Free Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean Page B

moment, Pan could not think what to say. ‘What would I call you? Great or Mister?’ he asked awkwardly.
    ‘No such formality, sir,’ said the Ravelling Man. ‘And how should I qualify for the title Great while standing beside yourself? My mother named me …’ It took him a moment to recall his first name: perhaps he had not used it in a long time. ‘My mother gave me the name Crichton, but like most things a mother gives, it is not worth the having. Ravello will do admirably, sir.’
    ‘Good,’ said Pan. ‘But we are going exploring, you know. I must warn you: it may get dangerous. Courage is everything.’
    ‘You stole the very words from my heart!’ said the Ravelling Man, with such intensity that the mercury in the ship’s barometer plummeted. ‘Courage is indeed everything .’
    Just then, Starkey wriggled his way out of the paint-locker and peeped nervously over the rail. Seeing him, Peter Pan called sharply: ‘What’s your cargo, Starkey? Cos it’s mine, now!’
    The pirate snorted defiantly. ‘Shan’t tell! Shan’t won’t!’ But as Peter stepped towards him, dagger drawn, the coward fluttered his tattooed fingers in front of his chest and confessed, ‘Silverskins, that’s what! Don’t kill me, Pan! Silverskins!’
    Silverskins. A sleek, glittering word. A word with romance to it. Peter nodded solemnly and tilted his head just a little towards Wendy. Wendy tilted her head towards John, John whispered behind his hand to Slightly, ‘ What’s a silverskin? ’
    Slightly thought it might be the pelt of an ermine; John thought the peel from a silver nutmeg. Wendy thought of barracuda, silverest fish in the sea. The Twins believed it was a pirate term for a piece of money; Tootles that it was a moonbeam reaped with a sickle. Curly thought fairy slaves.
    ‘You are indeed rich, sir,’ said Ravello, his eyes wrinkling with joy. ‘Silverskins, eh?’ So no one confessed that they did not really know, because they did not want to look foolish in front of a grown-up, especially a butler. ‘The question is, sir; how will you share the spoil ? Traditionally (I believe) the captain takes half and divides the rest among his crew.’
       
    That is how it started: the Silverskin War, the Feud of Fair Shares. Before Ravello came along, they would have shared out everything equally. That was how the League of Pan worked: even-stevens. But now Ravello had told them how these things were done.
    So now Peter wanted half.
    Tootles said that, as a Princess, she should have half too.
    Wendy pointed out that, if they were going to start comparing, she was the oldest and she should have half, as well.
    Ravello said: ‘Of course, another way of sharing out the takings is according to rank.’ At which point, the First Sea Lord said that he ought to have twice as much as the Other Sea Lord, and the Mastmaster sneered at the Deckmaster and one got kicked in the ankles. The puppy bit the Best Mate.
    Fireflyer said that he was going next door to count the silverskins.
    John said they should toss for it: when the coin came down heads and he said ‘Heads!’, he claimed that he had won the whole lot.
    Tootles said that the Twins only counted as one member of crew because they did not have separate names. They would have to share their share.
    The Twins said that Tootles could go and boil her head.
    Curly said that, strictly speaking, Peter was not the captain of the Jolly Peter : he had just helped himself to the title and the captain’s quarters.
    Peter retorted that if they threw Curly overboard that would mean more silverskins for everybody.
    In short, things were said that should never have been put into words—terrible things. Wendy told Peter that he was a selfish baby and had not saved the ship at all. Peter told Wendy that girls did not count as crew, because they were good for nothing. Tootles tried to punch Peter on the nose for that, but missed. Peter grew pompous, then, and said, ‘I alone shall decide