The King's Key Page 18

  Whisker heard the clatter of silverware from the navigation room, followed by the crash of rocks hitting the deck. A rock whizzed past his head, tearing a hole in the sail.

  ‘Hurry!’ he shouted.

  Emmie and Eaton appeared at the doorway with two piles of silver dishes.

  ‘Bring me the shiniest plates,’ Whisker barked.

  Ruby and Horace leapt over the holes in the deck to reach the two mice. They hastily grabbed three plates each and dashed towards the mast.

  A dozen rocks hurtled down.

  ‘EARS UP!’ Whisker shouted.

  Ruby jumped back as a large rock hit the side of the hull, bursting through the wood with a splintering CRACK. It was immediately followed by the sound of rushing water.

  ‘We’ve sprung a leak,’ Pete shouted from the stairwell.

  ‘Plug it with a pie,’ the Captain bellowed.

  Fred ran below deck to help Pete while Horace and Ruby scampered up the mast with the plates. They quickly reached Whisker at the top of the mast, his torso bathed in golden sunlight.

  ‘Two plates each,’ he directed, taking a plate in each paw. ‘Use them like mirrors. Aim the sunlight directly at the devils’ eyes.’

  Horace grinned. ‘Let’s dazzle these devils.’

  Steadying themselves with their tails, the three rats angled their plates at the cliff top. Blinding beams of sunlight bounced off the polished surfaces and into the red eyes of the attacking devils. The black beasts screeched and howled, dropping their rocks like hot potatoes as they tried to protect their eyes with their paws. Blindly, they stumbled into one another, tripping over tails and toes.

  The rats were relentless. No sooner had a devil picked up a rock, than a ray of sunlight smacked him straight in the eyes. Unable to mount another attack, the furious devils retreated from the cliff top, scrambling for cover in bushes and burrows.

  The three rats cheered in triumph as the last devil disappeared. Ruby lowered her plate and winked at Whisker.

  ‘Another brilliant idea, Fish Boy,’ she laughed. ‘You’re worth your weight in silver.’

  For a moment, Whisker thought she was going to give him a big hug … or maybe even a kiss on the cheek. But then he realised they were both dangling from the top of the mast and he stank of sardines.

  Hardly what every girl dreams of, he sighed.

  ‘That was one hell of an escape,’ Horace exclaimed. ‘Devils are nearly as gruesome as vampires and ghosts – which reminds me, there’s a great ghost story about a white sheet and a …’

  ‘I’m warning you, Horace,’ Ruby broke in. ‘It’s a long way down.’

  Horace peered over the side. ‘O-on the other hand, I might s-save that story for another occasion …’

  With Devil’s Cliffs behind them, the Pie Rats sailed from the shadows of the passage into a glorious sundrenched sea.

  ‘Oh, how I love the ocean,’ Horace yawned, climbing down from the mast.

  ‘Oh, how I love the sun,’ Whisker sighed.

  ‘Don’t forget silver,’ Ruby mused, dropping her plates on the deck. ‘Silver does have its place.’

  ‘I’m more partial to superglue,’ Pete muttered, clomping up the stairs with Fred. ‘All the silver plates in the world wouldn’t stop a leaky hull.’

  Horace gulped. ‘So, how’s the hole?’

  ‘Plugged up with your breakfast,’ Pete sniffled. ‘Three apricot pies should stop the leak – for now.’

  ‘Can you repair the damage easily, Fred?’ the Captain asked. ‘We can’t risk docking until we reach the island.’

  ‘I’ll need some wood,’ Fred mumbled, hesitantly.

  ‘There’s an empty fireworks crate you can use,’ Horace suggested.

  ‘An extremely big crate, judging by last night’s display,’ the Captain laughed.

  Fred grunted and wandered below to begin the patch up job. The rest of the crew gathered around Whisker.

  ‘It’s about time we saw those elusive items of yours, Whisker,’ Pete said, tapping his pencil impatiently. ‘If you haven’t lost them again …’

  Whisker removed the crumpled map from his left pocket and handed it to Pete. With Mr Tribble’s assistance, Pete carefully unfolded the paper and laid it on the deck, awaiting the key.

  Whisker took a deep breath and stuck his paw into his right pocket, half expecting to find it empty. His fingers touched the cold surface of the King’s Key.

  Overcome with relief, he slid the precious object from his pocket and placed it in the empty space in the centre of the map. It was a perfect fit.

  ‘Red-berry wonder,’ Horace marvelled. ‘The Island of Destiny awaits us.’

  ‘Humph,’ Pete snorted, staring at the painted design. ‘X marks the spot. Hardly original.’

  Ruby rolled her eye. ‘X, Y, Z or a big fat letter H. Who cares, as long as it leads to the treasure.’

  ‘Hey. Go easy on the Hs!’ Horace said defensively. ‘H stands for Horace, you know.’

  Mr Tribble pointed to the oval handle of the key. ‘H also stands for Hope.’

  ‘The Rock of Hope,’ the Captain read. ‘Just as we predicted – Hope is our destination.’

  ‘It’s more than a destination,’ Whisker added, running his finger over his anchor pendant. ‘Hope is the key to the entire quest.’

  Book 3

  The Island of Destiny

  Armed with the King’s Key and the Forgotten Map, Whisker and the Pie Rats sail to the Island of Destiny in search of the fabled treasure.

  To reach the island they must first pass through the Treacherous Sea, where untold dangers lurk beneath the waves …

  Discover more about the Pie Rats at:

  www.pierats.com.au