Facing the island, Alex discovered several tiny plumes of smoke rising from various places. From the front of the mansion, Florence was shouting out orders.
Simber landed, setting the woman down a bit roughly. Alex climbed shakily out of the cheetah’s mouth as Florence grabbed the Warbler woman by the shirt and pulled her to her feet.
“That went well,” Alex muttered to Florence.
“Clearly,” said Florence. The Warbler woman began signing furiously, and Alex watched her, trying to understand what she was saying. “Stay . . . ,” he interpreted. “Fight. You want to fight with us?”
The woman nodded profusely. She signed a bit more slowly.
Alex watched carefully, and then he looked at Florence. “She has a child here. She says she wants to fight and become an Artiméan. What should we do?”
Another round of thwaps punched the air.
“Look out, Siggy!” yelled Florence as a flaming ball of tar blasted through the mansion roof, just missing the theater instructor, and disappeared inside. Matilda dashed into the mansion to put out the fire it left in the upstairs girls’ hallway.
Florence eyed the woman. “Who is your child?”
The woman spelled out a name.
“It’s Scarlet,” said Alex. “The blond girl. You know her?”
Florence nodded. “She’s one of the best young warriors I have. Does she get that from you?”
The woman nodded profusely.
Florence thought for a second as the giant catapult arms wound back a third time. “Okay, fine. We can use all the help we can get. Scarlet is on Lani’s team. Just follow the shore that way to the next team beyond Simber’s.” She looked up and called a squirrelicorn down to accompany the woman. “Make sure she doesn’t try anything.”
The woman’s face was filled with gratitude.
“She won’t try anything,” Alex said as the woman left.
“I’m pretty sure you’re right,” said Florence. “Look out—incoming!”
Alex ducked, then jumped on Simber’s back. “Come on, Sim,” said Alex. “We need to figure out what’s happening. Fly low to the water to stay out of the flaming fireballs. Are you okay, by the way? You got hit pretty hard.”
“I’m fine,” said Simber. “The orrrange flames arrren’t hot enough to hurrrt me.” Simber took off, and Alex instructed him to fly to their ship, where Captain Ahab was maneuvering it to a safe spot under the arches of the flaming tar balls, but also keeping it within spell-casting distance of one of the enemy ships.
“Fire at will!” shouted Sean, and he sent a handful of Lani’s newest creation, smoke bomb spells, into the neighboring ship. Next he grabbed a bunch of heart attack spells and sent them soaring. Ms. Octavia and the other spell casters on board the ship and Alex, from Simber’s back, did the same with the heart attack spells, and together they took down five pirates. Fox cowered on deck near Captain Ahab.
“Thanks for the help, Al,” said Sean. “We’re doing well here. Under control so far, anyway.” He reloaded.
“Hopefully they don’t all come after you,” said Alex.
“Something tells me they don’t really need to take over our patched-up ship,” said Sean. “They’ve got bigger goals in mind. I think we’re safe. We’ll just annoy the heck out of them as much as we can.”
“That’s the plan, then,” said Alex. He looked at Fox. “Are you ready to do your special job for me, Fox?” he asked.
Fox lifted his head. “Is it time?” he asked.
“Absolutely. Go on anytime,” said Alex. “It’s that one, right next door.” He pointed out the lead pirate ship, where Queen Eagala and Captain Baldhead were stationed.
Fox got up and shook himself, then tripped across the deck, hopped onto the railing, and fearlessly jumped over the side and into the water. He swam for the neighboring ship.
“Where did you send him?” asked Ms. Octavia.
“To eavesdrop on Eagala.”
“Good idea.” Ms. Octavia flung six tentacles full of heart attack spells at the neighboring ship, shouting “Heart attack!”
It was hard to tell with the smoke how many she took down.
Alex and Simber left the ship team to continue their attack, and flew to the white boat. Simber hovered over it while Alex checked in with Claire.
“I’m heading around the island to see where all the ships ended up,” Claire said. “I saw you fall and hit the deck—are you hurt?”
“Just a little shaken up. I’m fine now. We’re going to drop by all the teams and see what sort of damage these flaming tar balls are doing.”
“At least Quill isn’t made of desert-dry timber anymore,” said Claire. “We don’t need another fire.”
“Agreed,” said Alex. “The weather barrier is in place over the entire island now, but that can’t stop the tar balls from getting through. It’s definitely a concern.”