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The sailors moved back on one side as Lightning pulled himself up to face Wre
Wre
Lightning made strong cuts to Wre
Wre
Sailors started to climb the ladder from the main deck. Wre
Lightning called, “Hey!” Five men jumped down off the topcastle, two burst out of my original cabin underneath. Wre
Mist grew exasperated with ten men cutting around her and the helm. She yelled at the sister ship, “Fulmer! To starboard!”
At the Melowne’s helm, Fulmer jumped. He spun his wheel simultaneously with Mist. The sails on the mizzenmasts swiveled, all their air spilled out. Petrel and Melowne lurched, braked and tilted left.
Wre
The caravels righted themselves with a crash. But, bound together, they idled in the water, sails limp. They drifted side-on to the waves, which hit Petrel’s right hull and threw spray onto the main deck.
I flew closer, lost sight of the duelists while I landed on the poop deck, tricky because the ships were drifting slowly around. Everyone watched Wre
Wre
Wre
Melowne tars booed and started shouting, “You’re dead, Smew! You old bastard, get down! Stop being a bad loser! Finish him off, Serein!”
Wre
On top of the barrel, Wre
Lightning glanced at me and made a covert spiral gesture with one hand. I recognized the gesture-a strategy we arranged long ago for the occasions we fight Insects in the amphitheater. Lightning engaged Wre
Wre
I immediately hacked throat to waist, making the most of my long reach. Wre
I stabbed straight for his nipple; he fended my blade far out to the side in prime, his hand down. He riposted back in sixte to my chest, got nowhere near-my fast sixte counter-riposte batted it away. Surprise flitted across Wre
Wre
Again with his blade flat he smacked Lightning’s cut away and made a return blow to me. The sailors had no room to attack with Lightning and me working as a pair. We fell into step but I couldn’t preempt Wre
My speed worried Wre
He attacked to my face. I brushed it aside with a weak cut from the wrist. It was a feint. Wre
Wre
Being disarmed and out of the game, I retreated to the steps and watched the fight continue. Wre
Lightning hallooed again: “Hey!”
The last of the crew rushed out of Ata’s cabin. Wre
Wre
A sailor made a lunge so long he overbalanced. Lightning ran in on the advantage but Wre