their eyes. Reynie had never been on a roller coaster, but he imagined it felt much like this. In fact, he was trying to pretend he
was
on a roller coaster — a very safe, properly maintenanced roller coaster that stood no chance of crashing — when Kate spoke into his ear. “Reynie, did you know the ship was headed to Portugal?”
Reynie nodded, keeping his eyes tightly shut. “Port of Lisbon,” he said, then flinched as he heard something whoosh by overhead, followed by a loud crash and the sound of someone cursing.
“Well, I didn’t read that part,” Kate said. “Don’t you think we ought to take a plane instead? We can figure out a way to pay for the tickets — I know you can, at least — and we’ll get there much faster.”
“We don’t know whether Lisbon’s even important,” Reynie pointed out. “Mr. Benedict said to take the
Shortcut
— he didn’t say anything about Lisbon. For all we know the next clue may be hidden on the ship, or it may be revealed to us only at sea.”
“Gosh, that’s true. I guess —” Just then the cart jounced over a bump, and Kate’s head knocked sharply against Reynie’s.
“What’s that?” Cannonball shouted when he heard them cry out. “Say something?”
Kate and Reynie were grabbing their heads, in too much pain to answer, but Constance called out that she would very much like to know where Portugal was.
The sailor laughed and cupped his hand to his ear. “Sorry, it sounded like you asked me where Portugal was!”
Now everyone was looking at Constance, who made a face and said, “Well? Is anyone going to tell me?”
“The other side of the ocean,” said Sticky. He was holding onto the cart with one hand and keeping his spectacles on his nose with the other, and he looked rather unwell.
“I know
that
much,” Constance snapped. “Fine, don’t tell me. Why would I want to know?”
“Here we are!” Cannonball announced. The cart skidded to a stop at the bottom of a gangway. “Everybody out!”
The children piled out of the cart. Cannonball allowed them a moment to stare up in awe. Like any ship, the
Shortcut
was daunting when seen from below. Nor was its size an illusion, for the ship was longer than two football fields and taller than Stonetown City Hall.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Cannonball said, gazing up admiringly. “First of her kind, fastest cargo ship in the world! By far! Special hull design! Special jet propulsion system! Believe it or not, kids, in calm seas she can reach —”
“Upwards of sixty knots,” Sticky said. “She’s expected to cross the Atlantic in just two days, right?”
Cannonball snapped his fingers and pointed them at Sticky. “Exactly right!
Exactly
right!” He grabbed Sticky and hugged him roughly, then just as quickly set him aside. “Love a boy who knows his ships! Now let’s go, everyone! Let’s go!”
And with that, Cannonball set his cap on Sticky’s head and charged up the gangway.
“I like this guy,” Kate said.
Reynie wasn’t surprised. After all, Cannonball was a lot like Kate.
“We’re all loaded up!” Cannonball called over his shoulder. “Just taking care of last minute details! Oh, speaking of which…” He stopped on the gangway and knelt down. When the children caught up, he spoke in such a low voice they strained to hear him. He seemed to have no medium volume.
“Listen here, a lot of bigwig company owners decided they wanted to come aboard at the last minute,” Cannonball whispered. “Top brass. Head honchos.” He puffed out his chest and made a ridiculous face. “Bullfrogs, if you ask me. Captain Noland’s had to make room to accommodate them, so I imagine he’ll be pleased to hear there’s only the four of you.” Cannonball stood abruptly. “Now let’s go!”
The ship’s main deck was every bit as bustling as the docks had been. Dozens of men and women in uniforms hurried in every direction to complete unknown tasks. Cannonball bade the children
was
on a roller coaster — a very safe, properly maintenanced roller coaster that stood no chance of crashing — when Kate spoke into his ear. “Reynie, did you know the ship was headed to Portugal?”
Reynie nodded, keeping his eyes tightly shut. “Port of Lisbon,” he said, then flinched as he heard something whoosh by overhead, followed by a loud crash and the sound of someone cursing.
“Well, I didn’t read that part,” Kate said. “Don’t you think we ought to take a plane instead? We can figure out a way to pay for the tickets — I know you can, at least — and we’ll get there much faster.”
“We don’t know whether Lisbon’s even important,” Reynie pointed out. “Mr. Benedict said to take the
Shortcut
— he didn’t say anything about Lisbon. For all we know the next clue may be hidden on the ship, or it may be revealed to us only at sea.”
“Gosh, that’s true. I guess —” Just then the cart jounced over a bump, and Kate’s head knocked sharply against Reynie’s.
“What’s that?” Cannonball shouted when he heard them cry out. “Say something?”
Kate and Reynie were grabbing their heads, in too much pain to answer, but Constance called out that she would very much like to know where Portugal was.
The sailor laughed and cupped his hand to his ear. “Sorry, it sounded like you asked me where Portugal was!”
Now everyone was looking at Constance, who made a face and said, “Well? Is anyone going to tell me?”
“The other side of the ocean,” said Sticky. He was holding onto the cart with one hand and keeping his spectacles on his nose with the other, and he looked rather unwell.
“I know
that
much,” Constance snapped. “Fine, don’t tell me. Why would I want to know?”
“Here we are!” Cannonball announced. The cart skidded to a stop at the bottom of a gangway. “Everybody out!”
The children piled out of the cart. Cannonball allowed them a moment to stare up in awe. Like any ship, the
Shortcut
was daunting when seen from below. Nor was its size an illusion, for the ship was longer than two football fields and taller than Stonetown City Hall.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Cannonball said, gazing up admiringly. “First of her kind, fastest cargo ship in the world! By far! Special hull design! Special jet propulsion system! Believe it or not, kids, in calm seas she can reach —”
“Upwards of sixty knots,” Sticky said. “She’s expected to cross the Atlantic in just two days, right?”
Cannonball snapped his fingers and pointed them at Sticky. “Exactly right!
Exactly
right!” He grabbed Sticky and hugged him roughly, then just as quickly set him aside. “Love a boy who knows his ships! Now let’s go, everyone! Let’s go!”
And with that, Cannonball set his cap on Sticky’s head and charged up the gangway.
“I like this guy,” Kate said.
Reynie wasn’t surprised. After all, Cannonball was a lot like Kate.
“We’re all loaded up!” Cannonball called over his shoulder. “Just taking care of last minute details! Oh, speaking of which…” He stopped on the gangway and knelt down. When the children caught up, he spoke in such a low voice they strained to hear him. He seemed to have no medium volume.
“Listen here, a lot of bigwig company owners decided they wanted to come aboard at the last minute,” Cannonball whispered. “Top brass. Head honchos.” He puffed out his chest and made a ridiculous face. “Bullfrogs, if you ask me. Captain Noland’s had to make room to accommodate them, so I imagine he’ll be pleased to hear there’s only the four of you.” Cannonball stood abruptly. “Now let’s go!”
The ship’s main deck was every bit as bustling as the docks had been. Dozens of men and women in uniforms hurried in every direction to complete unknown tasks. Cannonball bade the children
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