S. Stirling - The Sword of the Lady

He traced their course; southeast down to just below the hook of Cape Cod, and then across the wind west and south towards Nantucket. That had been a little more tricky, a shorter leg but needing more time; these were shoal waters, and the shallows had shifted unpredictably since the charts were made. 'And that fast sail. No troubles,' Abdou said.

There had been one ship flying the White Ensign of Greater Britain, but it had simply come close enough for King-Emperor William's men to hail them and check that they weren't Moors. That conversation had taken place with the Imperials' twenty-four-pounder catapults pointing at them out of open firing ports in the steel hull, and a team at the pump handles of a flamethrower. Rudi had prudently sent all the hostage seamen below before the warcraft reached speaking distance. 'Really, should give me ship back, for such goodish sail working,' the corsair went on, his voice elaborately reasonable. 'And then you awaken from the pleasant dream, Abdou, weeping for the fading beauty of it in the cold light of dawn,' Rudi said dryly.

We'll never be friends, he thought. If I hadn't needed him I wouldn't have sworn him safety, and then the Kalksthorpe folk could have hung him and dedicated the sacrifice to the High One for all I cared.

It was a King's duty to see pirates dead without excessive formality, and a very needful one. What was a King for, if not to see that his folk could sleep sound in their beds and know they'd be able to keep what they grew and made' Still…

But he's a brave man and no fool, and a likeable rascal. Though doubtless I'd feel a wee bit less charitable if it was my coasts and folk he and his kind threatened. 'Best to approach from the north,' he said aloud, with an uncomfortable feeling that Abdou had followed the thought. His finger showed where the harbor entrance opened between its breakwaters. 'Though from what the guidebook says it may have silted up,' he added.'We may have to go in with the longboat.' 'It's not just more ruins from before the Change,' Ingolf said.'I don't know… but I don't think we'll just… walk in.'

He set his bowl aside and wiped his mouth with the back of one big hand, elaborately unconcerned, but his battered features were tight-held. One thick finger rested a little to the west of the town's hatch of streets. 'This is where I landed, back… uff da, four years ago! There's a village there. Partly refugees from the mainland who came after the Change, a couple of families… but Injuns, too. Injuns who'd never heard of white men, or seen iron or corn. We walked through the woods to what the maps said should be the center of Nantucket Town, on the harbor there and… that's where it all happened. But it wasn't anything like what the books say. No houses, no open fields or recent scrub-forest, old, old forest. Oak trees that had been growing two or three hundred years. And chestnuts… the books say all the chestnuts in this part of the world died of a blight nearly a century before the Change.'

Abdou nodded impassively, but Rudi could see his Adam's apple move. The Moor's voice was calm when he spoke; like anyone who dealt with extreme danger routinely, he knew that the best way to tame fear was simply to ignore it, refuse to admit it even, so that it couldn't build on itself. If you kept the body calm, it calmed the mind. 'You to understand, we would have use for island there. Good safe place within range of dead cities to water ship, take on wood, not be possible many savages… Eaters, you say… like are in dead cities, near dead cities.' 'It would make a good base, you mean.' 'Yes, base. But we not try many year from now, ah, you say, for many years now' Only one harbor, and… when ships get close, crews say many things. Lights, head hurting. Sometimes just find they far away again and-'

He reached out to his chronometer where it hung on the wall and slid one finger across the glass, as if moving the hour hand ahead.

– 'time is… gone. Maybe rest of island better. Maybe not. Not try.' 'I've reason to believe we'll be allowed in,' Rudi said.'And-'

A cry came, and the ringing of a bell:'Sail ho!'

Abdou almost jostled him in the doorway; they all leapt up the stairway to the poop. The ocean reached crisp blue to the horizon, with a wind out of the north that chopped icy spray from the running whitecaps. The lookout was Edain, long since past his illness. He scrambled down the rigging-harder than on a square-rigger's ratlines-and pointed westward. 'Two-master, Chief. Looks a lot like this ship.'

Rudi's brows went up.'All hands on deck,' he called.'Battle stations.'

He noticed how the corsair's bosun-Falilu, the man's name was-gave a quick glance at his skipper and received a nod before obeying. Whistles and bells called the crew. Metal shields went into prepared slots in the rails, giving the defenders a rampart against boarders. Nets were rigged above that; folk helped each other into their armor, and set out garlands of stone shot for the catapults, sheaves of arrows and javelins for humans. Long boarding pikes were ready to hand. The rover crew weren't armed, but they helped with the labor.

He turned his head to Abdou al-Naari as the rushing drumbeat of feet and cries subsided. The last sound to cease was the crink… crink… as the war engines were cranked to full compression, and the multiple click… click… sounds as their triggers engaged. Abdou had been allowed to keep his binoculars, if not his sword; they were needful for his work conning the ship. He leveled them now, and breath hissed between his teeth. 'Is ship Gisandu,' he said, when the oncoming vessel was still doll-tiny.' Shark, English word. Jawara captain.' 'Why would he be here'' Rudi asked. 'I do not know,' Abdou said, and then hid his distress under an iron calm.'How know we come here' I did not until you say! Jawara know-think me dead. No Kaolaki captain come here. And Gisandu short supplies, have cargo, not want to meet Empire ship. Makes no… no sense… not go home.' 'Would your Jawara try to rescue you'' 'Yes, yes-my wife his sister. We be like brother, sail, fight side by side years. But how rescue me, even if he knows' Sea fight, most likely everyone die. Better pay ransom. That right fashion of doing. Dead man not bring back good thing for children, family, town, tribe. Not… not responsible, is the word''

Rudi nodded. When both ships could throw globes of napalm at wooden hulls, death was the most likely outcome of a slugging match with no restraints. He knew these corsairs were proud and brave, good fighting men, but they were in business to make a profit and not to die. Salvaging was a dangerous trade but a trade still; so was outright piracy, in a way. 'Then from what you say, I think it most likely that your friend does not command that ship,' Rudi said.'The false Marabout does, or the High Seeker, or both. And Graber should still have twenty or so of his men; and some of his Bekwa. If they escaped to the Gisandu with your friend's crew and struck without warning-'

Abdou hissed again, and raised the binoculars.'Maybe. If those two evil sorcerers like you say. Now I want rescue Jawara. Will talk to him.'

The Gisandu came closer with shocking speed; both vessels were sailing with the wind on their beams, a good angle for their rigs. She looked much like her sister-ship, save that someone had painted a toothy mouth on her bow at the waterline. He leveled his own glasses. Most of the crew tending the sails were corsairs, but he could also see the reddish armor of the Sword of the Prophet, and Bekwa. More might well be waiting belowdecks. 'Land,' Abdou said.'Nantucket.'

Rudi started slightly; he'd put it out of his mind. When he looked over his left shoulder it was there, a long low bluish-green line, marked with white where surf pounded. Just as Ingolf had said, the high bluffs were marked with a tangle of low thick forest. None of the trees were over fifty feet or so, between the sandy soil and the salt sea breeze, but it was plainly old-established. 'Jawara at wheel,' Abdou said.'Shields up. Catapults ready. They closing us, want come alongside.' 'Don't come too close,' Rudi warned.