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.Sam waited until the argument escalated, with raised voices and even some meaningful gestures with naked blades, then stepped forward.“Enough!” Sam’s shout silenced them in an instant.She could see that they were still divided.Prak and one of the men stood side by side; the rest of the crew sidled closer to Uag.Prak’s face was a mask of anger, fear and mistrust.Sam considered grabbing Uag’s sword and ending the problem with one quick thrust, but didn’t know how the others would react.Also, she needed them all.“We are wasting time.Uag, put them back to the oars.We have far to go.”Sam turned her back on the group, picked up her sextant and sighted the sun twice in quick succession.It was difficult trying to hold the tiny reflection of the sun steady on the horizon with her hands shaking.If they were gong to kill her, it would happen now, but she refused to pay the slightest attention.She heard mumbles, a few curt comments, and the shuffle of feet.She took another sighting; the sun was still rising, but barely.She picked up the golden watch, set it to exactly noon just as the sun peaked, wound it carefully, then sat down to jot down the angle of the sun from the instrument’s dial.The sounds behind had faded, and she turned back just as the four oars dipped into the water.Manta was moving again.On her way to the cockpit, Prak glared at her, but Sam just walked past.The cadence of the oars continued, and Sam sat down in the shade of the cockpit and breathed a sigh of relief.She was still alive.≈A crisp new Tsing flag flapped from Flothrindel’s mainsail leech as she sailed into Scimitar Bay under the watchful eyes of several hundred armed sailors and marines.The boat’s arrival created quite a stir, and one of the drake-class warships had been deployed to intercept them well north of the armada.Tipos had shouted back and forth with the drake’s first mate under the glaring eyes of a dozen ballistae crews.Finally, an escort of armed launches had been deployed to shadow the small boat into the bay.There, two more drakes were anchored and the frigate, Cape Storm, lay docked at the stone pier.But the fleet of warships was not what hit the Flothrindel’s crew the hardest.“Bloody hells, de shipyard’s gone!” Keyloo exclaimed, pointing at the blackened ruin of the lofting shed.“Everyt’ings gone,” Tipos said, his voice as cold as stone.The tidy rows of huts were little more than ash, and along the cliff face stood a grim row of headstones, each carved with Odea’s crescent.“De basta’ds killed everyone!” Tawah growled, glaring at the boats full of imperial troops.They actually knew from Count Norris’ account of the pirate attack what had happened here, but they had agreed to act as if they knew nothing.Their delivery of the count and Tim to Middle Cay had to remain a secret.There would be all Nine Hells to pay later, but that was later, after they had rescued Miss Camilla.Though he knew they were not surprised, it appeared so to Huffington—he saw that their distress was not an act; their homes had been here, their families.“What has happened here, Lieutenant?” Huffington called out to the nearest boat.“Dock at the pier, if you please, sir!” the officer shouted.“Captain Donnely will explain everything to you presently.”Huffington nodded and tipped his hat, then said in a low tone, “At least they’re polite.”Tipos steered Flothrindel toward the pier.As they came alongside, Tawah and Keyloo silently furled sails while Tipos put out fenders to protect the smack’s delicately carved gunwale from the unforgiving stone.Their actions were automatic, their faces set as if carved in granite.Huffington’s heart felt heavy in his chest as he scrambled up the rope ladder lowered from the pier.He and the crew of the Flothrindel were met by an armed detail of marines and the crisply uniformed captain of the Cape Storm.The captain’s eyes swept them in silent scrutiny before he gave a begrudging tip of his hat to Huffington.“Mister Huffington.I remember you from the meeting on Indomitable in Rockport [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Sam waited until the argument escalated, with raised voices and even some meaningful gestures with naked blades, then stepped forward.“Enough!” Sam’s shout silenced them in an instant.She could see that they were still divided.Prak and one of the men stood side by side; the rest of the crew sidled closer to Uag.Prak’s face was a mask of anger, fear and mistrust.Sam considered grabbing Uag’s sword and ending the problem with one quick thrust, but didn’t know how the others would react.Also, she needed them all.“We are wasting time.Uag, put them back to the oars.We have far to go.”Sam turned her back on the group, picked up her sextant and sighted the sun twice in quick succession.It was difficult trying to hold the tiny reflection of the sun steady on the horizon with her hands shaking.If they were gong to kill her, it would happen now, but she refused to pay the slightest attention.She heard mumbles, a few curt comments, and the shuffle of feet.She took another sighting; the sun was still rising, but barely.She picked up the golden watch, set it to exactly noon just as the sun peaked, wound it carefully, then sat down to jot down the angle of the sun from the instrument’s dial.The sounds behind had faded, and she turned back just as the four oars dipped into the water.Manta was moving again.On her way to the cockpit, Prak glared at her, but Sam just walked past.The cadence of the oars continued, and Sam sat down in the shade of the cockpit and breathed a sigh of relief.She was still alive.≈A crisp new Tsing flag flapped from Flothrindel’s mainsail leech as she sailed into Scimitar Bay under the watchful eyes of several hundred armed sailors and marines.The boat’s arrival created quite a stir, and one of the drake-class warships had been deployed to intercept them well north of the armada.Tipos had shouted back and forth with the drake’s first mate under the glaring eyes of a dozen ballistae crews.Finally, an escort of armed launches had been deployed to shadow the small boat into the bay.There, two more drakes were anchored and the frigate, Cape Storm, lay docked at the stone pier.But the fleet of warships was not what hit the Flothrindel’s crew the hardest.“Bloody hells, de shipyard’s gone!” Keyloo exclaimed, pointing at the blackened ruin of the lofting shed.“Everyt’ings gone,” Tipos said, his voice as cold as stone.The tidy rows of huts were little more than ash, and along the cliff face stood a grim row of headstones, each carved with Odea’s crescent.“De basta’ds killed everyone!” Tawah growled, glaring at the boats full of imperial troops.They actually knew from Count Norris’ account of the pirate attack what had happened here, but they had agreed to act as if they knew nothing.Their delivery of the count and Tim to Middle Cay had to remain a secret.There would be all Nine Hells to pay later, but that was later, after they had rescued Miss Camilla.Though he knew they were not surprised, it appeared so to Huffington—he saw that their distress was not an act; their homes had been here, their families.“What has happened here, Lieutenant?” Huffington called out to the nearest boat.“Dock at the pier, if you please, sir!” the officer shouted.“Captain Donnely will explain everything to you presently.”Huffington nodded and tipped his hat, then said in a low tone, “At least they’re polite.”Tipos steered Flothrindel toward the pier.As they came alongside, Tawah and Keyloo silently furled sails while Tipos put out fenders to protect the smack’s delicately carved gunwale from the unforgiving stone.Their actions were automatic, their faces set as if carved in granite.Huffington’s heart felt heavy in his chest as he scrambled up the rope ladder lowered from the pier.He and the crew of the Flothrindel were met by an armed detail of marines and the crisply uniformed captain of the Cape Storm.The captain’s eyes swept them in silent scrutiny before he gave a begrudging tip of his hat to Huffington.“Mister Huffington.I remember you from the meeting on Indomitable in Rockport [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]