The Golden Anchor. Cameron Stelzer

‘You overheard that riddle a long time ago.’

      ‘It all comes down to this,’ Rat Bait said, ‘Anso be rich. Extremely rich.’

      ‘He didn’t die rich,’ Whisker said, puzzled. ‘My father said he was comfortable in retirement, but there was nothing to indicate he was living it up in style.’

      ‘So where did his fortune go, then?’ Rat Bait said, continuing his line of reasoning. ‘He didn’t gamble. He didn’t squander money on friv’lous pleasures. Anso’s wife, me mam, died when I be young, so she didn’t spend it. An’ after I left, Anso’s only heir must have been yer father.’

      ‘Robert didn’t receive a big inheritance,’ Whisker admitted. ‘As far as I know, the only thing Anso ever gave him was the pendant –’ He stopped himself. ‘You don’t think Anso told him about the riddle, do you?’

      ‘Unlikely,’ Ruby said, before Rat Bait could answer. ‘You never mentioned your father passing down any secret riddle when he gave you that anchor.’

      ‘True,’ Whisker considered.

      ‘But that don’t stop Robert knowin’ ‘bout it,’ Rat Bait said, stroking his chin. ‘Maybe he’s waitin’ for the right time to tell his son. The promise o’ riches be corruptin’ many a young mind b’fore.’

      ‘Is that why Anso hid his secret from you?’ Ruby asked bluntly.

      ‘It be a possibility,’ Rat Bait said with a resigned shrug.

      ‘So does the riddle tell us where to find the treasure?’ Horace asked, pointing his hook at the scrap of paper.

      ‘I’m not sure,’ Whisker said. ‘Perhaps if we broke it down line by line.

      ‘Oh, allow me,’ Horace said. He cleared his throat and read the first line. ‘In darkness deep where anchors lie. Okay. Any thoughts?’

      ‘Hmm, it sounds like a reference to the bottom of the ocean,’ Whisker said. ‘Somewhere deep enough to block out the sunlight but shallow enough for an anchor to reach – a location close to the coastline perhaps.’

      Horace let out a long whistle. ‘Shiver me riddles, you’re good.’

      ‘Next line,’ Whisker said, taking the praise in his stride.

      ‘A treasure hides from searching eyes,’ Horace read.

      ‘Easy,’ Ruby jumped in. ‘You don’t need to be a genius to figure that line out.’

      ‘Oh yeah?’ Horace challenged.

      ‘Ruby rolled her eye. ‘It’s obvious. The treasure is hidden somewhere where no one can see it.’

      ‘And does Whisker agree?’ Horace said, turning to his thoughtful companion.’

      ‘In part,’ Whisker began.

      The smug look on Ruby’s face quickly turned into a frown.

      Whisker continued warily, ‘The searching eyes bit would suggest that someone was already looking for the treasure. Either that or the treasure is located somewhere near a coastal watchtower or a harbour lookout.’

      Horace clapped his paw and hook together. ‘Brilliant deduction. That’s two points for Whisker and zero points for –’ He took one look at the raised sword in Ruby’s right paw and abandoned his scoring. ‘And moving on to the next line. Six hundred stairs, a mighty hall.’

      Whisker looked at him blankly. ‘Now this is where the riddle gets tricky. I’ve never heard of a specific location containing six hundred stairs before.’ He looked around to see if anyone else had. Rat Bait and Ruby shook their heads, Chatterbeak continued sleeping peacefully, and Eddie, predictably, made no response. A short distance away, Anna was too busy entertaining Balthazar to even notice the conversation.

      Horace shrugged. ‘You know me. I love counting stairs, but I’ve never climbed a perfect six-hundred-stepper before.’

      ‘Alright,’ Whisker said. ‘Without a precise location we have to assume that the words refer to a long passageway or a stairwell leading to an underwater hall – an enormous aquatic cave perhaps?’

      ‘Or maybe the lost city of Atlantis!’ Horace exclaimed. ‘My Papa is always talking about it – you know what he’s like when it comes to Greek mythology.’

      ‘Oh, yes,’ Ruby groaned. ‘It’s always Hercules this and Zeus that with Papa Niko. His constant ramblings are almost as annoying as you counting stairs.’

      Horace pulled a face at her.

      ‘An underwater city sounds a li’l farfetched, even for Anso,’ Rat Bait admitted.

      ‘Fine,’ Horace sulked. ‘Stick to your boring explanations. And don’t ask me to help you with the last line.’

      He crossed his arms defiantly as Ruby read, ‘My hope, a key revealing all.’

      ‘The first two words are obvious,’ Whisker said. ‘My hope must refer to the anchor pendant – the symbol of hope. The choice of the word anchor in the first line is Anso’s way of emphasising his point. It’s all interconnected.’

      ‘Huh?’ Horace exclaimed, throwing his hook in the air. ‘Interconnected? Keep it simple. Some of us can only handle one line at a time.’

      ‘Speak for yourself,’ Ruby muttered, turning her attention to the last section. ‘A key revealing all. Hmm? The anchor is the key to something. But what does it reveal …?’ She stretched her legs over Eddie’s back and let out a deep yawn. ‘I’m stumped.’

      ‘Me, too,’ Whisker admitted. ‘And until we know the exact location of the six hundred stairs, there’s no point even speculating what the treasure could be.’

      ‘I guess the jailbreak is back on the cards then,’ Ruby said. ‘It’s a pity Horace lost his skeleton key attachment on our last pris –’

      She never finished her sentence. Without warning, Eddie launched himself off the ground, catapulting Ruby’s feet high into the air. Her legs flew up and over her head, sending her entire body, swords and all, somersaulting backwards off the stump.

      By the time Ruby hit the pine needles, the master pickpocket had snatched the bag of gold from Rat Bait’s belt and was already scampering away into the trees.

      ‘Shiver me somersaults!’ Horace gasped as Eddie disappeared into the dark forest. ‘There goes our prison guide and our gold.’

      ‘Not if I can help it,’ Whisker said, scooping up his scissor sword from beside the stump. ‘Find a weapon and follow me.’ He looked down at Ruby, lying dazed on the ground, and added, ‘If you’re up to it.’

      Ruby stared up at him and groaned. ‘Blasted gerbil! Blasted ankle! Count me out of this one. I’ll wait here in case he doubles back for everything he dropped.’

      Gesturing for Anna to stay with Ruby, Whisker bounded off after Eddie with Horace by his side. Rat Bait took one look at his silk-covered sword and grabbed one of Ruby’s scarlet scissor swords instead.

      ‘Beggin’ yer pardon, ma’am,’ he said, tipping his hat and bounding after Whisker.

      Catch Me if You Can

      The three rats scampered into the dense trees, swords raised, hearts beating rapidly. Whisker led the charge, desperate not to let the slippery little gerbil slip through his fingers. Horace kept pace, his short legs working overtime to match Whisker’s smooth strides. Rat Bait trailed a few paces behind the younger rats, puffing and panting, but refusing to stop.

      With their ears locked on the soft jingle of coins, they ran for several minutes until the ground began to slope upwards. The forest suddenly became silent and they halted to look for