part 15

It was like a monster Mary couldn't see, wanting to rip her to bits like tissue paper, and squash her all at the same time. It screamed in her ears and stole her breath, swallowing up all the air to make itself stronger. Wong's soft paw in her hand was the only thing to hold onto, and the wind pulled and pulled him away from her

Something white flew out and away from Mary - the seagull's feather! She reached for it, forgetting she had to hold onto Wong's paw - his tail brushed her cheek and he was gone - then there he was, moving like he was swimming, he caught the long feather in his mouth. Mary tried to catch his paw again, but he sank down so Mary couldn't see him - or was she going up?

She felt something touch her foot, grip her ankle - not Wong, as cats don't have fingers. Mary kicked her foot out to get a better look - there was a hand holding her foot! Only a hand, no arm or any other bit of a person! It wasn't strong or heavy enough to help, though and she kept on spinning round in the air, getting higher and higher. Wong flew by doing a somersault in the air. Mary couldn't reach him. A tug on her foot where the hand was - an arm in a blue  sleeve had joined onto it - where were they coming from? Wong swerved past her in the air, looking cross - another hand was holding one of his back paws and he was trying to kick it away as a blue caterpillar wriggled through the air, no it was another arm, and it joined onto the hand on his paw.

Those hands and arms made Mary and Wong a bit heavier, so they were not spinning round so fast but the wind seemed to be trying even harder to suck them up into the sky. Then Mary's foot was tugged again. She looked down to see why - another blue shape had joined onto the arm - its body. The arm holding Wong stuck onto the body's other shoulder. Now it was the top part of a person, but without a head. Wong curled round and dug his front claws into the body's shoulder. Mary wished she could do that because if the hand holding her ankle let go, the wind would pull her away. She tried to take the feather but as if angry its power was being battled, the rough air biffed her back, like being in the middle of an invisible pillow fight

Mary's hair whipped into her eyes and when she could see again, two blue legs with bare feet under them, were hopping along towards the body, each from different sides, and when they got underneath, they bent at the knee and jumped up, and joined on, too. This was the last bit of heaviness needed, and the body drifted downwards with the legs kicking about. As soon as its feet touched the ground, they walked the body forwards, pulling Mary and Wong through the air like balloons.

Breathing got easier the further they went and the wind which had been so hard and strong got softer and weaker. Mary found she could move her arms normally, and then the wind let go altogether and -

they all fell!

Something wet landed on Mary's face - the feather- all stringy and icky. Mary peeled it off, "Yuck"

"You're welcome!" Wong licked his paw in a pleased with himself way

Mary could see blue cloth next to her, she must have landed on whatever had rescued them. She held onto the blue jacket and wriggled, trying  to sit up, but someone giggled, away to one side,  "Oh! Oh! Don't!" 

So Mary slid off onto the ground, instead, then she sat up. On the grass beside her, was a head, wearing a white flat Captain's hat. The head tipped up its face, quickly and Mary just had time to see a long nose with a mouth underneath, no chin, round brown eyes and ears bent sideways by the cap, then the face looked down again, mumbling "Sorry, I'm a wee bit ticklish!"

Something slithered over her hand, then whisked up to curl round her arm. Mary went stiff, scared, so scared! what it could be? Would it strangle her, bite her? What was it? It went up her neck, past her ear, till the tip whipped into the air, was gone, she was safe! Mary gulped a big shakey breath.

Wong was watching it with thin eyes. Mary didn't know if he was scared or  wanted to jump on it. "Be careful!" She stood up as whatever it was made an S shape in the air, like a snake, then the wide front end fixed onto the back of the blue trousers. It was a tail! 

Wong climbed down the blue pile of tangled up arms and legs and body, looking more and more interested and the face watched him with wide worried brown eyes. But when its long tail flicked out Wong jumped back and hid behind Mary,  then, his claws sticking into her trousers, he peeped round her legs. This seemed to make the head a bit braver. It did a shy little cough, then in a high, soft  voice,  "Hehum! Would yer mind turnin' a blind eye, oppos?"

"What does that mean?" Mary whispered, but Wong shrugged

The face looked a bit shy "Ah! er please look the other way?" So Mary and Wong turned their heads sideways, and watched the body get all its arms and legs sorted out so it could stand up. It walked over to where the head was on the ground, then Mary heard the voice from higher up, "Buffed to cross your bows!" and turned and saw the whole person holding out a hand for her to shake, "Quartermouster at your service!" 

It was a long hand, with pink fingers and velvetty pale brown fur on the back, Mary worried it might fall off again, so she shook it very gently. The hand stayed on, but when she let go of it, one of the Quartermouster's legs fell over sideways, then jumped up and hopped away. "Gruagh!!" the Quartermouster wobbled on the leg that was left. Wong raced after the escaped leg while Mary dodged the waving arms.  Wong dragged the leg back, and Mary made it stand up while Wong sat down to watch. The leg was shaking, as if it was scared of Wong, and when the Quartermouster hopped over it fixed back on without a problem, "Grateful to you!" and they did a little dance, which made Mary smile. The Quartermouster smiled back, "Phew, I'm flaked! Would you like to come aboard for some wet and scran?" 

Mary didn't know what she was being asked and didn't want to be rude, but when she didn't say no, the Quartermouster nodded happily, "This way to the Sun Dodger!" and danced away. Wong trotted after, his tail up, so Mary  followed. 

The Quartermouster stopped by a steep bank, where a round, golden circle shone like a bottletop but  much, much bigger. The Quartermouster's long hands pulled it outwards, and behind was a tunnel, "Last one in, shut the door please!" and they crawled into the hole.

"We don't know what's in there" 

Wong looked up at the sky and a raindrop landed on his nose. He climbed into the tunnel

Scared, Mary followed. It was dark, and round, cold and smooth as glass.

Something soft brushed her face. Mary gasped, and stopped crawling. Wong growled infront. It did it again, and this time, Mary grabbed what felt like a furry tentacle. Wong yowled, "A monster's got my tail! Help!" The thing wriggled in her hand and  Mary let go at once. She didn't want to catch a monster! Wong panted, "It's ok, I scared it away, Monsters know not to mess with me! Hyyyyy YA!!!"

Mary didn't move, trying not to think about a huge quiet tentacly thing in the dark. As Wong's karate sounds got further away, she began to see the triangle shapes of his ears, then he was gone, and there was a pale circle infront. Mary crawled fast after him, her hands slapping on the tunnel floor. The light got stronger and the circle got bigger, and soon she was out, too, and could stand up. There were small bits of brightness in the ground, that shone up like torches but they didn't reach the roof. Infront was a little bridge going over a black flatness, which went off a little way to each side then met the walls and made a paler line. At the end of the little bridge was what looked like a wheelie bin.

Wong poked the black stuff, then shook his paw and splashed Mary's face, and she licked a drop tickling. "It's salty, like the sea!"

Wong jumped back pushing Mary into the tunnel again. "If a storm comes, we'll be washed away!"

The Quartermouster laughed, "Sun Dodger is a subterrene. No storms down here!"

When they said that, Mary remembered the top bit of one of her bath toys Mum had bought her, looked a bit like a wheeliebin. Perhaps the Quartermouster had got mixed up?  "A submarine?" 

"Ah, not quite, oppo! Sub means under, and marine means to do with the sea, but terrene means to do with the earth, the soil, the ground, and that's where we are, underground, see?"

Wong's ears were back and his tail flicked from side to side. He glared at the Quartermouster. Mary understood that Wong was scared and tried to cheer him up, "I've been on a ferry, and this is much less water!"

The Quartermouster nodded, climbing onto the little bridge, "Don't you mind the oggin, oppos!" they turned back to Wong and Mary, "See, quite safe, what did I tell you?" but one of their legs suddenly pulled away and hopped back along the bridge, "The left one's gone and legged it!"  Mary thought they would fall in, but they shouted "Not to worry, I've a right one left!!" and waved, but then the hand they were waving with, flew off and landed on the bridge, where it squirmed away, got to the wheelie bin and like a spider with five legs climbed up and flipped open the lid and was gone. The Quartermouster made their other hand into a fist, and shook it, "Come back right now!"  but then that fist bopped them on the nose and sped away after the first. 

The Quartermouster looked like a skittle that's been hot with a bowling ball."We must help!" Mary whispered.

Wong looked looked at her, then looked at the water. " I would, but I've remembered a flea!" and started scratching his neck with one back leg. "There, that's got it! I can help now!" He took a step towards the bridge, saw the water and sat back down, "Oh, no, there's another one!" he scratched with the other leg, "Might be lots! Don't get too close or they'll jump on you! I know, I'll stay here and er, deal with them. And when I know  it's safe, I mean when it's safe for YOU, I'll follow you. Because I'm brave and thoughtful I will get rid of them on my own. Over here..." he moved even further away from the water.

All the time the Quartermouster's leg had been hopping about, bumping into the smooth sides of the underground place, then going sideways and back a bit, then forwards and bumping again, each time getting nearer the tunnel. If it got through the Quartermouster might never have two legs again!  As the leg hopped backwards ready for another try, Mary grabbed it! It tried to kick her, but she  got the knee under her arm, and held on. As if it knew it couldn't escape, the leg stopped wriggling. She stepped onto the little bridge with the lights on the edge of each side, and then black water. How deep? she wondered, but in two steps she reached the Quartermouster. Mary stood up the leg she was carrying, foot end down. "Excuse me", she tugged the Quartermouster's jacket so they wobbled closer, then, like iron is pulled to a magnet, the leg joined back on. 

The Quartermouster sighed happily, "Ah! Thanks, oppo!" they turned back, "Now then, all hands on the bridge, Right now. Left Now. " One hand wriggled from under the lid snd dropped onto the bridge, slowly the other one came out too. "Hurry up or you'll be left behind!" The two hands danced about like a strange handshake, it was taking ages, till a paw flashed out from behind Mary and batted the nearest one. Wong had his hunting look, and the hands must have known, as they  sped up the Quartermouster's trousers, one going higher then pulling up the other to their shoulders then slid down the Quartermouster's arms and back to where they should be.

The Quartermouster wriggled their fingers, "How about some scoff, oppos?" Wong pushed past Mary and climbed up the wheelie bin. He flicked up the lid and like a spotlight glowing bright beam shot up, bumping into a roof that curved down into the water. Where they were was a black tube, half full of black water and in the middle, a wheelie bin. "Sea Riders first" they bowed to Mary. In this light, Mary could see a ladder up the side. She couldn't hear Wong, he would've made a noise if there was danger. She gripped the thin metal sides of the ladder and pulled herself up.

Then she was looking down into a cosy, bright place. There was another ladder going down. It was a bit tricky, climbing over the edge, but the Quartermouster held out a hand to help her balance, and she was so worried it would come off again that she was climbing down without even thinking about how. Inside was cosy with bright patterned cushions on benches along the wall at the back, and a table just big enough for three plates and mugs. There were tin plates on a rack, flat like pictures on the wooden wall, and tin mugs on pegs. "Would one of you fill the kettle? There's a bucket of freshwater, there. " Mary pushed the lid off the bucket. Inside was a cup with a long handle, like a big spoon, to scoop up the cold water for the big kettle. The Quartermouster opened a black metal box and inside was hot and orange. "Room for another log!" a black metal pipe went up through the roof, that must be the chimney. Soon the little kitchen was lovely and warm. When Mary had put in what she hoped was enough water, trying not to get any on her sleeve, the Quartermaster plonked the kettle on the black box with a clang. "While the wet's heating, we'll get up some milk"

There wasn't a fridge, the Quartermouster showed her everything needing to be kept cool was in a cupboard under a trapdoor in the floor. When Mary reached in to grab the glass bottle of milk, it was like putting her hand into a tiny, chilly cave. The Quartermouster pointed, "If you look in that box of sawdust you'll find six eggs for our tea" Mary slipped her hand into the pale, rough specks of  wood and felt the smooth oval of an egg. The Quartermouster was doing something rustly, "You crack them into this pan and I'll get the bread" One by one she took out each small brown egg out and put it on a tin plate on the shelf. "Right ho! Take this fork! " Mary opened her hand just in time. The fork was made of twisted wire and was black at the prongs where the Quartermouster pushed a slice of bread on, "If you hold that in front of the fire, we'll soon have some toast ready!" Mary settled down on the rug next to Wong, and pointed the bread towards the warmth coming out of the black box where the door was open. The cheerful orange flames soon crisped up one side, but the bread was too hot to touch! Mary used her  jumper like an ovenglove to get that slice off, and put  a new one on.

The Quartermouster stood beside Mary, stirring a pan. Their legs kept bending at the knees but didn't try to run away. When one of their feet began dancing about, Wong patted it, and the foot went still. Mary was soon ready to toast the other sides of the bread. The first bit had cooled down. She was feeling hungry now! She didn't usually like the smell of eggs, but now she really wanted her tea. The Quartermouster sighed happily, "There we are, eggs and beans done! And that toast looks perfect!" 

Wong jumped off the table, "Making sure the butter was in the best place" 

"Why is your nose so shiney?" Mary asked

Wong licked it happily, "I don't nose, stop being knowy"

They sat down on the cushioned bench. Mary was in the middle. She took a deep breath of steamy air, it smelled so thick of all the cooking they'd been doing, she could almost chew it. They each had a plate, and the toast piled up beside one little pan of golden scrambled eggs and one little pan of bright orange baked beans. The Quartermouster dollopped beans onto their plate,  "Help yourselves!"

Mary took a slice of the toast she had made and held the smooth wooden handle of the egg pan so she could scoop out a spoonful of golden, creamy scrambled egg. It was what Mum did, she felt grown up. Wong was fidgetting about, he kept reaching out his paw and pulling it back. Mary remembered about him not having hands and asked "What would you like?" 

"More butter!"