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"It is," said Drakasha. "And if he's been looking for us for any length of time, it means he sailed not all that long after we did." "So… he could be carrying a message or something, right?"
"No." Drakasha removed her hat and ran her other hand through her braids, almost nervously. "He opposed this plan more than anyone else on the council of captains. He didn't sail as long and as far as we did, to risk his ship within spitting distance of Tal Verrar, to deliver any message.
"I'm afraid we'll need to postpone our previous conversation, Ravelle. The point is moot until we're sure this ship will still be floating at the end of the day."
3
Locke stared out across the whitecaps at the Dread Sovereign, now well over the horizon, fixed on them like a needle drawn toward a lodestone. It was the tenth hour of the morning, and Rodanov's progress at their expense was obvious.
Zamira slammed her glass shut and whirled away from the taffrail, where she'd been studying the same phenomenon.
"Captain," said Delmastro, "there must be something… if we can just keep him off until nightfall—"
"Then we" d have options, aye. But only a straight stern chase could buy us that much time, and if we fly north we'll find the coast long before dusk. Not to mention the fact that she's fresh-careened and we're past due. The plain truth is, we've already lost this race."
Drakasha and Delmastro said nothing to one another for several moments, until Delmastro cleared her throat. "I'll, urn, start getting things ready, shall I?"
"You" d better. Let the Red Watch keep sleeping as long as you can, if any of them are still asleep."
Delmastro nodded, grabbed Jean by the tunic sleeve and pulled him with her toward the main-deck cargo hatch. "You mean to fight," said Locke.
"I have no choice but to fight. And neither do you, if you want to live to see di
"Avast bullshit, Ravelle. I won't second-guess my decision to help you, so no one else gets to, either. This is Stragos's doing, not yours. One way or another his plans would have put us in a tight spot."
"Thank you for that, Captain Drakasha. Now… I know we've had our talk concerning the real extent of my skills in battle, but most of the crew probably still thinks I'm some sort of man-killer. I… I suppose I'm saying—" "You want a spot in the thick of it?" "Yes."
"Thought you might ask. I already have a place for you," she said. "Don't think you'll have it easy." She stepped away for a moment and shouted forward: "Utgar!" "Aye, Captain?" "Fetch the deep-sea lead and give me a cast!"
Locke raised his eyebrows by way of a question, and she said, "Need to know how much water we have beneath our feet. Then I'll know how long it'll take the anchor to drop." "Why would you want to drop an anchor?"
"On that matter, you'll just have to wait to be amazed. Along with Rodanov, hopefully… but that would be asking a great deal."
"Captain," Utgar yelled several minutes later, "got about ninety fathoms under us!"
"Right," she said. "Ravelle, I know you're off-watch right now, but you were witless enough to wander back here and call attention to yourself. Grab a couple of Blues and bring up some ale casks from down below. Try to stay quiet for the sake of any Reds still sleeping. I'll call all hands in about an hour, and it's never wise to send people into a tussle like this with their throats too dry."
"I'll be happy to do that, Captain. About an hour, then? When do you think we'll be—"
"I mean to bring the fight before noon. Only one way to win when you're being chased by someone bigger and tougher than you are. Turn straight around, punch their teeth out and hope the gods are fond of you."
4
"All hands," shouted Ezri one last time, "all hands at the waist! Idlers and lazy motherfuckers on deck! If you have watchmates still below, haul "em up yourselves!"
Jean stood at the front of the crowd amidships, waiting for Drakasha to say her piece. She stood at the rail with Ezri, Nasreen, Utgar, Mumchance, Gwillem and Trega
"Listen well," shouted Drakasha. "The ship bearing down on us is the Dread Sovereign. Captain Rodanov has taken exception to our business in these waters, and he's come a long way to give us a fight." "We can't fight that many people," shouted someone in the crowd.
"It's not as though we have a choice. They" re closing to board now whether we like it or not," said Drakasha.
"But what if it's just you he's after?" A crewman Jean didn't recognize spoke up; to give him credit, he too was standing at the front of the crowd, right where Drakasha and all of her officers could see him. "We give you to him, we save ourselves a hell of a fight. This ain't a navy, and I got the right to be as fond of my life as—"
Jabril pushed through the crowd behind the man and punched him in the small of the back. The man fell writhing to the deck.
"We don't know that it's just Drakasha he wants,"Jabril shouted. "Me, I ain't waitin" at the rail with my breeches down for someone to kiss my cock! Most of you know as well as I — if captain fights captain it ain't convenient to let two sides" a the story get back to Port Prodigal!"
"Hold, Jabril," said Zamira. She hurried down the quarterdeck stairs, stepped over to the would-be pragmatist and helped him sit up. She then stood before her assembled crew, within reach of the first row. "Basryn here is right about one thing. This isn't a navy, so you do have the right to be fond of your own lives. I'm not your gods-damned empress. Anyone wants to try handing me over to Rodanov, I'm right here. This is your chance. Anyone?"
When nobody stepped forward from the crowd, Drakasha heaved Basryn to his feet and looked him straight in the eyes. "Now, you can have the smallest boat," she said, "you and anyone else who wants to help you take it. Or you can stay."
"Ah, hell," he said, groaning. "I'm sorry, Captain. I… I figure I'd rather live as a coward than die a fool."
"Oscarl," said Drakasha, "when we're done here, get a party together and hoist out the small boat, on the quick. Anyone else wants off with Basryn, that's what I'm giving you. If Rodanov wins, take your chances. If I win… understand that we're at least fifty miles from land and you're not coming back aboard."
The man nodded, and that was that. Drakasha released him and he stumbled into the crowd, holding his back and ignoring the glares of those around him.
"Heed this, now," shouted Drakasha. "The sea isn't our friend today; that son of a bitch has more bite in the water than we do. A chase in any direction can't buy us more than a few hours. If we're going to settle this at kissing distance, I intend to set the terms of the courtship.
"We need to kill two for one just to have any of us left standing, so obviously we need to do better even than that. If we lock up with him so that one of our sides is against his bow, we can crowd in all around his boarding point and outnumber him at the only place it matters. That big fat crew of his won't mean a damn thing if he has to feed it piece by piece right through our teeth.
"So, at the waist, I'll put you in ranks, like the old Therin Throne legions. Swords and shields up front, spears and halberds behind. Don't take your sweet time. If you can't kill someone, knock them into the water. Just get them out of the damn fight!
"Del will choose our ten best archers and send you aloft to do the obvious. Five per mast. I wish I could send more but we're going to need every blade on deck we can get.