The Atlantic Via Bathtub CH 7

'You slimy son of a sea dog!' screamed Pete. 'How thieving little piece of–' Words failed him. So he stormed up to the very surprised looking man who had been examining John's hand.1

'Umm, I think you have the wrong person,' said said person, he raised an eyebrow questioningly.2

Pete reached him and his fist lashed out, catching the newcomer on the chin, and sending him falling backwards, arms flailing.3

'Oh I have the right person, Charles Pigeon! you stole my ship nine years ago, left me to float the oceans in a bathtub!' thundered Pete, completely forgetting about John for the moment.4

Recognition dawned on Charles' face. 'Err, yes... Well... We we're younger and stupid back then, time heals all wounds?' he said hopefully.5

Pete started to advance slowly on Charles Pigeon, who started to scrabble away. Just then John groaned and twitched slightly. Pete froze, suddenly remembering what had happened. He crouched down beside John, and growled to Pigeon, 'If you help me get him better, then I might possibly consider forgetting your thievery.'6

Charles appeared to think this over, half a second later he came to his conclusion, 'Okay then. What happened?' He crawled on his hands and knees over to John.7

'He grabbed a Thableednhuyt plant, unless he gets something to stop the poison soon, he'll die,' said Pete.8

'Ah, I see. Do you have anything to stop it?' Pigeon asked, absentmindedly playing with his goatee.9

'Yes, I do, but someone.' Pete glared at Pigeon. 'Stole my dinghy, so I can't get it.' 10

A look of understanding flooded over Charles' sun burnt face. 'So that was your dinghy.'11

'Yes, it was mine,' muttered Pete darkly.12

'Well, not to worry, I have what you need right here.' He pulled a small satchel out of his shirt somewhere. 'One never knows what they might grab in this place, he explained.13

'Yes, one never knows. Now if you don't hurry up and give it to the lad I know what my hands will grab next.'14

'Really? what?' asked Pigeon innocently.15

'You neck!' roared Pete.16

Pigeon leaned back and rubbed his face. 'Well, no need to spit all over m–'17

Pete's eyes narrowed to two thin slits, and he very slowly, and deliberately said, 'This is your last chance Pigeon. I will kill you if you don't get on with it right now.'18

'Sheesh, some people are so impatient these days,' muttered Pigeon as he opened the satchel and poured the contents down John's throat. 'That should do it!' Pigeon leaned back and smiled at Pete.19

Pete ignored him. 'Come on laddy, you can do it,' he whispered under his breath.20

For a long moment they stared at him. Suddenly he coughed, doubling up he lay there in a fit of coughing.21

Pete looked at Pigeon in a you-better-not-have-killed-him-way. 22

Charles seeing Pete's look said, 'Nothing to worry about, this always happens, he'll be right as rain soon!' he grinned cheerfully.23

Pete stared blankly at him for a minute before replying, 'Good.' He punched Charles again. 24

'Oww! Thabt huat! You mab me bibe my tunbe!' said Charles indistinctly, clutching his jaw.25

'I'm sorry, I made you do what?' asked Pete sweetly, the sort of sweet like one of those lollies which are sugary on the outside, but you get past that thin layer and you're hit with sourness.26

Charles glared at him, and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted.27

'Pete?' John stopped coughing long enough to wheeze the name.28

'I'm here lad, I'm here,' said Pete, his concern evident on his voice.29

Another minute and John's coughing subsided. He sat gingerly up, and instantly clutched his head in his hands. 'Oooo, I feel awful, what happened?'30

'You grabbed a poison plant, but you're all right now,' Pete said, relief showing on his face.31

'Yebth, no thanbs to me!' muttered Charles darkly.32

'John turned and stared at Charles out of the corner of his eye. 'Who's he?' he asked Pete curiously.33

'That, is the thieving little rat-bag who stole my ship. If you must know, his name is Charles Pigeon.'34

'Oh.' John continued to study Charles, he noted how much he looked like a pigeon, his round face, with small beady black eyes, and a rather small rounded nose, which looked like it'd be hit a few to many times. And all that topped off with a general look of stupidity plastered all over it. 35

There was silence for a minute, which was only broken by the sound of Charles muttering under his breath, and of course the ocean in the distant. And the birds in the trees.36

As his head no longer felt like it was going to implode, John took the risk to look around. It was then that he noticed that their dinghy was missing, Pete was glaring at Charles, and Charles was clutching his jaw with a rather blood soaked rag.37

'So, um, he stole the dinghy, you hit him, and now he's waiting for you to hit him again?' asked John.38

Pete looked slightly surprised at John's reasoning. 'Well, he did steal the dinghy, but that's not why I hit 'im, he stole me ship, and left me with a bathtub.' 39

Charles slide backward on the sand, moving himself out of reach of Pete. 'Eh, well, I didn't steal the dinghy, I just, er... Commandeered it?'40

'What's commandeered mean?' asked John.41

'Stole,' growled Pete42

'Borrowed,' countered Pigeon.43

Pete glared at Pigeon. 'Well, now that John is better, I suggest you return my dinghy.' 44

'Ah, yes, return the dinghy...' Charles looked slightly uncomfortable as he continued, 'That might, er, be somewhat harden done then said...'45

'Really,' said Pete flatly, 'Well for your sake, I hope not, 'cause otherwise I'll skin you and use your hide for a boat.'46

'I see, I see. Umm, if you excuse me, I'll just see if I can get it.' He scrambled to his feet and ran off into the trees.47

John looked questioningly at Pete, 'What'd he mean by harder done then said?'48

'He probably flogged it off to the natives for some rum,' explained Pete.49

'Natives? I thought we were alone here,' said John, as he climbed to his feet, and stood swaying slightly. 50

'Whoa, take it easy lad,' said Pete as he stuck out his hand to steady John. 'No, we're not alone, we've been watched since we got here.' 51

'Oh.' John looked toward the trees. 'Do you think they are watching us now?' 52

'Wouldn't surprise me.'53

'So do you think that Pigeon guy will get your dinghy back?' 54

'He better,' was all Pete said as he stood up.55

They stood staring out at Bootle for a moment, before the sound of yelling could be heard off to their left, they both spun to see Charles running pall mall out of the trees with the dinghy held high over his head. As he dashed past them, he said one word, 'Run.'56

They both stood staring in surprise, till from out of the trees from whence Charles had exploded a stream of half naked and very angry looking natives appeared.57

'Come on you two!' yelled Charles from the dinghy, which he had thrown in the water and was now searching for the oars.58

'Lad, I think run sounds mighty good to me at the moment,' so saying, Pete turned and ran toward the dinghy.59

John followed closely behind him, his adrenaline surging, giving him energy.60

Pete reached the boat and took a flying leap in, sending it shooting away from shore, he grabbed the oars which Charles had just found, and pushed them into to the ground to slow them down. 'Come on John!' he yelled at John, who put on an extra burst of speed, reached the water, splashed toward the dinghy and was hauled in by Charles, as Pete dug into the water and pulled, sending them launching away from the beach, and the natives, who had just reached the waters edge and were jumping around screaming at them, one threw a spear, but either his aim was dreadful, or his aim was dreadful, 'cause it came no where near them.61

Shortly they arrived at Bootle.62

'You're sailing in that thing? I thought you'd have upgraded by now,' said Charles, apparently unaware of the fact that the tub was his ticket to keeping his scalp.63

'Look mate, ye can stay here with the natives if ye wish.'64

'No no, looks great. Small, cosy,' said Charles hurriedly.65

John didn't wait for them to finish arguing but clambered into Bootle. 'You guys, better hurry, looks like they got boats too.'66

The two still in the dinghy spun, 'Whoa crap!' Pete leapt into Bootle, and dashed into the cabin to start the engine.67

As Pete had jumped out of the dinghy, Charles had just stood up, so the rocking on the boat had made Pigeon lose his balance, he fell into the water with an almighty splash. 68

'Was that Pigeon?' called Pete from below, 'If so, good, leave him.' 69

John looked overboard, Charles had just surfaced, and was splashing about aimlessly.70

Pete had said to leave him, but he couldn't just leave somebody to that lot. John stood frozen in indecision. Till a splutter from the water stirred him to action.71

'Aww heck,' he spun and grabbed the closest thing to him, which happened to be the rope which they used to tie the wheel in place. He chucked it to Charles then tied the end to the railing. 'Better climb in quick, before Pete finds I let you on, and if I were you, I'd get the dinghy too.' so saying he dashed to the bow and started to haul the anchor up. 72

John pulled the rope, but it didn't budge, it was to heavy. Straining he tried to pull it in, but to no avail.73

He looked to shore, the natives in their catamarans were closing in fast. 74

From the cabin the sound of Pete cursing the engine to come to life, then the engine spluttering to life was heard.75

John spun back to the anchor rope and tried again, still it did not budge. What was stopping it? Surely it wasn't that heavy... Ah-hah! In a flash he remembered the clamp on the rope. He grabbed the leaver and pulled. It creaked protestingly then with a jolt came free, John stumbled backwards.76

He flung his hand out to grab something, his hand came in contact with something solid. Steadying himself he lurched forward, to try again at the rope. 77

As he seized hold of the rope and braced himself to pull, John felt it lift up and start to move. He turned, a look of surprise on his face. 78

The dripping figure of Charles stood behind him, Charles grinned. 'Come on matey, let's not keep the captain waiting.' 79

John nodded and heaved, this time, with and adult pulling as well, it came up, and with considerably ease John thought. His face fell slightly as it dawned on him just how weak he was.80

'Come on you two! Get that anchor up!' Thundered Pete. The action had brought out a side in him John hadn't seen before, he almost seemed to be enjoying himself.81

The anchor came up quickly under the combined efforts of John and Charles.82

Bootle started to move forward, as her engine started warming up. 'Come on you beauty, you can do it,' coaxed Pete. He looked over his shoulder, the natives boats were nowhere in sight, he tensed, if he couldn't see them the–83

'Rarrrrr!' Over the railings flew one of the natives, fierce in his war paint. His angry scowl changed to one of shock as he cleared the railing, and found the tub to be somewhat larger then he'd first thought it was. That look of shock grew as he registered the fist coming very fast toward his face.84

Being in the air, it was hard to dodge, so Pete's fist contacted. The forward momentum of the native proved to be his downfall. As his face said hello to Pete's fist, and stopped moving forward, his legs kept coming forward. He fell flat on his back.85

Before he could move, Pete grabbed him by the shoulders and sent him crashing overboard onto the catamaran below. Which, not built for heavy impacts, especially in a concentrated area, broke in half.86

Pete didn't wait to see what happened, in a stride he was back at the wheel and pulling a ominous red lever. 87

There was a clattering somewhere below him, then a drawn out hiss, and couple of crunches.88

'Hold on everyone!' yelled Pete.89

John and Charles looked at each other, then in unison seized hold of anything solid looking.90

Bootle shuddered.91

Whoosh!92

Everyone was thrown backwards, if they'd not held on, they'd have been somewhere at the other end of the tub. 93

Bootle's bow was lifted high in the air as she tore through the water at an unbelievable speed. 94

'Woohoo!' screamed an ecstatic Pigeon. 'You cunning old sod! You did upgrade!' 95

Pete smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.96

It was not long before they were well away from the island, and no chance of the natives catching up. Pete eased pushed the red lever back into it's original place, and Bootle instantly started to slow down. 97

John took a deep breath, and realised hold off the railing which he'd been hanging onto with all his might. 'Well, that was... Fast,' was all he said as he got up and staggered to where Pete was, then past him and into the cabin. Where he promptly lay down, shut his eyes, and fell asleep.98

Pete and Charles looked at each other, Charles shrugged. 'Kids.'99

Pete nodded. 'Aye. I still don't recall ever saying you could come aboard, Pigeon.'100

'I saved the dinghy, and John, and got the anchor up, and generally helped you get away,' said Charles hopefully.101

'You are the reason that they chased us.'102

Charles opened his mouth, then paused, 'Err, true that. Bu–'103

'Just shut up, and make yerself useful and I might let you stay till next port.' 104

Charles grinned cheerfully. 'Knew you'd see it my way.' He deftly caught the mop that had been en route to his face. 'Ahh, just like the good old days.'105

'Yeah, but I swear, if you take Bootle...' Pete left the threat unspoken.106

'You'll what? Leave me floating in the middle of the ocean in a sink?' asked Charles sarcastically, he glanced up and saw that Pete was somewhat closer then he'd been last, and was now right in front of him.107

'The only reason I ain't killed you yet, is 'cause John is here, you remember that.'108

'Got it! No John, me dead, appease the John.'109

'Aye, you do that matey, you do that.'