Treasure Planet: The Real Treasure Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mrs. Hawkins and I went shopping for some clothes suitable for the journey. I didn't want to wear all dresses, but Mrs. Hawkins thought I should have at least one nice thing to wear in case there was something formal on the ship, which I seriously doubted. So we bought a nice light blue dress with three-quarter sleeves and a moderately low V-neck. But the rest of my clothes consisted of white shirts, brown pants, and a pair of black boots. We also bought a light-blue satin nightgown with matching moccasin-like slippers. I thanked her again and again, and promised her I would pay it all back. She smiled and said that wasn’t necessary, but I planned on doing so anyway.

About a week later, we were heading towards the spaceport. I was wearing brown pants tucked into the black boots and a white shirt with slightly puffy sleeves and a V-neck. It reminded me of a pirate's shirt, though much better in quality and more flattering to my figure.

Jim and I hadn't spoken a word to each other since the day we had found the map. I wanted to speak to him, but I figured he was still angry at me. Every once in a while I would catch him looking at me, though he kept his face unreadable so I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

When we stepped off the bus to the spaceport, I gazed around in awe. The bustling spaceport was filled with so many different kinds of people!

"Jim! Raphaelle! Wait for me!" Delbert called from inside the bus.

He stepped out, wearing a ridiculous tan and yellow space-suit. A very pushy two-headed saleswoman had convinced him to buy it while we were waiting for the transport bus back on Montressor. Jim and I both chuckled under our breath.

"Well, this should be a wonderful opportunity for the three of us to get to know one another. You know what they say, familiarity breeds… um, well, contempt, but in our case-"

"Look, let's just find the ship. Okay?" Jim said, walking off the platform.

I hoisted my backpack onto one shoulder and began walking behind Jim. Delbert followed behind us. After getting some directions, we quickly found the ship, the R.L.S. Legacy.

"Whoa," I breathed.

It was the most extraordinary thing I'd ever seen. Jim and I climbed aboard the enormous floating vessel, looking around.

"How cool is this?" he exclaimed.

"Amazing," I answered, my eyes wide with excitement.

Jim was so preoccupied with his surroundings that he accidentally bumped into someone, stepping on them a little bit.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean-"

The crew member made various farting sounds, his snout blowing air at Jim and messing up his hair. He put up his fists like he wanted to fight. Jim was dumbstruck, and I stood there trying to hold in my laughter. The look on his face was hysterical. Lucky for him, Delbert arrived at that moment.

"Allow me to handle this," he said.

Delbert made noises similar to those the crew member had. Jim and I shared a dumbfounded look before staring at the doctor with cocked eyebrows. Oddly enough, the crew member understood him.

"I'm fluent in Flatula," Delbert explained to us. "Took two years of it in high school."

"Flatula? Cool," Jim said, running a hand through his hair to fix it.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head as we followed Delbert. Boys.

"Good morning, Captain. Everything shipshape?" Delbert asked a large man in a fancy red coat and three-cornered hat. He appeared to be made out of stone. He was very intimidating and I felt like hiding from him, but I suppressed the urge and stood up straighter.

The man glanced at us before answering.

"Shipshape it is, sir, but I'm not the captain. The Captain's aloft," he answered, pointing up.

I saw a feline woman making her way down through the shrouds, moving with a grace that no human could ever hope to achieve. After doing a backflip, she landed on deck standing straight up. I was able to get a better look at her.

She was indeed very feline. She had a cat's nose and bright green eyes with cat-like slits for pupils. Her short auburn hair was tucked behind her pointed ears. She wore black pants and a blue captain's waistcoat, and a pair of black thigh-high, high heeled boots.

"Mr. Arrow,” she began, prompting the first mate to stand at attention. “I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and, as usual, it's… spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?" she finished, her voice changing from stern to soft.

"You flatter me, Captain," Mr. Arrow answered, removing his hat in a gesture of thanks.

The Captain turned and saw Delbert. She stared at him curiously for a moment, then smiled mischievously.

"Ah, Dr. Doppler, I presume?” she inquired. Delbert cleared his throat so that he could answer, but she spoke again before he could. “Hello? Can you hear me," she asked, knocking on the helmet of his suit.

"Yes, I can! Stop that banging," he answered, getting flustered. I giggled quietly to myself. He tried to pull the helmet off, put it seemed to be locked in place.

"If I may, Doctor, this works so much better when it's right-way up and plugged in." The Captain adjusted the suit accordingly. Delbert took off his helmet and unplugged the suit.

"If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!" Delbert professed, holding the plug out in front of him. The Captain grabbed his hand and shook it, which sent the plug flying back to its original position at the back of Delbert’s suit.  

"I'm Captain Amelia, late of a few run-ins with the Procyon Armada. Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars. You've met my first officer, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave and true."

"Please, Captain," Mr. Arrow said humbly. I don’t think a rock can blush, even if it is alive, but I’m guessing he would be at the moment, for he seemed to be a bit embarrassed by her flattery.  

"Oh, shut up, Arrow. You know I don't mean a word of it," she teased.

"Ahem, excuse me," Delbert said. "I hate to interrupt this…lovely banter, but may I introduce you to Jim Hawkins and Raphaelle? Jim, you see, is the boy who found the treasure-"

He was cut short by Amelia grabbing his jaw with her hand.

"Doctor, please," she hissed.

She looked around at the crew members who were turning away as she looked towards them.

"I'd like a word with you in my stateroom,” she declared, releasing his face from her iron grip.

She led us to her quarters and secured the door before speaking. She, Arrow, Delbert, Jim and I were the only ones in the room.

"Doctor, to muse and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew demonstrates a level of ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic, and I mean that in a very caring way," Amelia said.

I had to resist the urge to laugh. I turned my head away so that my hair could hide my grin.

"Imbecilic, did you say? Foolishness, I've-" Delbert started, but was interrupted.

"May I see the map, please?" she asked, though she had more of a demanding tone.

Delbert motioned for Jim to hand it over. Jim extracted it from his pocket and tossed it to the Captain.

"Here," he murmured.

Amelia caught the sphere without hesitation and her eyes widened in cat-like curiosity.

"Hmmm… Fascinating!” She glanced back at us sternly before taking the map towards a locked cabinet on the wall. “Mr. Hawkins and Miss…what did you say your name was?" Captain Amelia asked, turning towards me.

I winced at the question.

"Raphaelle," I answered.

"No last name?" she probed.

I shook my head, looking away.

"Hmmm…Mr. Hawkins and Miss Raphaelle, in the future, you will address me as 'Captain' or 'Ma'am'. Is that clear?" As she spoke, she placed the map in the cupboard.

"Yes, Captain," I answered while Jim groaned quietly, rolling his eyes.

"Mr. Hawkins," the captain prompted, her tone indicating that he was walking on thin ice already.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered curtly.

"That'll do. Everyone, this is to be kept under lock and key when not in use,” she instructed, tucking the key to the now locked cabinet in her pocket. “And, Doctor, again, with the greatest possible respect, zip your howling screamer."

"Captain, I can assure you, I-" Delbert was cut off once again, much to his annoyance.

"Let me make this as…monosyllabic as possible. I don't much care for the crew you hired. They're… how did I describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee," Amelia voiced, taking a seat at her large desk.

"A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots, ma'am," Mr. Arrow answered.

"There you go, poetry," she declared, looking rather proud of herself.

I smiled at her statement and Delbert's reaction.

"Now, see here!" Delbert started, slamming his hands down on her desk.

"Doctor, I'd love to chat –tea, cake, the whole shebang –but I have a ship to launch and you've got your outfit to buff up. Mr. Arrow, please escort these three neophytes down to the galley straightaway. Young Hawkins and Raphaelle will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver," Amelia instructed.

Jim, clearly bored by the interaction between Delbert and the Captain, had been playing with a pendulum, but stopped and let it go upon hearing our assignment.

"Wait, what? The cook?” he asked, looking at the Captain, and then at me. He looked shocked, to say the least.

I replied with a shrug, turning to follow Mr. Arrow out the door.