Triss dashed water from her eyes, pointing ahead. What’s that?
Shogg saw it also. A light, it’s a light!
Seaspray washed into the squirrelmaid’s mouth as she shouted to make herself heard. Is it land, Shogg?
Prince Bladd lay in his bunk, a blanket wrapped about his head as he wailed in terror, Der shtorm, it vill sink de boat! Help me!
At that same moment, Kurda staggered across the deck, holding on to Captain Riftun’s spearhaft as he went ahead of her. They barged into Plugg’s cabin, where the fox was swilling grog with Tazzin and Grubbage.
He looked up.
Aharr, ‘tis the lovely Princess ‘erself. Wot can ole Cap’n Plugg do for ye on such a pleasant night, me dearie?
Kurda was shaken by the sudden storm, but she would not let the Freebooter see her fear. Is der ship in danger? Vill de shtorm sink us?
Plugg, grog slopping down his chin, grinned crookedly. Nah, it wouldn’t dare sink a ship carryin’ a prince an’ a princess, specially one who’s as good wid a sword as you!
Riftun banged his spear angrily on the table. Watch yore mouth, Plugg.
Is there a safe cabin aboard, one where Princess Kurda can ride out the storm?
Plugg gestured upward with his grog beaker. Aye, there’s one above this on the stern peak, comfy liddle berth. I usually sleep there meself, but ‘er ‘igh royalness can ‘ave it fer the night. Best cabin on the ole Seascab, still as a rock an’ safe as ‘ouses!
Kurda rapped out imperiously. It vill do for der night. Captain Riftun, you vill take me dere!
A mixture of wind, rain and seaspray whooshed into the cabin as Riftun opened the door. He was slammed back against the bulkhead, Kurda with him.
Plugg roared at them, Gerrout an’ shut that door!
The pair departed, with the rat captain struggling to close the door behind them. In the silence that followed, the silver fox hooted with laughter.
Aharrharrharr! Still as a rock an’ safe as ‘ouses? Hawhawhaw! She’ll spend the night goin’ up an’ down like a toad in a bucket. I’ll teach the snotnosed liddle whelp t’stand there givin’ Plugg Firetail orders.
Hawhawhaw!
Grubbage, as usual, had not heard his captain properly. But he joined in the laughter, pretending he had. Heeheehee! A frog an’ a fly take borders. I like that’un, Cap’n. Heeheehee!
Chit on deck, Kurda and Riftun negotiated the small set of stairs to the stern peak, their heads bowed against the storm’s onslaught.
Immediately after they gained the top deck, Kurda knew that Plugg was playing one of his wicked jests on her. The Seascab was rolling wildly, plunging up and down like a madbeast in its death throes. The Princess was flung against the stern rail, where she clung grimly for dear life.
Riftun slithered and skated about on the seaslick deck, then dug his spear point in the timbers and hauled himself to her side. Thunder rumbled out of the distance and banged overhead in a loud explosion.
A sheet of lightning followed. Kurda was bent over the rail, facing the sea. In the brief illumination from the lightning flash, she screeched, There dey are, there dey aaaaaare!
Not half a boatlength away and slightly astern of the Seascab was the small stolen vessel, with Shogg and Triss, soaked to the skin, clinging to the tiller. The small, light craft was rapidly overhauling the huge Freebooter ship. Kurda saw the pair look up, their faces showing clearly in the lights from Plugg’s rear cabin window. She seized Riftun’s paw.
Get one of dem mitt your spear, de streamdog. I vant de other von alive.
T’row, kill der streamdog!
Shogg and Triss were horror-stricken. The light they had been sailing for was a huge Freebooter ship, with their archenemies, Kurda and Riftun, aboard. Frozen with shock, they sat staring up at the mad-eyed Princess urging her captain to slay Shogg. Riftun raised his spear, grinning cruelly down at them. It was a throw he could hardly miss. He brought the weapon back over his shoulder for a stronger cast. Bang! Craaaaaack!
A bolt of lightning struck the iron spearblade.
Hurling the tiller to port, Shogg sent the little craft skipping nimbly by, narrowly missing the Seascab’s stern.
Kurda did not know what had happened for a moment, as she had been watching Shogg, waiting for the spear to strike him. Turning, she saw the rat Captain lying rigid on the deck, every hair on his body standing up like a needle. His paw was welded to the smoking and shattered spear, rain sizzling as it spattered on the momentarily red-hot iron blade.
Riftun was dead as a doornail.
The beautifully built little ship, which Agarnu had commissioned for his royal offspring, flashed by and was swallowed up into the gale-torn night.
Plugg shielded his grog from the wetness that blew in as the cabin door slammed open again. Was you born in a field? Shut that clatterin’ door!
Looking anything but regal, the saturated Pure Ferret left Grubbage to struggle with the door as she staggered into the cabin, flailing her paws like a windmill.
Mine ship, I haff seen mine ship, mitt two slaves in it, sailing by ...
out dere!
The Freebooter fox took a gulp of grog and belched. Well, ain’t that a turnip fer the ship’s log. Where’s ole pastyface Riftun, swimmin’
after it?
Kurda ignored the fox’s heavy-pawed sarcasm. Riftun is slayed by der lightnink, he vos stricken! Mine ship is getting avay, you vill catch her!
Plugg shrugged noncommittally. I never took to that Riftun, ‘e was a snootynosed rat. Don’t worry about yore pretty liddle ship. If’n she’s still afloat by mornin’, we’ll run ‘er down all right. Just one other thing, missy, if’n ye ain’t got double the value o’ that ship, well,
‘tis mine. Yore pa said I gets double the value of any booty we bring back. So if I sails back inter Riftgard with ‘er in tow, ye can kiss yore ship goodbye. She’ll be sailin’ under Plugg’s colours!
Kurda did not have her sabre to paw. She stood in front of the Freebooter, shaking with murderous rage. If I had not left my sabre in der cabin, you vould be a deadbeast now, seascum!
Plugg winked at Slitfang and smiled sweetly. Ain’t she the one, mate.
Pity ye didn’t bring yore sword out on deckÑthe lightnin’ would’ve struck you, me pretty one. That might’ve brightened yore night up, aharrharr!
The Princess stamped her paw as she poured forth venom. You stupid mudbrained slug, von day I vill haff your head on a spike, den ve see how you laugh, yarr! I vill tell mein father how I vas treated by you.
De only double revard he vill give is to haff you chopped in two halves!
Plugg tossed his empty grog flagon aside and got another. Teh tch, naughty naughty! A bargain’s a bargain when anybeast makes it wid Plugg Firetail, missie, ye’ll soon find that out. Well now, ye can stand stampin’ yer lid-die paw there as much as ye like. There ain’t a thing t’be done ‘til this storm blows over an’ we got daylight enough t’see wot we’re chasin’. So you toddle off now, to that there snug liddle cabin I let you ‘ave fer the night.
Kurda curled her lip and scowled at him. I go back to mine own cabin, but first I vill choose a Ratguard to attend me. I do not trust you, yarr!
Plugg turned to his messmates, speaking with mock sincerity. D’you lot
‘ear that? She don’t trust dear old Plugg! That’s ‘ow you never got t’be a princess, Grubbage, by puttin’ yore trust in me.
Grubbage nodded sagely. Aye, a rusty flea, Cap’n, that’s me. Shall I show the Princess back to ‘er cabin?
Kurda pushed Grubbage roughly aside. I find my own vay! She strode regally from the cabin, with the raucous laughter of Plugg and his cronies ringing in her ears.