The King's Key (28 page)

Horace gulped. ‘So, how's the hole?'

‘Plugged up with your breakfast,' Pete sniffled. ‘Three apricot pies should stop the leak – for now.'

‘Can you repair the damage easily, Fred?' the Captain asked. ‘We can't risk docking until we reach the island.'

‘I'll need some wood,' Fred mumbled, hesitantly.

‘There's an empty fireworks crate you can use,' Horace suggested.

‘An extremely big crate, judging by last night's display,' the Captain laughed.

Fred grunted and wandered below to begin the patch up job. The rest of the crew gathered around Whisker.

‘It's about time we saw those elusive items of yours, Whisker,' Pete said, tapping his pencil impatiently. ‘If you haven't lost them again …'

Whisker removed the crumpled map from his left pocket and handed it to Pete. With Mr Tribble's assistance, Pete carefully unfolded the paper and laid it on the deck, awaiting the key.

Whisker took a deep breath and stuck his paw into his right pocket, half expecting to find it empty. His fingers touched the cold surface of the King's Key.

Overcome with relief, he slid the precious object from his pocket and placed it in the empty space in the centre of the map. It was a perfect fit.

‘Red-berry wonder,' Horace marvelled. ‘The Island of Destiny awaits us.'

‘Humph,' Pete snorted, staring at the painted design. ‘X marks the spot. Hardly original.'

Ruby rolled her eye. ‘
X
,
Y, Z
or a big fat letter
H.
Who cares, as long as it leads to the treasure.'

‘Hey. Go easy on the
Hs!'
Horace said defensively. ‘
H
stands for
Horace
, you know.'

Mr Tribble pointed to the oval handle of the key. ‘
H
also stands for
Hope
.'

‘The
Rock of Hope
,' the Captain read. ‘Just as we predicted – Hope is our destination.'

‘It's more than a destination,' Whisker added, running his finger over his anchor pendant. ‘Hope is the key to the entire quest.'

Book 3

The Island of Destiny

Armed with the King's Key and the Forgotten Map, Whisker and the Pie Rats sail to the Island of Destiny in search of the fabled treasure.

To reach the island they must first pass through the Treacherous Sea, where untold dangers lurk beneath the waves …

Discover more about the Pie Rats at:

www.pierats.com.au