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

filtered down the ladderway from above. He saw he was in a long, low space. At the end was a doorway, and …
    Peter froze. On the floor by the doorway was a man’s body. It lay slumped against the wal , head lagging sideways, and …
    … and it was snoring. Peter relaxed a little. He peered at the sleeping man’s face, and recognized him as a member of the crew. Next to the man, on the floor, was a lantern, which apparently had gone out. The man’s right hand was loosely curled around a wooden club, about two feet long.
    He’s on watch, Peter thought. He’s guarding the door, and he let the lantern go out, or he put it out, and he fell asleep.
    Peter thought about it some more. If he’s on watch, whatever’s in that room is important. Maybe they keep the good food in there.
    He hesitated, weighing the risk of waking the guard against the hope of finding food. Then his stomach growled, making the decision for him. Peter crept forward, keeping an eye on the sleeping man. He reached the door and put his hand on the knob, worried that the door would be locked, only to find that not only was it unlocked, it was slightly ajar.
    That’s odd.
    Peter gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. Again, he waited for his eyes to adjust, as this room was even darker. He heard a scuttling sound, but it was one he’d become al too familiar with: rats.
    Please don’t bite me, he thought. I’m here for the same reason you are.
    In a few moments he began to make out a bulky shape perhaps five feet in front of him. Holding his hands before him, sliding his feet, he started toward it, and …
    What was that? It was a noise in the corner, something moving.
    It sounds too big to be a rat.
    Peter froze again, peering toward the source of the sound, and he saw something green—no, two green things—glowing, hovering. Peter stared at them and realized …
    Those are eyes. But what has eyes that glow like that?
    Peter was not interested in finding out. He turned and bolted for the doorway and …
    WHUMP!
    Peter bounced off a stout body and fel backward onto the floor. He’d run into the guard, who was now awake, and unhappy.
    “OW! ” said the guard, stumbling backward. He caught himself and lumbered forward into the room, shouting, “What do yer think yer OW!” The guard, seeing poorly in the dark room, had tripped over Peter’s legs. He stumbled and pitched forward headfirst, fal ing and striking something behind Peter. Seeing his chance to escape, Peter scrambled to his feet and darted through the doorway, determined to get out of there as quickly as possible, only to stop when he heard the sailor’s astonished
    “Wha … ? ”
    Unable to control his curiosity, Peter risked a backward glance. The guard was on his hands and knees, next to the bulky shape on the floor. Peter, his eyes now ful y adjusted to the darkness, recognized it as the canvas-wrapped cargo he’d seen being carried aboard the ship. The guard, his mouth agape, was staring at something above the shape.
    A rat.
    In midair.
    A rat floating in midair.

    Peter blinked his eyes, but there was no question: the rat was suspended in space, as if hanging from a string, but there was no string. As Peter and the guard stared at the rat, it waved its legs slowly, almost languidly, as if swimming, and began to drift toward the doorway, toward Peter.

    Peter knew he should run, but could not move his legs, could not take his eyes off the airborne rodent now coming through the doorway. When it was about two feet away it seemed to notice him and, moving its right feet in a paddling motion, altered its course to the left, so as to just miss Peter’s head. Riveted to the spot, Peter watched it come, swiveling his head as it drew closer, closer, and …
    Peter jumped as a hand gripped his arm.
    “Peter,” a voice whispered.
    Peter jerked his head around and saw: Mol y.
    Where did she come from? “Mol y,” he said, “what are …”
    “You need to get out of here now