CHAPTER NINETEEN: Squashbuckling.
Captain Ungry and the rest of the crew ate their lunch that afternoon as the Salty Hippo rocked against the waves. The cabin located in the lower deck was rather cramped and the netting did little to hold down the dishes that had been placed against the shelves, as the hippo sailors devoured their meals at the table. Ungry realized that being close to his mates ensured a tighter relationship. Hopefully, doing this would stifle any revolts that might be secretly brewing.
"Aye!" said Ungry, "'tis a fine dish today, friends. Ye should thank the ol' sea Grumblins for the recipe." The bunch suddenly cheered. "Blackeye sure did strike a chord there when he convinced the fellas to mutiny against the witch. Heh heh."
Blubber came down the steps to join the other hippos. "Sorry I'm late," he said rather dejectedly with a belch.
"Sorry?" said the captain, leaning back on his chair with a fork in hand. "Why the bloody 'ell you late, anyway?"
"Well..." said the hippo slowly, "the bundle broke loose, and I was trying to gather it up and--"
"Broke loose? Whose job was it to secure the bundle, then? Ungry twirled the fork between his ringed fingers.
"Er, Captain, it was my job..."
The captain stabbed the fork onto the table -- about three inches away from a sailor's hand. "Scurvy! Whassa matter with ye? Ye can't do your work properly, ye forget the protocol of the Salty, and you don't even take off your hat in the quarters!"
Blubber quickly snatched off his tiny white sailor's cap.
Ungry covered his face. "You may not want to hear this, but..." The captain looked to his mates, who were listening intently. "You are discharged. When we get to the Isles, we'll drop you off. Now go on."
The hippo squeezed the hat between his hands. He took a gathered look at his friends, then went back upstairs.
The crew sat frozen in front of their lunches.
"What's the matter?" said the captain. "Go on, eat."
The sailors did so, but with significantly less enthusiasm.
"Long live the Rival Fleet," said a hippo abruptly, as if nudged to say so.
"Yes, long live the--" said Ungry before a brief tremor disturbed the ship. Several plates spilled their contents onto the floor. "Wassat?"
Blubber suddenly appeared at the stairs. "Captain! Captain! We've confronted a beast!"
The hippos immediately stood from the table and gathered themselves. Ungry raised an arm. "Beast? What manner of beast?"
"Not quite sure, Captain. All I could see was a large fin approaching the bow. Everyone has to get to their stations, quick!"
The captain and his crew scrambled up to the deck when the beast nudged the vessel, knocking everyone off their feet. "Hurry!" Ungry yelled. Looking to Blubber, he spoke. "Listen up. This is your last chance to straighten up, you hear? Get to the missiles!"
Blubber quickly got to the artillery. Giving the word to two other sailors, they loaded their cannons. "Aim ahead of the beast's path to lead it," he instructed. "Captain, we have the weapons armed..."
"Then fire already!" said Ungry.
The blasts that erupted when the missiles struck the beast were loud and true, and it nearly flipped over from the attack.
"What IS that thing?" asked a crewman.
"Looks like a metallic whale," said the captain. "Good job, Blubber. You may keep your role after all."
The beast turned away and swam off into the horizon.
------
"What in Jiggywiggy's name is that?" yelped Kazooie, surprised.
The four of them rattled back and forth inside Clanker as the missiles hit the shark. But then, just as mysteriously, the shaking stopped.
"Y'know, a good old-fashioned boat would have gotten us to the Isles quite nicely," said Canary Mary. "Riding inside a mechanical monster is not my idea of a good time."
"Shut up," said Kazooie.
"I think we should do something else besides fighting to pass the time," suggested Bottles.
"Like what?" asked the Breegull. "Jump through multicolored hoops before a time limit?"
"Not bad idea," said Mumbo.
"I was being sarcastic, Bonestorm!"
"Oh."
Suddenly, Clanker seemed to slow to an unexpected halt.
"Are we at Gloomy Galleon already?" asked the mole.
"Don't be silly," said Mary. "We can't possibly go directly to the Galleon -- the place is packed with Blackeye's fleet. We're gonna need someone from the inside to help us out, and he usually hangs here on the weekends."
The three watched as the canary gingerly walked around a puddle to get at the exit from the right flipper.
"Now there's someone who avoids a bath by any cost," muttered Kazooie.
"But Mary, we're still underwater," Bottles reasoned. "We can't get out now."
"Come with me" was her only response.
The others followed her to the exit, and realized the metal fish had attached onto another vessel, providing safe passage.
They entered.
Captain Ungry and the rest of the crew ate their lunch that afternoon as the Salty Hippo rocked against the waves. The cabin located in the lower deck was rather cramped and the netting did little to hold down the dishes that had been placed against the shelves, as the hippo sailors devoured their meals at the table. Ungry realized that being close to his mates ensured a tighter relationship. Hopefully, doing this would stifle any revolts that might be secretly brewing.
"Aye!" said Ungry, "'tis a fine dish today, friends. Ye should thank the ol' sea Grumblins for the recipe." The bunch suddenly cheered. "Blackeye sure did strike a chord there when he convinced the fellas to mutiny against the witch. Heh heh."
Blubber came down the steps to join the other hippos. "Sorry I'm late," he said rather dejectedly with a belch.
"Sorry?" said the captain, leaning back on his chair with a fork in hand. "Why the bloody 'ell you late, anyway?"
"Well..." said the hippo slowly, "the bundle broke loose, and I was trying to gather it up and--"
"Broke loose? Whose job was it to secure the bundle, then? Ungry twirled the fork between his ringed fingers.
"Er, Captain, it was my job..."
The captain stabbed the fork onto the table -- about three inches away from a sailor's hand. "Scurvy! Whassa matter with ye? Ye can't do your work properly, ye forget the protocol of the Salty, and you don't even take off your hat in the quarters!"
Blubber quickly snatched off his tiny white sailor's cap.
Ungry covered his face. "You may not want to hear this, but..." The captain looked to his mates, who were listening intently. "You are discharged. When we get to the Isles, we'll drop you off. Now go on."
The hippo squeezed the hat between his hands. He took a gathered look at his friends, then went back upstairs.
The crew sat frozen in front of their lunches.
"What's the matter?" said the captain. "Go on, eat."
The sailors did so, but with significantly less enthusiasm.
"Long live the Rival Fleet," said a hippo abruptly, as if nudged to say so.
"Yes, long live the--" said Ungry before a brief tremor disturbed the ship. Several plates spilled their contents onto the floor. "Wassat?"
Blubber suddenly appeared at the stairs. "Captain! Captain! We've confronted a beast!"
The hippos immediately stood from the table and gathered themselves. Ungry raised an arm. "Beast? What manner of beast?"
"Not quite sure, Captain. All I could see was a large fin approaching the bow. Everyone has to get to their stations, quick!"
The captain and his crew scrambled up to the deck when the beast nudged the vessel, knocking everyone off their feet. "Hurry!" Ungry yelled. Looking to Blubber, he spoke. "Listen up. This is your last chance to straighten up, you hear? Get to the missiles!"
Blubber quickly got to the artillery. Giving the word to two other sailors, they loaded their cannons. "Aim ahead of the beast's path to lead it," he instructed. "Captain, we have the weapons armed..."
"Then fire already!" said Ungry.
The blasts that erupted when the missiles struck the beast were loud and true, and it nearly flipped over from the attack.
"What IS that thing?" asked a crewman.
"Looks like a metallic whale," said the captain. "Good job, Blubber. You may keep your role after all."
The beast turned away and swam off into the horizon.
------
"What in Jiggywiggy's name is that?" yelped Kazooie, surprised.
The four of them rattled back and forth inside Clanker as the missiles hit the shark. But then, just as mysteriously, the shaking stopped.
"Y'know, a good old-fashioned boat would have gotten us to the Isles quite nicely," said Canary Mary. "Riding inside a mechanical monster is not my idea of a good time."
"Shut up," said Kazooie.
"I think we should do something else besides fighting to pass the time," suggested Bottles.
"Like what?" asked the Breegull. "Jump through multicolored hoops before a time limit?"
"Not bad idea," said Mumbo.
"I was being sarcastic, Bonestorm!"
"Oh."
Suddenly, Clanker seemed to slow to an unexpected halt.
"Are we at Gloomy Galleon already?" asked the mole.
"Don't be silly," said Mary. "We can't possibly go directly to the Galleon -- the place is packed with Blackeye's fleet. We're gonna need someone from the inside to help us out, and he usually hangs here on the weekends."
The three watched as the canary gingerly walked around a puddle to get at the exit from the right flipper.
"Now there's someone who avoids a bath by any cost," muttered Kazooie.
"But Mary, we're still underwater," Bottles reasoned. "We can't get out now."
"Come with me" was her only response.
The others followed her to the exit, and realized the metal fish had attached onto another vessel, providing safe passage.
They entered.