Ship of Destiny

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE — Hard Decisions

"COME BELOW SO I CAN BANDAGE THIS," MALTA INSISTED. "LORDLY ONE, YOU must not take chances with yourself." She flinched as a rock landed in the water aft of them. She glanced back and Reyn followed her stare. Their aim was getting better. The Jamaillian ships were closing in.

"No. Not yet." The Satrap clung to the railing and stared down gloatingly. Malta was beside him, pressing a rag to his sword thrust. The Satrap himself refused to touch his wound. Only Malta would do for that duty, but Reyn refused to be jealous. The Satrap clung to her presence as if she anchored his world, yet refused to acknowledge his dependence on her. It amazed him that the man could not hear the falsity in Malta's sweetness to him. The Satrap leaned forward suddenly and cupped his hands to his mouth so that his shouted words would carry his gleeful satisfaction to the men on the foundering Jamaillian ship.

"Farewell, Lord Criath. Give your good counsels to my white serpent now. I'll be sure your family in Jamaillia City knows of your bold cries for mercy. What, Ferdio? Not a swimmer? Don't let it trouble you. You won't be in the water long, and there's no need to swim in the serpent's belly. I mark you, Lord Kreio. Your sons will never see their inheritance. They lose all, not just my Bingtown grants to you but your Jamaillian estates as well. And you, Peaton of Broadhill, oh best of smoking partners! Your forests and orchards will smoke in memory of you! Ah, noble Vesset, will you hide your face in your hands? Do not fear, you will not be overlooked! You leave a daughter, do you not?"

The noble conspirators gazed up at him. Some pleaded, some stood stolidly and some shouted insults back at him. They would all meet the same end. When they had balked at entering the water in the ship's boats while the serpent prowled so near, the crew had abandoned them. Their distrust of the ship's boats had been well founded. They were floating wreckage now. Reyn had not seen a single sailor survive.

It was too much for the Rain Wilder. "You mock the dying," he rebuked the Satrap.

"I mock the traitorous!" the Satrap corrected him savagely. "And my vengeance will be sweet!" he called loudly across the water. Avidly, his eyes tallied the Jamaillian nobles who stood helplessly on the deck of the foundering ship. It was already awash. He muttered names, obviously committing them to memory for later retaliation on their families. Reyn exchanged an incredulous look with Malta. This savage, merciless boy was the Lord High Magnadon Satrap of all Jamaillia? Cosgo opened his mouth again, crying, "Oh, serpent, don't leave, here's a tender— Ah!"

He gasped suddenly and bent over his wound.

Malta looked as i

"Bleeding again-ah, the treacherous cowards deserve to die more slowly. Ke

So the Satrap sought to crown himself with Ke

"Yes, yes. An excellent concept. And a whole verse devoted to the names of those who betrayed me and how they perished, torn apart by the serpents that Ke

"Doubtless," Malta agreed. "But now we must go below." Firmly, she eased him along. Her anxious eyes met Reyn's, sharing her fear that they would not survive the day. Despite the darkness of the emotion, Reyn treasured that he could sense so much of what she felt just by standing near her. He gathered his strength and radiated calmness toward her. Surely, Captain Ke

"I'LL LAY OUT CANVAS FOR A SHROUD," AMBER OFFERED.

"Very well," Brashen agreed numbly. He looked down on Ke

"We go

Brashen looked down at the boy by his side. "Don't know," Brashen answered him shortly. "We're going to try."

The boy surveyed the enemy ships critically. "Whyer they holdin' back?"

"I suspect they fear the liveships. Why risk lives when rocks will work?"

The Jamaillian ship was going down. A few desperate souls had fled to her rigging, for the white serpent had shown them that their ship's boats would provide no escape for them. Ke

"It doesn't look good," Clef decided.

"No," Brashen agreed grimly. Then he smiled. "But we aren't dead yet, either."

A strange woman was stepping down onto the railing from Paragon's hands. She did not even glance at Brashen, but settled herself silently beside the fallen pirate. An inexpressible grief dulled her black eyes. She lifted Ke

"I loved him. I believe he loved me. I carry his child."

The woman smoothed Ke

Her words to her ship carried clearly across the water to him. His heart flew on them. "Please, Vivacia. You don't need me. I want to go to him."

Vivacia glanced over at Paragon. Then her voice rang clear across the water. "Paragon! This one I give to you as well!"