First published by Allen & Unwin in 2017
Copyright © Text, Mardi McConnochie 2017
Copyright © Cover illustration, Jason Solo 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.
Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100
Email: [email protected]
Web:www.allenandunwin.com
A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia
www.trove.nla.gov.au
ISBN 978 1 76029 093 1
eISBN 978 1 76063 926 6
For teaching resources, explore
www.allenandunwin.com/resources/for-teachers
Cover design: Design by Committee
Cover illustration: Jason Solo
Set by Midland Typesetters, Australia
For Annabelle and Lila and for James, who makes everything possible
Contents
PIRATES!
GRAHAM
KIDNAPPED
SOMEONE ALWAYS PAYS
DORIA
THE ROOM
ANOTHER BUYER
THE TRADE
THE DARK HOLE
CHERRY
BLUE WATER DUCHESS
BLOSSOM
THE HATCH
THE LUCKY LADY
THE END OF THE EAST
GRAHAM MAKES A CONTRIBUTION
THE SKELETON COAST
THE CAULDRON
KINLEMOTUKINLE
THE RUINED CITY
SURFING THE DESERT
THE ARK
EXIT STRATEGY
PUTTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
AN UNEXPECTED ALLY
DOWN BELOW
FIRE!
THE SUNDIANS
THE LAST LEG
RESCUED
HOME AGAIN
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Pirates!
The grey light of dawn crept through the sky. The sun was yet to make its first appearance, but the crew of the Sunfish were already up and ready to weigh anchor.
The previous night, they had come agonisingly close to catching up with Spinner; then Commander Avery Beckett’s men intervened with fiery results, and Spinner fled once again, heading for the remote island nation of Sundia, leaving Will, Annalie, Essie, Pod and Graham behind.
Will had been all for setting sail for Sundia straight away, even though it was after midnight. The others had had to remind him that the Sunfish was still on the edge of a debris field and they couldn’t risk crashing into any more underwater obstacles in the dark.
But now the sun was almost up. They could see what lay ahead of them. It was time to go.
They sailed out into the ocean, leaving the coast of Brundisi behind them. Just as the sun made its first peep over the horizon, Graham let out a warning squawk.
‘Uh oh.’ Pod grabbed the binoculars.
‘What can you see?’ asked Will.
‘Pirates,’ Pod said. ‘Three of them.’
‘That’s not so bad—’
‘Three boats.’
Will looked at Pod in dismay, then called to the others. ‘Annalie! Essie! We’ve got trouble!’
‘Head straight out to sea,’ Pod said. ‘They’re going to try and drive us back into the debris field, but don’t let them.’
‘I won’t,’ Will said with grim determination.
The girls came hurrying up from below and put up more sail.
‘Do you think these are the same guys as before?’ Annalie asked Pod.
‘Them or their friends,’ Pod said. ‘Either way, they’re bad news. At least this time we’ve got guns.’
‘Wait—what?’ said Annalie.
‘We weren’t sure what to do with them,’ Essie explained. ‘So we kept them.’
Annalie stared at Pod and Essie. ‘And you’re only just mentioning this now?’
‘Who cares,’ Will shouted. ‘We can finally put up a decent fight!’
‘I told you,’ Pod said to Essie.
‘We don’t even know how to use them!’ Annalie said.
‘That’s what I said you’d say,’ Essie said.
‘I know how to use them,’ Pod said, just as Will said, ‘How hard can it be? Go get them!’
Pod rushed off.
‘I don’t like this,’ Annalie said. ‘What if shooting at them just escalates things?’
‘There are three boats full of them,’ Will said. ‘Without guns, we don’t stand a chance.’
‘They’re getting closer,’ Essie warned.
The three fast-moving speedboats sent up three plumes of white water as three sets of pirates came weaving through the debris field towards them. Fast, light, manoeuvrable, deadly, they could easily outpace the sailing boat.
‘Maybe we should call for help,’ Essie suggested, holding up her shell.
‘Who are we going to call?’ Will asked.
‘There’s an emergency channel,’ Annalie said, glaring at Will. ‘It’s worth a try.’
Essie tried, but then looked disappointed. ‘Oh. No signal.’
‘Story of our lives,’ Will said. ‘Are they gaining on us?’
‘Yep,’ Pod said, returning with the two big guns. ‘Who wants one?’
‘Me!’ Will said.
‘Who’s going to steer the boat?’ objected Annalie.
‘You,’ Will said, reaching for a gun. ‘Now, how does this work?’
Annalie took the wheel as the two boys studied the guns.
‘It’s been a while since I…’ Pod murmured, turning it over. He accidentally released the clip, which fell onto the deck.
‘Outlaw Pod,’ Graham taunted. Pod ignored him.
‘Is that the ammo? How much have we got?’ Will asked.
‘Some,’ Pod said, reaching for the other gun and checking that clip too. ‘Not a huge amount.’
‘Did you get any more clips?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘If I’d seen any I would have taken them,’ Pod retorted huffily. ‘Maybe they didn’t bring any with them on the boat. And I didn’t really want to go through their pockets in case they woke up again.’
‘Okay, fine,’ Will said. ‘So how exactly do I use this?’
The three boats were in open water now, fanning out to surround them on all sides and try to drive them back into the debris, where the pirates would have the advantage.
‘What’s the play?’ Annalie called to Will, as Pod hurried below with one of the guns to lie in wait in the saloon.
‘Keep sailing and don’t stop,’ Will said, concealing himself under a tarp on deck.
Annalie did her best, running with the wind in the forlorn hope of evading their pursuers, but the three pirate boats could not be outrun. Soon the Sunfish was surrounded, and the three little boats were cutting across their bow while the men in them shouted and yelled and brandished their weapons.
‘I think they want us to stop,’ Annalie said.
‘Don’t,’ Will said from under the tarp. ‘Why make it easier for them?’
They surged on; there was a good wind behind them and the sails pulled them eagerly forwards. But it was
