Hunt for the Panther 3 (9781101610923) (17 page)

When morning finally came, Jem couldn’t tell if he’d slept at all. For a moment he shut his eyes and tried to imagine where Scarlet was at that moment. In all likelihood, she was in a warm bed, with breakfast waiting nearby. A real breakfast of toast or porridge and tea, not a handful of nuts and some guava fruit.

What would she do that day? Peruse her father’s library? Engage in civilized conversation about current events? Jem pictured his captain in action and concluded that it was unlikely. But whatever she got up to, it probably wouldn’t involve trekking across some wild island in search of the man-eating panther that had captured her crewmate.

Groaning, Jem forced himself out of his hammock and sat cross-legged on the floor, head in his hands. Today, he was going to have to face the panther. There was no way around it. He, Jem Fitzgerald, would have to confront a giant predator and ask for his friend back.

In the hammock beside his, Tim muttered something in his sleep, and Jem reached his foot over to kick him awake.

“Too early,” Tim moaned.

“Get up,” Jem told him. “We’ve got to make a decision.”

“About what?” Tim sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Oh.
Right.” He leaned over and shook Liam awake.

“Come on.” Jem stood up. “We’ve got to make a decision. Now.”

The Lost Souls had spent the entire previous day scouring the jungle for signs of Smitty. But other than a few more giant paw prints, they hadn’t found a trace. Which meant one of two things: Either the panther had gobbled Smitty up on the spot, or he’d taken the boy back to his lair. Jem was choosing to believe that Smitty was still alive and simply keeping the panther company. Which didn’t make much sense, but he was trying not to think too hard about it.

The problem was, no one wanted to go find the panther. It wasn’t that the Lost Souls weren’t worried about their friend. They were just more worried about the panther eating
them
. After the meeting he’d called the previous night had ended in chaos, with everyone volunteering everyone else, Jem had decided to let them sleep on it, then make a plan first thing in the morning.

“I don’t want to go any more than they do,” he muttered as he scaled down the ladder. “But
someone
has to do it. And we’re wasting precious time.”

A few Lost Souls were already waiting in the clearing, nibbling on their breakfasts and looking as sleepless and lost as Jem felt. Sina was among them, sharpening a spear on a rock. She looked up when he arrived, but didn’t smile.

“Hello,” he said, and she nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it and shrugged.

“Are you all right?” he asked, and she shook her head and stuck out her tongue as if to say she felt like she might spew.

“Me too.” He sighed.

She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a wilted flower. Jem recognized it from the abandoned bouquet they’d found the day before. Sina bit her lip and twirled it between her fingers.

“It’s okay.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

Within ten minutes, most of the crew was assembled. And most were avoiding looking Jem in the eye so he wouldn’t pick them to go.

“All right,” he said. “Today we’re going to go to the panther’s lair and save Smitty. I’m going to ask one more time for volunteers, and if no one offers, I’m just going to have to choose. And you can only volunteer
yourself
—not your mate.”

But before anyone could say a thing, there was an enormous clatter over near the tree houses. The Lost Souls turned to look and gasped.

“What was that?” Edwin shrieked.

“I don’t know,” Jem answered, craning his neck to see. It was a noise he’d never heard before, like all kinds of wooden objects being smacked and shaken together. Like a tree house had fallen apart, or—he gasped. “The trap!”

“He’s back!” screamed Ronagh. “The panther’s back for more of us!”

“Is anyone still in the houses?” Edwin cried.

“I think Charlie’s still there!”

“And Gil!”

Everyone began to shout at once.

“Stop!” Jem bellowed. “Everyone, calm down. We’ll go back to the houses together. Follow me and stay close. The panther won’t attack us if we’re together.”
I hope,
he added to himself.

The crew leaped into formation behind him and shuffled across the clearing like an enormous centipede.

“You’re stepping on my heels!” Ronagh hissed.

“You’re stepping on my toes!” Elmo retorted.

“Quiet!” said Jem. The trap was less than twenty yards away now, and he could see the coconuts and gourds still swaying. “Keep your eyes open,” he told the others. “And if anyone sees him—”

“What. The.
Flotsam
?”

Jem’s jaw dropped as Captain Scarlet McCray stepped out of the trees, hands on her hips.

“Scarlet!” Ronagh broke formation and ran straight for her friend.

“Wait!” Jem yelled. “What about the—”

“There
is
no panther, mate!” Tim cried. “Scarlet set off the trap!”

Relief washed over Jem, and he joined the two dozen others mobbing Scarlet with hugs.

“Stop! Stop!” Scarlet called from the middle of the crowd. “I can’t breathe!”

“You came back!” Monty cried as the Lost Souls stepped back to give her some space.

“Just when we needed you!” Ronagh added, holding
on to Scarlet’s waist like she might never let go.

“I had to,” Scarlet began, then paused. “Wait, what do you mean, you
needed
me? You already know about Lucas?”

“We know he plans to be the most powerful pirate in the tropics,” Tim said.

“Well, there’s more to it than that,” Scarlet reported. “He’s headed this way. And Captain Wallace, too.”

“What?” The crew gasped.

Scarlet nodded. “But if you didn’t know that, what did you need me for?”

Jem stepped forward, head reeling. Now, on the heels of that news, he had to break the news about losing their boatswain to a big cat. “Well, it’s a—”

He stopped when he spotted the girl, peeking out from behind a nearby tree.

Tim saw her, too. “Um, Cap’n…”

Scarlet started, as if she’d forgotten all about her. “Jo, come out,” she said. “It’s all right.”

The girl stepped slowly out from behind her tree, wearing what must have at one time been a fine pink dress. Now it was mostly brown, and her boots were scuffed and caked with mud. She looked at the crew as if she suspected they might eat her for breakfast.

“Who’s
that
?” Edwin exclaimed.

“My cousin.” Scarlet reached out and pulled the girl toward her. “This is Jo.”

It was obvious to Jem that the only thing keeping Jo from bolting was Scarlet’s firm grip. He understood completely. He knew what it was like to feel like you
were from another world. So he stepped forward and bowed to her, Old World–style. “Welcome,” he said. “I’m Jem.”

Jo looked surprised, but she curtsied back with a grateful smile.

“Now. Explain why you needed me,” said Scarlet. “Also, what’s with the ear-shattering trap?” She gestured at the noisemakers still swaying in the trees.

“Well,” said Jem, “that’s a panther trap, meant to scare him off. And we need you because…” He took a deep breath. “Because the panther got Smitty.”

“Smitty?” Scarlet clapped her hands over her mouth. “The panther ate Smitty?”

“No! No!” Jem held up his hands. “Well… we don’t think so, anyway. We think he’s just… keeping him.” He stole a glance at Jo, who looked like she might faint.

“Keeping him?”
Scarlet cried. “What for?”

“Maybe for company?” Edwin suggested.

“Or maybe to eat later?” Ronagh whispered.

“Sink me. This is worse than I thought.” Scarlet paused and chewed on her lip. “And yet, we have to go that way, anyway.”

“We do? Why?” asked Tim.

“Lucas wants a panther as a pet, and he’s coming for this one. Today.”

“What?” Jem couldn’t believe his ears.

“That’s not all,” Scarlet went on. “Captain Wallace is mad for revenge, so he’s on his way, too. He wants to trap Lucas in the panther’s lair to get rid of him.”

“What?”
Now it was Jem’s turn to feel like he might faint.

Everyone began to shout again.

“Quiet!”
Scarlet bellowed. Her cousin flinched.

“Okay.” Jem took a deep breath. “So we need to go to the panther.”

Scarlet nodded. “But we’ve also got to go to the pirates. We’ll split into two crews, and both will start out right away.”

“Sign me up for the pirates!” Tim called.

“Me too!” added Liam.

“Pirates for me!”

Jem shook his head. Even in the face of their captain, no one wanted to go to the panther. “All right, I’ll—” he began.

“I’ll go to the panther,” Jo spoke up.

Every single Lost Soul turned to look at her.

Scarlet looked confused. “Sorry?”

“I’ll go to the panther,” Jo repeated.

Scarlet shook her head. “Uh-uh. No way. Absolutely not. I’m already going to have to explain to your father why we ran away, captained a ship, trekked through a jungle, and ruined your dress.”

“I don’t care about my—” Jo began.

“I’m
not
going to explain to him why you got mauled by a panther, too,” said Scarlet.

Jo pulled herself up a bit taller and set her jaw. “You should let me go,” she said calmly. “You know I’m a cat person.”

Jem looked from Jo to Scarlet, incredulous. Obviously,
stubbornness ran in the family.

“A panther is not a house cat!” Scarlet cried.

But Jo just nodded. “I know. Trust me.” She gave Scarlet a long look.

Scarlet opened her mouth to argue, then closed it and stared at Jo for a few moments. “Sina?” She turned to the older girl, who was looking at Jo the way Uncle Finn looked at his specimens.

Slowly, Sina began to nod.

Scarlet closed her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m about to agree to this.”

A few Lost Souls gasped.

“But,” she continued, “I am. You can go to the panther, Jo. But you’re not going alone.”

“I’ll go with her,” said Jem, feeling suddenly braver now that he knew he wouldn’t be alone.

“Thank you,” whispered Jo.

“Thanks, Fitz,” Scarlet said. “You and Jo can set off right away. I’ll take this group with me to head off the pirates.” She pointed to about ten Lost Souls, including Tim and Liam. “The rest of you will stay here with Sina and guard the treasure. Remember, both Lucas and Captain Wallace know exactly where it is. If they’re on the island, we can’t leave it alone.”

“Aye-aye, Captain!” Ronagh yelled.

Scarlet stuck out her fist, and the others pressed in to pile their fists on top of hers.

“No prey, no pay, mateys,” said Scarlet.

“No prey, no pay!” the Lost Souls chorused, and even Jo joined in.

“And may you die peacefully rather than in the jaws of a big bloodthirsty cat!”

Thanks, Captain.
Jem rolled his eyes.

“Die peacefully!” the pirates chorused.

“We won’t,” Jo whispered to him.

They dashed through the jungle, Jem out in front, Jo close behind. She was obviously completely out of her element, tripping over roots and jumping at the sight of snakes slithering across the path. And yet she never complained, and she picked herself up without a fuss when she fell. She didn’t even seem tired, although Jem doubted she’d slept much the night before.

Could she really have arrived from the Old World only the week before?

“Apparently the tropics do strange things to a person,” Jo said, puffing.

Jem had to laugh. How had she known what he was thinking? He chalked it up to an Old World thing and agreed with her wholeheartedly.

When they reached the Valley of Simmering Streams, they slowed to a brisk walk. It was now midday, so Jem pulled some linty nuts out of his pocket and shared them with Jo.

“Best I’ve got for lunch,” he said apologetically.

“It’s perfect.” Jo practically inhaled them.

Jem shook his head. “Perfect would be fruitcake. Or shortbread. I haven’t had either of those in months.”

Jo considered this and agreed. “I’d probably miss those, too, if I had to go without them. I might also miss clean clothes.” She looked down at her dress and traced
a streak of mud from her waist to her hem.

“Exactly!” Jem said. “And square meals. And books. Even school, sometimes.” Finally, he had someone who understood where he was coming from.

“True,” said Jo. “But then… you have all this.” She spread her arms wide, taking in the valley. A pair of aras swooped and swerved overhead, squawking down at them as a warm breeze wrapped them in spices and sunshine.

Jem looked around at the valley and the jungle beyond, and felt suddenly guilty. Jo was right. He’d been envying Scarlet in her father’s house in port when there were so many amazing things to be thankful for here on the island.

He made a mental list of them as they pressed on. There were the aras, the most beautiful and clever birds he’d ever known. And the monkeys, even if they were troublemakers. There were fireflies to light the night. And the feeling of waking up in a hammock in a tree house, listening to the strange trills and whistles of a hundred tropical birds. And the crew, of course—what would life be like without Tim and Liam and Smitty? And Scarlet was one of the most fascinating people he’d met in his life, hands down.