The Last of the Sky Pirates (44 page)

Wumeru clapped her arm around his shoulder and squeezed warmly. ‘Wuh-wuh,’ she said.
Wumeru is truly sorry
.

Rook sniffed, and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Captain Twig was gone. For ever.

He turned back to where Cowlquape, Weeg and Molleen stood waiting. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘the librarian
scholars will welcome us in the sewers. I know the way.’

He looked back at the Edge one last time, standing silently for a moment, and was about to turn away when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Something huge. Something flapping … He squinted into the misty distance. It was a bird. A magnificent black and white bird with vast wings and a long, spreading tail.

‘What’s that?’ Rook breathed.

‘Why it’s a caterbird,’ said Cowlquape. ‘I do believe it’s a caterbird!’

‘It’s magnificent,’ said Rook. ‘But wait … What’s it got in its claws? Look!’ He pointed at the small bundle clutched tightly in the enormous creature’s great curved talons.

Cowlquape gasped. ‘Of course – it has to be! I should have known at once!’ He laughed joyfully and clapped his hands. ‘It is
the
caterbird. The one whose hatching Twig was present at when he was a lad. The one who has watched over him ever since!’

Rook stared, wide-eyed. ‘I wonder where it’s taking him.’

Cowlquape shook his head. ‘That I couldn’t tell you, young librarian.’

The caterbird, with its precious load swinging below its great body, had wheeled round in the sky and was heading towards the Deepwoods. Suddenly Twig’s words came back to Rook – about his quest; his endless, futile quest to return to his waiting crew.

‘There’s only one place it could be taking him,’ he said, his heart soaring. ‘To Riverrise.’

he old nightmare was back. The baying whitecollar woodwolves, their eyes flashing, their teeth bared and fur bristling. His father shouting, his mother screaming. Running … Running … Got to escape the wolves … Got to shake off the slave-takers …

Now he was alone, lost and wandering through the dark, menacing forest. Eyes glinted at him from the shadows. Growls, grunts and bloodthirsty cries echoed in the darkness. All at once he heard something else. Something close by – and coming closer, closer.

He looked up. A massive creature was looming towards him … But wait … Shouldn’t he wake up now, just as he always did?

This time, however, was different. This time the creature continued inexorably towards him. He could hear its footfall, feel its hot, moist breath in his face. Sobbing loudly, knowing there was no escape, Rook reached out with his hand – into the darkness, into the unknown.

His fingers brushed against thick, warm fur. His heart pounded; his legs went weak. The sound of low, lulling grunts whispered into his ear as he was swept up off the ground and enfolded in the creature’s huge, but gentle arms.

They smelt mossy. They cuddled him warmly tenderly. Cradling him. Protecting him. Rook had never felt so safe or known so much comfort …

‘Rook, are you awake?’

Rook’s eyes opened. He knew that voice. He looked round the small, cosy room. The ornate oil lamp on the writing desk was still burning, casting a soft amber glow into every corner of the room and spilling out across his treatise-journal which lay open on the desk beneath it – and beside his bed sat Varis Lodd.

‘I heard of your brave deeds from the Professor of Darkness the moment I arrived from the Free Glades,’ she said. ‘All Undertown is talking of it!’ She paused. ‘But what is it? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘Not a ghost,’ said Rook. ‘A dream. I had a dream. A dream I’ve had many times before, only this time … Varis, when you rescued me as a child, do you remember where exactly you found me?’

‘Found you?’ said Varis.

‘In the Deepwoods,’ he said. ‘What happened? You’ve never really said—’

‘You mean you don’t know?’ said Varis. ‘I had no idea. I thought they would have told you. Your parents, they were taken by slavers. You escaped. Earth and Sky know how. And then … Oh, Rook, it was miraculous! I found you, all healthy and plump, tucked up asleep in a nest of woven grass—’

Rook stared at her. ‘A nest?’

‘That’s right,’ said Varis, nodding. ‘An abandoned banderbear nest, though how you got there, I’ve no idea.’

Rook trembled as the memories came flooding back; the huge, enfolding arms, the warm breath, the thick fur, the steady thud of a heart beating next to his. Safe, protected, watched over, in the vast depths of the endless Deepwoods.

‘I know how I got there,’ said Rook, with a smile. ‘I know.’

Praise from readers of
The Edge Chronicles:
‘I enjoy your books because what you think is going to happen never does’
Matthew, Durham

‘I absolutely LOVE your books,
The Edge Chronicles
!!! … My teacher read one
of them, and my class wanted her to read it all the time!’
Megan, Cheltenham

‘My friends and I have chosen you as our favourite author as we all think
your books are amazing because there are cliffhangers at the end of every
paragraph so you just have to carry on reading. We think the creatures and
characters are fascinating’
Yasha, Hove

‘I find these books truly remarkable … the characters’ situations
are believable and very tear-jerking; it is sometimes funny, sad, happy
and scary’
James, Enfield

‘I love your books and I can’t live without them and I’ve read them all. I
went off reading because there weren’t any good books left, because of your
books I read a lot more’
Adele, London

‘The Curse of the Gloamglozer
was brilliant … for sky’s sake KEEP WRITING
… I’m trying to get as many people as I can to read your books because I
want everybody to know how good your books are’
Frederick, Reigate

‘I am a great fan of your books, I have got every single one. I have read
Beyond the Deepwoods
five times,
Stormchaser
five times,
Midnight Over
Sanctaphrax
three times and I have read
The Curse of the Gloamglozer
twice. I
think the best is
Stormchaser
as you have packed so much information and description into so little space … I think Chris Riddell’s drawings are absolutely fantastic … you and Chris make an excellent pair’
Jake, Grantham

‘Your books are a lifeline to me. They help me escape the world around me
and enable me to express my true feelings like never before. They make me
feel confident and encourage me in times of need. My friend tells me that
you’re writing a new book, I can’t wait! My favourite book is
The Curse of the
Gloamglozer
. I love the way that everything is so detailed and “not as it
seems”’
Jack, Carlisle

‘Your books have kept me on the edge of my seat every time I have read them
… Please publish another book, my life depends on it!!!’
Jacob, Canterbury

‘I enjoy your books so much I couldn’t stop reading them. I am dyslexic so it
makes it harder for me to read but as soon as I started to read
your books my reading got better. Please bring out a sixth book’
Anastasia, Hemyock, Devon

‘I recently finished
The Curse of the Gloamglozer
(it took me three days to
read) and once again you have produced a book of brilliance’
Alex, London

‘When I finished your last
Edge Chronicle
I felt like I was losing a million
good friends’
Sophie, Sevenoaks

‘Midnight over Sanctaphrax
is so cool!! It is so much better than Harry Potter.
My class teacher is reading
Beyond the Deepwoods
and that is better than any
other fantasy book’
Matthew, Peterborough

‘It’s rare to find a book so rich in ideas, beautifully written and yet so accessible to young children, so
thank you!’
Teacher in Brighton

‘The reason I love your books is because I love horrible creatures … and
because I’m very good at imagining strange and hideous things just like you
… [Chris Riddell’s] pictures are so incredible, so detailed, I’d never
understand quite what the Edge looked like without them’
William, London

‘I was searching for imagination, adventure, mystery and magic and I found
your books … How in sky’s name did you come up with such a wonderful
place … your books are all I can think about’
Roberta, Guernsey

‘I have read all of your
Edge Chronicles
and they are five of the best books I
have ever read! Chris Riddell’s pictures of the characters were so much like I
imagined them to be’
Violet, Potters Bar

‘Your books just capture my imagination and take me straight into their world. The pictures make the book even better!’
Leah, Crawley
‘I have read all of the
Edge Chronicles
… my personal favourites are
The Curse
of the Gloamglozer
and
Midnight over Sanctaphrax
. And I think they are
fantastic, a lot better than Harry Potter, because Harry always gets out of
awkward situations by using magic, which I think is a bit phoney and
boring, whereas your books are always exciting, and you never know what’s
going to happen next, and Twig and Quint never seem to get out of hard
situations, which is great. You should bring out
The Last of the Sky Pirates
soon because I am eager to read it’
Joe, Hallaton, Leics