Whisker awkwardly put on the shirt, fastened a large pie-buckled belt around his waist and unsuccessfully tried to straighten the messy fur on the top of his head.
‘Don’t do that,’ Horace scolded. ‘You look too respectable as it is. No one will ever take you seriously as a Pie Rat.’
Whisker knew Horace was right. Unlike Horace’s scarred cheeks and squat body, Whisker had smooth coffee fur, sparkling blue eyes and well-positioned teeth. The unruly fur on his head was the only exception.
‘Try this,’ Horace said, throwing Whisker a black bandanna. ‘It’s nit free and will keep the fur out of your eyes.’
Whisker tied the bandanna around his head and turned to face a cracked mirror on the wall. His fur stuck out the top like the leaves of a pineapple and several strands hung over the sides.
‘Shiver me britches!’ Horace cried. ‘You look like you’ve just been dragged from a sinking ship!’
Whisker’s tail drooped.
‘I’m sorry,’ Horace groaned, ‘I didn’t mean to remind you …’
‘That’s okay,’ Whisker said. He hated the thought of his family’s boat sinking, so he decided to change the subject. ‘So what was the Apple Pie doing in the middle of a cyclone?’
‘You can thank the Captain for that,’ Horace replied. ‘We were casually sailing along the equator when the Captain collected a mysterious letter from a remote island post office. The next minute he had the ridiculous idea to change course and sail straight through the Cyclone Sea.’
‘What do you think the letter said?’ Whisker asked.
Horace lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘I didn’t read the contents but I overheard the Captain talking to Pete. I think they’re both in on it.’
‘In on what?’
‘I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s on the move.’
‘So where is it now?’ Whisker asked, with growing interest.
‘Who knows?’ Horace said with a shrug. ‘We lost a few days with the search and rescue so it could be anywhere.’
‘Can’t we just ask the Captain?’ Whisker ventured.
‘That’s not how it works,’ Horace explained. ‘The Captain will tell us everything when there’s something to tell. Until then, we carry on as usual: plundering, pillaging, pilfering … Oh, and playing dress-ups …’
He was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Ruby.
‘Check out the new and improved Whisker,’ Horace exclaimed as Ruby stepped inside. ‘Doesn’t he look sensational?’
Whisker felt his tail wrap itself around his leg. His over-emotional tail, as his parents called it, had a nasty habit of acting on its own whenever he was anxious or stressed. He hoped Ruby hadn’t noticed.
Ruby seemed more interested in his choice of clothing. She looked him up and down and then straightened her cherry red vest.
‘Well it’s not my style,’ she said emphatically, ‘but I hear the tropical fruit look is in this summer.’
Whisker gave her a half-smile. She kept a straight face.
‘By the way, boy,’ she continued, ‘the Captain wants to see you immediately. He’s in his cabin.’
Without waiting for a reply, Ruby spun around and walked out of the room.
‘Is she always like that?’ Whisker asked. ‘Or is it something I said?’
‘Pete’s usually the grumpy one,’ Horace replied. ‘Ruby can be a little protective though.’
‘Protective of what?’ Whisker enquired.
‘The Captain, of course,’ Horace whispered. ‘He’s the closest thing she’s got to a father … But don’t worry. Just give her some time and she’ll get used to you. She didn’t like me when she first joined the crew.’
‘Why?’
‘She said I talked too much.’
‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’
‘Yeah, right, Go on, you’ve got someone to see.’
With one last look at his new outfit, Whisker scampered off towards the Captain’s cabin.
Nervously waiting outside the thick oak door, Whisker raised his paw.
‘Enter,’ came a deep voice, before he could knock.
Timidly, Whisker opened the door and walked into the room. It was the grandest cabin of the ship. A wide window with sweeping ocean views spanned the entire back wall. Beneath it, engrossed in a pile of old maps, sat the Captain at an ornate desk. Without looking up, he motioned to a swivelling chair in front of him.
‘Welcome, Whisker,’ he said. ‘Come and take a seat.’
Whisker sat down on top of his tail. This was the first time he’d been in a Captain’s cabin and he wasn’t sure how he should act. The ticking clock in the corner added to his nervousness.
His eyes dropped to an open letter on the desk and he absentmindedly read the first few words:
The Captain swept the letter into a drawer before Whisker could read any further and got straight to the point of the meeting.
‘I’ll make this brief, Whisker. Before you become an official Pie Rat apprentice you will need to undertake several orientation activities. These activities will introduce you to the workings of this ship and the Pie Rat way of life. First, you will learn about the Pie Rat Code with Pete – he’ll be joining us shortly. The next activity will be a practical sailing lesson with Ruby, followed by a sword fight.’
Whisker liked the sound of the first two activities, but the mention of a sword fight set his tail fidgeting in his chair.
‘Who do I fight?’ he asked, trying to keep still.
‘It’s a lucky dip,’ the Captain replied. ‘Pete has all the names in a hat. It could be any crew member except Smudge, who can’t lift a sword. The final activity is an introduction to cannon warfare with Horace – it’s always a blast!’ The Captain laughed merrily at his own joke. Whisker managed a nervous grin.
The door creaked open and Pete walked in, carrying a thick red book and a small scroll. Smudge flew beside him, holding a miniature newspaper hat in his arms.
‘Excellent,’ the Captain exclaimed.
