No, something else is going on.”
“Maybe he’s resting. Or sick. Or pining for the fjords. Or…captured!”
“But by whom? The First were last spotted on the exact opposite end of the island. The L’cki haven’t been heard from in fortnights. The Fangriders of Upper Hillsdale swore they wouldn’t bother with him again until they got their numbers back up. It’s festival season for the Ragnarosti—they make peace with the deuced fairies and have those terrible musical concerts that go on forever. With the stupid flower crowns and ceremonial kombucha. No…it must be a trick. Something he’s planning.
“I know, it’s an ambush!”
He pounded his fists down on the table in realization. But he was smiling.
“Uh, Cap’n… ?” Zane asked, worried.
“Don’t you see? I’ve figured it out. His ambush! I got it! Ha ha! Peter Pan can’t get the best of me!”
“But what do we do then, Cap’n?” the other pirate asked carefully. “Surprise him? Go around the island the other way? Sneak in through the back side of the lagoon? Uh, is there a back side of the lagoon?”
“No, there isn’t, Zane. No…I think I may try something else. Go present your flintlocks to Mr. Smee for inspection and see about making any requests from the artillery storeroom. And I need someone else keeping an eye on the prisoner. Someone a bit more…proactive, and less squeamish. You know who I mean, Zane. The one who was recently reunited with us.”
“Uh, yes, Cap’n. Right away, Cap’n.”
Zane shivered as he escaped the room, but Hook didn’t notice or care. The moment the other pirate was gone he pulled out one of the black leather books obtained from Madam Moreia. Along with theories on how to capture and remove a person’s shadow, there were passages in the book that discussed the connection that remained between them even after the two were separated. The bond between person and shadow was deep and possibly continued through the spirit plane. For if a person was hurt or weakened dramatically—say, an arm cut off—wasn’t it true that the shadow was also affected?
So logically it followed the reverse was true, too. And now that Hook had the Painopticon…
A smile grew on his face, a genuine, devilish one complete with an evil gleam in his eye.
Finally Captain Hook was going to win. Really win against Peter Pan.
And after?
Skull Island.
Tinker Bell performed the fairy call for aid as quickly as she could, just above the tree line at the edge of the forest. Then she zoomed back to where Peter lay talking to himself—and then to her, when he noticed she was back.
“I just can’t wait until the pirates are here, Tink,” he said in a tone only he could master authentically: dreamy and excited at the same time, wistful and full of resolve. “I’ll show Hook. I’ll show that stinky old codfish. This time, I’ll finish him but good, and…ohhh!”
Suddenly he convulsed in pain. He fell, hard, to the sand.
Tinker Bell flew backward up into the air to take him in all at once: Was it a poisonous snake? A spiderphyl? Something else she could beat back with fairy rage?
But…no. She could see nothing.
“Tink? Tink?” Peter cried, squirming and writhing in the dust. His eyes were screwed shut in torment.
She landed on his chest, put a hand on his face.
What? What is it? What hurts?!
He opened his eyes and tried to focus them on her, but they were glazed and unwilling to do his bidding.
“Tink, it burns! It’s like…it’s like something inside of me is being pulled—outside of me. Something is reaching up into me and is pulling my heart into knots…but it’s not my heart…it’s my…I don’t know what it is. Oh, Tink, it feels terrible. I don’t know what it is. I can’t see it. I can’t fight it. Tink! Help me!”
The fairy buzzed back and forth, helpless and angry. She thought about what she had seen on the thysolit thorax, the pirate ship and the cage. Wendy was right: whatever was happening to Peter must have something to do with the shadow. Something Hook was doing to the shadow.
She flew as high into the sky as she could and looked for the pirate ship at sea, Wendy in the jungle. There were no signs of either.
Hurry! she jingled loudly, knowing no one could hear her.
“Tink—where are you? Oh! Please! Tink! Come back!”
She returned to Peter, frustrated and powerless to do anything.
“Don’t leave me, Tink. Wendy and the Lost Boys will be here soon. The Lost Boys will come.