Chapter 9.
The Mermaid Lagoon.
Wendy probably should have woken the children at once, but she was a young mother and it had not yet been half an hour since they had eaten.
Even when she heard the sound of muffled oars, she did not wake them, although she was so scared that her heart seemed to leap into her throat.
Instead, she stood guard over them while they digested.
Peter, however, who was snoozing on the rock as well, could smell danger even in his sleep.
At the sound of the oars, he jumped to his feet as alert as a dog and quickly roped the boys.
Pirates, he whispered, just that one awful word.
The others huddled close around him.
Dive, he cried.
Now!
There was a flash of legs, and all of the boys were in the water.
They hid as best they could while the pirate dinghy pulled up to the rock they had just been sitting on.
In the boat were Smee and Starkey, and their captive, the Indian princess, Tiger Lee.
The pirates had caught her trying to sneak aboard their ship with a knife and had tied her hands and ankles.
They were going to leave Tiger Lily on the rock to drown when the tide came up and covered it.
She did not beg.
A true princess, she sat up straight and stared proudly ahead.
In her dark, watery hiding spot, Wendy cried.
She had never witnessed such cruelty or bravery.
Peter had seen plenty of both and was not particularly moved.
What he did hate, however, was unfairness, and this was two against one.
It would have been easy for him to wait until the pirates were gone to rescue Tiger Lily, but Peter never chose the easy way out.
"'Ahoy there, you rascals!' he cried out in his best imitation of Captain Hook's voice.
"'Captain!' the two pirates called back, squinting into the darkness.
He must be swimming out to us, Starkey said.
We're putting Tiger Lily onto the rock, Smee called.
Set her free immediately, was the surprising answer, or I'll plunge my hook into you both.
The command made no sense to the pirates, but they were afraid to disobey their captain.
They cut Tiger Lily's cords, and with one last look, she slid into the water like a graceful eel.
"'Boat, ahoy!'
Hook yelled suddenly, only this time it was the real Hook, who was apparently also in the water and swimming toward the boat.'
Wendy and Peter watched from the dark water as Hook used his metal claw to grip the side of the boat and pull himself aboard.
From the light of the pirate's lantern, Wendy could see his roughly handsome face.
She wanted desperately to swim away, but Peter signaled for her to stay put.
Once on board, Hook sat with his head in his hands, groaning in extreme frustration.
Captain, what's wrong?
Smee asked.
It's over, Hook said, sighing.
The lost boys have found a mother.
Wendy puffed up with pride, floating now a little higher.
Oh, evil day, Starkey said.
What's a mother? asked Smee.
Just then, the nest belonging to the Neverbird floated by with the Motherbird still sitting on it.
That is a mother, and a good example of one at that, Hook told Smee.
Her nest fell into the water, but has she deserted her eggs?
No.
There was a break in Hook's voice, as if for one moment he was recalling his childhood and his own mother, but he brushed away this weakness and what might have been a small tear with his hook.
"'Captain, I propose we kidnap the boy's mother and make her our own,' Smee suggested.
Yes, Hook said.
We will capture the boys and make them walk the plank.
Then we will keep their mother.
Smee and Starkey cheered.
Wait, Hook said, suddenly remembering Tiger Lily.
Where's the princess?
We let her go, Smee replied.
Why, Hook demanded.
Why, you told us to.
Smee stammered.
I heard you too, Captain, Starkey said.
What kind of trickery is going on here, thundered Hook.
I gave no such order.
He looked around and shivered.
Dark spirit that haunts the lagoon tonight, he called out.
Do you hear me?
I hear you, Peter replied in Hook's own voice.
Hook was brave, but Smee and Starkey hugged each other, shaking.
Who are you?
Hook called out.
I am James Hook, replied the voice.
Captain of the Jolly Roger.
No, you aren't, Hook screamed angrily.
Yes, I am, the voice insisted.
If you are Hook, Hook said, trying to sound friendly, then who am I?
You are a codfish.
Peter said promptly.
Smee and Starkey were slightly stupid and proud, a bad combination.
A codfish, they muttered.
Have we been taking orders all this time from a mere fish?
Hook barely heard them.
It was not their lack of faith in him that most bothered him, but suddenly his lack of faith in himself.
He felt his ego slipping away from him.
Don't desert me.
He whispered to it hoarsely.
Hook hook asked cleverly do you have another voice?
Peter could never resist a game, so he answered in his own voice i do, and another name?
Yes.
Are you an animal, a vegetable or a mineral?
Yes, no and no.
Peter replied.
Are you a man?
Hook tried next.
No, Peter practically spit.
A boy then.
Yes, an ordinary boy.
Wendy wanted to play too.
He is a wonderful boy, she shouted out giggling.
Hook was stumped.
"'You can't guess!
You can't guess!'
Peter bragged.
"'Give up?'
In Peter's pride, the pirates saw their chance.
"'Yes!
We give up!' they cried.
"'Tell us who you are!'
"'I'm Peter Pan!'
Peter yelled out, laughing.
Instantly, Hook was himself once more, and Smee and Starkey his faithful crew.
Get him, Hook roared, dead or alive.
Quickly, Peter whistled for his own crew.
The lost boys were resting in various parts of the lagoon.
We're coming, Peter, they cried.
The fight was short but sharp.
Swords flew in the water and air, followed by many wheezes and whoops and wails as the two pirates and the lost boys clashed.
Hook and Peter had their own private battle to fight.
They met not in the water, but on the rock which they both coincidentally climbed at the same time from opposite sides.
It was so dark that they didn't see each other until they were almost in the middle, nose to nose.
Peter grabbed a knife from Hook's belt and was about to finish him off when he noticed that he was higher up on the rock than Hook.
This would not have been fighting fair, so Peter offered Hook a hand to hoist himself up.
Hook was not a similar fan of fighting fair.
He leaned over and bit Peter in response.
It was not the pain of the bite, but the pain and the surprise of the unfairness that dazed Peter, making him quite helpless.
All children are affected like this the first time they realize the world is unfair.
People had been unfair to Peter before, but he had always forgotten it, and so he reacted as if it were the first time.
Hook clawed Peter twice with his hook and might have finished him off, had he not just then heard a ticking.
Instead, Hook slid immediately into the water, swimming madly for his ship.
