At the sluggish pace they were making, Billy would never make to Europe in time for school to start. He really truly did not wish to wander the cities of Europe for nine and half months with nothing to do.

    "Can we pick up the pace a little? " Billy said to the captain.
    "This is a sail boat, Billy," the captain said, "we can only go as fast as the wind takes us."
    "Isn't there something we can do? I'm going to be late."
    "Nope," the captain said, "Nothing at all. It's all in the hands of mother nature."

    Just then, a hulking mass loomed over the horizon. It was none other than the Warrior Princess herself, the largest and fastest super tanker in the world. Two thousand feet long and capable of making the New York to London run in three and a half days . . . and she was so loaded down with rich cargo that her decks were awash two thirds of the time.

    Captain Bunting threw the Golden Butterfly straight into the massive bow surge of the super taker and let the giant wave roll the ships abeam. Clarence, who had remembered to fasten the end of his line this time, made a perfectly expert toss of his hook and grappled the two ships together.

    Such was the speed of the great tanker that when the line grew taught, the little Butterfly surged forward through the sea with a objecting groan, well past her statistical hull sped of seven and half knots, and nearly lurching everyone overboard.

    When it became clear that the ropes were strong enough to hold the two ships secure, Captain Bunting and his good mate Clarence quickly shimmied the line and boarded the Warrior Princess. Then the two cautiously scrambled along the railing towards the towering bridge just as a enormous wave crashed over the deck of the ship and washed everything from view . . .