Captain Kittyhawk & The Cloud Wars

Chapter 9/Kitty's number one worst thing to happen to her

At this point Fox pulled one of the bar levers towards him. The O in the floor then opened, it was a trap door and both Kitty and Trixie slid down. A second later they fell into sea water. Trixie was a good swimmer and manager to go to the surface. She looked around, they were under the bar which was built on a pier over the water. Kitty came up and was thrashing wildly around. Suddenly another splash happened and Fox ended up in the water next to them. He grabbed Kitty and punched her in the face.

'That felt good, I've been wanting to do that for ages.' he said 'can you swim?'

'No I'm just doing a watlz' said Trixie obviously she could swim.

'Good you get over there and I'll bring her'

Trixie swam as fast as she could towards a platform in the water. Fox grabbed the now unconscious Kitty and pulled her towards the platform and pulled her up.

'You waltz pretty well for a kid' said Fox Oswald. He put Kitty over his shoulder and started to carry her along.

'I use that O to sweep the trash out at night' never thought I would be using myself' said Fox.

The climbed some steps and rushed into a near by hotel. He waved at the clerk at the hotel entrance who seemed to know Fox Oswald. The clerk went back to his business and was strangely normal as if Fox often walked around with wet child and a strange cat women over his shoulder every day.

They went up to a room and Fox dropped Kitty onto the bed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stuffed wallet.

'Here is five hundred kid. Don't worry I'm covering this from my fee, just give me what you don't spend on essentials back. Get some clothes and things to take with you. I'm going to get the plane ready. When she wakes up tell her to be at pier twenty three at sundown. Don't write it down ,if you get caught, I don't want to get caught as well.Can you remember that it's important.'

Trixie nodded.

'Won't the Kingdoms troops be after us?' said Trixie.

'No they made the mistake of pointing a gun at James' my guess is he will have them kicked off the island, but they will go over the horizon and then wait for us to leave. Hence the leave at sun sent part. Now remember if you're not there then I'm going any way and I still expect my money. You tell her that. See you later Kitten'

'Trixie'

'What ever'

With that Fox Oswald left.

It was about ten minutes later that Kitty woke up.

'What' hit me' said Kitty as she came too.

'Fox Oswald' said Trixie 'he said you deserved it for shooting down his plane'

'Well I guess I deserved that' said Kitty feeling her jaw. She looked in the mirror. 'Well the good thing about fur for a face is you don't show any bruises'

'He left this' said Trixie handing over the money.

Kitty looked at the money

'Five hundred is pretty round. how much did you skim off'

'Nothing'

'Nothing? Fox Oswald gives you five hundred and you don't keep back any for your self. You've got a lot to learn about this pirating business.'

'Well perhaps that's because I'm not a pirate, I'm a child' said Trixie looking out of the hotel bed room.

'That's probably just as well as honest pirate is about as common as a reliable .

Kitty decided to spend all of Fox Oswald's money and give him just a penny back. Unfortunately 500 doubloon buys a lot of nice things on Mountsorrel. Kitty as usual had a plan. They left the hotel and went up the hill. Eventually they reached a place were the street manage to straighten its self out.

'Welcome to Fire Street' began Kitty as they entered the street packed with shops. There was every conceivable type of shop, shops which sold pirate clothes, shops which sold parts for planes. Workshops were you could buy the latest planes. Shops selling maps of the islands down to the last detail.

'I'm hungry' announced Kitty.

'Me too' said Trixie.

'Well let's have breakfast in one eyed Jacks' said Kitty making her way to the seats outside a cafe. They were both very hungry and when the waiter came over he had a broad smile for Kitty. 'Captain Kittyhawk' it's a pleasure to see you. ' said the waiter holding a menu.

'last time I forgot to give you this' said Kitty giving the waiter ten doubleness. The waiter looked very pleased.

'Kitty it is always a pleasure to serve you. In this case I get you the best menus' he hid the menu he was about to give her and produced a huge menu in its place. Kitty and Trixie were very hungry and ordered everything they liked the look of. Trixie had three buttered croissants, a toasted muffin, a crumpet with jam, a large glass of orange juice, a toasted tea cake, a thin pancake filled with chocolate. Breakfast was a long slow affair with many people in flying helmets coming up and talking to Kitty.

'I heard you had been caught by the Kingdom' one would say.

'I was but there isn't an ship built which could hold me. This time I was trapped on a ship with only a gun and one bullet to get me to freedom.' each time Kitty told the story it became bigger and more exciting. It was clear Kitty knew a lot of people, not all of them looked very friendly but they seemed alright talking to her. The story got longer and more elaborate every time Kitty told it. In the end Kitty seemed to have fought off the entire Kingdom single handedly.

After breakfast Kitty took Trixie round all the shops. There were many shops Dr Kettle's flying jackets which sold the warmest flying clothes imaginable. Humblat's instruments and gauges purveyors of the finest dials. They bought warm boots from Mirrable and Son's, Kitty insisted on getting a pick axe from Conroy's hardware shop. While walking round the shop Kitty discover a folding pick and an shovel she thought would come in very useful. They bought guns from Maxim's machine guns. A wonderfully decorated map of the Island sea from Mecator's maps. Bags from Madam Harvery's bags for all occasions. Trixie couldn't help but get the feeling that she was being watched from the shadows. She kept feeling there was somebody out there. The day became a dizzy roundabout of one shop after another. Finally Kitty had insisted on buying Trixie and herself a watch.

'Now you look like a proper pilot' said Kitty.

Trixie looked at the time 'when is sunset?' she asked.

'it started five minutes ago said the shopkeeper'

Trixie was shocked 'we should have been at the pier by now!'

'Why didn't you say' said Kitty.

They ran out of the shop with the shopkeeper shouting at them for payment. Kitty through what remained of the her purse at him. She grabbed Trixie by the hand and run through the narrow streets.

'what pier was it' said Kitty panting.

'Oh I can't remember' said Trixie.

They stopped in the middle of a steep cobbled street near a streetlamp. They were both out of breath from the running.

Trixie thought for a minute 'pier 15?'

'let's go' said Kitty.

'no that's not right' said Trixie as they went down a street full of warehouses.'It was 20 something'.

'how can you forget the number it only happened this morning!'

then Trixie remembered.