Authors: Jim Ladd
Mutiny! (6 page)
W
ith a sudden clatter of bowling pins the
Jolly Apollo
lurched violently to one side, scattering pirates everywhere. The ship then tipped the other way, rolling everyone towards one wall and into a big space-piratey pile.
“Ouch! Goldstar’s losing control!” cried Comet as a bowling ball bounced off his head.
The ship shook and rattled then leaned over again, causing everyone to slide the other way and the ball to bounce off Comet’s head again.
“Will someone please grab hold of that blasted ball!” shouted Comet.
“He’ll wreck the ship if he keeps doing this,” said Pegg.
“We have to get back up there!” gasped Sam. “There isn’t another secret tunnel out from the bowling alley, is there, Captain?”
“No.” Comet shook his head.
“Can we break the door down?” Sam suggested, looking at Romero, the strongest of the pirates.
The snippernaut started towards the door, but Pegg called him back. “Don’t even try, you’ll
pulverise your pincers. That’s Titanium wood – part wood, part steel.”
Sam looked around in desperation. There was nothing in the alley except bowling pins, and the glimmer of starlight coming though the portholes.
Sam suddenly had an idea. As the bowling ball whizzed past he grabbed it and declared, “That’s it – I’ve got it!”
“Good,” said Comet. “Finally, my poor head is safe.”
“No, not the ball – well, I’ve got that, too – but I’ve also got a plan!” said Sam. “Quick!” He ran down the bowling lane, staggering from side to side as the ship swayed, nearly falling over as he reached the small, round window.
“The porthole?” Pegg said, a rare smile splitting his face.
“But no one’s small enough to fit through there,” Comet spluttered.
“Except me!” Sam said. “See, Romero, being a space sprat is useful after all! If I can climb up to the deck I can open the door from the other side.”
“But you could fall off into space!” Barney wrung his tentacles anxiously.
Sam looked around. “There’s no other choice,” he shrugged, trying not to sound too scared. “We have to get out of here. Romero, can you get the window open?”
Romero swung the window open and pulled it off its hinges. Sam looked at the pirates’ worried faces and forced himself to smile. “Get ready,” he said. “I’ll make my way up to the deck, then sneak down here. When I open the door we’re going to get Goldstar and
take our ship back
!”
Sam winced as the cold air rushed through the porthole. Outside there was nothing but deep dark empty space. If he slipped, he’d fall and float off forever, all the way down to Starry Jones’s locker.
He gulped.
Better not fall off the
n, he thought to himself as he squeezed through the porthole.
Sam clung on to the outside of the ship, trying his best not to look down. The
Jolly Apollo
was made out Titanium wood, but it was old and rusty. The whole ship needed repairing – and washing! Space barnacles dotted the surface, and the gap between each wooden plank was furry with plants and scattered with shining meteor dust. For once Sam was pleased that the
Jolly Apollo
was an old space wreck. If the sides of the ship had been new, shiny and smooth he’d never have been able to climb up it.
Grabbing the nearest barnacle, Sam took a deep breath, and started to climb, carefully wedging his feet in the gaps between the planks, and pulling himself up bit by bit.
It’s just like climbing up the mainsail
, he told himself with a gulp.
Just don’t look down!
The ship tilted wildly, and Sam’s foot slipped, dangling out into deep space. There was a gasp from the porthole, where the pirates were
clustered, watching him.
Sam swung his leg back and wedged his foot into a gap between the boards, panting heavily.
The solar winds whistled around him, but Sam kept going. He was almost at the top when the ship jerked again. From the deck above he could hear smashes and crashes as things fell and
shattered. Sam flattened himself against the side of the ship and held on tightly.
Just above his head, the ship’s name was written in raised wooden letters. The “A” and both “l”s of “Apollo” had fallen off, so it actually spelt
“Jolly po o
”. Sam reached up and grabbed the bottom of the J, then hauled himself up to balance on it. He peered on to the deck through a gap in the gunwhales. Goldstar was struggling with the sails and trying to steer at the same time. The main deck was scattered with ropes, grum tankards, dirty washing (including Barney’s massive multi-legged pants) and barrels. Goldstar’s black hair was sticking up crazily, and he was trying to shake a net off his peg leg while he pulled a rope with all his strength.
Taking his chance while Goldstar was distracted, Sam scrambled onboard, heaving himself up and sliding on to the deck belly-first. He lay silently for a minute, his heart pounding and his knees weak. He was so happy to be safely on the ship that he could have kissed the deck –
but there was no time for that. He still had to let the others out. If Goldstar saw him now he’d be back in the dungeon quicker than he could drink a glass of grum, and his climb would have been for nothing.
Sam crept across the deck towards the door down into the hold. But as he crept, the ship’s wheel spun again and a barrel of grum smashed down next to him, bursting open and showering the deck with the foamy yellow liquid. Sam ducked behind another barrel as Goldstar glanced in the direction of the noise. Sam held his breath, but luckily at that moment the ship rocked violently in the other direction, flinging Goldstar on to his backside.
Sam scrambled to the doorway and half-fell down the steps. He raced forward and wrenched open the door to the bowling alley. With a great roar the crew flooded out, arming themselves with whatever they could find on their way. Comet led the charge, brandishing a mop and bucket like a sword and shield. Barney followed
with a hoverpin in each tentacle, and Pegg and Legg with a bowling ball in each hand.
Sam grinned as he followed the pirates. But as he got back on deck he stopped short. The crew were huddled in a corner, looking at Goldstar, who had his laser-cutlass held against Captain Comet’s throat.
“You’ll have to get up earlier in the morning than that to fool old Goldstar, me lad,” sneered the gold-caped pirate. “Now Comet here will pay the price – by walking the plank!”
C
omet edged out on the plank, still clutching the mop and bucket. Sam noticed that it was one of the buckets that had been used earlier for voting. His knees were knocking so hard that the end of the plank was starting to bounce up and down. Sam felt his throat go dry as he looked at his captain, hanging out over open space.
“You! Stabilise the ship,” Goldstar snapped at Pegg and Legg. Then he turned to Sam. “My brother warned me to be on the lookout for you,” he snarled. “He said you were slipperier than a Martian sand eel. I see he wasn’t exaggerating. Unfortunately for you, you’re not
quite
slippery enough.”
“Stop right there, Goldstar,” said Sam, summoning all his courage. “We’re sick of you and we want our ship back!”
Goldstar laughed evilly.
“Oh, do you now? Well, I’m the elected captain of this here ship for the next three voyages, like it or not. Every single member of the crew voted for me, and now you’re stuck with me.” He gave
a wicked grin. “And as the captain, I sentence you and Patches here to take a one way trip down to Starry Jones’s locker.”
Everyone gasped as Goldstar waved his cutlass at the vast emptiness of space behind him.
“Time to say goodbye to the
Apollo
and hello to deep space,” chortled Goldstar, prodding the cutlass in Comet’s direction.
Sam was rooted to the spot in fear. But, just then, something caught his eye. There, on the deck among the dirty socks and rubbish, was a shiny pirate token… They hadn’t all gone overboard after all!
“Goldstar!” he shouted.
“Wait your turn, small fry, it’s Comet’s go on the bouncy board first,” Goldstar cackled.
“Oh, I don’t think so – you don’t have the authority,” said Sam.
“What are you talking about, you stellar-slug?” barked Goldstar. “I’m the captain!”
“Ah, but you’re not!” Sam grinned. “To be the new captain the vote has to be unanimous, which
means all crew members have to vote for you. If the existing captain gets one vote, he stays where he is.”
“Yeah, so what?” Goldstar replied.
Sam leaped into the pile of old socks strewn across the deck. He grabbed the shining token and held it up. “I haven’t voted!” Sam declared. “You might have tempted the rest of the crew with endless grum and supernova floss, but not me. I’m a crew member on this ship and I’m going to vote now.”
He flipped the token through the air. Everyone watched as it flew, glinting in the light as it spun past Goldstar, out over the edge of the ship and into Comet’s bucket with a satisfying clink. “I vote for Captain Comet!”
Comet looked so relieved that Sam was worried he might faint. He sank down on to the plank and hugged it with his arms and legs.
Goldstar stared at Sam furiously. “You devious dirt devil! You pugnacious pug-rat! You spit-mouthed slime toad!” He paused for breath, then grinned like a madman as he pulled something out of his pocket. Sam gasped as he saw the scrap of spacesuit material.
“If I’m not getting to Planet X,” Goldstar laughed, “then
nobody
is.”
Cackling maniacally, he grabbed the map in both hands and tried to rip it in half. But the spacesuit material was too tough. Sam rushed forwards as Goldstar twisted and pulled the precious fabric. “Say goodbye to your parents, you irritating little space slug,” Goldstar crowed. “And say goodbye to Planet… ERRRFFFF!”
From behind, Captain Comet slammed his bucket down on top of Goldstar’s head, wedging it fast.
Goldstar dropped the map, and Sam dived forward to pick it up. His heart thudded frantically
as he smoothed it out, but the strong spacesuit material wasn’t damaged. Sam heaved a huge sigh of relief and tucked the map safely into his pocket.
Goldstar pulled off the bucket, and Comet’s captain’s hat went flying across the deck. Comet grabbed hold of one edge of Goldstar’s cape.
“I think we should take Goldstar for a spin, don’t you?” he yelled.
With the rest of the crew cheering, he gave the cape a huge tug which sent Goldstar spinning across the deck. He came to a halt at the top of the stairs that led down to the bowling deck. Comet sauntered across the deck and with a well-aimed swipe of his mop, smacked Goldstar square on the backside. The blow sent Goldstar tumbling down the stairs.
Comet craned his neck to listen to the thumps and bumps of Goldstar’s progress down the stairs. With a bash and a groan, Goldstar came to a halt at the bottom and Comet gave a quick nod of approval.
“Ah, it’s good to be back, Sam,” said the captain as he looked out from the deck rail at the colourful spread of galaxies in front of them.
“I think we all agree on that one, Captain,” said Sam. “Look behind you.”
Comet turned round and there assembled on the main deck was the entire crew. Pegg and Legg stepped forward from the crowd, shuffling their feet and looking embarrassed.
“On behalf of the crew, we’d like to say a few words,” said Legg. “Firstly, we’d like to say sorry for voting for Goldstar. It just sounded like a lot of fun; you know, the supernova floss…”
“And the grum…” shouted someone.
“And the funfairs…” shouted someone else.
“Yes, yes, I get the idea,” said Comet snappily.
“And Goldstar
sounded
like he would be such a good captain…” Legg continued.
“Aye, and you’ve been rubbish!” said Pegg. “Most of the time we’re lost and we’ve never found any treasure, ever. Not even by accident.”
“OK, OK,” said Comet. “This must be the worst apology in space pirate history.”
“But even saying all that, we’re glad you’re back,” Pegg finished. “You and the
Jolly Apollo
go together like…”
“Bowling balls and hoverpins,” shouted Vulpus.
“Pirates and grum,” shouted Jonjarama.
“Scab-beetle stew and slime-moss sandwiches,” said Barney.
“Aye, like all of those – though perhaps not the last one – but you know what we mean,” said Legg.
“So we think you need this back,” said Sam. He picked up Comet’s captain’s hat from the deck and handed it to him. It was a bit bent and battered, but Comet didn’t seem to mind. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes, even the ones with eyepatches on.
“Why, thank you, me hearties,” he said, carefully placing the hat back on his head. “And I think we’ve all learned something from this. You probably more than me, I’d say, but it’s good to be back all the same.”
Sam rolled his eyes – the old Comet was definitely back. A sudden banging from the bowling alley made him jump. “But what are we going to do with Goldstar?” he asked.
“Oh, I’ve got a plan for Goldstar –
and
his brother,” said Comet with a smile. “You can be sure about that. Just leave that to
Captain
Joseph Hercules Invictus Comet!”