Chapter 29
Ben and Maya woke with a start to the sound of the trapdoor almost being torn off its hinges by the man who had locked them in the ship’s hold the evening before. Blinded by the sudden light, they saw only white rings in front of their eyes.
“Wakey-wakey, little birdies. Rise and shine! The captain wants a few more words with you,” the man bellowed.
Maya crawled out from under the blanket. If her legs hadn’t been chilled to the bone, she might have thought that last night had been a dream. Ben threw on his still-damp clothes in a hurry, while Maya tidied up the blankets as best she could.
The man stood impatiently at the top of the ladder, but without the fur-lined hood and thick scarf. He wore instead a wide-brimmed hat, adorned with a dark brown feather. Although he’d sugg
