us, five ships had turned. To our left, a flurry of activity on
Hunter
’s deck told that she was doing the same thing. The oars went out through the ports, held parallel to the surface of the sea, the narrow side of their paddles to the wind.
“Your pardon, Lady,” he said, and gestured me out of the way. I stepped aside, against the railing on the right side. It was almost full dark now.
“Bring in the sail!” he shouted. The great white sail collapsed downward, the men fighting it into restraining ropes. Our momentum suddenly checked.
“Left side on the count of three!”
Down among the rowers another man’s voice took up the rower’s chant.
All the left side oars swept forward and bit as one, blades flashing as they turned in the air.
“Hard over!” Xandros yelled, and put the rudder as far as it would go, the muscles in his arms straining against the water.
Dolphin
turned neatly to the right, slowing and bouncing a little as she crossed the wake left by
Swift.
“Right side on the mark!” he called again.
As the left side oars left the water and then bit again, the right side swept forward and joined them in perfect time. We continued on, a full quarter turn off our original course. Behind us, I heard the rower’s chant start on
Seven Sisters
and knew they were about to do the same.
Xandros grinned at me. “Not seasick, are you?”
“No,” I said. “Should I be?”
“Ever been on a ship before?”
“No,” I said.
We were gliding into the island now. It was low, just a sandbar above sea level, with some scrubby trees clinging to life and providing some shelter. On its white shores were three old fishing boats, drawn up with their nets spread to dry. Above them, at the edge of the trees, there were people and shelters, awnings spread to catch the dew and fend off the midday sun. A fire leaped and shadows moved around it.
“On my mark!” Xandros yelled.
We glided toward the shore, sand glimmering ahead.
“On three, ship!” The oars lifted from the water at once, droplets falling, and turned in the air, side on.
“I’d hang on if I were you, Lady,” he said.
I grabbed the rail behind me as
Dolphin
’s prow slid onto the beach with a shock. I didn’t fall. Oars were brought in as the two men who had handled the sail jumped over, guiding the ship a little farther up the beach. A stone’s throw away,
Seven Sisters
glided into her place.
Now the oarsmen leaped down, pulling the ship farther up the beach with each incoming wave. Xandros jumped over the side, crossing around the prow and back, assuring himself that
Dolphin
would not drift off.
I went up to the side and looked over the rail at the oar ports. It was a drop of nearly my height. Xandros was below. “You’ll have to jump down, Lady.” He was standing thigh deep in water.
I swung my legs over the rail. I had not noticed that my feet were crusted with blood.
“Jump,” Xandros said encouragingly. He reached his arms up. “I’ll steady you.”
I jumped. The cold sea water was a shock, splashing nearly over my head, as clear and as light as rain. It felt wonderful. Xandros grabbed me about the waist. “Careful,” he said. “Do you swim?”
“I swam in the river when I was young,” I said. “Never in the sea.”
A wave came in, splashing me to the chin. I scrubbed my dirty feet in the clean white sand. Then I followed Xandros up the beach. Already men were swarming back onto
Dolphin,
passing down jars and amphorae from Pylos, the stores to be shared out.
A child came running down the beach and caught one of the women who had been a captive in Pylos about the waist, a boy of nine or so. The woman went to her knees in the sand, clutching him to her, her words incoherent.
“He was one of the fishing boat children,” Xandros said, and there was a catch in his voice. “Some of them drowned when the boat capsized getting out of the harbor. That one was a good enough swimmer. He made it to
Dolphin.
But he had
Hunter
’s deck told that she was doing the same thing. The oars went out through the ports, held parallel to the surface of the sea, the narrow side of their paddles to the wind.
“Your pardon, Lady,” he said, and gestured me out of the way. I stepped aside, against the railing on the right side. It was almost full dark now.
“Bring in the sail!” he shouted. The great white sail collapsed downward, the men fighting it into restraining ropes. Our momentum suddenly checked.
“Left side on the count of three!”
Down among the rowers another man’s voice took up the rower’s chant.
All the left side oars swept forward and bit as one, blades flashing as they turned in the air.
“Hard over!” Xandros yelled, and put the rudder as far as it would go, the muscles in his arms straining against the water.
Dolphin
turned neatly to the right, slowing and bouncing a little as she crossed the wake left by
Swift.
“Right side on the mark!” he called again.
As the left side oars left the water and then bit again, the right side swept forward and joined them in perfect time. We continued on, a full quarter turn off our original course. Behind us, I heard the rower’s chant start on
Seven Sisters
and knew they were about to do the same.
Xandros grinned at me. “Not seasick, are you?”
“No,” I said. “Should I be?”
“Ever been on a ship before?”
“No,” I said.
We were gliding into the island now. It was low, just a sandbar above sea level, with some scrubby trees clinging to life and providing some shelter. On its white shores were three old fishing boats, drawn up with their nets spread to dry. Above them, at the edge of the trees, there were people and shelters, awnings spread to catch the dew and fend off the midday sun. A fire leaped and shadows moved around it.
“On my mark!” Xandros yelled.
We glided toward the shore, sand glimmering ahead.
“On three, ship!” The oars lifted from the water at once, droplets falling, and turned in the air, side on.
“I’d hang on if I were you, Lady,” he said.
I grabbed the rail behind me as
Dolphin
’s prow slid onto the beach with a shock. I didn’t fall. Oars were brought in as the two men who had handled the sail jumped over, guiding the ship a little farther up the beach. A stone’s throw away,
Seven Sisters
glided into her place.
Now the oarsmen leaped down, pulling the ship farther up the beach with each incoming wave. Xandros jumped over the side, crossing around the prow and back, assuring himself that
Dolphin
would not drift off.
I went up to the side and looked over the rail at the oar ports. It was a drop of nearly my height. Xandros was below. “You’ll have to jump down, Lady.” He was standing thigh deep in water.
I swung my legs over the rail. I had not noticed that my feet were crusted with blood.
“Jump,” Xandros said encouragingly. He reached his arms up. “I’ll steady you.”
I jumped. The cold sea water was a shock, splashing nearly over my head, as clear and as light as rain. It felt wonderful. Xandros grabbed me about the waist. “Careful,” he said. “Do you swim?”
“I swam in the river when I was young,” I said. “Never in the sea.”
A wave came in, splashing me to the chin. I scrubbed my dirty feet in the clean white sand. Then I followed Xandros up the beach. Already men were swarming back onto
Dolphin,
passing down jars and amphorae from Pylos, the stores to be shared out.
A child came running down the beach and caught one of the women who had been a captive in Pylos about the waist, a boy of nine or so. The woman went to her knees in the sand, clutching him to her, her words incoherent.
“He was one of the fishing boat children,” Xandros said, and there was a catch in his voice. “Some of them drowned when the boat capsized getting out of the harbor. That one was a good enough swimmer. He made it to
Dolphin.
But he had
Similar Books
