***
13
***
"Good morning, John!" Called a soft, cheery voice from above. "You'll never guess what's going on!"
John looked around, head pivoting like an owl, but whatever had spoken was not there. "Hullo?" he asked.
"Look up, boy, be sensible!"
He did. On the branch above his head a soft cream colored puff of a dove was sitting, red-lined eyes blinking brightly at him. "There we go, John. Hi!" It wiggled a wingtip at him in greeting. "Are the other Lost Boys about? There's something awfully important I think they should hear."
John felt a little blank. "Sorry, but do I know you?"
"Know me? Well of course not! If you knew me you'd never be asking such a silly question! Do you know me…" The dove snorted and ruffled itself. "So ARE the Lost Boys about?"
"Well yes—"
"Good, then, lead me to them!" It interrupted.
"I won't until you tell me what you want." John said, crossing his arms defiantly. It had taken him longer than it had Wendy or Michael to adjust to the idea of talking wildlife, but now that he had, it seemed quite the natural thing. Apparently, most birds simply didn't think humans were bright enough to understand THEM, and thus rarely bothered to speak on the mainland.
The dove puffed. "I just want to give you all a bit of information." It said, smoothly and softly. "You're looking for the Slightly boy, aren't you? The tall one, with yellow hair, and a cap?"
"Yes! Have you seen him?"
"I might have. But you're not going to like what he's up to, and I bet you'll never guess on your own." It smirked with its eyes, as it could not do so with its beak. "I'll tell you where he is, and even what he's up to, but I want to tell it to Peter Pan himself. Will you take me to him?"
John nodded. "Is Slightly in trouble?"
"Not yet, no." The bird admitted. "But I think he very soon will be."
With an understanding nod, John took off from the ground. "He's over this way a bit." He said, and the dove flew obediently after him.
***
"If Mr. Jukes is a say as you say, which sounds entirely ludicrous, how is it he's been living as he has on my ship? He's never shown these traits until now." Hook was saying, muffled to Popper's ears by the wool of the cap.
"I don't think that boy knew he was a ghoul. He seemed pretty surprised. That must have meant he's lived as a human; they can do that, you know. They're pretty much the same species as humans are, there's just something really really wrong with their minds. It probably just doesn't show until they start growing up." Picadilly explained casually. "Neverland certainly didn't seem to mind him being here until just recently."
That wasn't it at all, Captain Popper knew, feeling a little smug that he had read up on his history while Picadilly obviously had not. Neverland just knew better than to say anything until the danger became apparent. There had been so much trouble with the last one, all those years ago.
It had come time for the fairies to pay their Hell Tithe, and it had fallen on Neverland's turn to supply it. King Oberon had been ruler of the fairies here even then, in all his compacted glory. He hadn't been willing to sacrifice his subjects into the fires and servitude of Hell. Instead, he'd ordered the finest fairies in his military to find substitutes. The fairies went out into the human world and enticed children back with them, and when not enough could be taken to fill the tithe, they kidnapped some as well. Children were acceptable to Hell, because if they were young enough, and innocent enough, their fate had yet to be decided and Hell truly made a gain. The fairies had returned exactly on the hour of the tithe with exactly the right number of children to fill it. The last one they had found, a very young boy wearing very little indeed, had been dragged away from Kensington Gardens in London.
Two Keepers from Hell had arrived at the appointed time. King Oberon made the presentation with all the ritual flourish and pomp, but beneath them Neverland began to voice its dismay. There was something WRONG on its shores, and it wasn't the Keepers from Hell. The Keepers became angry at Oberon, believing he had tried to trick them, since the soul of a ghoul was undoubtedly bound for Hell anyway. They took Oberon's only daughter instead of the child and disappeared.
***
"So where's Slightly." Peter demanded, sitting on a branch directly in front of the bird.
The diamond dove puffed. "He's running away, Peter Pan. I KNEW I should come and tell you as soon as I found out. Slightly's gone and paired up with the other one, and they're heading towards the mountains together."
Peter frowned. "Other one? What other one?"
"A pirate." The dove purred.
It waited a moment to let the shocked expressions cross their faces. "It seems he's been friends with him for quite some time. The other birds say they've seen them meet before, Slightly sneaking off from you to meet like some star crossed lovers." It puffed casually. "Last night Slightly met with Billy Jukes and didn't bother going back to you, did he. You woke up this morning and found him gone."
The fact that the avian rumor mill was quite this effective was disturbing to the mainland children. What else did the birds know?
"I can take you to him, and you can see for yourself." The bird said amiably. "It's such a terrible thing, betraying your friends to go with a pirate. A pirate, of all things!"
Peter scowled. "Take us there."
The dove took off without a word, glad it was in front, because it just couldn't hide the grin on its beak. Three times in its life it had applied for a position in the Sun Catcher Squadron, and three times it had been turned down. Popper said it wasn't cunning enough for a Sun Catcher. Not cunning?! The dove would show them cunning! It was going to use Peter Pan to destroy the ghoul for it, saving King Oberon the trouble. If THIS didn't impress Captain Popper and the fairy militia, NOTHING would.
13
***
"Good morning, John!" Called a soft, cheery voice from above. "You'll never guess what's going on!"
John looked around, head pivoting like an owl, but whatever had spoken was not there. "Hullo?" he asked.
"Look up, boy, be sensible!"
He did. On the branch above his head a soft cream colored puff of a dove was sitting, red-lined eyes blinking brightly at him. "There we go, John. Hi!" It wiggled a wingtip at him in greeting. "Are the other Lost Boys about? There's something awfully important I think they should hear."
John felt a little blank. "Sorry, but do I know you?"
"Know me? Well of course not! If you knew me you'd never be asking such a silly question! Do you know me…" The dove snorted and ruffled itself. "So ARE the Lost Boys about?"
"Well yes—"
"Good, then, lead me to them!" It interrupted.
"I won't until you tell me what you want." John said, crossing his arms defiantly. It had taken him longer than it had Wendy or Michael to adjust to the idea of talking wildlife, but now that he had, it seemed quite the natural thing. Apparently, most birds simply didn't think humans were bright enough to understand THEM, and thus rarely bothered to speak on the mainland.
The dove puffed. "I just want to give you all a bit of information." It said, smoothly and softly. "You're looking for the Slightly boy, aren't you? The tall one, with yellow hair, and a cap?"
"Yes! Have you seen him?"
"I might have. But you're not going to like what he's up to, and I bet you'll never guess on your own." It smirked with its eyes, as it could not do so with its beak. "I'll tell you where he is, and even what he's up to, but I want to tell it to Peter Pan himself. Will you take me to him?"
John nodded. "Is Slightly in trouble?"
"Not yet, no." The bird admitted. "But I think he very soon will be."
With an understanding nod, John took off from the ground. "He's over this way a bit." He said, and the dove flew obediently after him.
***
"If Mr. Jukes is a say as you say, which sounds entirely ludicrous, how is it he's been living as he has on my ship? He's never shown these traits until now." Hook was saying, muffled to Popper's ears by the wool of the cap.
"I don't think that boy knew he was a ghoul. He seemed pretty surprised. That must have meant he's lived as a human; they can do that, you know. They're pretty much the same species as humans are, there's just something really really wrong with their minds. It probably just doesn't show until they start growing up." Picadilly explained casually. "Neverland certainly didn't seem to mind him being here until just recently."
That wasn't it at all, Captain Popper knew, feeling a little smug that he had read up on his history while Picadilly obviously had not. Neverland just knew better than to say anything until the danger became apparent. There had been so much trouble with the last one, all those years ago.
It had come time for the fairies to pay their Hell Tithe, and it had fallen on Neverland's turn to supply it. King Oberon had been ruler of the fairies here even then, in all his compacted glory. He hadn't been willing to sacrifice his subjects into the fires and servitude of Hell. Instead, he'd ordered the finest fairies in his military to find substitutes. The fairies went out into the human world and enticed children back with them, and when not enough could be taken to fill the tithe, they kidnapped some as well. Children were acceptable to Hell, because if they were young enough, and innocent enough, their fate had yet to be decided and Hell truly made a gain. The fairies had returned exactly on the hour of the tithe with exactly the right number of children to fill it. The last one they had found, a very young boy wearing very little indeed, had been dragged away from Kensington Gardens in London.
Two Keepers from Hell had arrived at the appointed time. King Oberon made the presentation with all the ritual flourish and pomp, but beneath them Neverland began to voice its dismay. There was something WRONG on its shores, and it wasn't the Keepers from Hell. The Keepers became angry at Oberon, believing he had tried to trick them, since the soul of a ghoul was undoubtedly bound for Hell anyway. They took Oberon's only daughter instead of the child and disappeared.
***
"So where's Slightly." Peter demanded, sitting on a branch directly in front of the bird.
The diamond dove puffed. "He's running away, Peter Pan. I KNEW I should come and tell you as soon as I found out. Slightly's gone and paired up with the other one, and they're heading towards the mountains together."
Peter frowned. "Other one? What other one?"
"A pirate." The dove purred.
It waited a moment to let the shocked expressions cross their faces. "It seems he's been friends with him for quite some time. The other birds say they've seen them meet before, Slightly sneaking off from you to meet like some star crossed lovers." It puffed casually. "Last night Slightly met with Billy Jukes and didn't bother going back to you, did he. You woke up this morning and found him gone."
The fact that the avian rumor mill was quite this effective was disturbing to the mainland children. What else did the birds know?
"I can take you to him, and you can see for yourself." The bird said amiably. "It's such a terrible thing, betraying your friends to go with a pirate. A pirate, of all things!"
Peter scowled. "Take us there."
The dove took off without a word, glad it was in front, because it just couldn't hide the grin on its beak. Three times in its life it had applied for a position in the Sun Catcher Squadron, and three times it had been turned down. Popper said it wasn't cunning enough for a Sun Catcher. Not cunning?! The dove would show them cunning! It was going to use Peter Pan to destroy the ghoul for it, saving King Oberon the trouble. If THIS didn't impress Captain Popper and the fairy militia, NOTHING would.