Read Online Deborah Hale by The Destined Queen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: The Destined Queen
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faith. Preparing them to meet the next trial—to seize the next opportunity.
As she spoke, Maura could see every blow of Rath’s inner battle between doubt and trust reflected on his rugged features. Hard as all this had been for him to accept, he had never let her down, either. Nor did he now.
He nodded toward the stern of the ship. “Let’s go talk to Gull. Find out what he means to do and how we can help. The Giver knows, we’ve had plenty of practice fighting the Han.”
Hand in hand, they moved toward the rear of the vessel, trying to stay out of the way of crewmen rushing here and there. They found Captain Gull standing on a raised section of thedeck peering through the strange instrument Maura had seen him use earlier.
Langbard had told her about such devices. The far end of the tube was enchanted with flesh from the eye of a great north-awk preserved in a thin coating of clear sap from the giant hitherpine. It allowed the person who looked through it to see as far, and as well, as one of those keen-eyed birds perched atop that tallest of trees.
First Gull peered behind to the east, then behind to the west. “Slagging scum!” he muttered, just loud enough for Maura to hear. “They should have sailed a week ago, rot ’em!”
Maura and Rath exchanged a look. Had the sailing of the Ore Fleet been delayed by the miners’ rebellion?
“East southeast!” cried Gull. “Can you get me no more speed?”
From high in the rigging a crewman called down, “Not with these sails and this wind, Captain! Do you reckon it’ll be enough to let us slip through their noose?”
Gull laughed. “The Han have been trying to get a noose around my neck for a while now and never succeeded. They will have no better luck today!”
Again Maura met Rath’s gaze. Did Gull’s crew recognize a desperate boast when they heard it?
“How close are the Han?” asked Rath. “And what is this ‘noose’ you are trying to dodge?”
“What are you doing here?” Gull lowered the seeing tube and stared at them, a look of puzzlement and annoyance wrinkling his brow. “Did I not order the pair of you belowdecks?”
He sounded much more vexed than when he’d ordered their deaths, yet Maura did not find herself intimidated. “Answer Rath’s question! Our lives are as much at risk as any on board. Perhaps more. We have a right to know what is going on!”
“Very well, wench. I will tell you what is going on.” Gull pointed off to the east with one hand and to the west with the spy tube. “A line of Hanish fighter ships from either side of the ore convoy is moving up like a pair of pincers. Damned if I knowhow they signaled one another to spring this trap, nor do I care. Unless we can break through one way or the other, they will catch us between and crack us like a roasted bristlenut.”
His gaze flickered in a strange manner as he spoke. Maura wondered if it was a sign of the fear he dared not show his crew.
Rath glanced toward the setting sun. “Did you not say we might make the Islands before nightfall? Can we outrun the Han long enough to reach the enchanted coastal waters you told us about? The ones that can sense metal and sink Hanish ships.”
Gull shook his head. “To repeat my crewman—not with these sails and this wind. I don’t suppose your pretty enchantress could make the wind change course for us?”
“I wish I could.” As Maura reached toward her sash, rough hands seized her from behind and she heard Rath cry out.
Too late, she realised Gull’s skittery eye movements had been wordless orders to his crew.
“What treachery is this?” She put up a token struggle and shot Captain Gull an indignant glare. “Our enemy is out there! We have done nothing but offer you our help against them!”
Glancing at the cat draped around his shoulders, the smuggler addressed his next words to it. “Ah, but is our enemy only out there? I wonder. Or was I right about this pair in the first place—figuring them for
As she spoke, Maura could see every blow of Rath’s inner battle between doubt and trust reflected on his rugged features. Hard as all this had been for him to accept, he had never let her down, either. Nor did he now.
He nodded toward the stern of the ship. “Let’s go talk to Gull. Find out what he means to do and how we can help. The Giver knows, we’ve had plenty of practice fighting the Han.”
Hand in hand, they moved toward the rear of the vessel, trying to stay out of the way of crewmen rushing here and there. They found Captain Gull standing on a raised section of thedeck peering through the strange instrument Maura had seen him use earlier.
Langbard had told her about such devices. The far end of the tube was enchanted with flesh from the eye of a great north-awk preserved in a thin coating of clear sap from the giant hitherpine. It allowed the person who looked through it to see as far, and as well, as one of those keen-eyed birds perched atop that tallest of trees.
First Gull peered behind to the east, then behind to the west. “Slagging scum!” he muttered, just loud enough for Maura to hear. “They should have sailed a week ago, rot ’em!”
Maura and Rath exchanged a look. Had the sailing of the Ore Fleet been delayed by the miners’ rebellion?
“East southeast!” cried Gull. “Can you get me no more speed?”
From high in the rigging a crewman called down, “Not with these sails and this wind, Captain! Do you reckon it’ll be enough to let us slip through their noose?”
Gull laughed. “The Han have been trying to get a noose around my neck for a while now and never succeeded. They will have no better luck today!”
Again Maura met Rath’s gaze. Did Gull’s crew recognize a desperate boast when they heard it?
“How close are the Han?” asked Rath. “And what is this ‘noose’ you are trying to dodge?”
“What are you doing here?” Gull lowered the seeing tube and stared at them, a look of puzzlement and annoyance wrinkling his brow. “Did I not order the pair of you belowdecks?”
He sounded much more vexed than when he’d ordered their deaths, yet Maura did not find herself intimidated. “Answer Rath’s question! Our lives are as much at risk as any on board. Perhaps more. We have a right to know what is going on!”
“Very well, wench. I will tell you what is going on.” Gull pointed off to the east with one hand and to the west with the spy tube. “A line of Hanish fighter ships from either side of the ore convoy is moving up like a pair of pincers. Damned if I knowhow they signaled one another to spring this trap, nor do I care. Unless we can break through one way or the other, they will catch us between and crack us like a roasted bristlenut.”
His gaze flickered in a strange manner as he spoke. Maura wondered if it was a sign of the fear he dared not show his crew.
Rath glanced toward the setting sun. “Did you not say we might make the Islands before nightfall? Can we outrun the Han long enough to reach the enchanted coastal waters you told us about? The ones that can sense metal and sink Hanish ships.”
Gull shook his head. “To repeat my crewman—not with these sails and this wind. I don’t suppose your pretty enchantress could make the wind change course for us?”
“I wish I could.” As Maura reached toward her sash, rough hands seized her from behind and she heard Rath cry out.
Too late, she realised Gull’s skittery eye movements had been wordless orders to his crew.
“What treachery is this?” She put up a token struggle and shot Captain Gull an indignant glare. “Our enemy is out there! We have done nothing but offer you our help against them!”
Glancing at the cat draped around his shoulders, the smuggler addressed his next words to it. “Ah, but is our enemy only out there? I wonder. Or was I right about this pair in the first place—figuring them for
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