Part 21 (1/2)
Vilu sat back, a smile hovering across his eyes. ”So, and what would you have me do with this berserk warrior, Bullflay my friend?”
The weasel's flabby jowls quivered with rage. ”I wants yer t'let me kill 'er, sire, tie rocks to 'er neck'n'paws an' slide 'er into the water nice'n'slow. Let the other oarslaves watch 'er drown bit by bit!”
Vilu nodded under standingly. ”You'd like that, eh, Bullflay?”
A drop of blood spattered the deck as the slavemaster nodded. ”Aye, sire, I'd like it fine after wot she did t'me!”
Vilu dallied with the bone handle of his scimitar. ”I've no doubt you would, but I'm captain aboard this s.h.i.+p, not you. I decide who lives or dies and that squirrel is not ready for death yet. Cut her food and water for a few days. That should do the trick.”
Bullflay was about to protest when he saw a dangerous glint in Vilu's eyes. He saluted sullenly. ”As y'say, sire.”
Vilu smiled sweetly, perilously. ”Precisely, my lard-bellied friend. As I say!” He beckoned to Akkla, who was still crouching on the deck, holding his face where he had been struck.
”Stop s...o...b..ring about down there. Get up! Take four crew and go ash.o.r.e. Climb that hill, and mount a lookout for the s.h.i.+p that was following us. Report to me when you sight it. I'll lay an acorn to an apple that they'll do like any other vessel does when they come to Twin Islands. Parug, do you know what they'll do?”
The searat bosun shook his head. ”No, sire.”
Vilu closed one eye and squinted toward the channel separating both islands. ”They'll sail straight up the middle of there, always do. We'll be waiting for them when they emerge from the channel mouth and meet them head on with our spike, eh, Parug?”
A quiver of evil joy shook the bosun. ”Stick 'em like a gnat on a pin, sire!”
Vilu filled a beaker with nettle beer, pa.s.sing it to Parug. ”Like a gnat on a pin. What a quaint turn of phrase!”
Far below on the bottom deck of the trireme, Norgle the otter sat on the second row, staring in admiration at the back of Ranguvar, sitting alone on the front bench. Lash-marks scored and quartered the black squirrel's back, where Bullflay had done his best to flog her into submission. He had failedevery slave chained to an oar throughout the length and breadth of the Goreleech Goreleech knew it. It brought fresh life and the spark of defiance into the hearts of even the oldest and most timid. Norgle heard the heavy pawstep of Bullflay descending and murmured softly to Ranguvar. ”'Tis Bullflay, matey. Get yoreself ready for the worst. Like as not he'll slay ye for bitin' off his ear.” knew it. It brought fresh life and the spark of defiance into the hearts of even the oldest and most timid. Norgle heard the heavy pawstep of Bullflay descending and murmured softly to Ranguvar. ”'Tis Bullflay, matey. Get yoreself ready for the worst. Like as not he'll slay ye for bitin' off his ear.”
The black squirrel's eyes glowed with fierce battle light. ”Hah! Not before I've bitten his other one off!”
”Silence down 'ere. One more peep an' I'll flay yore backs t'the bone, y'bilge sc.r.a.pin's!”
A hush fell as Bullflay's whip cracked aloud. Still holding the rag to his ear, he strode up and stood by the drum. Raising the whip high, he glared at Ranguvar. ”An' you'll be the first t'git flayed, squirrel!”
The eyes of Ranguvar bored into her hated enemy. ”An' you'll be the first to die, lardbucket!”
Bullflay quailed under the berserk stare of Ranguvar. He let the whip fall and strode off, muttering, ”We'll see 'ow bold yer are after a couple o' days without vittles or water. That'll cure you!”
However, when food was served up to the oarslaves, even though it was only a crust, one bowl of thin gruel and a cup of water, everybeast saved a small portion. When the oardecks were quiet, the food was pa.s.sed from paw to paw until it reached the captive berserker.
Mid-morning of the following day saw Dulam, whose watch it was at the topmast, bellowing, ”Laaaaaaand hooooooooo!”
Luke joined him at the lookout point. The high, humped hills of Twin Islands stood out fresh and green in the warm sunlight. He patted Dulam's back.
”Well done, mate. You'll get an extra portion at lunch for bein' the first to spot land!”
Dulam sighed mournfully. Luke was a warrior, not a cook. ”An' will I have to eat it, too?”
Luke tweaked his friend's ear playfully. ”There's grat.i.tude for ye, after me slavin' over a hot galley stove since dawn, makin' skilly'n'duff for ye.”
Dulam sighed wistfully. ”My ole mum used t'make the best skilly'n'duff on the northland coast.”
Luke chuckled as he climbed out of the rigging. ”Well, I ain't yore ole mum. Mayhap we should've brought her along, Dulam.”
”Aye, mayhap we will next time. She's as good with a ladle as you are with a sword. Dear ole mum, yore liddle Martin used to come 'round to our cave for her apple pies. Sweet apples, golden crust, steamin' hot, dusted with spices an' warm arrowroot sauce poured over 'em. I can taste 'em right now.”
Luke helped Dulam down to the deck. ”Well, let's hope she's still feeding my son, make him grow up big'n'strong. Now will you stop natterin' on about those pies, 'tis turnin' me off my own cookin'!”
”Huh, that wouldn't be hard to do!” Vurg remarked in pa.s.sing.
Luke heard him. ”What was that you said, Vurg?”
”I said the sky's far up'n'blue, mate!”
Luke glanced upward, remarking quietly to Vurg, ”There's far worse cooks aboard than me.”
Vurg cupped a paw to his ear. ”What?”
The Warrior winked slyly at his friend. ”I said, the sky's as blue as the sea.”
Afternoon shadows were starting to lengthen as the Sayna Sayna lay offsh.o.r.e of the Twin Islands. Luke called up to the topmost watch, ”Any sign of the red s.h.i.+p?” lay offsh.o.r.e of the Twin Islands. Luke called up to the topmost watch, ”Any sign of the red s.h.i.+p?”
Cardo s.h.i.+elded his eyes. ”None at all, Luke!”
Vurg leaned against the tiller. ”So what now, mate?”
Luke studied the Twin Islands carefully before replying.
”No good chasin' out into unknown waters with the Sayna Sayna in a bad state. No tellin' what might become of us. I think we should sail her into that channel which separates the two islands, 'tis calm an' sheltered in there. We could make the in a bad state. No tellin' what might become of us. I think we should sail her into that channel which separates the two islands, 'tis calm an' sheltered in there. We could make the Sayna Sayna s.h.i.+pshape again, fix the mast properly, make a new jib an' sew up those torn sails. Sort of put everythin' to rights afore we set sail again, eh, Vurg?” s.h.i.+pshape again, fix the mast properly, make a new jib an' sew up those torn sails. Sort of put everythin' to rights afore we set sail again, eh, Vurg?”
”Aye, sounds sensible, but what about the red s.h.i.+p, Luke?”
”Well we ain't in a fit condition to chase her right now. We'll have to make up two days when we're sailin' again. Strange though, Vurg, I've got a funny feelin' that red s.h.i.+p isn't too far off somewhere. Hmm, mayhap 'tis just a fancy an' it'll pa.s.s. Right, head 'er in there, mates. We'll make fast to the east channel bank about halfway along.”
Later that evening Akkla tapped nervously at Vilu Daskar's splendidly carved cabin door.
Vilu put aside the charts he and Parug were studying. ”Come!” the pirate stoat's voice called imperiously.
Akkla entered respectfully and made his report.
”Sire, 'tis like you said: toward evenin' a s.h.i.+p sailed into the channel an' put in 'alfway up on the east side.”
Vilu could not resist a triumphant smirk at Parug. ”Just as I predicted.” He turned back to Akkla. ”What manner of vessel is it?”
”Like an ole Corsair barque, cap'n, but ain't no Corsairs aboard of 'er, they're all mice, tough-lookin' beasts. She took some storm damage, sireI think they've put in there for repairs.”
Parug drew his cutla.s.s and licked the blade. ”It's dark outside, cap'n. We could come stormin' up the channel like an 'awk onto a wren, jus' when they're least expectin' us!”
Vilu shook his head despairingly at the searat bosun. ”No no, my impulsive friend, why wreck a s.h.i.+p that's in need of repair? Leave the mice awhile, let them work and sweat fixing up their craft, get it all good and seaworthy again. Then we'll swoop on them and sink it. Let them see a'l their efforts destroyed. Much more subtle, don't you think?”