The Eyes of Sarsis by Andrew J. Offutt & Richard Lyon

Author:Andrew J. Offutt & Richard Lyon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Venture Press
Published: 2017-03-01T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Tiana had left Bardon with the difficult task of hiding a ship in the midst of an enemy stronghold. She had ordered him to wait in the only possible place of concealment: A graveyard. The pillaging of the Kroll Isle pirates had brought home to their lair many more ships than they had use for. These were stripped of everything useful, then towed to a deadwater inlet and left. Into this graveyard of rotting ships Bardon sailed the proud Vixen. Dawn was his enemy. For now, the pirates were busy celebrating a victory. Vixen must be hidden by sunrise.

Reaching the graveyard was easy, but not enough. The swift, beautiful ship must be made to appear one more abandoned hulk. Sails must be lowered and replaced by frayed old canvas taken from the hulks. Slime and seaweed must be pulled up and plastered over the ship. A successful disguise required a seeming endless array of tasks, and Bardon drove the men without mercy. When the sun rose, he looked proudly at the mess he had made of the ship.

“Without Tiana,” he muttered. “Without Caranga.”

The day was spent in rest and quiet. The meals were cold, for Bardon dared not let Virakoka light a fire. At midmorning the lookout spotted three large ships leaving the pirate harbor. None approached Vixen. After that there was no activity to be seen. The silence that surrounded them cloyed and only made the waiting harder. So did the mosquitoes.

Bardon had had no sleep the previous night, and now his nerves would not let him catch up. Men had vanished yesterday. An unknown enemy lurked aboard Vixen and Bardon could imagine no way to find it. The second mate had daydreamed of his own command. Now he had it: command of a crew hiding in a graveyard in growing fear of an enemy they could neither fight nor give a name to!

With Kathis gone, Sergeant Berrock was in command of the Ilani soldiery. At dusk the red-faced, big-nosed man approached Bardon.

“We must talk. Kathis left me without no orders. Do you plan on obeying that Tiana’s instructions?”

“Of course. She is Captain.”

“Even if men keep on disappearing, you’ll wait on her three full days?”

“Yes.”

“And if she don’t come back — you plan on sailing back to Reme and reporting everything to King Rower?”

“Forget it, Berrock. She is Tiana. She will return, bringing the princess with her.”

Berrock spat. “Most likely her and Kathis are already dead. When she don’t come back, will you sail home and report to old Hower? Tell him we didn’t save his daughter or even find her? That we lost our ship’s cap’n and the best soldier in his army — we don’t know how — and that in doing all this not once did we draw blade and face an enemy? You’re going to walk into the palace and tell him that? He’s a kind old guy, but for that kinda report he’ll have your head and mine too!”

“That’s right!” Bardon snapped. “What would you suggest?”

“Attack.

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