!” bellowed Hook.

The men parted. Hook leaned down and picked up the iPad. He studied the black glass screen. “It’s a mirror,” he declared. He held up the iPad and, using the reflection, combed some debris from his beard with his hook. Shifting his grip on the iPad, he pressed the power button. He jerked his head back in alarm as the screen came to life, displaying Sarah’s wallpaper: a pristine, white-sand, Caribbean island in a sea of turquoise water. Hook nearly dropped the device.

“Smee!”

Smee waddled over, looked at the screen, and gasped. “As fine a painting as I’ve seen, Cap’n!”

“It wasn’t there a second ago,” said Hook. He glared at J.D. “Where did this painting come from?” he demanded.

“It’s, um…” J.D. hesitated, not sure where to begin.

“It’s magic,” said Sarah.

The pirates muttered nervously.

“What did you say, girl?” said Hook.

“It’s a magic…picture thing,” said Sarah.

Hook frowned. On the one hand, he could not appear to be afraid of this girl, especially in front of his men. On the other hand, he was a bit afraid of this girl, and this thing he was holding did appear to be magical. Perhaps even dangerous.

“Hold this, Smee,” he said, handing the iPad to his first mate, who took it nervously.

“You can have the magic picture thing,” said Sarah. She pointed toward the cell phone. “You can also have that. It’s a magic, um, talking thing. Very magical. You can talk to people far away. And send magical texts. I’ll show you how to use these things. All I ask is that you let us go, and let us keep this.” She pointed to the golden box. “It’s just an old family…thing.”

She bent to pick up the box. She was stopped by the hook on her arm, its point pressing painfully into her skin. “And old family thing, eh?” said Hook, his dark eyes glittering. “Yes.”

Hook bent and picked up the box. He found the little golden wheel, and touched it with his hook.

“Don’t!” said Sarah.

“Why not?” said Hook.

“It’s dangerous,” she said.

“Very dangerous,” said J.D.

Hook looked at Sarah, then J.D., then the box.

“Smee,” he said.

“Aye, Cap’n.”

“Take this box.”

“What do I do with the magical picture thing?” said Smee.

“Put it down, you sponge-brained idjit,” said Hook, “and take the box.”

“Aye, Cap’n,” said Smee, putting down the iPad and taking the box from Hook.

“Now,” said Hook, “turn the wheel.”

“But they said it was dang—”

“i know what they said, you idjit. They’re lying.”

“They are?”

“Of course they are,” said Hook, taking a step back. “Turn the wheel.”

“You’re making a big mistake,” said Sarah.

“Silence, girl!” said Hook. “Turn the wheel, Smee.”

With great reluctance, Smee put his hand on the wheel. Beads of sweat appeared on his broad forehead. He looked at J.D. and Sarah, who both shook their heads. Then he looked pleadingly at Hook.

“Turn the wheel!” Hook roared.

His whole body trembling, Smee turned the wheel. The deck instantly filled with sound and a light far brighter than the sun overhead.

“Shut it off now!” yelled Sarah. “Right now!”

Somehow, through the blaze of light and sound, Smee heard her, and obeyed. The light began to dim immediately, but it was thirty seconds or so before the pirates could see anything. What they saw, as their vision returned, was that they were no longer on the deck; they were floating, every one of them, up into the ship’s rigging. And yet they were not afraid—in fact, they were delighted, even Hook, who smiled hugely beneath his flamboyant moustache, revealing his foul teeth in all their mismatched hideousness. Floating above the rest of the pirates, like an overinflated balloon, was Smee, grinning blissfully, still clutching the golden box.

Sarah and J.D. were also floating, but being starstuff veterans, they were not surprised. They had both closed their eyes when Smee turned the wheel, so their vision came back more quickly than the pirates’. J.D. spotted Sarah in the midst of the floating pirates, angling her body upward, trying to get to Smee. But she was having trouble gaining altitude, as was J.D.; they both could sense that the small amount of starstuff Smee had released was already wearing off.

J.D. grabbed a mainmast stay and used it to propel himself toward Sarah. “We need to get out of here,” he said, catching hold of her arm.

“We need to get the box,” she answered, still struggling to rise.

“We can’t reach it,” he said, looking up at the giggling Smee, now floating near the crow’s nest, with Hook about ten feet below him. “And when Hook comes down, we need to be gone.”

Sarah continued to strain, but she and J.D. were both starting to sink. Around them, the other pirates were also slowly descending.

“Sarah, come on,” said J.D.

Seeing that her efforts were hopeless, Sarah reluctantly gave up. She followed J.D. as he veered away from the ship and out over the open water, pointing toward the mountainous island in the distance.

From above, Hook saw them leaving, but he was untroubled. In part, this was because of the unaccustomed mellowness he was feeling. But mostly it was because of the golden box. Hook knew what was in that box; he’d had dealings with it long ago. He knew it was, indeed, magical—and very powerful.

And now, he thought, as he drifted back toward the deck, with Smee and the box descending lazily after him, that power is mine.