Roma Mater by Poul Anderson

Author:Poul Anderson [ANDERSON, POUL and Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4976-9433-0
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2011-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

6

Hulls rolled, pitched, yawed, shuddered. Spray sheeted over the bows. Yet close in to land the seas were no longer too heavy to row against, with the currachs in the galley’s pathbreaking wake. The reefs farther out took most of their rage. It would have been mortally perilous to venture there. Niall had another reason as well for staying near the cliffs. ‘The shortest way is the swiftest,’ he explained to Breccan. ‘The sooner we reach our people at the harbour, the fewer of them will die.’

The boy hugged cloak around shoulders. Legs braced and hands clutching rail, they were standing together on the foredeck. Bailing was not immediately needful – a boon, when the crew were dwindled and so exhausted that turns taken on the benches were brief indeed. ‘Can we truly help them?’ Breccan wondered.

‘We can, if the Mórrigu be with us still.’ Awe tinged Niall’s voice. He had seen the Mother of the Slain at work on the battlefield. ‘This game is not played out, darling. I think that not all the players are human.’ His gaze brooded over the waves. ‘What we’ll do is engage the enemy yonder while those of our men ashore who’ve lost their boats – the which they’ll have had no chance to make fast – come aboard. Thereafter we’ll stand out, escorting what currachs are left. With more men, this ship can get about readily again. The currachs may want towlines from us to escape the maze of rocks we must thread; or if any get wrecked, we can try to rescue the crews.’

‘Will not the Ysans pursue? I’ve heard tell of their war fleet, and they know these waters as we do not.’

Those ships are elsewhere, my heart. Otherwise they would have attacked us before ever we could make any landings. For the masters of Ys knew we were coming. It can have been none but their she-druids that caused us to be blown here.’ Niall’s fist smote the rail. ‘May each be raped by a demon, and may the whelps he gets on them tear them apart in the birthing.’

Breccan looked troubled. ‘Father, always you told me to honour a worthy foe. And they’ve been bonny fighters here. They have.’

‘They set on us with their magical tricks when we meant them no hurt whatsoever.’ Niall sighed. ‘Ah, but Ys is fair and wonderful. Let us escape, and I’ll forgive the folk if not their rulers.’ A smile crossed his lips. ‘Why, someday I’d like to come back, in peace. Behold. Let your eyes revel.’

They had rounded the point and were about to pass the city at a distance of several hundred yards. High and high the walls gleamed, and the towers beyond; it was as if the voyagers had truly crossed Ocean and come to Tír innan Oac. The very rowers stared and marvelled as they toiled.

Breccan shaded his brow from the spray. ‘Father, something is different. See, there on top. The little sheds are gone, and – what are those things?’

‘You’ve the eyesight of youth,’ Niall said.

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