“Where’s Gil?” yelled Uma, trying to be heard above the whistle of the wind.
“I don’t know! He fell over!” cried Harry, as he lunged to grab an oar that had slipped from its hold, before it could be lost to the sea as well.
Without hesitation, Uma jumped off the boat and into the churning water to save Gil.
Harry saw a brown hat bobbing up and down in the froth. “He’s over there!”
“Help!” screamed Gil, scrambling in the waves. “Help!”
Gil went under, and Harry feared the worst—but suddenly, Uma’s turquoise head appeared by his side. Slowly but surely, she swam them back to safety.
When they reached the dinghy, Harry leaned over and hauled them both back aboard. Gil coughed and choked and spewed water all over the deck.
“Ew,” said Uma. “You’re welcome.”
That was too close. They needed to get back to the ship if they were going to survive, so she motioned for the boys to start rowing. Fighting against the thundering waves, the pouring rain, and the howling winds, they finally reached the Lost Revenge, where the other pirates threw a rope ladder down the side.
“Captains first,” Harry said, giving a hand to help Uma climb the rope.
Uma nodded and hoisted herself up. Gil went up next, and Harry last.
The crew was vainly trying to keep the ship upright as it lurched wildly from side to side, at the mercy of the roiling, angry sea. Uma, Harry, and Gil ran to the decks, helping to hold the sail, while trying to stay away from the boom—which was swinging wildly with the wind—as well as all three masts, which were threatening to break and splinter. The storm raged around them, pouring rain all over everyone and everything.
“Let’s get out of here!” yelled Harry. “We need to go back! The storm’s too strong!” He took the wheel of the ship and brought it around, making for the Isle of the Lost.
But as the Lost Revenge reached its destination, the waves pounded against the hull, finally sending the mast crashing onto the deck, and the sails tore as it slammed right against the dock, tearing up the deck plank by plank.
Shipwrecked.
When the storm had passed, and the ship was still, the pirates groaned and assessed the wreckage. It was clear to Harry that the Lost Revenge would never sail again. The damage to the hull was too great.
A fine, light rain continued to fall, adding to the gloom.
Harry sighed and removed his black tricorn hat to squeeze the water from it. But he was too exhausted to be angry, and too relieved to still be alive to feel disappointment.
He looked up to see Uma standing in front of him, a confused and shocked look on her face. “I had it. I saw it, Harry. It was right there. I almost held it in my hands. The necklace worked, and there was this huge surge of magic for a moment—almost as if something had opened a hole in the dome.”
“So what happened?” asked Harry.
“There was someone else there, some kind of magic,” she said. “That’s the only explanation.”
“You’re holding something,” said Harry. “In your hand.”
“I am?” said Uma, wonderingly. She looked down, surprised to find that Harry was right. She was holding on to something she hadn’t noticed in all the commotion.
“Yeah, what’ve you got?” asked Gil.
Uma looked stunned to find she was holding a purple fingerless glove with a dragon symbol embroidered on the kidskin. It could only belong to one person.
“MAL!” Uma raged, when she realized it had been none other than her fiercest rival who had been on that speedboat.
Harry had no idea why or how Mal was there at the same time they were, but there was no denying it. Mal had Triton’s golden trident now, and Uma had nothing but a purple glove.
“MAL! You don’t always get to win!” Uma screamed in fury.
“I think she just did,” said Gil. “Didn’t she?”
“Shut up, Gil,” said Harry, sighing as he put his black tricorn hat back on his head.