Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson Read Free Book Online

food, not nearly enough. Hunger now clawed constantly at their bel ies.
    Peter, stil wondering if it was such a good thing to be the leader, was feeling intense pressure to do something. He had given up on pleading the boys’ case to Captain Pembridge. Several times now, the boys had heard the captain staggering around on the main deck, shouting senseless commands (“HEAVE TO ON THE STIZZENS! FURL THE
    YARDARM!”) to the vast enjoyment of the crew. Pembridge sounded even more confused than he’d been the first day; the sailors mocked him openly now.
    No, Pembridge would be no help. And Peter didn’t dare approach Slank; to ask him for better food would be to ask for a lashing. And so, as the third day turned into the third night, and the boys prepared for another restless, hungry night in their dank little cabin, listening to James whimpering—and rats scuttling—Peter made up his mind: he would steal some food.
    There had to be decent food on the ship. Slank surely wasn’t eating the swil that the boys got, and he just as surely wasn’t feeding it to the first-class passengers, like that girl Mol y and her governess. No, they were eating decent food, and Peter meant to have some of it.
    He figured it was stored in the aft part of the ship, where the important people slept, and the valuable items were stored. He’d done some poking around, and determined that there was no way he could go aft belowdecks without passing through the crew’s quarters, where he would surely be seen. His plan, then, was to wait for dark, then sneak aft on the main deck.
    He waited until an hour past sunset, then careful y detached himself from the clump of dozing boys huddled together on the floor for warmth, and protection from the rats. Tubby Ted continued to snore, but James sat up, rubbing his eyes, and said, “Peter, where are you going?”
    “Quiet,” Peter hissed. “I’m going to look for food.”
    “I’l go with you,” said another voice. Prentiss.
    “And I,” said Thomas.
    “Bring me a ham sandwich,” said Tubby Ted, awakened by the talk of food.
    “I’m going alone,” said Peter, ducking out of the room. “And I’l bring back what I can.”
    “Be careful,” said James, behind him.
    “Also, some cheese,” said Tubby Ted.
    Peter climbed the ladderway to the deck, poked his head up and looked around. He saw a smal knot of crewmen a few yards aft, looking off the ship’s port rail, talking; otherwise, the deck appeared to be empty. He eased himself out of the ladderway and slid on his bel y to the starboard side, away from the men. Then, on hands and knees, he crawled aft.
    As he neared the stern of the ship he heard loud talk and laughter coming from a cabin window. He recognized Slank’s booming voice, and the high-pitched giggle of Mol y’s governess, Mrs. Bumbrake.
    “Oh, Mr. Slank!” she was saying. “You are a devil!”
    “That I am, Mrs. Bumbrake!” boomed Slank. “And you know what they say!”
    “What do they say, Mr. Slank?”
    “They say,” roared Slank, “the devil take the hindmost!”
    Then Peter heard Mrs. Bumbrake emit a very un-governess-like squeal, fol owed by what sounded like a slap, fol owed by some thumping, then more squealing, then more thumping, and then much laughing. From the sound of it, Peter figured they wouldn’t be breaking up the party any time soon.
    That takes care of Slank, he thought. Now all I have to worry about is the big man with the whip.
    He checked around to make sure nobody was watching, then got to his feet, tiptoed aft, and descended some steps to a dimly lit corridor, flanked by four cabin doors. Molly is probably in one of these cabins, he thought, moving silently, until he reached a narrow ladderway leading down. Heart pounding, he descended the ladder, and found himself in darkness. He felt his way along the floor with his feet, toes outstretched. He then stood stil for perhaps a minute, waiting as his eyes began to pick up what little light