Now, they knew for certain who the Vikings were. Michael reported hearing that prisoners and booty had been stored in the caves. There was no mistaking who Denny was; the captain had talked of the ship's glorious old days, and his pocketed arm ended in a hook.
Right off, they would need a well-thought plan to free the prisoners. Whatever it was, unless it could be done in broad daylight, they had all day to think about it.
It looked like the rescue might take place without the visitors from England. By Melicent's count, today should be the 7th, the day Edward was lost at sea, so it was time for him to go home -- and she and Michael had been here for several adventurous days, so maybe they, too, should take a last look around, say their g'byes and go home tonight. There would always be time for more adventures on their next trip.
But first things first -- breakfast! As he ate, Edward was wondering out loud about the number of pirates they had seen.
"At sea, when the wind changes, the Viking ship will need lots of rowing power, and the pirate ship will need plenty of hands to tend the sails. It's odd they could spare that many oarsmen away from the Viking crew to come up with a full crew of pirates."
"Could they be boys who joined the Vikings at the fair?" thought Peter.
"From what Michael says, these aren't young boys. Maybe it's just a few men from each of the Viking ships," said Wendy.
"Ships, plural?" questioned Nibs.
"Thinking back, when I first flew in with Melicent and Michael, there were several Viking ships coming our way. I thought it would be quite a show with all of them in the harbor... but only one showed up! Perhaps the others dropped off some of their crewmen elsewhere on the island, and left. Now a few men from each ship are on the pirate ship."
"They thought of everything, then, didn't they?" groaned Nibs. "They must have planned this whole trip for fair time, when everything's in confusion and youngsters wouldn't be missed for a few days. They knew about the caves when we didn't. They must have intended all along to take the pirate ship, because the Viking ships don't have a big hold for prisoners, food, booty and whatnot. Maybe they thought out about the signs, too; they'll want their two main ships to be known when they're enter pirate waters to trade. This man has a cleverness for evil."
Peter was puzzled. "If he's Captain Hook, then he must have a daycloth -- but surely we'd have noticed one that had his name on it."
"Now, Peter, you know the fairies are careless about that," said Jane. "Some of the daycloths just have a first name, or a nickname, or an occupation, or nonsense. Hook's could be one of those. It would be quite a job to find it. And, like certain little boys I know, once the fairies bring something out to use, they leave it lying around, and never put away unless you tell them."
Michael leaned over to Melicent and whispered, "What's a daycloth?" He had been asleep when Wendy told his sister about them.
Melicent, still grumbling about Peter's silly secret, whispered back; "Can't tell you. It's a secret."
He looked at her. "Sis, are you mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"For telling the boys you're so fat you got stuck in the cannon port, and we had to pull you out."
"I didn't know you said that, but thanks for telling me. Now, I'm mad at you, yes."
"I was just kidding."
Then two familiar voices returned to grace Peter's kitchen.
"Is it true what the Town Crier says about this fine tea-an'-vittles establishment..." said one.
"...holding a birthday without us?" said the other.
"Hi, twins!" greeted Melicent, who lightly conked Michael with a teaspoon once the others were distracted.
"How were the caves?" asked Jane.
"Super," answered whichever. "Your spelunkers-in-residence have discovered the source of the Mysterious!"
Michael wanted to say, "You mean the big cavern in the mountain with the falls?" because he had heard about it from the other prisoners. But, he politely let the explorers have the glory.
"There is a hole in the hill -- a gigantic cavern, angling up like a staircase right up to the ridge. Not too steep or anything. If the gypsies wanted to camp up there, they could drive their vans right nicely from the plain to the top, no trouble at all. The river falls from both the lakes though the cave. Mystery solved."
"A big entrance, too," said the other. "Just all covered up with brush and vines. Now it's all cleared away, it's so big you could run a railway through it. We've got to ask Mr. Pan's intrepid young gang why they hain't found that in all these years running around in those silly skin suits, eh? Took us what, two days?"
"Good question for them," said Melicent with a smirk. "Michael?"
"Well, maybe we were busy hunting and fishing so you had something to put in a sandwich, so you could pack a lunch and go off on holiday."
"Wull," said a twin, "the little fellow's got a point there, and thank you lot for that! Now, there is that pool in the cave where the fish fall down from the lakes and have to hop to another pool to get out of the cave. If we showed 'em where it is, the boys could stand there like we did, and catch fish without a hook. I suppose we'll have to show 'em, eh?"
"Um, maybe not," said the other. "When I was a boy, I'd rather hold a pole over the river for an hour, feeding worms to the fishes, and wait for one blinkin' fool among 'em to bite the hook. Must play the game, after all."
"Yeah, but a smart, athletic fish caught in midair just has to taste better than a foolish layabout fish full o' chewed-up worms."
"Wull, we'll show 'em where the entrance is, give 'em the grand tour and let 'em decide."
"Perhaps you should hear what's up first," said Nibs, turning serious. He told the twins about the prisoner situation, and a plot of some sort to kill Peter.
"Oo. That's different. Wull, we'll put it off, then. Just so we tell the boys where it all is; you never know when information like that might come in handy."
"Not to worry; we probably can't do anything until after dark, so today's okay for your trip. Keep a keen eye open, and try to think of any way we can free them."
"Could I come?" asked Melicent. "I want to visit Tinker Bell and the fairies on the top of the ridge."
"I'll tell you what, Melicent," said Wendy. "Take the cave road next trip. Since your time is short, you and I will fly to the fairies' garden by ourselves."
"Excellent!"
"She means she likes it," said Michael, in his best Melicent imitation.
"I think she can understand my English, thank you. I'm not Michael 'cool beans' Darling."
-o-
Inside the mountain, a small army of men was forming in side pockets of the cavern.
Skrael, in particular, wore a very evil, vengeful look as he sharpened his scimitar. Let the captain run Peter Pan through with great joy! Let the crew skewer the lot of them like kabobs! When the time came, his blade would have it out with a certain annoying little boy.