Chapter 8

Alvin was defiant. The captain had given all the chipmunks a stern warning about what would happen if they got in trouble again. Alvin sat on his bed, mad. “So what’s the captain gonna do?” he said to Dave. “Make us walk the plank?”

“There’s a plank?” said Theodore, terrified.

“There’s no plank!” yelled Dave, at his wits’ end. “But if you disobey me one more time, you will be off the ship. And you will miss the International Music Awards. Do you understand?”

Eleanor, like Theodore, was near tears. “Yes, Dave.”

“Uh-huh,” said Jeanette, showing no emotion.

“Of course,” chirped Brittany, rolling her eyes. “But if those girls challenge us to another dance-off, is it okay if we…” Dave was glaring at her. “No, of course not. Never mind.”

Alvin was scratching his head, thinking. “Uh, Dave?” he said carefully.

Dave turned to him. He knew Alvin was the ringleader.

Alvin continued, “But what if we need to disobey you?”

“And why would you need to do that?”

“Well, let’s say for instance that you tell me to stay put.” He stood up and pretended to be Dave, making his voice lower. “Alvin, if you move from that lounge chair, you’re grounded!”

All the other chipmunks had crowded around, listening.

“But then,” continued Alvin, getting carried away, “I happen to see pirates climbing up ropes on the side of the ship. Now, it would be easy for me to take my pocketknife and cut the ropes. But I have to stay put. Or do I?”

Dave shook his head, not amused in the least. “Yes, Alvin, you do. And what are you doing with a pocketknife?”

Alvin threw up his paws and assumed an expression of complete innocence. “What pocketknife?”

“Give it to me,” said Dave sternly. He held out his hand. “You could cut yourself.”

“So, I could have saved the whole ship from robbage and pilgering, and you’d still ground me?” asked Alvin, reluctant to turn over his pocketknife.

Simon sighed. “There’s no such word as robbage, Alvin. And it’s pillaging. But Alvin has a point, Dave. There must be times when you trust us to take matters into our own hands, even if you’ve told us otherwise. Surely you trust me.”

Dave met Simon’s eyes. “I trusted you tonight, and look where that got me!”

Simon hung his head in shame. Dave was right. He had messed up. Big-time. He’d have to show him that he was responsible. He needed to earn back Dave’s trust.

But Alvin just wanted to find a way to keep on having fun.