him that Ramalatian ale is the most powerful gut-rot known to man.'
'Oh, stop fussing!' said Cornelius. 'So he's got a bit of a headache. I'm sure he'll survive. Ah, that must be the Sea Witch !'
Sure enough, the ship was moored at the jetty and her crew were busy preparing her for sea, swarming up rope ladders and edging out along yardarms to unfurl the great canvas sails. Sebastian and Cornelius were able to study the ship in detail, noting that she gave the impression of a once-proud vessel that had seen better days. Here and there she had been roughly repaired, and Sebastian noticed that the carved figurehead of a strange, witchlike woman that hung from the prow had suffered an accident at some point: her nose had been sliced off and one cheek flattened. But he would have been the first to admit that he knew nothing about ships, and Cornelius, when pressed, had to confess that he was no great expert either.
'The only ships I've been on were troop-carriers,' he said. 'Great slow hulks with massive holds for carrying hundreds of men. This one looks a sleeker, faster kind of beast in my estimation.'
'Oh, she's fast, all right,' said a gruff voice, and they turned to see Lemuel shuffling down the gangplank. 'Don't be fooled by the few bumps and scratches we've suffered. There's not a faster ship in Ramalat.'
Cornelius smiled. 'I'm glad to hear it,' he said.
'So, have you bonny lads been to sea before?' asked Lem slyly.
'I've done some sailing,' said Cornelius. 'But as for my friends here . . .'
Lemuel looked at Sebastian. 'Oh, so you've yet to get your sea legs?'
'Sea legs?' echoed Sebastian. 'What exactly are—?'
'You'll discover soon enough,' Lem assured him. 'When you get out on that deck and it starts going up and down, up and down, up and down—'
'Do you have to say things like that?' groaned Max. 'I'm feeling a tad sensitive this morning.'
Lem grinned. 'I shouldn't worry,' he said. 'You'll be all right, great big rough lad like you.' He glanced at Sebastian. 'It's the more sensitive ones that usually have a problem.' He glanced up at the sound of boots on wood. 'Ah, here comes the captain!' he said.
And indeed, Jenna was approaching, striding along the quayside, a wide grin on her face as though she couldn't wait to be off. Sebastian watched her and had to admit grudgingly to himself that she was a fine-looking young woman. Not a patch on Leonora, of course, but still . . .
'Good morning!' she said as she approached. 'Mr Darke. Mr Drummel. I trust both of you had a restful night.' She looked cautiously at Max. 'And . . . you . . .' She looked thoughtful for a minute, then took Sebastian's arm and led him a short distance away from the others. 'Do you really think it's wise to bring the buffalope with us? I mean, wouldn't he be more comfortable staying in a stable until we return? I don't wish to seem awkward, but it's hardly the right place for a beast of burden, is it? He isn't going to like the motion of the sea one little bit.'
Sebastian frowned. He was going to have to disappoint her in this matter. 'To tell you the absolute truth, Captain Swift . . . er, Jenna . . . I'm afraid he simply wouldn't stand for it. You see, when I left home, my mother instructed him to look after me and he's stuck to that order ever since. I'm afraid he's as stubborn as a . . . well, as a buffalope.'
Jenna looked slightly irritated at this news. 'So you're telling me that the beast is some kind of . . . nursemaid to you?'
'Yes . . . er, no! No, it's not like that at all! But you see, he's more than just a buffalope. He's my . . . well, I suppose he's my friend.'
'I see.' Jenna seemed dismayed by this news. But after a few moments she shrugged her shoulders. 'Oh, well, you're the customer, you call the tune.' She gestured to a couple of men up on the deck, who were operating a simple hoist with a heavy counterweight that they were using to lift provisions onto the
'Oh, stop fussing!' said Cornelius. 'So he's got a bit of a headache. I'm sure he'll survive. Ah, that must be the Sea Witch !'
Sure enough, the ship was moored at the jetty and her crew were busy preparing her for sea, swarming up rope ladders and edging out along yardarms to unfurl the great canvas sails. Sebastian and Cornelius were able to study the ship in detail, noting that she gave the impression of a once-proud vessel that had seen better days. Here and there she had been roughly repaired, and Sebastian noticed that the carved figurehead of a strange, witchlike woman that hung from the prow had suffered an accident at some point: her nose had been sliced off and one cheek flattened. But he would have been the first to admit that he knew nothing about ships, and Cornelius, when pressed, had to confess that he was no great expert either.
'The only ships I've been on were troop-carriers,' he said. 'Great slow hulks with massive holds for carrying hundreds of men. This one looks a sleeker, faster kind of beast in my estimation.'
'Oh, she's fast, all right,' said a gruff voice, and they turned to see Lemuel shuffling down the gangplank. 'Don't be fooled by the few bumps and scratches we've suffered. There's not a faster ship in Ramalat.'
Cornelius smiled. 'I'm glad to hear it,' he said.
'So, have you bonny lads been to sea before?' asked Lem slyly.
'I've done some sailing,' said Cornelius. 'But as for my friends here . . .'
Lemuel looked at Sebastian. 'Oh, so you've yet to get your sea legs?'
'Sea legs?' echoed Sebastian. 'What exactly are—?'
'You'll discover soon enough,' Lem assured him. 'When you get out on that deck and it starts going up and down, up and down, up and down—'
'Do you have to say things like that?' groaned Max. 'I'm feeling a tad sensitive this morning.'
Lem grinned. 'I shouldn't worry,' he said. 'You'll be all right, great big rough lad like you.' He glanced at Sebastian. 'It's the more sensitive ones that usually have a problem.' He glanced up at the sound of boots on wood. 'Ah, here comes the captain!' he said.
And indeed, Jenna was approaching, striding along the quayside, a wide grin on her face as though she couldn't wait to be off. Sebastian watched her and had to admit grudgingly to himself that she was a fine-looking young woman. Not a patch on Leonora, of course, but still . . .
'Good morning!' she said as she approached. 'Mr Darke. Mr Drummel. I trust both of you had a restful night.' She looked cautiously at Max. 'And . . . you . . .' She looked thoughtful for a minute, then took Sebastian's arm and led him a short distance away from the others. 'Do you really think it's wise to bring the buffalope with us? I mean, wouldn't he be more comfortable staying in a stable until we return? I don't wish to seem awkward, but it's hardly the right place for a beast of burden, is it? He isn't going to like the motion of the sea one little bit.'
Sebastian frowned. He was going to have to disappoint her in this matter. 'To tell you the absolute truth, Captain Swift . . . er, Jenna . . . I'm afraid he simply wouldn't stand for it. You see, when I left home, my mother instructed him to look after me and he's stuck to that order ever since. I'm afraid he's as stubborn as a . . . well, as a buffalope.'
Jenna looked slightly irritated at this news. 'So you're telling me that the beast is some kind of . . . nursemaid to you?'
'Yes . . . er, no! No, it's not like that at all! But you see, he's more than just a buffalope. He's my . . . well, I suppose he's my friend.'
'I see.' Jenna seemed dismayed by this news. But after a few moments she shrugged her shoulders. 'Oh, well, you're the customer, you call the tune.' She gestured to a couple of men up on the deck, who were operating a simple hoist with a heavy counterweight that they were using to lift provisions onto the
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