The Secret King

Missing Friends

By the time Chumley and Thoris reached World's End, Egbert, Wilbur, Zian, Winky and Groggs had been missing several days and their prospects seemed grim. The news of their disappearance was a sad shock to the normally garrulous rat and his portly weasel companion. Chumley was determined to find his friends and used his position as Governor Emeritus to establish a quick investigation as to the circumstances of the disappearance. When Zian's boat, the Lily, was found adrift and empty on the northern side of the peninsula outside the bay, hope for his friends survival faded quickly.

That evening, Chumley and Thoris ate a sullen dinner in The Drunken Crab. Chumley looked up at his friend.
"Ah can't believe Egg and Wilbu' are lost. Willy's too good a sailor, ain't 'e?"

"Good thailorth drown too," Thoris said sadly.

"Still, ah mahght be inclined to agree with ya if'n they didn't find the boat. Ah just can't see him fallin' off the boat, can ah? It just don't feel right, does it?"

Thoris perked up a little.
"No it doethn't, you're right. Leth finish dinner and thtart over. We won't quit till we know for sure, one way or another."

Chumley reached out and clapped Thoris on the shoulder.
"Right you are my friend. Let's not assume the worst. We'll retrace their steps, we will."

As Chumley finished speaking, a grizzled old fishing rat reached out from the neighboring table and placed his paw on Chumley's shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt, my lords."

Chumley turned toward the old man and chuckled.
"Ain't no lords here, old timer. What can ah do for you?"

"I seen your friends, dey was'n' alone."

Chumley became serious.
"What did you see?"

"I seen 'em twice. Here in da bar, da night before dey went missin' and then helpin' out da Scratchbacks on da outer reef."

"Whath a Thcrathback?" Thoris asked.

"Dey's a family what pretends to be pirates. We all know dey ain't, be we humors dem 'cause dey're a nice sort, friendly and such."

"How were my friends helpin' 'em out?" Chumley asked with hopeful intensity.

"Da Scratchback clan ran aground on da reef and your buddies was givin' dem a lift."

Thoris looked up.
"Where do theeth Thcrathback live?" he asked.

The old fisherman leaned over the table.
"Dey gots demselves a fine ship around da point, da  Rose  I think she's called."

"Could our friends be there?" Chumley asked hopefully.

The old rat turned back towards his table and addressed an equally grizzled stoat who sat drinking a flagon of frothy ale.
"Hey Sully, you seen da Scratchback ship when you was tendin' your traps?" He inquired of his companion.

The stoat grinned a snaggle-toothed grin.
"Da pirates?" he laughed, "I think deyse gone. I seen 'em last week, traded 'em some crabs for a nice oyster knife."

"Gone?" Thoris asked.

The stoat chuckled again.
"Yeah, t'aint like dey was anchored, da boat was stuck in some rocks. I'm guessin' dat storm lifted 'em off'n da rocks and dey drifted off."

Chumley broke out into a wide grin.
"That's it!" He exclaimed, "They 'elped these Scratchbacks and were on the ship in the storm, weren't they?"

The fisher-rat shook his head.
"I wouldn't be too happy if'n I was you. If dey was on da ship in da storm, you ain't gonna see them no more."

"What do you mean?" Thoris demanded.