The Forgotten Map (18 page)

Whisker had a fair idea who he was referring to. The strange look Rat Bait gave the Captain earlier confirmed his suspicions.

‘I remember enough, Rat Bait,' the Captain said coldly. ‘I remember the day when you arrived to tell us the news. I was just a boy. I remember my mother's look of shock when she learned her husband, the proud Captain Ratsputin chose greed over loyalty, and I remember the feeling of betrayal which still lingers to this day. I am glad the map was not taken with the rest of the treasure. A rat like that deserves no such prize.'

Rat Bait nodded slowly but said nothing. It was clearly a subject best left in the past.

Pete broke the silence. ‘So Rat Bait inherited a map. That still doesn't prove it's the Forgotten Map.'

‘Maybe this will be convincin' ye,' Rat Bait said, rolling up one of his grubby sleeves. He pointed to a small black tattoo on his right arm, made up of two arrows.

The arrows curved in from either side to form the shape of two mountains peaks or a calligraphic
M
.

Pete and the Captain exchanged puzzled looks.

‘Do ye know what this be?' Rat Bait asked.

‘No,' Whisker said, longing for an explanation.

‘Fred wanted a tattoo like this,' Pete muttered, ‘but it was forbidden and he got an anchor tattoo instead.'

‘Why was it forbidden?' Whisker asked.

Rat Bait gave him a sly wink. ‘Only sailors that ‘ave visited the island dare display this mark.'

‘What island?' Whisker gasped.

‘The island with the twin mountains o' course,' Rat Bait said. ‘The Island o' Destiny.'

‘You've been to the Island of Destiny!
'
Whisker exclaimed.

‘Aye, that I have.' Rat Bait replied.

‘So why don't you have the treasure?' Pete asked suspiciously.

Rat Bait sighed. ‘That be a long an' complicated story.'

‘Then I suggest you get started,' the Captain said, taking a seat on a rock.

Rat Bait reluctantly began, ‘One evenin', Capt'n Ratsputin showed us a strange map. He wouldn't reveal where he'd found it, but that be o' no concern to our crew. We sailed for the island soon after even though Capt'n Ratsputin lacked all he needed for the quest … We arrived one stormy afternoon an' discovered the dangers o' the island …'

‘What dangers?' Pete cut in. ‘Tell us everything. Do you hear? Your map will be no good to us if we're all lying dead at the bottom of the sea.'

‘I be hearin' ye,' Rat Bait said, taking a deep breath. ‘The whole island be surrounded by steep cliffs an' sharp rocks. There's one passage into a rocky bay where a boat may anchor. The
Princess Pie
was hammered by the storm and the rocks beat against her hull but we pressed on t'wards the shore. As we prepared to anchor, we seen the creature.'

‘Creature?' Whisker gulped.

‘Aye,' Rat Bait said. ‘It was hard to make out with all the rain but I seen a long, dark shape in the water beside the
Princess Pie.
It battered her hull an' drove us back out to sea. We be losin' the c …' He paused. ‘We be losin' the cargo an' supplies over the side and the sails tore in the wind. The creature, whatever it be, stopped rammin' us only when we were far from the island. But the
Princess
was a leakin' wreck …'

‘Did you go back?' Whisker asked.

‘We patched up our ship,' Rat Bait said. ‘But the crew were afraid an' dared not return with the capt'n gone – he be desertin' straight after, ye know. The
Princess Pie
ran aground before the crew found their courage again. Most of them were captured by the Blue Claw an' danced at the end o' a rope.'

‘Except you,' Pete mumbled, unconvinced. ‘How convenient.'

‘I been lucky,' Rat Bait said defensively. ‘An' I've taken me luck and given up the game. There's no more treasure huntin' for me. Lady Luck won't stay around forever, ye know.' He pointed a wrinkly finger at Whisker. ‘Cept li'l Whisker here. He must be married to Lady Luck!'

Whisker looked sideways in embarrassment. Pete grunted and whispered something to the Captain.

The Captain pondered for a moment and then addressed Whisker. ‘This evening we received a letter confirming the bearer of an unknown map. The name it gave was Rat Bait.'

Whisker nodded. It all made sense.

The Captain continued, ‘My question for you, Whisker, is this: Do you believe Rat Bait's story about the Forgotten Map? And if so, do you think you have enough luck to get us safely to the treasure?'

Rat Bait stared at Whisker with a pleading look in his eye.

Whisker wanted to say yes. His heart told him this was his best chance of finding his family, even though he couldn't say how. But this wasn't the kind of answer the Captain or Quartermaster Pete wanted to hear. They wanted an answer based on facts, not sentiment. He took a deep breath and tried to put his thoughts into words.

‘Rat Bait has no reason to lie about the map,' he said. ‘Why would he invent a rumour and risk the Cat Fish killing him? More importantly, why would he include a savage sea creature in his story if it wasn't true – it's hardly a good selling point. And finally, you don't need luck to reach the treasure. You need good weather and a sharp harpoon.'

The Captain laughed heartily. Rat Bait relaxed his shoulders and clapped Whisker on the back. ‘Aye, that's me lad.'

Pete frowned. ‘It all makes perfect sense, but it's still a big risk …'

A single sharp whistle drifted on the wind towards them.

‘That was quick,' the Captain said. ‘I think our ride has arrived.'

Rat Bait suddenly became frantic.

‘So what be yer decision?' he stammered. ‘Do ye want the map or not?'

‘We'll think about it,' Pete yawned. ‘It's rather late to be making important decisions, don't you think?'

The Captain stood up to leave.

‘But …' Rat Bait pleaded, ‘surely ye'll want to finish what yer father started?'

‘I am not my father!' the Captain rumbled, shaking his paw. ‘I do not risk my ship and the lives of my crew for a treasure no one has seen. I bid you goodnight.'

Before Rat Bait had time to respond, the Captain hurried out of the tunnel with Pete. Whisker felt a rush of disappointment pass through him, but something told him the meeting was not yet over.

‘One hundred gold coins,' Rat Bait cried in desperation, ‘an' I'll tell ye where to find the map.'

‘Ridiculous,' Pete huffed, without bothering to turn around. ‘We could buy a brand new ship for that price.'

‘Alright. Fifty gold pieces,' Rat Bait wailed. ‘But ye'd be cheatin' an old capt'n out o' his retirement money.'

The Captain stopped on a nearby rock and removed a money bag from inside his coat.

‘You could retire quite comfortably on much less,' he thought aloud. ‘Have you considered a good retirement island?'

‘Drumstick Island,' Rat Bait blurted out in a daze, his eyes fixed on the bag in the Captain's paw.

‘That's an extremely affordable place to retire,' the Captain said, ‘and it's got a lagoon … It's a pity I can't help you. I seem to be rather low on gold at present.'

‘Please,' Rat Bait begged. ‘Ye can't leave me penniless with the Cat Fish after me. Thirty, I tell you. It be robbery, I know, an' I'll starve to death before the year be out. But ye can have it for thirty gold pieces.'

Before Rat Bait had finished whining, the Captain leapt back into the tunnel with Pete hobbling closely behind him. Without a word, the Captain took a handful of gold coins and spread them on a rock. Pete took several more coins from his own bag and held them in his scrawny paws.

The Captain made his offer. ‘Alright, Rat Bait, here are fifteen gold pieces. Once you've told us the location of the map, Pete will give you another ten.'

Rat Bait eagerly eyed the glittering gold on the rock and then looked across at the coins bulging from Pete's paws.

‘Agreed,' he said, licking his lips, and began shovelling coins into his soggy pockets.

‘Now tell us where the map is,' Pete demanded.

‘It be not a question o' where but a question o' who,' Rat Bait chuckled.

‘This had better not be a nasty trick,' the Captain growled, drawing his sword.

Whisker shuffled away from Rat Bait and hoped the Captain wasn't about to have another one of his outbursts.

‘It be no trick,' Rat Bait pleaded. ‘I gave her the map for safe keepin'. That be all.'

‘What's her name and where do we find her?' Pete snapped.

‘Madam Pearl,' Rat Bait answered. ‘I'm sure ye've heard of her.'

The name sounded familiar to Whisker, though he couldn't place it.

‘The antiques dealer,' the Captain acknowledged. ‘Everyone knows Madam Pearl.'

‘I don't,' Whisker mumbled.

‘That's because you've never bought a scissor sword,' Pete said smugly. ‘Madam Pearl is the well connected weasel who can get you anything you want … if you can pay for it.'

The Captain narrowed his gaze. ‘She's not going to ask us for more gold, is she, Rat Bait? Or a cut of the treasure?'

‘Err … no,' Rat Bait stammered. ‘She owes me a favour. She's holdin' the map ‘til somebody turns up with the password. She be too rich to be carin' ‘bout the map or its treasure.'

‘So what's the password?' Pete said impatiently. ‘My paws are getting sore from holding all this gold.'

Rat Bait stared longingly at the remaining gold coins and wiped his paws on his coat. ‘
The island is ready to reveal its secret
. That be the password.'

‘I'm sure we can remember that,' the Captain replied.

‘But where do we find this
Madam Pearl
?' Whisker asked.

‘She'll be at her antique shop in Port Abalilly o' course,' Rat Bait laughed as he filled his bulging pockets with more coins. ‘But ye'd best not mention ‘bout blowin' up her import warehouse.'

‘Of course!' Whisker said, slapping his forehead. ‘It was written on the front of the warehouse,
Pearl's Imports
.'

Rat Bait turned to leave.

‘Nice to be doin' business with ye,' he said tipping his hat. He winked at Whisker. ‘I hope yer luck continues, li'l capt'n.'

As Whisker watched Rat Bait disappear into the tunnel, the secret password ran through his mind:
The island is ready to reveal its secret.
If only he knew what that secret was.

Newspapers and Maps

Bounding down the last of the rocks to the shoreline, Whisker reached the small boat. When the crew were all comfortably seated, Fred quietly lowered the oars and began rowing towards the harbour entrance.

Whisker barely heard the sounds of the clock tower striking midnight, and he paid no attention to the loud snores of slumbering sailors in their hammocks. His focus on the map was all-consuming.

‘You should get Pete to take a look at that,' Horace whispered, breaking Whisker's concentration.

‘Huh?' Whisker mumbled.

‘Your toe,' Horace said pointing at Whisker's bandaged foot. ‘Pete's the doctor of the ship. You don't want your leg to turn green and fall off. We've already got a one-legged layabout in our crew.'

‘Shhh,' Pete hissed, throwing his paws in the air. His fingers clipped the end of his newspaper hat and it tumbled into the ocean. ‘Oh, my precious paws,' he moaned.

Horace chuckled. ‘Your week of fancy dress will restart if you don't find a replacement hat quick smart.'

‘That's hardly fair,' Pete protested. ‘You're the one …'

‘Ahem,' the Captain interrupted. ‘Is it too much to ask for five minutes of silence? Or would you prefer to shout out our location for the whole island to hear?'

Horace shut his mouth. Pete continued grumbling, ‘But what about my hat?'