Chapter Eight
"Leave her," Hook said easily. "I suppose this is all a bit of a shock. Come my dear, it's not so bad. Things turn out. You'll see."
"Y-yes," Smee put in. "Why, when R-r-roberts was, well, that is to say…"
"That's enough Mr Smee," Hook snapped. "We don't talk about them."
Something about the name caught Wendy's memory, but she couldn't think through her grief and anger. She had been right all along about Ray, but Peter couldn't see it. Oh, why hadn't Peter been able to see it? He'd never understood Tinkerbell's jealousy, but that was because she was his oldest friend. Wendy could understand that. But why Ray? Why did he have to trust Ray? How could he believe that Ray would save them, when Ray was a pirate himself.
"I am waiting," Hook said, addressing himself to the silent group of boys and girls. "Who will sign? Who will walk?" He had paced slowly, menacingly down towards the huddled children. Wendy watched him, warily, but turned as quickly as he when a voice spoke from by the desk.
"I don't see why you're so eager for them to sign, James. You never
did like children. Always kicking them off the ship." A slip figure was
bent over the book, trailing a tanned finger down the page. "Why, you can't
even read my name anymore you've crossed it out so heavily. And I was ever
such a good pirate." The figure looked up and Wendy saw the most engaging
pair of green eyes she had ever seen – except Peter's, of course – under
a long fringe of brown hair that was just the same color that Peter's had
been. For a second she thought it might even be Peter, against all odds,
but only for the shortest moment. The girl winked cheerily at the staring
group. "Hello all."