The Ship of Lost Souls 1 by Rachelle Delaney Page A

another cried. “Still on board the
Dark Ranger
! We ought to go back and rescue him!”
    Jem shook his head. “It’s a nice thought, but—”
    Ronagh Flannigan tugged on his coat sleeve, her green eyes serious. “I’d say it’s more likely they’d torture him till he gave up the secret.”
    Her brother nodded. “Prob’ly hang him from the yardarm.”
    While the pirates chattered on about the possibilities and Jem grew increasingly nauseous, Lucas Lawrence pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He looked slightly smaller than he had in his demonic cloak the previous day, but still towered at least a foot over Jem, who drew himself up as tall as he could and wished, for about the hundredth time, for a bit more height. He also noted that Lucas was missing two teeth and that a pale scar sliced across the right side of his jaw.
    â€œSo what?” Lucas said, looking down at Scarlet. “Now our mission is to rescue some grown-up?” He said
grown-up
as if the word tasted terrible.
    â€œNo.” Scarlet folded her arms across her chest. “Our mission is to find the treasure and help our newest crew member. That’s what we do, Lucas—help children on these islands. That’s the real purpose of the Lost Souls.”
    â€œThat’s not what we’d do if I was in charge,” Lucas grumbled and shoved his big hands into his trouser pockets, where they threatened to rip the seams.
    â€œAnd that’s why you’re not in charge. Scuttles to be you,” Smitty said. “Go on, Scarlet.”
    A flustered look had crossed Scarlet’s face, but she straightened up and cleared her throat. “If Fitz is going to join us in the hunt for the treasure, he has to be initiated.” She turned to Jem. “Ready?”
    â€œUm, all right.” He hoped it wouldn’t involve anything too challenging. Or embarrassing. Once, a new player on the King’s Cross football team was forced to parade around the courtyard in a maid’s flowery apron and head scarf as initiation. Jem had found it funny at the time, laughing with the other boys, but now wished he hadn’t.
    â€œFirst,” Scarlet said, “you must learn the rules of the ship. Swig?” She turned to Tim, who tugged a creased paper out of his pocket and set a pair of spectacles on his nose. Jem immediately recognized them. Just the day before, they had perched, slightly crooked, on the snout of the
Dark Ranger
’s Captain Wallace.
    Tim blinked twice at the paper. “That’s much better!” he said, then he cleared his throat. “The Rules of the Ship. Or, How Not to Get Yourself Marooned on a Deserted Island. Rule Number One: Everyone on board shares equally in all spoils, be it money, food, clothing—”
    â€œSee, on other pirate ships,” Scarlet interjected to explain, “the captain gets one and a half shares, the quartermaster gets one and a quarter, and so on. But fractions aren’t fun for anyone. So on the
Hop
we share everything evenly.”
    Tim, who apparently didn’t care to be interrupted, looked at her disapprovingly over his spectacles. “Rule Number Two: There must be no stealing from other crew members. Anyone who does will get marooned on the Island of Smelly Wild Pigs with only a coconut for company.”
    â€œIt sounds bad,” Scarlet whispered to Jem, “but it’s only for a night.”
    â€œOh.” Jem wasn’t sure what else to say. It still sounded dreadful to him.
    â€œThree: Everyone participates in chores and everyone takes a turn cleaning the long drop.” Tim added, “In theory,” under his breath, with a quick glance at Gil Jenkins.
    â€œI told you, it wasn’t my turn,” Gil whined.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Jem said, feeling sheepish. “Cleaning the what?”
    â€œThe toilet,” Scarlet piped up loudly, turning Jem’s sheepishness