I should need more crew. For direction, I know only that Salimor lie south of east."
"Good enough," said Pwana. "Gather your gear and lead me to your boat."
"Mean you to return to Kwatna?"
"Aye. The gods have laid upon me the duty to spread my message of enlightenment. First, help me to strip these losels of such articles as might prove useful, or at least salable. This fellow's hat might save you the need to borrow mine."
"We cannot carry all our gear and a pile of loot as well," said Kerin. "Let me fetch my boat whilst you strip the bodies."
"Why not use the pirates' boat?"
"Too large for one man to handle."
"I will go with you," said the girl.
"Humph," grunted Pwana. "Ever the fair prefer the young and callow to the old and wise. Well, go your way; and I hope you can handle that sword more featly than you did with the late Captain Malgo!"
Kerin and the girl set out along the beach, silvered by the low half-moon. Little ghost crabs scuttled away. Kerin said: "Your pardon, madam; but did I hear the pirates call you 'Princess Nogiri'?"
"You heard aright; but the 'Princess' means little. I am only a distant cousin of the Sophi; his sisters and daughters are called 'Exalted Princess.' And you, sir?"
Kerin introduced himself, adding: "I never expected to see a person like you calmly cutting throats. Had you no qualms?"
"I might have had, had they not used me as they did."
"You mean—ah . . ."
"Aye, they raped me to a fare-thee-well, more times than I can count. Luckily I know a good contraceptive spell. I am so sore that the mere thought of love-making horrifies me."
"You poor thing!" said Kerin. "You're safe with me."
"Who is the other, the old man?"
"A hermit hight Pwana."
"He who created the cult of Bautong and later vanished? I might have guessed. I can tell much of his deeds in Kwatna—"
"Here's the boat. Help me launch it and then take a seat in the stern."
As the half-moon neared the horizon, the Dragonet' s boat cautiously approached the stern of the pirate craft, with Kerin at the oars, Pwana in the bow, Nogiri in the stern, and between the occupants two piles of loot—swords, knives, purses, jewelry, and a few choice garments. Belinka tinkled:
"He sleeps, Master Kerin. But do take care! Is there nought I can say to turn you from this peril?"
"Nought," murmured Kerin. He twisted about to view Pwana, who said:
"Go ahead, youngling, unless you be frightened!"
"Methinks it wiser to wait for full dark," said Kerin, suppressing an urge to make an angry retort. He would need all his wits on the next step, without letting personal irritations distract him.
Pwana had been especially irascible ever since Kerin and Nogiri had gone off to fetch back the boat; the idea struck Kerin that the old codger might be jealous. It was hard to believe, but Pwana must once have been young also, with his head full of images of desirable females.
At last the moon subsided below the horizon. Kerin said: "Doctor, may I borrow your tarncap?"
"If the lookout sleep, you need it not."
Kerin persisted: "But he may awaken. If he caught me climbing the rail, he'd let out my gore were I never so prow a swordsman."
"Nay, nay," grumbled Pwana. "I trust my bauble to none other. Go on, board! If you encounter trouble, I will climb aboard to render aid. I am spry enough for that!"
Kerin became stubborn. "No tarncap, no boarding. If you persist, I'll return us to Kinungung."
"And have us subsist on smoked pirate, eh? But hold: Hast a protective counterspell on your person? My spiritual senses tell me you have; that is why my healing spell failed to cure your blisters so quickly as it should have."
"Yea," said Kerin. "Doctor Uller put it on me ere I left home. Is it still effective?"
"I cannot be sure here; but I think it valid. If you did on the cap, either the cap or your counterspell would lose its charge, and belike both at once. Besides, you would have to strip naked."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because it would not affect your
"Good enough," said Pwana. "Gather your gear and lead me to your boat."
"Mean you to return to Kwatna?"
"Aye. The gods have laid upon me the duty to spread my message of enlightenment. First, help me to strip these losels of such articles as might prove useful, or at least salable. This fellow's hat might save you the need to borrow mine."
"We cannot carry all our gear and a pile of loot as well," said Kerin. "Let me fetch my boat whilst you strip the bodies."
"Why not use the pirates' boat?"
"Too large for one man to handle."
"I will go with you," said the girl.
"Humph," grunted Pwana. "Ever the fair prefer the young and callow to the old and wise. Well, go your way; and I hope you can handle that sword more featly than you did with the late Captain Malgo!"
Kerin and the girl set out along the beach, silvered by the low half-moon. Little ghost crabs scuttled away. Kerin said: "Your pardon, madam; but did I hear the pirates call you 'Princess Nogiri'?"
"You heard aright; but the 'Princess' means little. I am only a distant cousin of the Sophi; his sisters and daughters are called 'Exalted Princess.' And you, sir?"
Kerin introduced himself, adding: "I never expected to see a person like you calmly cutting throats. Had you no qualms?"
"I might have had, had they not used me as they did."
"You mean—ah . . ."
"Aye, they raped me to a fare-thee-well, more times than I can count. Luckily I know a good contraceptive spell. I am so sore that the mere thought of love-making horrifies me."
"You poor thing!" said Kerin. "You're safe with me."
"Who is the other, the old man?"
"A hermit hight Pwana."
"He who created the cult of Bautong and later vanished? I might have guessed. I can tell much of his deeds in Kwatna—"
"Here's the boat. Help me launch it and then take a seat in the stern."
As the half-moon neared the horizon, the Dragonet' s boat cautiously approached the stern of the pirate craft, with Kerin at the oars, Pwana in the bow, Nogiri in the stern, and between the occupants two piles of loot—swords, knives, purses, jewelry, and a few choice garments. Belinka tinkled:
"He sleeps, Master Kerin. But do take care! Is there nought I can say to turn you from this peril?"
"Nought," murmured Kerin. He twisted about to view Pwana, who said:
"Go ahead, youngling, unless you be frightened!"
"Methinks it wiser to wait for full dark," said Kerin, suppressing an urge to make an angry retort. He would need all his wits on the next step, without letting personal irritations distract him.
Pwana had been especially irascible ever since Kerin and Nogiri had gone off to fetch back the boat; the idea struck Kerin that the old codger might be jealous. It was hard to believe, but Pwana must once have been young also, with his head full of images of desirable females.
At last the moon subsided below the horizon. Kerin said: "Doctor, may I borrow your tarncap?"
"If the lookout sleep, you need it not."
Kerin persisted: "But he may awaken. If he caught me climbing the rail, he'd let out my gore were I never so prow a swordsman."
"Nay, nay," grumbled Pwana. "I trust my bauble to none other. Go on, board! If you encounter trouble, I will climb aboard to render aid. I am spry enough for that!"
Kerin became stubborn. "No tarncap, no boarding. If you persist, I'll return us to Kinungung."
"And have us subsist on smoked pirate, eh? But hold: Hast a protective counterspell on your person? My spiritual senses tell me you have; that is why my healing spell failed to cure your blisters so quickly as it should have."
"Yea," said Kerin. "Doctor Uller put it on me ere I left home. Is it still effective?"
"I cannot be sure here; but I think it valid. If you did on the cap, either the cap or your counterspell would lose its charge, and belike both at once. Besides, you would have to strip naked."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because it would not affect your
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