“Blimey!” The Captain looked up from the treasure map that lay rolled out in front of him on the deck. “I saw a picture of one of those once. It’s a funny sort of duck. A pinwing.”

“That’s penguin,” said the Penguin. “And I’m not a duck.”

“He was hiding down below,” said Eddy, “and—”

“Hiding?” the Captain butted in. “Then he’s a stowaway!”

“What’s a stowaway?” asked the Penguin.

“Someone who thinks he can lie low and sneak a free ride. And the only thing to do with a stowaway like you is to put you ashore on the next uninhabited island we pass. Marooned. Alone for the rest of your life, with only the trees to talk to. After a few years you start to hear the trees talking back. You slowly go gibbering, blibbering, babbling bonkers. It’s a fate worse than death. Until you eventually die – and then it’s a fate that is death.”

“Then I’m definitely not a stowaway,” said the Penguin.

“So you must be a volunteer, ready to share the work,” smiled the Captain. “Welcome aboard, Able Seaman Pinwing. You can start by polishing the anchor, darning the mainsail and tightening all the knots in the rigging.”

“That sounds like a lot of work for one pair of flippers,” said the Penguin. “Stowaway or volunteer – is that it? Aren’t you forgetting the important position of ship’s entertainer? Listen – here’s one. What did the Atlantic Ocean say to the Pacific Ocean? Nothing – it just waved.”

“Like I said. Stowaway or volunteer – which is it to be?” asked the Captain.

“Hold on,” said the Penguin, “I need to think about this.”

“You need to think about choosing between a bit of work and a horrible punishment?” asked the Crew.

“I’m not cut out for ordinary work,” complained the Penguin. “There’s show business in my blood and stardust in my eyes. My name should be up in lights.”

“We’re off on an adventure,” said Eddy. “We’re searching for treasure. You could be part of our story – and find fame and fortune.”

“Fame? My number one favourite thing. Now you’re talking,” said the Penguin. “And fortune? My other number one favourite. Okay, I’m in. I volunteer.”

“Then, for the second time,” said the Captain, “welcome aboard, Able Seaman Pinwing!”

“But we need to sort out my part,” said the Penguin. “All this able seaman do this, able seaman do that – it’s just not me.”

“So you’re more a not-very-able seaman?” suggested the Crew.

“That suits me fine,” said the Penguin. “By the way, Captain, do you know you’ve got a carrot on your shoulder?”

“Able or not, there’s jobs to be done,” said the Captain. “If we’re going to find this treasure, we’ll need to navigate. The ship’s compass can tell us what direction we’re going. But we needs to know how fast as well.”

“I’ve read about how to do that,” said Eddy. “You use a long rope with knots in it. You let it out as you travel, and you count how many knots go past in five minutes. Then it just takes a simple bit of maths to work out your speed.”

“I’ve seen one of those over there,” said the Crew, pointing across the deck to where the ship’s rowing boat was lashed to a stout wooden post. A thick coil of rope was looped round the timber. “I wondered what it was for.”

“Right,” said the Captain, “Crew and Not Very Able Seaman Pinwing, get that rope over the side of the ship. And look lively!”

The Crew heaved and puffed, and the Penguin lent a reluctant flipper to the job.

The Captain turned back to his chart.

“What next, Captain?” asked the Crew.

“Now,” said the Captain, “let out the rope as we travel.”

“What rope?” asked the Crew.

“That rope that you just –” said the Captain, turning to face her – “hang on, what have you done with it?”

“Thrown it over the side, dearie,” answered the Crew. “Following your orders.”

“You’re only supposed to throw the end into the water,” shouted the Captain, “not the whole thing.”

“You didn’t say that, dearie.”

“I can see this trip is going to be a long haul,” said the Captain. “And now, how do you suppose we are going to work out where we are?”

“I think I know how,” answered Eddy. “Look at this!”

He pointed to the map. In the top corner there was a small drawing of a ship. As they watched, it moved very slightly and very slowly.

“The map is showing us where we are,” said Eddy. “It’s like magic.”

“Well, I’ll be jiggered!” exclaimed the Captain. “If that’s us, we should just be able to see that island.”

He pointed to the map. Close to the tiny ship was a drawing of a small island, dotted with flowers and trees.

The Captain picked up his telescope, strode across The Codcake’s deck, and scanned the sea around them.

“Yes,” he said. “Land ahoy! Just like on the map… wait a minute.”

“What is it?” asked Eddy.

“It looks like we are not alone,” said the Captain. “Over there. Coming up behind us on the starboard quarter. See what you make of it. Your eyes are probably sharper than mine.”

He handed the telescope to Eddy. Sure enough, there was another ship out on the water.

And it was heading towards them.

As it drew nearer, it became clearer.

“It’s flying the Jolly Roger,” said Eddy.

“Pirates!” said the Crew.

“How does that work?” asked the Penguin. “We’re pirates. They are pirates. Is it all one big happy pirate family?”

“Depends,” said the Captain, “on who they are.”

“I can just make out the letters on the front of the ship,” said Eddy. “It’s called the S – C – A – V – E – N – G – E – R. That spells…”

“Scavenger,” said the Crew.

“No,” said the Captain. “That spells trouble. Serious trouble.”