Tinker Bell spent the night at Mother Dove's side. Sometimes Mother Dove woke up, weeping for her egg. Each time, Tink patted her neck feathers awkwardly and said, "Don't cry. Try to sleep." But Mother Dove couldn't not cry, although eventually she did go back to sleep, only to wake up again and again.
Another half hour passed on the pirate ship. Hook reached the letter R.
"Darlings, can't someone think of something?" asked Vidia.
Vidia hasn't made any brilliant suggestions, Prilla thought. She said, "What if I tickle his feet? Maybe he'll let…"
"Go?" Rani wiped her sweaty forehead. If Hook did let go, she wasn't sure she and Vidia could carry the cigar holder by themselves. But what else was there to do? "Good idea," she said, "but wait until Vidia and I are ready."
Prilla flew to Hook's feet and saw the birthmark on his left instep, a cutlass dripping blood. Her wings stiffened with fear.
Rani and Vidia positioned themselves under the cigar holder. Prilla steeled herself and tickled.
But Hook wasn't ticklish! Prilla flew to Rani, and the fairies hovered above Hook's face.
Ooh, he's ugly, Prilla thought. His skin looked like candle wax.
"I want to try something," Rani said. "Go to the holder."
Prilla and Vidia went. Rani flew to Hook's ear and shouted, "Open your mouth!" She knew he couldn't hear her, but sometimes the concept got through. Nothing happened. She shouted louder, every syllable slow and distinct. "O-pen your mouth!" Please open, she thought, for Mother Dove and the fairies.
Nothing happened. Rani found herself weeping. "Open your mouth, you bad pirate!"
Nothing happened. "Open your mouth, you murderer!" She kicked his cheek as hard as she could with her pointy-toed wasp-skin boots.
"Ouch!" Hook's mouth opened in surprise. Vidia and Prilla pulled the cigar holder out. Hook woke up. In a flash, his sword was out, and he was on his feet, slicing the air. "Have at you, villain!" He smiled in the darkness. A new foe to kill.
The cigar holder was too heavy for Vidia and Prilla, although they tried to slow its fall. Rani wanted to fly over and help, but she was afraid of being sliced. The cigar holder landed on the floor.
Hook felt no resistance to his sword. "Where are you, knave?" He lowered the weapon and peered into the darkness. Rani flew down to the holder. She and Prilla shook fairy dust on it. Vidia might have added some of her fresh dust and made it even lighter, but she wanted to save it for herself.
Hook wondered if the jab at his cheek had been a dream. He sheathed his sword and noticed the cigar holder wasn't in his mouth. Vidia and Rani tilted the holder while Prilla pulled on a cigar. Hook saw the holder and reached down for it. It jerked as Prilla got the cigar out.
When he saw the cigar and the holder move, Hook stumbled back. "A ghost!" He felt a cold draft waft in through the open cabin door. But he feared no man, living or dead. "Spirit, back to Davy Jones's locker!" He drew his sword again, stabbing here and stabbing there, he raked the air with his hook.
The fairies were afraid to move. The open porthole looked miles away. In a downward sweep of his sword, Hook accidentally lopped off one of Rani's pockets!
Someone has to distract him, Prilla thought. Even though she was terrified, she ran around him. Staying close to his nightshirt, she flew up to his head and pulled on one of his corkscrew curls as hard as she could.
He whirled around. "Coward, face me!"
Rani and Vidia shook the cigar holder, and the second cigar fell out. Even without the cigars, the holder was heavy, but they began to fly it upward toward the porthole.
Prilla kept pulling Hook's hair. He stabbed and still felt nothing against his sword. He whirled again, and saw the holder on its way to the porthole.
Two ghosts! He thought, one pulling my hair, and one stealing my cigar holder.
He dropped his sword and reached for the ghost pulling his hair. With his hook, he attacked the air where the other ghost should have been.
Rani and Vidia flew through the porthole. Hook's hand closed around Prilla!