Chapter 17: Blue Beard

"Blast that Peter Pan!"

Tigerlily bent backwards as Captain Hook approached. His face burned red, even as the Jolly Roger sailed into the shadows of an iceberg forest.

"I had his pride in a bottle! I had him blasted to the ends of Neverland! His little wench was mine! My plan was perfect!"

Tigerlily kicked as Hook slammed her against the mast. "Someone must have changed his mind!" hissed the pirate, spitting into her face. "Someone must have knocked some sense into Pan's blasted little head!"

John shouted as Captain Hook lifted Tigerlily into the air. "Any idea who that someone might have been, Princess?!"

Black Antler lurched forward as Tigerlily fell into John. Angrily, he fought against the rope looped around his neck.

"And here-!" Hook growled, rounding on Black Antler. "—here is the ring leader!"

Suddenly, Black Antler charged. Hook stopped. The crew roared as the noose tightened, catching the brave inches from the captain and jerking him back. Grabbing his neck, Black Antler crashed into Shark and Gentleman Johnny.

"Hold him still." said Captain Hook, seizing the brave's chin. "And keep those two brats quiet."

Black Antler bucked his shoulders as Tigerlily and John gagged under the sea witch's tentacles. Angrily, Black Antler brought his eyes to Captain Hook. Searching for the most disgusting insult in his native tongue, Black Antler swore.

Hook raised his arm. Then, he paused.

"Ah…this brave…" A delighted smile cross the captain's face. "I do believe we've met. You're the medicine man's grandson. Are you not? What was the name…?"

Crouching, Captain Hook grinned. "Black Antler? Isn't it? Yes. Your grandparents were healers…medicine man and woman…weren't they? Well, well, well. What an honor. The last time we met…"

Raising his voice Hook turned to the crew. "…the last time we met, you're grandparents were hanging from the mast."

Black Antler lunged. Muscles and veins bulged against the ropes cutting into his neck. Amused, Gentleman Johnny released the brave. The crew jeered as Black Antler's neck snapped against the noose as he pulled forward, trying to reach Captain Hook.

Horrified, John and Tigerlily watched Black Antler slowly choke against the noose. Mustering all his strength against the tentacle in his mouth, John pushed his chin free.

"Stop! Stop! I say!" John' gasped, appalled as Shark and Gentleman Johnny seized Black Antler's noose and yanked back. "Good Lord! That is indecent!"

"No." said Hook. With a swish of red satin, the Captain knelt over Black Antler and struck his wheezing ribs. "What I did to his grandparents…that was indecent. Now…"

Winding the end of Black Antler's noose around his palm, Hook turned to Tigerlily and John. "Now. Let's play a game. You seem a rambunctious lot."

Ignoring Black Antler's outcry and Tigerlily's protest, Hook made taut the noose.

"Here is the game. You tell me Peter Pan's plan." Hook tugged. Black Antler coughed and clawed at the line. "And the brave lives."

"We don't know!" insisted Tigerlily, twisting in the tentacles. "Let him go, we don't know!"

Black Antler heaved as Hook slackened the noose in surprise.

"Broken the silence this time have we, Princess?" mocked Captain Hook, referring to her captivity at Skull Rock. "How touching."

"Let him go!" yelled Tigerlily, this time joined by John.

"Tell me Pan's –"

"We don't know!" Tigerlily was hysteric in her anger. "He said he wouldn't come!"

"He didn't want to rescue Wendy!" John added, desperately trying to keep his nose free of the tentacles. "Could not be persuaded! Would not budge from Neverland!"

"I find that –" snarled Captain Hook, "—extremely inconvincible. As Pan just launched himself into a swarm of black magic to save his little wench."

"Do not call my sister that dreadful word!" screeched John as his glasses flicked off his head. Curiously, the tentacles prodded his open eyes. "She is not a wench, Sir!"

"No. Currently she is a mermaid." Hook sneered, wrenching Black Antler from the deck. "And I'm assuming - Mistress Sea Witch - that Pan has been magicked into a mer as well?"

"Damn it!" Hook spat as the sea witch nodded. "Damn it all! Damn it! Sea witch – can you get him? Go under the sea? Retrieve Peter Pan? Bring him to me?"

The sea witch narrowed her pale eyes until they were razor thin.

"You know I cannot Captain Jimmy." Heavily, she flowed forward. Her tentacles rolled over John and Tigerlily like a black waterfall. "King Basalt is crippled, but his reach is long. Underwater, I cannot cast my spells. It is the reason his little daughter –" the sea witch glared at Shark, "—is still alive."

Hook roared. He threw Black Antler to Scallop and Black Murphy.

"So Pan's fate as a merman is tied to the girl's decision! And the girl's decision was contingent upon her resentment for Pan!"

Furiously, Captain Hook paced the deck, swinging his epee and waving his crooked hand. As he cursed, the Jolly Roger squeezed between two massive icebergs.

"We need that pixie!" Growled the captain, cocking and uncocking his gun. "The sea witch needs that pixie! Our mer ally needs that pixie! I need that pixie!"

"Sounds to me, si tu veux …" said voice so full of gravel it hurt to listen. "…that you need more than a pixie. Looks like you need every dead angel's prayer."

Hook turned. The Jolly Roger had stopped. The sails and masts were bound and gagged. Giant icebergs blocked escape from either side.

Another ship prowled off the bowsprit. A stench, more foul than Hell, poisoned the sea air.

And, twisting a wild blue mane in twisted hands, was a horrible twisted pirate.

Calmly, Captain Hook raised his pistol.

"Captain Blue Beard." Hook said, loading the gun, "Lovely."