9 The Mermaid Lagoon

CHAPTER 9 The Mermaid Lagoon Wendy probably should have woken the children at once, but she was a young mother and

it had not yet been half an hour since they had eaten. Even when she heard the sound of muffled oars she did not wake them, although she was so scared that her heart seemed to leap into her throat. Instead, she stood guard over them while they digested. Peter, however—who was snoozing on the rock as well—could smell danger even in his sleep. At the sound of the oars, he jumped to his feet, as alert as a dog, and quickly woke the boys. "Pirates," he whispered. Just that one, awful word. The others huddled close around him. "Dive!" he cried. "Now!" There was a flash of legs, and all of the boys were in the water. They hid as best they could while the pirate dinghy pulled up to the rock they had just been sitting on. In the boat were Smee and Starkey, and their captive, the Indian princess Tiger Lily.

The pirates had caught her trying to sneak aboard their ship with a knife, and had tied her hands and ankles. They were going to leave Tiger Lily on the rock to drown when the tide came up and covered it. She did not beg. A true princess, she sat up straight and stared proudly ahead. In her dark, watery hiding spot, Wendy cried. She had never witnessed such cruelty—or bravery. Peter had seen plenty of both, and was not

particularly moved. What he did hate, however, was unfairness, and this was two against one. It would have been easy for him to wait until the pirates were gone to rescue Tiger Lily, but Peter never chose the easy way out. "Ahoy there, you rascals," he cried out in his best imitation of Captain Hook's voice. "Captain?" the two pirates called back, squinting into the darkness. "He must be swimming out to us," Starkey said. "We are putting Tiger Lily onto the rock," Smee called. "Set her free immediately," was the surprising answer, "or I'll plunge my hook into you both." The command made no sense to the pirates, but they were afraid to disobey their captain. They cut Tiger Lily's cords, and with one last look she slid into the water like a graceful eel. "Boat ahoy!" Hook yelled suddenly. Only this time it was the real Hook, who was apparently

also in the water and swimming toward the boat. Wendy and Peter watched from the dark water as Hook used his metal claw to grip the side of the boat and pull himself aboard. From the light of the pirates' lantern, Wendy could see his roughly handsome face. She wanted desperately to swim away, but Peter signaled for her to stay put. Once on board, Hook sat with his head in his hands, groaning in extreme frustration. "Captain, what's wrong?" Smee asked. "It's over," Hook said, sighing. "The lost boys have found a mother." Wendy puffed up with pride, floating now a little higher. "O evil day!" Starkey said. "What's a mother?" asked Smee. Just then, the nest belonging to the Never bird floated by, with the mother bird still sitting on it. "That is a mother, and a good example of one at that," Hook told Smee. "Her nest fell into the

water, but has she deserted her eggs? No." There was a break in Hook's voice, as if—for one moment—he was recalling his childhood and his own mother. But he brushed away this weakness and what might have been a small tear with his hook. "Captain, I propose we kidnap the boys' mother and make her our own," Smee suggested. "Yes," Hook said. "We will capture the boys and make them walk the plank! Then we will keep their mother." Smee and Starkey cheered. "Wait," Hook said suddenly, remembering Tiger Lily. "Where's the princess?" "We let her go," Smee replied. "Why?" Hook demanded. "Why, you told us to," Smee stammered. "I heard you, too, Captain," Starkey said. "What kind of trickery is going on here?" thundered Hook. "I gave no such order." He looked around and shivered. "Dark spirit that