The Markab no longer looked like a yacht. Santher and Herbie had outfitted it with the makings of an authentic dragon-of-war: now her hull wore spiked wooden beams that jutted forward from the bow like claws. Her mainsail was trimmed with two black sails and three smaller red ones, which were sharp and triangular and tilted rearward like spikes. The wing masts had been attached to her sides, and they were enormous. Stretched out fully, they dwarfed the small boat. According to Santher, they would lift her into the sky with lethal speed. The hull had been painted black and red in true Draco colors. The finishing touch was a pair of long-snouted cannons that protruded from two forward holes in her bow.
Emma arrived at the hold early that morning to find Santher waiting for her. She gaped at the ship in amazement, unable to stop smiling. They had done it! They had actually fixed the Markab. She hadn’t thought it was possible, but it looked even better than before.
Feeling giddy, she let Santher help her onto the deck. There she noticed that someone had polished the cannons. Beside them, two stacks of cannonballs were fixed in wooden casks. They were glittery and black.
“Cannonballs?” she said, turning on Santher.
“Vostok cannons,” he said. “Every ship needs them. They’re for opening a bridge from a Strand to a planet. I’m going to show you how to load them, but first I want to make sure you know where everything is.” He’d already done this, and she already knew where everything was, but she could tell he was nervous, so she didn’t protest as he flipped up one of the benches to reveal the chest beneath it. “Here’s where the tools are. And you remember how to repair a leak, right? Here’s cork. Here’s extra wood—”
He was never going to finish, so she interrupted him. “Thanks again for doing all this work,” she said. “I really don’t know how I’m supposed to thank you.”
He grew quiet then. “I believe what you said—I mean, that your mom really is Halifax Brightstoke. And because of that…well, I guess…I just think it’s important that you find her.”
“Yeah,” Emma said. “Thanks.”
“Anyway, there’s just one more thing I want to show you…. ”
Emma was relieved when Herbie finally came down from breakfast. Santher immediately started from the top, taking Herbie through the entire inventory again. Gratefully, Emma crept into the cabin and looked around in silent awe.
It was beautiful. Santher had pulled out all the old wood paneling and replaced it with real wood. He’d kept the same design with the kitchenette, the booth table, and the large nook with the sofa. He’d also kept the bedroom intact. But now everything was made of solid, dark wood. It gave her the feeling of being inside the captain’s office on an old pirate ship. She sat down at the desk and ran her fingers over the grains in the wood. She could have sat there all day, but she heard a noise above.
Going topside, she was startled to see Captain Lovesey standing by the Markab’s side. He was frowning, and Nelson was bobbing at his side, giving small harrumphs. Herbie stood frozen by the mast, and even Santher looked nervous.
“Uh, sir, thanks for coming by,” Santher said awkwardly.
“Did he know you were fixing us up?” Herbie whispered.
“Yes, Yee,” Lovesey called up to the deck. “I have known about Santher’s generosity for some time.” His eyes fell on Emma and rested there a moment. “But you are aware that we have been unable to land the Argh for more than a week now, and it looks like we’re not going to be setting down anytime soon. So I’m afraid your expedition on this lovely little dragon-of-war is going to have to wait.”
Emma came forward. “But, sir…” She glanced at Herbie. “I was under the impression that the navy is after us because of me and Herbie. So wouldn’t it be better to let us go? I mean, we’re only causing trouble.”
Lovesey blinked. “Garton, while that is very true, I believe that it’s not any safer for you to be out on the Strands by yourselves, especially on a small boat like this one.” He motioned to the Markab with his good arm, and Nelson nodded vehemently. “The truth is, this may look like a dragon-of-war, but it is much too small to take on a whole fleet, and if you are going after your mother like I think you are, then you will have to take on a whole fleet.”
Emma and Herbie exchanged a look, and Herbie mouthed: He knows?
“Yes, Yee,” Lovesey intoned. “I know.”
“Then you know this is an important mission,” Santher interjected. “They could find Halifax!” He breathed this last word with a kind of desperate secrecy.
“Yes, it’s noble,” Lovesey said, “but it’s not worth the risk. Even with the Argh, I wouldn’t dare take on the navy. My primary goal is to protect the children on this ship. I cannot endanger their lives, and so I can’t let you endanger yours either. If you leave on this boat, you will only get captured by the navy”—he broke off and gave Emma a significant glance—“and that, Miss Garton, is something I’m quite sure you do not want.”
Slowly, as if his leg was paining him, Lovesey motioned to Nelson and began walking away. He paused by the door and said over his shoulder, “Santher.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I expect you to get back to the shipwright’s workshop this afternoon. Shucks has been asking for you.”
“Yes, sir,” Santher said, trying not to sound dejected.
They waited for Lovesey to leave the room before turning to one another in disappointment.
“And here I thought I was keeping a secret,” Emma said.
“Lovesey’s very sharp,” Santher replied bitterly. “I guess we have to wait.”
“No,” Emma said. “I’m not going to wait.”
Santher looked at her keenly.
“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” she said, “but think about it: the minute we’re gone, the navy is off your tail. And this boat is perfect. It’s small enough that we can hide. It’s fast, and if we use the wing masts, no one’s going to catch us. You’ve said so yourself.” She could see a gleam of approval in Santher’s eye.
“Well…,” he said slowly. “I do need to get back to the workshop. But before I go, I should explain one last thing to you guys. There’s a trick to getting a ship out of the cargo doors…. ”
They leaned closer to listen.
Herbie made his way down the hallway, looking desperately at every group of Arghs for some sign of Laika. He had already checked the aerie and the dining hall twice; he’d even waited for ten minutes outside the girls’ bathroom door. Now he was wandering up and down the hallways. He didn’t know where her bedroom was, or he would have gone there.
“Hey,” he said to a young boy who looked familiar. “Have you seen Laika?”
The boy shook his head and kept walking.
Herbie sighed heavily as the last group of Arghs went by.
He was just about to go back to the dining hall when a door opened at the end of a long corridor and a girl stepped out. He recognized Laika from her tangle of mousy hair.
“Laika,” he said breathlessly, running toward her. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I just wanted to say goodbye before—” He was brought up short when she turned to face him. She was wearing a large woolen coat, and she had a small backpack slung over her shoulder. She looked scared.
“I, uh…are you going somewhere?” he asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Yes,” she said a bit petulantly. “Santher told me that you and Emma are sneaking away tonight, and I’ve decided that I’m coming with you.”
He was too shocked to speak. As she took off down the hallway, he scrambled after her. “Wait,” he said. “You mean, you’re…”
“I’m coming with you,” she said, her voice quavering. As she hitched the backpack higher on her shoulder, he noticed her hands were shaking. “I’ve made up my mind. I know this is crazy. But I’ve packed my stuff. And I already said goodbye to the birds, and Flawn knows how to take care of them. He does.”
“Flawn does not know how to take care of the birds,” Herbie said.
“He can manage,” she said. “I’ve told him everything. By the way, you have Chester, right?”
“Yeah, he’s here. I was going to give him back—” He took the screech bat out of his pocket and handed it to her, but she refused it and continued down the hallway. “Laika, wait.” He stopped her. “I know you want to come, and I would love it if you came, but…it’s going to be dangerous.”
Laika gave a sniff. “Look, I know you told me never to tell Emma that I know who her mom is, but sheesh, everybody knows already. And if it’s true, and her mom really is Halifax Brightstoke, then I have to do this. The Queen killed my parents, and she almost killed all the Arghs!” She glared at Herbie. “Getting Halifax back is the only way that the pirates are going to come out of hiding, and that’s more important than taking care of birds.”
“What if the pirates are dead?” he said.
She gave him a cool look. “Don’t be silly.” Turning on her heel, she kept walking. Herbie watched her, half in amazement, half in dread before running to catch her.
When Emma saw Laika climbing onto the Markab with a backpack slung over her shoulder, she instantly realized two things. One, that Laika knew everything. And two, that there was no getting rid of her now.
When Herbie came closer, Emma gave him a glare, but Herbie shrugged and mouthed: She wanted to come.
“Hi,” Laika said, trying to look brave.
“Hi.” Emma glanced at Herbie again. “So I guess Herbie told you.”
“No. I figured it out myself.” She was blushing. “I can help,” she said. “I know how to navigate in space, which you probably don’t. And I’m really good with animals. I know how to fish, and I brought a net, in case you didn’t have one.” She patted her backpack. “I figured you would need any help you could get. And…I know it’s important to find your mom.”
“Okay,” Emma said. “But Lovesey told us not to go.”
“I know,” Laika said. “But I have to do this. This is the only way the pirates will ever come out of hiding. Once they realize that your mom is back on the seas…”
Emma still wasn’t sure what to think about the whole pirate army thing, but she liked the idea of finding someone who could help them. She glanced at Herbie. “Well,” she said, “we’ve got to leave now. The monkeys are going to help us get the Markab on the water.”
Laika dashed off with a squee and went below to stow her bag, while Herbie stayed with Emma.
“I’m sorry!” he whispered. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“It’s okay,” Emma said. She knew she ought to be worried, but she was quietly pleased that someone on the Argh was willing to come with them.
A loud groan drew their attention as the monkeys began to open the great cargo doors. All around them the hold was dark, but as the doors opened, the light from a nearby star peeked in. It shone blue and bright, and it lit the room like moonlight.
The monkeys had rigged the Markab to a complicated pulley system. Now one group of monkeys was pushing the ship forward along a pair of rollers toward the cargo doors. Another group stood by a dozen thick lines that were hanging from the wall. Letting out the lines would lower the boat into the water.
When they reached the edge of the hold, Emma felt a stiff, warm westerly wind begin to tousle her hair. She stood next to Herbie and Laika, the three of them staring at the sea some ten feet below. The water was smooth and dark.
THUMP! The boat swayed, and the monkeys squawked. Santher hauled himself over the railing, tossing his own backpack onto the deck. He smiled at them.
“Santher!”
“I thought you could use some extra help,” he said. “And I thought Laika might be coming. I figured if she had the nerve to come on this crazy expedition, then I did too.”
“But you can’t go,” Laika said. “You’re the best shipwright on the Argh!”
“I know,” he said happily. “But you’re going to need me more than the Argh will.”
Emma didn’t protest. She was secretly delighted. Santher would know how to fix the ship if they encountered any problems, and besides that, she was glad to see him.
The monkeys managed to get the pulley system working smoothly. They lifted the boat off the deck and slid it out the door. Hanging from a pair of wooden arms, the Markab was lowered slowly into the water below, where it landed with a gentle splish.
They cut the lines from the Markab’s hull and waited as the monkeys pulled them back in. Once the boat was free, Herbie went to the mast and let out the mainsail. The wind filled it gently, and with silent motion, the Markab set off into the night.