Water & Storm Country

“Hmm,” Gard says. Does he believe me? He hasto believe me! “Tell me everything.”

I only tell him what’s important to whathappened. How I passed them in the night, how I went to the forestto think, how I heard the screams and came ru

“Are they…dead?” I ask. I am lifeand death.

“One was dead when we arrived. Sword woundthrough the heart. He was probably the first to be attacked, toosurprised to defend himself; his sword was still in his scabbard.The other was luckier, but not by much. He might’ve had time todeflect the kill stroke—his blade was on the ground, spotted withblood—which sent it through his gut. It’s deep and messy, but theHealers still have a chance to save him.”

“They must!” I exclaim. Gard’s eyebrows jumpup, surprised at my sudden outburst. “Because he’ll be able to tellus what…I mean, who did this to them.”

“I hope so, Sadie. I hope so. The Healershave instructions to come to me as soon as his condition changes,for better or for worse.”

“You’ll sleep here tonight,” Gard’s wifesays, handing me a blanket.

“No, I’m fine back in my—”

“You shouldn’t be alone,” she says. At theedge of my vision I see Remy watching me.

“Just tonight,” I say.

Are they unwittingly inviting Evil intotheir tent?

“We’ll see,” she says.

A sudden yawn captures the whole of my faceas weariness overcomes me. Can I sleep?

I stand and move to an area of empty spacefurthest from where Remy sits, spreading out my blanket like a mat.When I lie down I face away from him. I remember his hand curledaround mine, so warm, so rough, so there.

No sooner than I think of Remy, my thoughtsfrom before return, taking over my restless mind. Am I evil?Did I somehow let something loose in the forest, my anger and lustfor revenge unlocking a beast that’s been hidden for years? And ifso, how do I stop it?

You don’t, the voice says.

Everything falls away.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Huck

The anchors go upbefore I can speak to Admiral Jones again.

What did he want to tell me about my mother’sdeath? Did he want to mock me, berate me, tear down any semblanceof foolish pride I’ve managed to muster over the short time I’vebeen a lieutenant? Remind me how I failed her, how I failedhim?

I have to know. I have to.

I have so many questions I feel like I’mgoing to burst if I don’t talk to someone about them. But who?Jade’s out of the question, at least until Hobbs goes back to TheMerman’s Daughter. I haven’t talked to Cain in what seems likeforever—he led the landing party in storm country today, so Ididn’t even have a chance to speak to him.

Someone knocks on my cabin door. Barney.

“May I come in, sir?” he says.

“Why not,” I say.

He bumbles in carrying a tray with a steamingpot and several hard biscuits. “I thought you might like somethingto nibble on before bed.”

Gratefully, I take the tray. It’s exactlywhat I need. I pick up one of the biscuits, right away noticingsomething strange. “Barney, why are there bite marks on this one?Wait a minute,” I say, “all of them have bite marks!”

Barney clears his throat. “I had to, ahem,check to make sure they weren’t poisoned.”

I stare at him and he shifts back and forthuncomfortably. “All of them?” I say, laughing.

“I, um, I take my job very seriously.”

“I can see that. You know, you could havebroken off a piece from each one, rather than…biting directly intothem,” I point out.

“They don’t taste as good that way,” Barneysays, looking sheepish.

“Don’t they? You’re eating the samething.”

“Just the same, I prefer them the otherway.”

“Well, I suppose I should say thank you. Areyou sure it was necessary?”

“You never know, sir. You can never be toocareful these days.”

“These days? Has there been a threaton my life?” I ask, crunching the corner of one of the biscuits, asfar away from Barney’s teeth marks as possible.

Barney shifts again, but then rests crookedlyon one foot. “Well, no, not directly. But ever since Webb wentmissing, some of his friends have been stirring the pot, talkingabout how suspicious it is that he was your biggest critic and thendisappeared. Some of them have noticed the time you’re spendingwith…up on the mast.”

A question I’ve been meaning to ask for along time slips off my tongue. “Barney, why didn’t you tell thetruth about what the…what she did to me? With the scrub brush?”

“You mean how she knocked you flat out, sir?”he says, smirking.

“I wouldn’t say she—”

“Whack! Right to the forehead, and you wentdown like a sack o’—”

“Thank you, Barney, I get the picture. Whydidn’t you tell anyone?” I ask, breaking off another piece ofbiscuit and popping it in my mouth.

“Because you didn’t, sir. I followedyour lead, because—”

“You take your job very seriously,” I finishfor him, my mouth full. Barney was right, they do tastebetter when bitten into rather than broken off. Strange.

“Aye, that and I have nothing against thebilge. They’re good workers, rarely make trouble—well, except forthe one who’s caught your eye, that is.”

“She has not caught my eye,Barney.”

“Of course not, sir.”

“Barney?”

“Aye, Lieutenant.”

“Do you know where the bilge…where theworkers come from?” There are crumbs stuck in my throat so I take asip from the mug. The warm drink slides down easily.

“It’s all very secretive, but I assume wetrade with foreigners for them. Somewhere beyond storm country.”Barney scratches his head. “Captain Montgomery once told me—he’dbeen drinking all afternoon, mind you—that they come from a placecalled fire country.”

My heart speeds up. I knew she was tellingthe truth! I knew it.

“And what might be traded for them?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t the slightest idea,”Barney says.

“Thank you,” I say.

“You’re most welcome. And sorry againabout…the bite marks.” He turns to leave.

“Barney?”

“Aye, sir?” He turns back.

“There are crumbs in your beard,” I say,unable to hold back a chuckle.

~~~

The rain’s been pounding us for days, sostrong and endless that all hands are on deck, using buckets tobail it over the sides. The bilge too, only, with no buckets leftthey have to use their hands.

I don’t look at her, like I’ve done all week.I’m not sure if she knows why I’ve been ignoring her, but I won’trisk so much as a sideways glance in her direction, not when Hobbscontinues to lurk. I’m all over you.

Drenched from head to toe, my arms ache as Iscoop another half-bucket of water, dumping it over the side justas the ship crashes into a mountainous wave, dumping ten times morewater back on top of me. It’s a never ending battle, I realize as Icome up spluttering. One of the sailors was knocked clean over bythe wave. I help him to his feet as thunder erupts overhead.

Just one more day, I think as I oncemore fill my bucket. It’s the same thing I’ve thought every day.Only the storm never seems to end.

Although I wouldn’t have thought it possible,the wind strengthens, coming in bursts and blasts that threaten toknock every man and woman off their feet.

Above us, there’s a horrendous riiiip!as if the very sky above us is being torn in two. I look up to finda ragged gash in the main sail, opened up by one of the windbursts.

And then I see her. Not because I was seekingher out, or because I’ve forgotten to avoid looking at her, butbecause she’s right where I’m looking, climbing the rain-soakedmast, for once using the ladder, clinging to it like I usuallydo.