A to Z Mysteries: The Deadly Dungeon (4 page)

“Better slip one of those on,” Walker said when they were aboard. He pointed at orange life jackets hanging on a row of pegs.

The kids climbed into the bulky vests and sat on benches. Walker started the motor, and the small boat moved away from the dock.

“It’ll be about an hour before we get to my pots,” Walker hollered over the roar of the engine. “Get comfortable!”

Ruth Rose and Josh curled up on the benches, but Dink sat up. He didn’t
want to miss a thing. He could smell the lobster bait. Waves slapped against the hull as they chugged through the black water.

Dink watched the glow of morning color the horizon pale yellow. It made him remember the light he’d seen last night. Did the light have anything to do with the strange noises or the two green feathers?

The boat’s gentle rocking made Dink feel sleepy. He closed his eyes. Then Walker was shaking him. Dink sat up and squinted into sunlight.

The waves rocked the boat back and forth. When Dink stood, he nearly lost his balance. “Where are we?” he asked.

“About five miles out,” Walker said. “Wake up Ruth Rose and Josh, and we’ll eat.”

They sat in a patch of sunlight. Breakfast was peanut butter sandwiches
and hot, milky cocoa from Walker’s thermos.

Dink saw other boats in the distance. “Are those all lobster boats?”

Walker nodded. “Most of them are. A few fishing boats are out, too.”

Josh looked over the side. “How do you catch the lobsters?” he asked.

Walker pointed to a machine. “That winch brings them up. I’ll show you how it works.”

Walker picked up a long pole with a hook on one end. He used it to grab the rope attached to a marker buoy. He snagged the rope onto the winch, pushed a button, and wet rope began whistling up out of the water. Fast!

A few seconds later a lobster pot surfaced on the other end of the rope. Wearing a rubber apron and gloves, Walker dragged it into the boat.

The wooden trap was covered with
seaweed. A few small crabs scampered out onto the deck. “Let’s see what we’ve got,” Walker said, dropping the crabs back into the sea.

Walker opened the pot’s small door and reached in a gloved hand. He pulled out a wet, dark green lobster. The lobster waved its claws angrily.

“Those claws can break a finger,” Walker warned. He snapped two thick rubber bands onto the lobster’s front claws. Then he dropped the lobster into a tank of sea water.

“Josh, get the bait, will you?”

Josh dragged the heavy pail over. Walker pulled out a huge fish head.

“Oh, phew!” Josh said. “That’s gross!”

“The lobsters don’t mind,” Walker said, dropping the fish head into the lobster pot. He fastened the door and shoved the trap back into the water.

“That’s pretty much how it’s done,” Walker said, slapping water off his gloves.

“Can we pull another one?” Dink asked.

“Sure, and you guys can help. Grab some gloves out of that locker.”

Ruth Rose brought out three pairs of
thick rubber gloves. Walker winched up another pot and held a wiggling lobster out to Josh.

“Hold him by the back so he can’t reach you with his claws.”

Josh held the lobster with both gloved hands. Ruth Rose and Dink snapped rubber bands onto the claws.

“Who wants to put bait in the pot?” Walker asked, grinning.

Dink volunteered while Josh faked gagging noises. Dink stuck his hand into the bait bucket, then dropped a bloody fish head into the lobster pot.

The morning grew warm, so the kids stripped off their sweatshirts. The ocean was calm. Sea gulls soared overhead, watching for scraps.

“Look, there’s Rip,” Walker said.

Rip pulled his boat up next to
Lady Luck
. When the boats were side by side, Rip tossed a line to Dink.

“How’s it going?” Rip asked. He was wearing clean jeans and a T-shirt. He held a coffee mug in one hand.

“We got a few,” Walker said. “My crew here was a big help.”

“Are you going lobstering?” Josh asked.

Rip shook his head and flashed a grin. “Not today kiddo. Just came out to check my buoys. Toss me the line, okay?”

Dink tossed his end of the rope toward the other boat. Rip caught it in his free hand. “Have a good day!” he yelled as he pulled away.

“Anyone want more cocoa?” Walker asked.

“I do,” Josh said.

Dink turned around and saw something on
Lady Luck’s
deck.

It was a bright green feather.

Dink snatched up the feather. Ruth Rose raised her eyebrows. Dink shrugged and stuck the feather in his pocket.

“Ready to head in?” Walker asked. “I promised Sis I’d get you back before lunch.”

He started up the engine, and they chugged toward land.

Back at Walker’s dock, the kids helped him hose fish goo and seaweed off the deck of his boat. Then he drove them to the castle.

“Sis’s car is gone,” Walker said. “She must be out doing errands. Will you kids be okay for a while?”

“I’m a little hungry,” Josh said, grinning.

“Here, finish this.” Walker handed Josh the bread, peanut butter, and knife. He waved and drove away.

“Where should we eat?” Josh asked.

“How about the playhouse?” Ruth Rose said. “I can wash those little dishes.” She found a watering can next to the mud room door and filled it from the spigot.

On the way to the playhouse, Dink pulled the feathers out of his pocket. He told Josh how he’d found the third one on Walker’s boat.

The kids studied the feathers, holding them up to the sunlight. “They’re exactly alike,” Josh said.

“Another parrot feather?” Ruth Rose
asked. “Where could they be coming from?”

Josh grinned. “From a parrot?”

“Very funny, Joshua!”

Dink suddenly remembered his dream. Screaming bats with green feathers…

Ruth Rose opened the playhouse door and they walked in.

“It’s too cold in here,” Josh said. “Why don’t we eat out in the sun?”

Dink helped Josh carry the table out.

Ruth Rose brought out the dishes and set them in the grass.

“The rug looks pretty dusty,” Dink said. “We should drag it outside and sweep it.”

Josh was spreading peanut butter on bread at the table. “Can we eat first, then work? My stomach is talking to me.”

On his knees, Dink began rolling up the rug. “Your stomach is—hey, guys, look!”

“Not another green feather, I hope,” Josh muttered. He strolled over to see.

Dink pointed to a trapdoor in the floor.

“Yes!” Josh yelled. “I told you! The secret door to the secret dungeon!”

Ruth Rose ran over. “Let’s open it!” she said.

The handle had a spring lock. Ruth Rose squeezed the spring, and the lock popped open. With all three of them pulling, they were able to raise the trapdoor. They heard a creepy whoosh, then cold, damp air escaped.

“Yuck, what a smell!” Josh said.

The kids stared into the musty-smelling hole. Stone steps led down to darkness. Even in the dim light, they saw footprints on the steps.

“Just like the prints we saw on the rug,” Dink said.

They all jumped back as a hollow scream echoed out of the dark hole.

“Something’s down there!” Ruth Rose whispered.

Josh’s eyes were huge. “Not some-
thing
,” he whispered. “Someone. It’s the ghost of Emory Scott!”

Dink put his hand in his pocket and felt the three green parrot feathers.

Taking a deep breath, he put a foot on the top step. “I’m going down,” he said.

Dink walked down the steps, feeling along the cold stone walls. He tried not to think about slimy things that hung out in damp tunnels.

Then his hand touched something square and hard. A light switch! He flipped it up, and the space was suddenly flooded with light.

“It’s a long tunnel!” he yelled.

Ruth Rose hurried down the steps. She turned to Josh. “Coming?”

“All right,” Josh sighed. “But if anything touches me, I’m out of here!”

The tunnel was cold and narrow. They walked along the dirt floor. Small, cobweb-covered light bulbs hung from the ceiling. The air smelled rotten.

The tunnel went straight for a while, then turned a corner.

“Listen,” Ruth Rose said. “I hear water.”

“I hate this,” Josh said. “I really do.”

Dink turned the corner and found himself standing in water. Something let out a screech, and Dink froze.

Josh grabbed Dink around the neck.
“What the heck was that?” he squeaked.

“Josh, you’re strangling me!” Dink croaked.

“Sorry,” Josh said.

“Where are we?” Ruth Rose asked.

They were standing at the entrance to a cave. The rock walls oozed, and the floor was under water. Off to the left, another tunnel continued out of sight.

“I think I know where we are,” Dink whispered.

“Me too,” Josh said, “We’re in the dungeon. I’d better not see any skeletons!”

“I think if we’d kept going through the cave yesterday,” Dink continued, “we’d have ended up here.”

“It’s one long tunnel,” Ruth Rose said. “From the playhouse to the ocean!”

Then something behind them made a loud squawk.

Josh jumped, nearly knocking Dink over.

“Look, guys,” Ruth Rose said. “Over there!” She pointed to a dark mound up against one wall.

Dink walked over, splashing through the cold water.

“It’s a tarp,” he said.

Holding his breath, Dink grabbed one corner and yanked it away. Under the tarp were two cages, one on top of the other. Each cage held four large green parrots.

The birds panicked, beating their wings against the cage bars. Their screams echoed again and again off the cave walls.

“So much for the ghost of Emory Scott,” Ruth Rose said.

Josh laughed. “Good! I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d bumped into him!”

Dink pulled the feathers from his pocket. He held them next to one of the parrots.

“They’re the same,” he said.

“What the heck
is
this place?” Ruth Rose asked. “Who’d hide parrots in a cave?”

“I don’t know,” Dink said.

“Guys!” Ruth Rose said. She was looking down. “The tide must be coming in. The water is getting deeper!”