The Golden Anchor. Cameron Stelzer

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Название The Golden Anchor
Автор произведения Cameron Stelzer
Жанр Природа и животные
Серия Pie Rats
Издательство Природа и животные
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9780994248657



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ruffling her messy fringe with his paw. ‘Enemies beware when you’re on watch.’

      Balthazar let out a loud ‘HONK!’

      ‘And who could forget your trusty dragon,’ Horace chimed in, patting the bird on the neck. ‘You two are enough to scare away any forest nasties.’

      ‘Speaking of forest nasties,’ Ruby said, spotting the lump over Rat Bait’s shoulder, ‘I see you’ve been doing some hunting of your own.’

      ‘Aye,’ Rat Bait said, dropping Eddie at the base of the stump. ‘We have returned yer footstool, Miss Ruby, along with yer sword.’ He drew Ruby’s scissor sword from his belt and passed it back to her.

      ‘Much obliged,’ he said tipping his hat.

      ‘Don’t mention it,’ she said, studying the blade for scratches. Seeing nothing that required her immediate attention, she glanced down at Eddie and frowned. ‘Am I imagining things, or did Eddie just move?’

      Receiving shrugs from Whisker and Rat Bait, Ruby raised her sword and gave the gerbil a firm jab in the backside. He instantly let out a high-pitched squeal of alarm, ‘Awooo!’

      ‘Thought so,’ Ruby said smugly. ‘Unconscious, my fractured foot. He’s probably been awake the whole time.’

      Whisker looked down to see Eddie staring up at him through one bloodshot eye. His nose and second eye were squashed into the ground and his mouth was filled with pine needles.

      ‘Err, Whisker,’ Horace murmured, ‘you don’t think he overheard something important we said? I mean, we did discuss the plan a couple of times on the way back.’

      ‘Of course I overheard you, blabbermouth,’ Eddie spluttered, spitting out pine needles as he spoke. ‘And I’ll tell you right now, there’s no way I’m going back inside that weevil-infested prison. I’m out and I’m staying out!’ He attempted to draw himself off the ground but the tips of Ruby’s swords forced him back down again.

      Ruby turned to Whisker, fury in her eye. ‘Permission to chop off his eavesdropping ear?’

      ‘Permission denied,’ Whisker said, stepping closer. ‘I want to hear what he has to say first.’

      ‘Why?’ Ruby snapped.

      ‘Because he knows something we don’t,’ Whisker said. ‘Isn’t that right, Mr Ear?’

      ‘I, err, um, I might know a thing or two,’ Eddie replied cagily.

      ‘So start speaking,’ Ruby hissed. ‘My patience is short and my swords are sharp.’

      Eddie let out a condescending snort. ‘Spare me the drama, Missy. Pretty girls don’t scare me with their hollow threats.’

      ‘Hollow threats?’ she fumed. ‘Your ear is really going to cop it!’

      ‘Beggin’ yer pardon, Miss Ruby,’ Rat Bait said, moving beside her. ‘But might I have a word to me ol’ friend Eddie the Ear?’

      ‘Be my guest,’ Ruby scowled, not lowering her swords. ‘But if he doesn’t talk, he’ll be Eddie No Ears.’

      Rat Bait knelt beside the gerbil, a calm look in his eyes.

      ‘Eddie,’ he began casually, ‘when this be over I’d wager ye’d want to return to Sea Shanty Island to continue yer glamourous life as a pickpocket.’

      ‘So what if I did?’ Eddie grunted.

      ‘The thing be, I have a dear acquaintance on the island,’ Rat Bait continued, ‘a fine fellow by the name o’ Baron Gustave.’

      Eddie snorted. ‘That pompous white rabbit who runs the Gunpowder Galleria? What’s it to me?’

      ‘Well,’ Rat Bait said, maintaining his level tone, ‘Gustave is what ye’d call a fam’ly rabbit, the proud father o’ twelve sons.’

      ‘Big deal,’ Eddie spat. ‘He could have a hundred fluffy bunnies for all I care.’

      ‘An’ that be the problem,’ Rat Bait said, his voice deepening. ‘Ye just don’t care. Ye don’t care ‘bout anyone but yer snivellin’ li’l self.’

      ‘And what makes you so different, Capt’n Rat Bait?’ Eddie said defiantly. ‘Yeah, I’ve heard the rumours. You’d sell your own mother for a bag o’ lousy copper coins.’

      ‘Well, the rumours be wrong,’ Rat Bait growled. ‘Like Gustave, I be a fam’ly rat now, an’ I don’t take kindly to low-life street urchins threatenin’ the lives o’ me own two grandchildren.’

      Eddie shot Rat Bait a look of concern. ‘Y-you’re related to these little crims?’

      ‘They’re not criminals!’ Rat Bait fumed, waving a paw behind him. ‘Me grandson, Whisker, be the Pirate Cup champion.’

      ‘Oh,’ Eddie gulped.

      ‘That’s right,’ Rat Bait said, his nose only millimetres from Eddie’s face. ‘Ye know who organised them Centenary Games, don’t ye? Mr Fam’ly himself, Baron Gustave. He’s grown rather fond o’ our young Whisker, an’ I don’t think he’d take kindly to news o’ yer actions. If I were to breathe a single word ‘bout what happened in that web, Gustave an’ his twelve sons would be on ye in an instant – an’ they’d never leave ye alone.

      ‘Ye’d wake up every mornin’ with firecrackers in yer pyjamas. Ye’d be plastered with purple paint pellets the moment ye stepped out o’ yer front door. An’ the frostin’ on yer birthday cake for the rest o’ yer sorry life would be Gustave’s very own Gourmet Gunpowder – a potent purple powder ready to frizzle every hair on yer miserable head the moment yer cockroach-eatin’ friends yell blow out the candles an’ make a wish!’

      Eddie’s bruised, battered and squashed face turned a sickly shade of green.

      ‘I-I might be ready to talk now,’ he squeaked.

      ‘I should hope so,’ Rat Bait said, stepping aside for Ruby. He winked at Horace who was shaking his head in admiration. ‘Nothin’ like a bit o’ friendly conversation to get things movin’.’

      ‘Alright, Eddie,’ Ruby said. ‘Spill the beans and your ear just might live to hear another day.’

      Eddie looked up at her, his confidence crushed. ‘W-w-well, for a start, I wouldn’t advise breaking into that prison.’

      ‘Why not?’ Ruby snapped. ‘You found a way out. Surely you can get us back in.’

      ‘Yes,’ he said slowly. ‘But what would be the point?’

      ‘The point,’ Ruby hissed, tightening the grip on her swords, ‘is that we intend to rescue a very important prisoner, and you are going to help us.’

      Eddie tried to shake his head, but ended up with more pine needles in his mouth.

      ‘It’s impossible,’ he spluttered.

      ‘Nothing is impossible,’ Ruby shot back.

      ‘This is,’ Eddie insisted.

      ‘And why is that?’ she asked, moving both scissor swords to the base of his ear.

      Eddie closed his eyes and waited for the snip. ‘Because the prisoners have already escaped.’

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