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Nicko fell through the door like a sack of potatoes Jenna caught hiht

"Nicko! Oh, Nik - are you okay?"

Gasping like a fish out of water, Nicko nodded "Argheurgh - Jen, what are you doing here?"

Snorri rushed out with a se cat tucked under her ar her arm around him

But Jenna, despite herself, was still worried "Nik," she said, "where&039;s Milo?"

Nicko&039;s ansas lost in the general co, but the bark of a command answered Jenna&039;s question

"Quiet!" came Milo&039;s voice The relieved hubbub ceased The crew - bloodied and unkehtshirts, striped tops, dark blue breeches and soe - fell silent Milo strode out, white-faced, his silk nightgown crue He scanned the narrow, packed corridor, wishing he had his spectacles "Jem!" he called out "Jem, where are you? Did you let us out?"

Jenna -"Jeht of her "Yes, it was me!" she shouted

"Jenna?" Puzzled, Milo looked around The light was dihted bothered hi the corridor and, to his surprise, he also saw - yes, he was sure it was - Septiers of dubious cleanliness Where had they coht of Jenna - pushed into the corner, half hidden by Nicko and a tangle of ropes

"Jenna! But - how did you get here?"

Taking Milo by surprise - and herself too - Jenna rushed forward and flung her arht you wereI ht you were all dead"

"A fewdown at Jenna and so her on the head "However, last year I installed a ventilation system with filters for soned for fifteen people We were struggling in there, I can tell you Now - let&039;s see what those thugs have taken Grabbed what they could and ran for it, I suppose Vicious brutes I would have fought them barehanded but"

"But what?" Jenna snapped She had heard too many stories like this from Milo

"But when they have a knife to someone&039;s throat, what can you do?" said Milo Nicko&039;s hand reached for his neck, and as it did Jenna gliasped "Not you?"

Nicko nodded "Yeah," he said bitterly "Me Again"

Jenna quickly revised her opinion

Milo&039;s thoughts were elsewhere "You," he said to the nearest crewo and fetch Jem I need to knohat he&039;s found down there He&039;s lucky to have o, but Jenna stopped him

"No," she said to Milo "He&039;s not lucky He&039;s dead"

"What?"

"They - those thugs - they killed hih the crew

"Dead?" Milo looked stricken "Dead Sowhere is he?"

"Wewe took him to a rock near the beach We - well, Sep, really - tried to help hi we could do"

"Volunteers to go and bring Jem up," Milo shouted

A forest of hands was raised Milo chose four of his crew - those who did not have any injuries from the Crowes&039; vicious knives - and the party set off quickly down the corridor "The rest of you get yourselves down to the sick bay and sort yourselves out Then up on deck I want this ship fixed and ready to go on the next tide"

"Aye, sir," replied the crew

"Jeood man," said Milo sadly as the crew disappeared around the corner

"A good ood medic, too"

"I could help with that," Septimus said "I know some basic Physik"

Milo, however, was not listening "Co the the corridor in front of him "You&039;ve done very well - defeated those pirates, eh? Noe et ht now"

Jenna was irritated that Milo was ignoring Septimus&039;s offer of help - but it was the way he was shepherding theroup of excitable toddlers that really annoyed her "Well, you can get your hands on the his bluff "They&039;re in the hold"

Milo stopped dead "In the hold?"

Jenna noticed Milo suddenly looked very pale She was not surprised She had known all along that Milo was scared

"Yes," she replied "In the hold"

"With the chest?" whispered Milo "Are they in the hold with the chest?"

"Yes, of course they&039;re in the hold with the chest Sep and Wolf Boy pushed theainst three - they were really brave," said Jenna pointedly, although she didn&039;t mention that they had been invisible at the ti along a passagehich was on the other side of the cargo-hold bulkhead A series of heavy thud s were co from the hold

"How many of them are there?" he whispered

"Three," said Septimus "We pushed in three"

"Sounds like a lot ht now," said Wolf Boy "I suppose it&039;s the echo or so"

Milo looked terrified Jenna felt embarrassed for him - how could he possibly be so scared of three idiots locked in a hold? Worse than that, he was now talking to hi "They cannot knohat it is It is not possible" Milo took a deep breath and appeared to collect his thoughts "I a up on deck," he said

"We must secure the hold Nicko, will you come too? I shall need your help" And with that he rushed off Nicko, pleased to be useful oncethe passageway, his silk nightgown flying, his velvet slippers flapping on the boards like a pair of pigeon&039;s wings "He&039;s crazy," she said

"Well, he&039;s worried, that&039;s for sure," said Wolf Boy

"I think ithere to worry about," said Snorri slowly

"What do youhard to understand at times

"There are ancient spirits on board this ship I feel them now I did not before And Ullr feels the up on end He looked like an orange puffball

Beetle chuckled

"Ullr is not funny," said Snorri reprovingly "Ullr Sees things He Sees that so to help Nicko" Head held high, Snorri stalked off after Nicko

"Oh" Jenna was suddenly thoughtful She had spent so after Ullr and had a lot of respect for the cat While she was quite happy to ignore Snorri, Ullr was a different matter

They turned a corner and found Snorri pushing her way through the crowd outside the sick bay Inside was a scene of utter chaos One of the crew - not much es were flying everywhere and a large bottle of Gentian Violet had spilled, covering everyone in splashes of purple No one seemed to knohat to do

"It&039;s crazy in there," said Septi to help 409 - I could do with someone who knows his potions"

"Okey-dokey," said Wolf Boy with a grin Potions, he could do

"I&039;ll do the bandaging," Lucy offered "I&039;es They&039;re like ribbons, only stretchy"