pointed toward Zak.
I said, "Touch him and I'll kill you."
"He's no passenger," the sailor said doubtfully.
"I owe you no explanation and give none. If you doubt that the two of us can kill all of you, try us."
A sailor who had not spoken before said, "Enough, Modan. If the sieur vouches for him..."
"I will. I do."
"That's enough, then. I saw you killing the jibers, and your hairy friend the same. How can we help you?"
"You can tell me why the jibers were killing you, if you know. I've been told there are always some on the ship. They can't always be that aggressive."
The sailor's face, which had been open and friendly, closed—though it seemed nothing in his expression had changed. "I've heard tell, sieur, that there's somebody aboard this voyage that they've been told to do for, only they can't find him. I don't know no more than that. If you do, you know more than me, like the hog told the butcher."
"Who gives them their orders?"
He had turned away. I looked around at the rest, and at last Purn said, "We don't know. If there's a captain of the jibers, we've never heard of him till now."
"I see. I'd like to speak to an officer—not just a petty officer like Sidero, but a mate." The sailor called Modan said, "Well, bless you, sieur, so'd we. You think we jumped all them jibers, without no leader nor proper weapons? We was a work gang, nine hands, and the jumped us. Now we're not goin' to work no more without we have pikes, and marines posted."
The others nodded their agreement.
I said, "Surely you can tell me where I'd be likely to find a mate." Modan shrugged. "For'ard or aft, sieur. That's all I can say. Mostly they're in one place or the other, those bein' the best for navigation and observations, the instruments not bein'
blocked off so much by her sails. One or t'other."
I recalled seizing the bowsprit rigging during my wild career among the sails. "Aren't we pretty far forward here?"
"That's so, sieur."
"Then how can I get farther forward?"
"That way." He gestured. "And foller your nose. That's what the monkey told the elephant."
"But you can't tell me precisely how I should go?"
"I could, sieur, but it wouldn't be mannerly. Can I give you some advice, sieur?"
"That's what I've been asking for."
"Stay with us till we get someplace safer. You want a mate. We'll turn you over to the right one, when we can. You go off on your own and the jibers will kill you sure." Purn said, "Right when you come out that door, then straight along till you come to the companionway. Up, and take the widest passage. Keep going."
"Thank you," I said. "Come on, Zak."
The hairy man nodded, and when we were outside jerked his head and announced, "Bad man."
"I know, Zak. We have to find a place to hide. Do you understand? You look on this side of the corridor, and I'll look on that one. Keep quiet."
He stared at me quizzically for a moment, but it was plain he understood. I had gone no more than a chain down the corridor when he pulled at my sound arm to show me a little storeroom. Although most of its space was taken up by drums and crates, there was room enough for us. I positioned the door so that a hairline crack remained for us to look through, and he and I sat down on two boxes.
I had been sure the sailors would leave the chamber in which we had found them soon, since there was nothing there for them once they had treated one another's wounds and caught their breath. In the event, they stayed so long that I was almost convinced we had missed them—that they had gone back to the scene of the fight, or down some branching passage that we had overlooked. No doubt they had disputed long before setting out. However it had been, they appeared at last. I touched a finger to my lips to warn Zak, though I do not think that was necessary. When all five had passed and seemed likely to be fifty ells or more ahead, we crept out.
I had no way of knowing how long we would have to follow them before Purn would be last among
I said, "Touch him and I'll kill you."
"He's no passenger," the sailor said doubtfully.
"I owe you no explanation and give none. If you doubt that the two of us can kill all of you, try us."
A sailor who had not spoken before said, "Enough, Modan. If the sieur vouches for him..."
"I will. I do."
"That's enough, then. I saw you killing the jibers, and your hairy friend the same. How can we help you?"
"You can tell me why the jibers were killing you, if you know. I've been told there are always some on the ship. They can't always be that aggressive."
The sailor's face, which had been open and friendly, closed—though it seemed nothing in his expression had changed. "I've heard tell, sieur, that there's somebody aboard this voyage that they've been told to do for, only they can't find him. I don't know no more than that. If you do, you know more than me, like the hog told the butcher."
"Who gives them their orders?"
He had turned away. I looked around at the rest, and at last Purn said, "We don't know. If there's a captain of the jibers, we've never heard of him till now."
"I see. I'd like to speak to an officer—not just a petty officer like Sidero, but a mate." The sailor called Modan said, "Well, bless you, sieur, so'd we. You think we jumped all them jibers, without no leader nor proper weapons? We was a work gang, nine hands, and the jumped us. Now we're not goin' to work no more without we have pikes, and marines posted."
The others nodded their agreement.
I said, "Surely you can tell me where I'd be likely to find a mate." Modan shrugged. "For'ard or aft, sieur. That's all I can say. Mostly they're in one place or the other, those bein' the best for navigation and observations, the instruments not bein'
blocked off so much by her sails. One or t'other."
I recalled seizing the bowsprit rigging during my wild career among the sails. "Aren't we pretty far forward here?"
"That's so, sieur."
"Then how can I get farther forward?"
"That way." He gestured. "And foller your nose. That's what the monkey told the elephant."
"But you can't tell me precisely how I should go?"
"I could, sieur, but it wouldn't be mannerly. Can I give you some advice, sieur?"
"That's what I've been asking for."
"Stay with us till we get someplace safer. You want a mate. We'll turn you over to the right one, when we can. You go off on your own and the jibers will kill you sure." Purn said, "Right when you come out that door, then straight along till you come to the companionway. Up, and take the widest passage. Keep going."
"Thank you," I said. "Come on, Zak."
The hairy man nodded, and when we were outside jerked his head and announced, "Bad man."
"I know, Zak. We have to find a place to hide. Do you understand? You look on this side of the corridor, and I'll look on that one. Keep quiet."
He stared at me quizzically for a moment, but it was plain he understood. I had gone no more than a chain down the corridor when he pulled at my sound arm to show me a little storeroom. Although most of its space was taken up by drums and crates, there was room enough for us. I positioned the door so that a hairline crack remained for us to look through, and he and I sat down on two boxes.
I had been sure the sailors would leave the chamber in which we had found them soon, since there was nothing there for them once they had treated one another's wounds and caught their breath. In the event, they stayed so long that I was almost convinced we had missed them—that they had gone back to the scene of the fight, or down some branching passage that we had overlooked. No doubt they had disputed long before setting out. However it had been, they appeared at last. I touched a finger to my lips to warn Zak, though I do not think that was necessary. When all five had passed and seemed likely to be fifty ells or more ahead, we crept out.
I had no way of knowing how long we would have to follow them before Purn would be last among
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