The pirates of Attersea 3/8

"Tea all round and a piece of cake," said Mary, as she went forward into the cabin.
"Not cherry cake today I hope," joked Dave as Jennifer Jane handed him out a mug of tea from the thermos and a piece of cake on a paper plate.

"That's funny," said Jennifer Jane, "I didn't see Pope's yard this time."

"It'll be round the bend by now," said Dave, "we're sailing pretty fast. The wind seems to be a good bit stronger in this world."

Jennifer Jane went into the cabin and fetched a pair of binoculars.

"It's alright, I can see Barnacle Bill in his crow's nest." She waved as the lugger reached the point where the creek joined the main river. "He's got someone with him and they're both pointing at us."

"Never mind now," said Dave, "reload the guns and well go and deliver our surprise in the right place."

Jennifer Jane and her Mum reloaded, while Dave steered towards the yacht club.

"Oh dear now what's happened," he said, "there isn't any yacht club at all. We should be able to see it by now and there's not a building in sight. I thought you said you'd seen Barnacle Bill."

Jennifer Jane looked astern through the binoculars.

"This isn't right," she said, "one of the Davy Jones' brigs has just come out of Barnacle Bill's harbour and is heading this way."

"Right then, let's go and ask them where we are, there's something funny going on in that wishing fog of yours today."

The lugger headed back towards the brig, which was slowly beating up towards them.

"The brig's not right either," said Jennifer Jane, still looking through the binoculars, "I've seen several of the Davy Jones' fleet and none of them had gun ports."

"Well if he wants to play at battleships we're ready for him," laughed Dave, "told you so," he said, as there was a loud bang and the brig practically disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Then he stopped laughing as three large splashes fountained from the water just in front of the lugger.

"Good lord he must be mad, he's actually firing cannon balls at us, he could kill someone if he's not careful."

Jennifer Jane handed him the binoculars without a word. Mary put her head out of the cabin to see what all the noise was about.

"He's flying the Jolly Roger," said Dave in amazement "and he's reloading those guns. "Stand by to fire our broadside twice and reload as quickly as you can. Perhaps the rapid fire will scare him off."

The lugger turned broadside to the approaching brig and fired each gun twice, as quickly as Mary and Jennifer Jane could load and fire. The noise certainly caused a panic aboard the pirate. Goblins could be seen running in all directions. The helmsman had fallen to the deck with his hands over his ears while the brig came round into the wind and lay in irons. As the lugger passed, one of the brig's guns banged out as it's crew realised that nothing had hit them and the lugger was not really firing any shot. Another cannon ball whirred closely over head and wet Dave with the splash it made.

"We'll try and outrun them back to the fog," he said, "there's something awfully wrong with this world."

However, the brig was soon under control again and chased after them. It couldn't fire at them while the lugger stayed directly ahead of it but it was rapidly catching up.

"Faster than us on the run," said Dave, "we'll never get to the fog before her and any one of those shot could sink us. I'll go round the north side of Attersea in the shallows and see if we're faster on the beat."

The lugger rounded Attersea Island close to its western end and began the long beat along the shallows of the northern shore. The brig turned as they did but had to head out into deeper water and beat up the southern side of the island. Dave won the race quite easily. He was about four hundred yards ahead when the brig finally cleared the eastern point.

"Well we can't go back that way while this easterly wind holds. They're faster than us on the run and it's far too dangerous. What on earth is going on?"

He looked questioningly at Jennifer Jane.

She shrugged, "I think we might be in the alternate world I sometimes visit, where all the bad goblins and witches live. You know, the one where Lurgin's bridge is."

"I think we ought to get out to sea to gain some time," said Mary, "we can't risk going back to the fog and something might turn up in our favour."

"It's all we can do," agreed Dave, "we're only faster than them while we’re beating and that course takes us out to sea."

The brig slowly fell behind as time passed. The lugger had just left the river and was sailing fast over the longer swells of the open sea, when Jennifer Jane spotted another sailing ship.

"Schooner on the port beam," called Jennifer Jane, pointing north just as Dave was trying to make up his mind which way to turn.

"Worth a try," he said and the lugger turned to port to meet the new ship.

"No gun ports and Davy Jones' house flag," said Jennifer Jane who was still using the binoculars. We must stop and warn them about the pirates."

She climbed on to the cabin top and held on to the main shrouds with one hand while she waved with the other. The schooner altered course slightly and came towards them.

"Ahoy the lugger," called the lookout through a megaphone.

"Pirates astern in the Therdle," shouted Jennifer Jane at the top of her voice.

The lookout called down to the deck as the schooner swept past. "Young lady says 'pirates in the Therdle' cap'n."