Peter and the Starcatchers (44 page)

As the Starcatchers readied the longboat, Leonard Aster thanked Fighting Prawn and the Mol usk tribe for their hospitality.

“You mean,” said Fighting Prawn, “for not kil ing you?”

“Yes,” said Leonard. “It was very gracious of you.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Fighting Prawn.

“Do you,” said Leonard, “I mean, does your tribe, shake hands?”

“No,” said Fighting Prawn. “We kiss on the lips.”

“Oh,” said Leonard, looking very alarmed.

“I’m joking,” said Fighting Prawn, extending his hand, which Leonard took with great relief.

Leonard turned to Peter and the boys, standing on the sand with Alf and Mol y.

“Time to shove off,” Leonard said. “In a week’s time, you’l al be back home safe in England, and this wil be nothing but a dream. Ready, then? Al aboard!” They al moved to the boat—al , that is, save one. Peter remained where he was.

“Peter,” said Mol y. “Are you coming?”

“Yes, Peter,” said James. “Come on!”

“Come along, lad!” said Alf. “We’re goin’ home!”

Peter shook his head.

“I’m not going,” he said.

“What?
” The question erupted almost simultaneously from Leonard, Mol y, Alf, and James. Fighting Prawn stepped closer to Peter, listening.

“I’m staying here,” said Peter.

“But…
why?
” asked Mol y.

“I’ve been thinking about this,” said Peter. “England’s not my home. The closest thing I had to a home there was St. Norbert’s, and I’m not going back there.”

“You don’t have to go back there,” said Leonard. “I told you—you can live with our family. It’s the least we can do—Mol y’s told me al you’ve done to help the St—to help us, the risks you took, not to mention saving her life. And I saw for myself, not two hours ago, your bravery and resourceful’ness, saving the trunk from that pirate.”

“And saving my life,” said Fighting Prawn, softly.

“The point is,” said Leonard, “you have a home with us. You
and
your mates.”

Peter was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath, and spoke.

“That’s very generous, sir,” he said. “I’m sure you have a wonderful home, and part of me”—he glanced at Mol y, then away—“wants very much to say yes. But I can’t.”

“But, Peter,
why?
” said Mol y, her eyes glistening.

“Because I’m not who I was,” said Peter. “I’ve
changed,
Mol y. I can do things now that I couldn’t do before. If I did those things in England, I’d be a
freak,
a circus sideshow. I’d have to hide what I’ve become. Here, on this island, I have the freedom to be who I am.”

“Peter,” said Leonard, “I won’t deny that what you say is true. Mol y and I…al of us”—he gestured to the Starcatchers in the longboat—“must hide who we are. Yes, your situation is a bit different. But it’s not
that
different. You wouldn’t be alone. You would be one of us.”

“Yes, for a while,” said Peter, with a hint of bitterness. “But then you’d move on, wouldn’t you? And if you’re right about me, I wouldn’t. I’d stay the young flying boy, while you went on through your lives, as normal people do.” Peter looked at Mol y, and she saw that his eyes were glistening, too.

Leonard’s response came in a slow and somber voice.

“Peter,” he said, “I feel a great weight of responsibility for this. If not for me—for us—none of this would have happened to you. So I wil ask you, one last time—I
plead
with you

—to please come to England with us, and al ow us to protect you, and care for you.”

“I’m sorry,” said Peter. “No.”

Mol y buried her face in her hands, muffling a sob.

“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered.

In the ensuing silence, James stepped away from the longboat, and went to stand next to Peter.

“If he stays,” said James, “I stay.”

“No, James!” said Peter. “You don’t understand. I’ve changed! You can go back to England and…”

“…and be an orphan?” said James. “And go to another school? And never have another chance for an adventure like the one I’ve had here? And leave my best friend in the world behind? No, Peter. I’ve changed, too. And if you stay, I stay.”

“If they stay,” said Prentiss, marching up the sand, “so do I.”

“And I,” said Thomas, marching right behind Prentiss.

“There’l be more food, right?” said Tubby Ted, bringing up the rear.

And now they stood together on the beach, the five boys from St. Norbert’s.

Peter looked at Alf, a hint of a question in his eye.

The big man shook his head.

“Sorry, lad,” he said. “I’m an old man, and I’ve had al the adventures I want to have. I’ve got to go.” He stepped forward, opening his arms. Peter ran to him and was swept up in a powerful bear hug. They stood there for a moment, Peter’s feet dangling, his face buried in Alf’s shoulder. Then the big man set him down, and they turned away from each other, tears streaming down their faces.

“Wel , then,” said Leonard, finding his own throat surprisingly tight. “I suppose I can’t
force
you boys to come back with us. Or, rather, I
could,
but given what Peter has done for us, it wouldn’t be right. So I wil not stand in your way, Peter. But what about our hosts? This is their island, after al ….” Al eyes turned to Fighting Prawn.

“The boy saved my life,” said the old man. “He is welcome here, and so are his friends. They have the protection of the Mol usk people for as long as they choose to remain.”

“Thank you,” said Peter.

“Yes,” said Leonard. “My thanks as wel . But Peter, I hope you understand there are grave dangers on this island. The pirates are loose, and if Black Stache survives the wound you inflicted on him, he wil want your blood, and wil stop at nothing to spil it.”

“I know that,” said Peter, touching the knife in his belt. “I’l be ready.”

“There’s also that enormous crocodile,” said Leonard, “and other deadly beasts, I’m sure. And who knows what other dangers.”

“I’m not afraid,” said Peter.

“No, I can see you’re not,” said Leonard. “You’re a very brave young man. Perhaps a bit too brave for your own good. So if we’re going to have to leave you—and it appears we are—I’m going to leave something with you, for your protection.”

“What do you mean?” said Peter.

“Give me a moment, and I’l show you,” said Leonard. To Fighting Prawn, he said, “Would it be difficult for one of your people to bring me a bird?”

“A bird?” said Fighting Prawn.

“Yes,” said Leonard. “Can your people catch me one? Alive?”

“Of course,” said Fighting Prawn. “The Mol usks are great hunters.” He turned to his tribespeople and grunt-clicked a brief message; instantly, a half-dozen young men darted into the jungle.

“They wil not be long,” said Fighting Prawn.

“Excel ent,” said Leonard. “Now, Peter, if you’l just give me a few minutes…”

Leonard climbed into the longboat and conferred in a low voice with two of the Starcatchers. They quickly donned their gold protective costumes, then went to the wooden trunk and, with great care, opened the lid, then busied themselves doing something with the box inside.

In five minutes they were done; they closed the trunk lid, and handed a smal golden sack and another smal object to Leonard. Leonard put the sack into his coat pocket, and carried the other in his hand back to the beach.

“Al right, Peter,” he said. “First, I’m going to give you this.” He stretched out his hand; in it was a Starcatcher locket, a gleaming orb on a golden chain.

“But, why?” said Peter. “I mean, since I’ve changed, I can fly without…”

“You can fly, yes,” said Leonard. “But you may wel need starstuff some day, especial y its healing powers.” He fastened the locket around Peter’s neck. “Keep it with you always, and use it wisely,” he said.

“I wil ,” said Peter, his hand touching the chain.

“And now,” said Leonard, looking around, “we need the…Ah, here they are.”

The young Mol usk hunters were returning from the jungle, trotting down the beach, the one in front proudly holding something in his upraised hand. As he drew near, Peter saw that it was a bird, smal but extraordinarily beautiful, its body and wings a startling emerald green, its delicate, darting head a bril iant summer-daisy yel ow.

“Perfect!” said Leonard. “If I may. . .” He held out his left hand, and the hunter gently placed the bird on his palm. Leonard gently curled his fingers around the delicate creature.

With his right hand, he reached into his coat pocket and pul ed out the golden sack. He loosened the drawstring, careful y placed the bird inside, then pul ed the drawstring tight again, and let the sack rest on his palm.

For a ful minute, nothing happened. Everyone—Starcatchers, Mol usks, and boys—stared at the sack, waiting.

And then they heard it.

“Bel s!” said Alf. “It’s the bel s!”

It was coming from the sack, but it felt as though it was in the air al around them: a lovely, delicate tinkling sound, a happy sound, a
mischievous
sound…

And Peter understood it.
He stared at the sack, his eyes wide.

“That’s right,” said Leonard, smiling. “She’s talking to you.”

“But…
who
is?” said Peter.

“She is,” said Leonard, as he loosened the drawstring and pul ed the golden sack down. And there, standing on Leonard’s palm, looking directly at Peter, oblivious to the gasps of the boys, and the shouts of the Mol usks, was…

“It’s a
fairy,
” said Peter.

“Yes,” said Leonard. “Or at least that’s the name that’s been given to these creatures. So we’l cal her that, Peter. She’s your fairy, and she’l watch over you.” The fairy, in a shimmer of gold, sprang from Leonard’s hand and darted to Peter, flitting around his head, fil ing his ears with her magical bel sounds.

“Those are my friends,” Peter said.

“Who’re you talking to?” said James.

“The fairy!” said Peter. “Don’t you hear her talking?”

“No,” said James. “Just the bel s.”

The fairy darted over to Mol y, circled her twice, and darted back to Peter.

“Yes,” said Peter, “that’s Mol y.”

More bel sounds.

“No she’s not!” said Peter.

“What did she cal me?” said Mol y.

“Err, nothing,” said Peter.

Leonard laughed. “Looks like you’ve got a jealous fairy,” he said. “She’l be a handful, that one. But she’l watch over you, Peter; that’s her job.”

“Thank you,” said Peter, not entirely certain that he wanted a fairy.

“Al right, then,” said Leonard. “We’ve got to get back to the ship.” Solemn now, he put out his hand to Peter, and Peter shook it.

“Good-bye, Peter,” Leonard said. “Thank you for al you’ve done, and be careful.”

“Yes, sir,” said Peter. “I wil .”

Leonard turned and got into the longboat. Alf was already seated with the rest of the Starcatchers. Only Mol y remained on the sand. Peter took a step toward her, and she toward him. The other boys stepped away, giving them a place to converse in private.

“Good-bye, Peter,” Mol y said. “Thank you for al you did for m…for us.”

“Good-bye, Mol y,” said Peter.

They looked at each other for a few moments, both trying to think of something to say, both failing. Then Mol y began to turn.

“Wait,” said Peter.

Mol y turned back, her eyes questioning.

“Maybe…” said Peter, and he stopped.

“Maybe what?” said Mol y.

“Maybe, I was thinking, since I can fly,” said Peter, “maybe I could come to see you some time, in England. I could fly there!” Mol y smiled. “That would be nice, Peter. That would be lovely.”

Another few moments passed.

“I suppose it wil have to be soon,” said Peter. “Because you’re going to be getting older, and I guess I’m…not.”

“Yes,” said Mol y, fighting to keep her smile. “I suppose that’s so.”

“Wel , then,” said Peter.

“Yes,” said Mol y.

And then, because he didn’t want her to see him cry, Peter turned away, and so Mol y turned away. She had taken two steps toward the longboat when she felt his hand on her shoulder, and she turned, and he held her, then, and she held him, just for a moment, the last moment they would ever have when they were both the same age.