ship. 'Get the buffalope strapped up and swung aboard,' she yelled.
The men looked at her incredulously. 'On the deck?' one of them shouted down to her.
She shook her head. 'In the hold,' she shouted back. 'I'm not having him trotting around pooping all over my ship!'
'Not even on the poop deck?' murmured Cornelius slyly, but she either didn't hear the comment or chose to ignore it. Max, of course, was offended by her remark.
'I'll have you know I'm perfectly able to control my bodily functions,' he said. 'Anyone would think you were talking about some common animal.'
'Oh, do pardon me, Mr Buffalope,' said Jenna, giving him a mocking bow. 'I was forgetting myself for a moment.' She gestured to a couple of men on the dockside who were unbuckling a strong leather harness. 'Strap this brute up and get him aboard,' she said.
'Now look here,' began Max. 'I don't think there's any need to use that tone of voice. I was just—'
Before he could get any further, the two men had hurried over and were looping straps around his body.
'Here, go easy!' protested Max. 'That's chafing me!'
One of the men snapped a metal catch into position and gave a thumbs-up to the sailors on the deck.
'Wait just a minute!' said Max. 'I'm not— Aaaaarghhhh!' And his huge body was lifted up off the ground as though it weighed no more than a sack of vegetables. Sebastian raised a hand to shield his eyes as Max went flying across the skyline like some mythological beast. 'This is not a good idea,' he
roared. 'I have a very delicate stomach this morning. I'm not used to— Uuuurp!' There was a sudden belching noise and a great stream of vomit came hurtling down onto the quayside, obliging sailors to scatter out of the way.
Jenna gave a look of disgust. 'If he's like that now, how will he be when we get under sail? Honestly!' She gestured for Sebastian and Cornelius to follow her. 'This way,' she said. She led them up the gangplank. As they climbed, Sebastian caught a glimpse of Max, still vomiting as he was lowered into the hold. From the cavernous interior of the ship, the sound of him being ill took on quite terrifying proportions. It sounded like he was shouting out the names of major cities. Ramalat! Keladon! Jerabim!
'I'll pop down and visit him later,' said Sebastian.
Jenna looked at him and smiled. 'You're devoted to that beast, aren't you?' she observed.
'He's been around for as long as I can remember,' he said. 'Of course I care about him.'
'And tell me, Mr Darke, is it true what they say about you elvish people?' she asked him. 'That you can look at a person for the first time and see everything there is to know about them?'
Sebastian shrugged. 'My father was human,' he said, 'so I suppose I only picked up some of the skills. But I like to think I'm a good judge of character . . .'
Cornelius stifled a snort of laughter and Sebastian glared at him; but Jenna seemed not to have noticed.
'So what did you think when you first saw me?' she asked.
'Er . . .' Sebastian didn't want to admit to her that he hadn't thought of anything when he'd met her; that his head had been so full of images of Leonora that he'd been fairly indifferent to her. 'I thought that you seemed a trustworthy person and a . . . very accomplished sea captain.'
'Really? Well then, I'll know who to ask if I ever need a job reference!'
Jenna laughed and strode across the deck of her ship, her silver-buckled boots clumping on the scrubbed planks. She led them up a short flight of wooden steps to a high deck at the stern of the ship. From here, she took a long slow look around the Sea Witch , checking that everything was to her satisfaction. Then she nodded to Lemuel, who stood at the tiller.
'Take her out, Lem,' she said. 'Head due east until I tell you different.'
'Aye, aye, Captain,' he said. 'Cast off!' he roared.
Eager sailors ran to carry out the orders. The gangplank was pulled
The men looked at her incredulously. 'On the deck?' one of them shouted down to her.
She shook her head. 'In the hold,' she shouted back. 'I'm not having him trotting around pooping all over my ship!'
'Not even on the poop deck?' murmured Cornelius slyly, but she either didn't hear the comment or chose to ignore it. Max, of course, was offended by her remark.
'I'll have you know I'm perfectly able to control my bodily functions,' he said. 'Anyone would think you were talking about some common animal.'
'Oh, do pardon me, Mr Buffalope,' said Jenna, giving him a mocking bow. 'I was forgetting myself for a moment.' She gestured to a couple of men on the dockside who were unbuckling a strong leather harness. 'Strap this brute up and get him aboard,' she said.
'Now look here,' began Max. 'I don't think there's any need to use that tone of voice. I was just—'
Before he could get any further, the two men had hurried over and were looping straps around his body.
'Here, go easy!' protested Max. 'That's chafing me!'
One of the men snapped a metal catch into position and gave a thumbs-up to the sailors on the deck.
'Wait just a minute!' said Max. 'I'm not— Aaaaarghhhh!' And his huge body was lifted up off the ground as though it weighed no more than a sack of vegetables. Sebastian raised a hand to shield his eyes as Max went flying across the skyline like some mythological beast. 'This is not a good idea,' he
roared. 'I have a very delicate stomach this morning. I'm not used to— Uuuurp!' There was a sudden belching noise and a great stream of vomit came hurtling down onto the quayside, obliging sailors to scatter out of the way.
Jenna gave a look of disgust. 'If he's like that now, how will he be when we get under sail? Honestly!' She gestured for Sebastian and Cornelius to follow her. 'This way,' she said. She led them up the gangplank. As they climbed, Sebastian caught a glimpse of Max, still vomiting as he was lowered into the hold. From the cavernous interior of the ship, the sound of him being ill took on quite terrifying proportions. It sounded like he was shouting out the names of major cities. Ramalat! Keladon! Jerabim!
'I'll pop down and visit him later,' said Sebastian.
Jenna looked at him and smiled. 'You're devoted to that beast, aren't you?' she observed.
'He's been around for as long as I can remember,' he said. 'Of course I care about him.'
'And tell me, Mr Darke, is it true what they say about you elvish people?' she asked him. 'That you can look at a person for the first time and see everything there is to know about them?'
Sebastian shrugged. 'My father was human,' he said, 'so I suppose I only picked up some of the skills. But I like to think I'm a good judge of character . . .'
Cornelius stifled a snort of laughter and Sebastian glared at him; but Jenna seemed not to have noticed.
'So what did you think when you first saw me?' she asked.
'Er . . .' Sebastian didn't want to admit to her that he hadn't thought of anything when he'd met her; that his head had been so full of images of Leonora that he'd been fairly indifferent to her. 'I thought that you seemed a trustworthy person and a . . . very accomplished sea captain.'
'Really? Well then, I'll know who to ask if I ever need a job reference!'
Jenna laughed and strode across the deck of her ship, her silver-buckled boots clumping on the scrubbed planks. She led them up a short flight of wooden steps to a high deck at the stern of the ship. From here, she took a long slow look around the Sea Witch , checking that everything was to her satisfaction. Then she nodded to Lemuel, who stood at the tiller.
'Take her out, Lem,' she said. 'Head due east until I tell you different.'
'Aye, aye, Captain,' he said. 'Cast off!' he roared.
Eager sailors ran to carry out the orders. The gangplank was pulled
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