to keep the irritation and impatience
out of her voice as she spoke to her tall passenger. “If the winds are favorable we might make some of it up. If not, the
lost time will see certain of our stores sorely thinned.”
“Maybe there is a way to regain a little of the time wehave lost.” Turning back to the rail, Ehomba wagged his fingers energetically at the drifting Kraken. Simna paid little heed,
certain that his friend was bidding their exotic erstwhile drinking companion good-bye. In point of fact, the herdsman had
something different in mind.
Strikingly different.
Returning to the ship, the immense cephalopod promptly wrapped all ten of its tentacles one after the other around the vessel’s
sturdy sides. Startled seamen were shaken loose from the lower rigging or knocked off their feet by the repeated impacts.
With its arrow-like tail pointing westward and its beak hard up against the prow of the ship, the Kraken held her in an unbreakable
titan’s grasp.
A gasping Stanager had instantly stopped handing out orders and directives to stumble back to Ehomba’s side.
“What’s going on? What went wrong?”
“Wrong?” Utterly unperturbed, Ehomba was as calm as the heavens. “Nothing has gone wrong, Captain.” He gestured at the mammoth-eyed
beast that even as they spoke continued to tighten its grip on the ship. “You expressed a desire to recover some of our lost
travel time. I have coaxed our new friend into assisting us in this enterprise. See?” He gestured forward.
Seeing that he was trying to point out something beyond the bow, Stanager moved warily forward and looked down. At the base
of the Kraken’s mantle, a pale yellow tube had emerged. The translucent organ was pulsing slightly, as if readying itself
to perform some unknown function. Having eaten many a squid, Stanager Rose was more than familiar with the organ, but not
with its function. This was about tobe made clear to her and to the rest of the
Grömsketter’s
crew.
“I suggest you grab something and hold on to it.” Looking past her, Ehomba repeated the warning even as he took a firm grip
on a nearby stay. “Everyone hold on tight!” Noticing the stocky helmswoman still standing at her post far back on the helm
deck, he added as loudly as he could, “You too, Priget!”
“Just a minute.” Stanager put a restraining hand on his arm. “If Priget steps down, who’s to steer the ship?”
The herdsman nodded once more at the bulbous bulk that now blocked much of the view forward. “I have already given our friend
a heading. You see, Captain, I have been watching you these past many days, and have learned much. It is my nature to be curious
about everything, including the operation and navigation of a vessel like this.” Looking down, he saw the cylindrical yellow
organ contract slightly. “Hang on. I am going to.” So saying, he turned away from her and made sure his fingers were wrapped
tightly around the stays.
“Why?” she snapped. “What’s going to hap—”
Impelled forward by the stream of water ejected by the Kraken from its rearward-facing siphon, the great sea beast shot westward
across the surface of the sea. Held firm in its tentacular grasp, the
Grömsketter
went with it. Several sailors who had failed to fully heed Ehomba’s warning were nearly left behind as the deck was all but
yanked out from under them. The term “jet propulsion” was one that was as yet unknown to Stanager Rose and her crew, even
as it applied to squid of all sizes and species, but the practical effects of the process were abundantly evident in their
astoundingly swift progress across the water.
Her bow lifted largely clear of the surface, ship and squid shot across the sea at a velocity no sailing craft, however well
crewed and captained, could ever hope to match. Once she was convinced of the stability of the arrangement, Stanager Rose
ordered all sails reefed and pennants and
out of her voice as she spoke to her tall passenger. “If the winds are favorable we might make some of it up. If not, the
lost time will see certain of our stores sorely thinned.”
“Maybe there is a way to regain a little of the time wehave lost.” Turning back to the rail, Ehomba wagged his fingers energetically at the drifting Kraken. Simna paid little heed,
certain that his friend was bidding their exotic erstwhile drinking companion good-bye. In point of fact, the herdsman had
something different in mind.
Strikingly different.
Returning to the ship, the immense cephalopod promptly wrapped all ten of its tentacles one after the other around the vessel’s
sturdy sides. Startled seamen were shaken loose from the lower rigging or knocked off their feet by the repeated impacts.
With its arrow-like tail pointing westward and its beak hard up against the prow of the ship, the Kraken held her in an unbreakable
titan’s grasp.
A gasping Stanager had instantly stopped handing out orders and directives to stumble back to Ehomba’s side.
“What’s going on? What went wrong?”
“Wrong?” Utterly unperturbed, Ehomba was as calm as the heavens. “Nothing has gone wrong, Captain.” He gestured at the mammoth-eyed
beast that even as they spoke continued to tighten its grip on the ship. “You expressed a desire to recover some of our lost
travel time. I have coaxed our new friend into assisting us in this enterprise. See?” He gestured forward.
Seeing that he was trying to point out something beyond the bow, Stanager moved warily forward and looked down. At the base
of the Kraken’s mantle, a pale yellow tube had emerged. The translucent organ was pulsing slightly, as if readying itself
to perform some unknown function. Having eaten many a squid, Stanager Rose was more than familiar with the organ, but not
with its function. This was about tobe made clear to her and to the rest of the
Grömsketter’s
crew.
“I suggest you grab something and hold on to it.” Looking past her, Ehomba repeated the warning even as he took a firm grip
on a nearby stay. “Everyone hold on tight!” Noticing the stocky helmswoman still standing at her post far back on the helm
deck, he added as loudly as he could, “You too, Priget!”
“Just a minute.” Stanager put a restraining hand on his arm. “If Priget steps down, who’s to steer the ship?”
The herdsman nodded once more at the bulbous bulk that now blocked much of the view forward. “I have already given our friend
a heading. You see, Captain, I have been watching you these past many days, and have learned much. It is my nature to be curious
about everything, including the operation and navigation of a vessel like this.” Looking down, he saw the cylindrical yellow
organ contract slightly. “Hang on. I am going to.” So saying, he turned away from her and made sure his fingers were wrapped
tightly around the stays.
“Why?” she snapped. “What’s going to hap—”
Impelled forward by the stream of water ejected by the Kraken from its rearward-facing siphon, the great sea beast shot westward
across the surface of the sea. Held firm in its tentacular grasp, the
Grömsketter
went with it. Several sailors who had failed to fully heed Ehomba’s warning were nearly left behind as the deck was all but
yanked out from under them. The term “jet propulsion” was one that was as yet unknown to Stanager Rose and her crew, even
as it applied to squid of all sizes and species, but the practical effects of the process were abundantly evident in their
astoundingly swift progress across the water.
Her bow lifted largely clear of the surface, ship and squid shot across the sea at a velocity no sailing craft, however well
crewed and captained, could ever hope to match. Once she was convinced of the stability of the arrangement, Stanager Rose
ordered all sails reefed and pennants and
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