After a moment she points at the waterfall. “I think I know where this is. There’s this waterfall that we call the Vampire because it’s frozen into sharp points like fangs. We’ll head there and maybe I’ll remember more on the way.”

I feel a rush of optimism. Mitch sounds so calm and confident that us beating Crowky to the Box seems like a possibility again. I want to get going straight away. “Whose ship shall we take?” I say.

Mitch laughs. “Well, mine obviously, because yours is rubbish.”

We look over at the Bowt bobbing up and down in the water, its underpants flag flapping in the wind. “I suppose yours is bigger,” admits Rose.

“And it hasn’t got a face,” says Mitch. “But I’m afraid we’re going to have to do a bit of pillaging before we set sail. It’s nothing personal, just how us pirates do things: we nick stuff, then share it out.” With a loud bellow she gives an order that makes her crew of orangutans drop what they’re doing and go leaping across the net to the Bowt.

“Can I go and get some candy?” asks Win, a note of panic in his voice.

Mitch shrugs. “Sure, but you’ll have to fight them for it.”

“Wish me luck!” he cries, then with a whoop he pulls out his wooden sword and goes clambering across the net.

Mitch grins. “This should be fun,” she says, then she settles back in her hot tub, ready to watch a ninja wizard fight a load of apes for sweets.

“Get me some rocky road!” I shout as Win dodges an orangutan’s fist and disappears below deck.

Once all the pillaging is over, and Win has returned bruised but triumphant, his pockets bulging with sweets, we say goodbye to the honey badgers. Mitch invited them to join her crew but Danny and Eric were keen to head off alone and sail north beyond the End to try their luck on the Slushy Seas, whatever they are.

“I’m still your captain!” Rose calls after them as our two ships slip apart. At least, that’s what she claims she said. To me it sounded like a load of growls.

It’s sad to say goodbye to our strange ship, and our even stranger crew, but as the Alisha’s sails fill with wind it’s obvious we’ve made the right decision. The Alisha is fast, and soon we’re racing across the sea. Plus it feels good knowing we’re on board a ship that’s bigger than the Raven and captained by a witch.