Chapter 9: Row, Row, Row Your Boat

"Wendy!"

"Little Flying Eagle!"

"No!"

Tigerlily tackled John as he raced into Mermaid Lagoon. John's hat tumbled off his head as they crashed into the magenta shallows. The impact hit Tigerlily like a cannon ball. Hauling John, the Indian Princess hurried up the rocky bank. She didn't bother retrieving her sinking bow and quiver, or John's floating top hat.

"You are mad!" Tigerlily scolded to hide her fear. She glared at John's innocent face behind the round glasses. "Just like your foolish sister! The mermaids will kill us all!"

"Peter took Wendy!" John sputtered, amnesic to Tigerlily's reprimand. Desperately, he attempted again for the lagoon, only to be seized by Tigerlily and Black Antler. In the distance Peter Pan was a speck disappearing into the dark sky. Wendy was hidden in his arms. Tracing the arch of Peter's flight with a trained, strategic eye, John realized with a jolt that the boy as en route to the Jolly Roger.

"What in the name of the Holy Queen and Mother England does he think he is doing with my sister?" John brandished his umbrella, fighting the Indians. "Release me, I say! Why is he taking Wendy to the pirate ship? What is he doing? "

"Nothing pleasant I'm sure, Dearie."

John stopped struggling. Slinking at the edge of the bank, his top hat sitting on her beautiful head, was a mermaid.

Tigerlily cursed so offensively, John and Black Antler turned.

"Princess!" John resisted the urge to cover his ears as Tigerlily seethed. "Princess! Really – "

"Princess?" the mermaid narrowed her eyes under the brim of John's hat. She studied Tigerlily haughtily. "Princess? Oh yes…you're the mean little flower girl. What was it...Waterlily? Oops!"

The mermaid muffled a psychotic giggle. "Oopsie. You're not Waterlily! It's...Tigerlily. So, so sorry Dearie. Waterlily doesn't blossom anymore…" The mermaid stroked her red hair. "…does she?"

"Don't. You. Ever." Tigerlily snarled, clenching her fists. "Say my mother's name again."

"Oh…does the ugly little flower miss her mommy flower?" Appeared a second mermaid, flicking black hair over her shoulder. "Poor little flower. Well…join us for a swim, Ugly-lily. Waterlily did."

"Come with us." beckoned the redhead, "And we'll bring you to see the waterlily that couldn't float."

"AHHHHRH!" Screaming like a rabid animal, Tigerlily lunged at the mermaids. Surprised, the mermaids squealed and flung themselves off the bank. Tigerlily made a vicious swipe, but succeeded only in knocking John's hat back onto land.

"Cowards!" Tigerlily shouted as the mermaids laughed out of reach. The Indian princess grabbed three stones and hurled at the mermaids. "Evil! Killers! Cowards!"

The mermaids hissed, swerving away from the ripples caused as the stones hit the water.

"Join us for swim…" repeated the redhead, eyes glinting. "And we'll see who the coward is!"

"Human girls are all alike!" Declared the brunette as John and Black Antler pulled Tigerlily from the edge. "Ugly and scared! But she's worse than the pale nightdress girl."

"But not worse off…now!" Again the redhead giggled.

"Wendy?" Black Antler left Tigerlily to John. Intrigued by the brave's handsome face and pensive eyes, the mermaids quieted. Coquettishly, they inched forward as Black Antler knelt at the water's edge. They inched back as Black Antler unstrapped a dagger from his thigh.

"Wendy came here." Black Antler said, peering at the mermaids as they exchanged wicked glances. "She came looking for Little Flying Eagle's pixie. Tinkerbell."

The mermaids giggled.

"What did you tell her?" Black Antler asked.

"Oh we didn't promise to tell you that information! It's a secret!" In a flick, the mermaids approached. The pressed themselves sensually against the bank. "But we will tell you, handsome brave. If you promise us one thing."

"Black Antler don't."

"What?" asked Black Antler, ignoring Tigerlily's warning.

Feverish with excitement, the mermaids nodded at Tigerlily. "Dip her in the water with us."

"Granted." Black Antler said quickly as John protested. "The information. Now."

"Oh…" purred the mermaids, lazily twirling long strands of hair between their lips. "Oh it's nothing important. She climbed on the highest rock. Poor thing wanted to know where to find the white fish that ate the pixie."

Black Antler nodded. Thus far the information matched with Tigerlily's account.

"What did you tell her?" Black Antler asked, ignoring the holes Tigerlily was burning through his skull with her eyes.

"We told her she was too ugly to fly away."

Black Antler angled his dagger. "I meant…about the white fish and the pixie."

The mermaids receded. Their tone's dropped slightly. "Well be more specific, Dearie! Hmph. Well, everyone knows that white icicle fish come from the Northern Neversea. And that is what we told her. Testy."

"Also that the pixie's light wouldn't go out." Offered the brunette sweetly, attempting to win the brave's favor. "Insides of icicle fish are so cold. To cold to die. Pitty."

Black Antler considered. His dark eyes lifted to the sea. Quietly, he studied the Jolly Roger.

"Then Little Flying Eagle came?"

"Oh yes!" Gushed the mermaids, wagging their fins excitedly. "It was marvelous! We did everything he asked! We tricked the ugly girl and tied her up! It was so much fun! Peter will be so proud of us – "

"Hold there! One royal second, if – you – please!" Screwing on his top hat, John extended his umbrella like a cue stick. "Do I hear you correctly? Are you insinuating that Peter Pan…wanted you to capture Wendy?"

Jubilantly, the mermaids nodded.

John was stunned at their sincerity. "Why?" he wheeze, face stricken.

"Because she is ugly and Peter doesn't like ugly human girls!" declared the redhead, casting a meaningful glance at Tigerlily. "And…" the mermaid added with a smile. "Because he is going to sell her to Captain Hook. For the pixie."

The reaction on land was simultaneous. "What?!"

"Peter Pan is going to sell the ugly human girl to Captain Hook in exchange for the pixie." repeated the redhead, tickled-pink by the idea. Happily she slapped the surface of the lagoon. "Peter said that was the pirate's deal."

"Sell her?" John nearly fainted. "To pirates?"

"Mhhhm –hmmmm!"

"For Tinkerbell?"

"Certainly."

"Hook has Tinkerbell?" Black Antler asked, rising to his feet.

"No, Silly."

"Who does?"

"The white fish."

"Hook has the white fish?"

"Hee hee! No!"

"Where is the white fish?"

"The Northern Neversea! We just told you that."

"But Peter thinks that Hook as Tinkerbell!"

"Which he does not!"

"You didn't tell this to Little Flying Eagle!?"

"He didn't ask, Dearie."

"We need to go. Find a canoe." Black Antler grabbed Tigerlily and John. "Little Flying Eagle is already on the pirate ship. Quickly!"

A terrible shrieking stabbed into their ears. The mermaids clawed up the bank, reaching for Black Antler's moccasins.

"Come back! Come back! You promised, Dearie!" Froth gathered unattractively under their tongues as the mermaids pointed at Tigerlily. "Remember, a little dip into the water?"

"Ah…yes." Black Antler turned to Tigerlily. They shared eye contact for a moment before Black Antler unstrapped his daggers and tossed them to the princess.

"Can I help you into the water?" asked Black Antler, clearing the way.

Tigerlily flicked the daggers upright. "With pleasure." she said, stepping off the bank.

"Eeeeeeee! Eeeeee!" The mermaids slipped over each other, vying for the escape. "You tricked us! You – "

Angry bubbles left a trail as the mermaids fled.

Grudgingly satisfied, Tigerlily grunted and returned to shore.

"Don't ever…" she threatened, pressing the daggers against Black Antler's stomach. "…do that again. Gamble your own life. Clear?"

Black Antler nodded. "Forgive me, Princess."

Tigerlily didn't answer. Shoving the daggers at Black Antler, she joined John and ducked into the forest.

"Let's go find a canoe."