Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Author:Scott Lynch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780553903584
Publisher: Spectra
Published: 2007-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

II

CARDS UP THE SLEEVE

“Gamblers play just as lovers make love and drunkards drink—blindly and of necessity, under domination of an irresistible force.”

Jacques Anatole Thibault

CHAPTER EIGHT

SUMMER’S END

1

DARK WATER ACROSS THE BOW, water at the sides, water in the air, falling with the weight of lead pellets against Locke’s oilcloak. The rain seemed to come first from one side and then another, never content to fall straight down, as the Red Messenger rocked back and forth in the gray hands of the gale.

“Master Valora!” Locke held fast to the safety lines knotted around the mainmast (as they were knotted all around the deck) and bellowed down the main-deck hatch. “How much water in the well?”

Jean’s answer came up a few moments later. “Two feet!”

“Very good, Master Valora!”

Locke caught a glimpse of Bald Mazucca staring at him, and he suppressed a feeling of unease. He knew that Caldris’ sudden death the day before had been taken by the crew as an omen of the worst sort; they were openly muttering about women and cats, and the focal point of all their unkind attention was one Orrin Ravelle, whose status as captain and savior was steadily fraying. Locke turned toward the helmsman and found him once again squinting ahead into the stinging rain, seemingly absorbed in his duty.

Two cloaked sailors stood at the second wheel behind Mazucca; in seas this strong control of the rudder could easily fly free from the grip of a single man. Their faces were dark shadows within their hoods; they had nothing friendly to say to Locke, either.

The wind screamed through the lines and yards overhead, where most of the sails were tightly furled. They continued to push vaguely southwest under the press of nothing but close-reefed topsails. They were heeled over so far to starboard that Mazucca and his assistants were not merely standing in wait at their wheels. The crashing sea demanded their constant, tedious concentration to keep the ship stable, and still the sea was rising.

A rush of gray-green water ran over Locke’s bare toes and he sucked in breath; he’d abandoned his boots for the more certain footing of unprotected feet. Locke watched that water roll across the deck, unwelcome but constant guest, before it poured away down the scuppers and leaked past the edges of the storm-canvas laid beneath the hatch gratings. In truth the water was warm, but here in the sunless heart of the storm, with the wind like knives in the air, his imagination made it seem cold.

“Captain Ravelle!”

Jabril was approaching along the larboard rail, storm lantern in one night-black hand. “It might’ve been advisable to take down the fuckin’ topgallant masts a few hours ago,” he shouted.

Since Locke had risen that morning, Jabril had offered at least half a dozen rebukes and reminders without prompting. Locke stared upward at the very tips of the main and foremasts, nearly lost in the swirling haze overhead. “I gave it some thought, Jabril, but it didn’t seem necessary.” According to some of what

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