Red Whale’s considerable bulk, hitting the sea during his escape from the Daring Dream, created a loud SPLOOSH that had not gone unnoticed. Roolo Tigg was a light sleeper in normal times, but the dramatic storm of recent days had left his mind racing, making it nearly impossible to sleep despite his physical exhaustion.
SPLOOSH! “What was that?” Roolo thought to himself, instantly alert. Leaping from his hammock, he made his way quickly among the tightly-packed hammocks of the sleeping crew. Gaining the deck, and looking over every side of the ship, he found no apparent case of “seabeast overboard.” He was just turning away from the side to return to his hammock, when he noticed that the night watch was not at its duty—Red Whale and Fishbum were gone!
The realization that the Captain and his mate had apparently abandoned their watch made Roolo instantly suspicious. “They must have gone overboard for some reason,” Roolo realized. But what could have caused the rock-solid, trustworthy Captain to abandon his post? Surely, something was desperately wrong!
“What’s up, Mr. Tigg?” Bomper Spits asked. Bomper had wakened when Roolo had collided with his swinging hammock during his movements through the dimly-lit interior of the ship. Hearing Roolo’s steps up toward the deck, the curious Bomper followed.
“Somethin’s gone to worsts,” Roolo replied. “Capt’n and Fishbum are gone—over the side it appears. What’s that about?”
“That would be the problem over there,” Bomper cried, pointing to the swarm of kayaks rapidly approaching the ship, splitting into streams with the obvious intent of encirclement.
“Capt’n saw it comin,” Roolo agreed. “Too many to resist, and they’re on us with complete surprise—we’re taken without a shot, that’s for sure.”
“Yah,” Bomper agreed, “Capt’n and Fishbum went for help, I’d wager. But what can we do—all our mates is asleep—no time to rouse and defend.”
“Follow the Capt’n, as always,” Roolo replied tersely, “over the side, and quick about it.”
So saying, Roolo and Bomper ducked low to avoid notice and scrambled to the far side of the ship, farthest away from the waves of attackers. Grabbing a dangling rope line to the keelboat that bobbed on the waves below, the two beasts skittered down the line into the boat and cast off. Urgently rowing with all the strength they had, the two seabeasts managed to pull away to such a distance from their ship that, in the semi-darkness, they would not draw attention to themselves. The two beasts listened and watched as the attacking Wrackshees encircled, then boarded, Daring Dream, observing their prediction come true: the ship and all the crew taken without any apparent violence.
“Slavers for sure,” Bomper said. “They noticed some easy pickin’s and took a wounded bird.”
“Vast! Crinoo! That be for sure,” Roolo agreed grimly.
“The Capt’n and Fishbum are two smart beasts,” Bomper observed. “They will make it to help, if any beasts can.”
“Aye-Yah!” Roolo replied. “They will deal with the slavers—but we have no way to know where they are or how to help them. We need our own plan. What should we do?”
“The Dream is wrecked,” Bomper said. “The slavers will pick her clean and leave her bones to rot where they are—unless they torch her, which they may not want to do. BorMane says there’s not much of law and order in these parts—Wrackshees, Rummer Boars, and other unwashed baddies everywhere. I’d be doubtin’ that the ones as took our ship want to draw flamin’ attention from their competitors!”
Pausing for a moment, Bomper chuckled, then continued, “I say we go for help of a different kind than the Capt’n’s probably after—and what else will he need beyond hands to help him rescue his crew, why a ship to sail! I say we get help to repair the Daring Dream—a few days will get her seaworthy again. We could work at night so’s to not attract attention—keep the work low and out of sight during the day—then raise the masts and sails in a single night, so’s to show our hand only when we’re ready!”