Back on The Codcake, the map was being no help at all. Eddy couldn’t work it out. They had brought back the ruby ring, just as it had told them to, but all that had appeared on the map was the word “WAIT”. Perhaps it’s broken, Eddy thought. But how did you mend a magic map? You couldn’t just stick new batteries in it, or hit the wonky button very gently in just the right place with a hammer like his dad had done that time he cracked the TV screen.

He remembered how much his dad made him laugh. Sometimes it was even on purpose. And how often his mum got the giggles. He had been thinking about them a lot since the Beast almost bit his head off. He wondered what they were doing right now.

“Cheer up!” It was the Crew. “You and the Captain with your long faces.”

“I tried to be extra careful,” said the Captain. “But I still nearly got us all killed.”

“But we’re all fine,” said the Crew. “Thanks to Eddy’s cleverness.”

“Ahem,” said the Penguin. “Not forgetting the great smell of fish – which stopped us getting chomped by that ugly monster. Fish caught by yours truly.”

“We’re a team,” the Crew added. “Like the raisins said. And we’re all right behind you, Captain.”

“Thank you, Crew,” said the Captain, sounding a bit more cheerful. “But we all needs to keep our wits about us for whatever that map throws at us next.”

“It’s still not doing anything,” said Eddy.

“While we’re waiting, let’s see a bit of that teamwork,” said the Captain. “Pinwing – you’re on watch. Crew – mind the map. Cabin Boy – we have unfinished business. I’m not stopping till I’m ahead. So, how many monkeys have I got in my pocket?”

Eddy decided he’d be very happy to give the wrong answer and let the Captain win if it meant the game could end.

“Eleven,” he answered quickly.

“Wrong,” said the Captain. “The answer is none. Ha, ha! I knew I’d get you eventually.”

“Well done,” said Eddy. “Now, before we carry on, do you mind if I give you a clue?”

“Go ahead,” said the Captain. “All’s fair in How Many Monkeys.”

“The clue is – I haven’t got any monkeys in my pocket.” That should get it over with.

“Very cunning,” said the Captain. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. Eddy could hear him muttering “bluff” and “double bluff”. After a couple of minutes he said, “In fact, it’s as cunning as a weasel with dark glasses and a stick-on moustache. But not cunning enough. I’ve worked it out. I think you think that I’ll think that you want me to think that you have no monkeys in your pocket. But I don’t think you thought as how I would think you thought that – so I don’t think what you thought I’d think you thought I think. In fact, I think I think the opposite. You see?”

“Not really,” said Eddy. “You lost me a few thoughts back.”

“To put it in a seashell,” the Captain continued, “I think you have three monkeys in your pocket. Aha!”

“Uh-uh.” Eddy shook his head. “I have no monkeys in my pocket.”

“Really?” the Captain asked. “I can’t think where I went wrong.”

“Tell me, Captain, how many times have you played this game?”

“Hundreds,” said the Captain. “Thousands.”

“And has anybody ever actually had a monkey in their pocket?”

“Not yet,” said the Captain. “But only a fool would think that means there couldn’t be a monkey next time.”

Eddy was still wondering how that sentence could sound both very sensible and very stupid, when the Crew shouted, “The map has given us our next destination. Rocky Island – and there’s a big black cross on the drawing!”

“What about the instructions?” asked the Captain.

“It’s writing that now. It says, ‘G’… Oh, now it has stopped. ‘G.’ What kind of instruction is ‘G’?”

“‘G’ for Grungeybeard!” yelled the Captain. “That cross must be where his treasure is buried! Pearls as big as conkers, diamonds as big as gulls’ eggs, and emeralds as big as very fat hamsters!”

“Rocky Island is straight ahead on the map,” said Eddy excitedly.

“I’ll tell the Pinwing to keep a good look out for it,” said the Captain.

But at that moment the Penguin called, “Oi! I can see a rocky sort of island thingy!”

“I’ve told you before,” said the Captain, “sailors must shout, ‘Land ahoy!’”

“But—”

“No buts. Say it properly and—”

The Captain was silenced by a terrible grinding noise. The Codcake suddenly stopped dead, throwing them all off their feet.

“What was that?” said Eddy, picking himself up.

The Penguin’s voice drifted down the deck.

“Land ahoy!” he said. “About as ahoy as it could possibly get.”

They had found Rocky Island. They clambered down from the ship, stumbled over rocks draped with seaweed and pocked with barnacles, and stood back to inspect their vessel. She was still in one piece, but well and truly run aground.

“Stranded!” wailed the Captain. “It’s true – the treasure is cursed. What use are gold and jewels if we’re stuck here?”

“I don’t think it’s that bad,” interrupted Eddy. “Look – the seaweed on the rocks goes way above where The Codcake is sitting. And seaweed only grows where there’s sea. So the water must get much higher when the tide comes in. I reckon The Codcake will just float off when it does.”

“I knew that,” said the Captain hurriedly. “Course I did. Well done, lad, well spotted, top marks. We’ll make a pirate of you yet. Now let’s find that treasure. Team – set to!”

The Crew pulled spades from the bag over her shoulder, and handed them round.

“I’ll start by that big rock on my left,” said the Captain. “Crew, you try the right, over by that other rock. Pinwing – you start at that rock near The Codcake, and Eddy, try round that little rock sticking up over there.”

“Actually,” said Eddy, “if you don’t mind, I might try digging right here. I’ve got a funny feeling about this spot.”

He pointed towards his feet. He was standing right in the middle of a huge black cross that had been painted on the ground.