‘You’re forgetting the nature of our relationship,’ Vance hissed, his face close. ‘Prisoner and captor, not equals. You’re not somebody I take advice from.’
Rukanis spat blood on the deck, then met his gaze. ‘Is hearing the truth really such an unfamiliar experience for you?’
The pirate made to strike him again, but hesitated, and finally stayed his hand. ‘To hell with it.’ He turned away, leaving Rukanis to dab at his mouth with a shirt cuff. ‘It’s only a question of time before I get what I want,’ Vance promised. ‘And you’re going to help me.’
‘Anything happening?’ Serrah asked, squinting at the group of ships lying well offshore.
‘No.’ Caldason offered her the spy tube. ‘See for yourself.’
‘Not much point looking at nothing, is there? Come on, we can’t do anything here. We’ve got plenty of eyes on them.’
They resumed their walk along the compacted spine of the sandbank. The wind was raw, and they felt its chill despite their hooded fur topcoats and fleece gloves.
‘You know, I still find it hard to believe,’ she said.
‘The pirates?’
‘Yes. When they came in flying white flags I thought it was another trick.’
‘Darrok was convinced of it.’
‘Perhaps he was right.’
‘Planting vipers in our midst, that kind of thing? I doubt it. Too obvious. But they’ll be kept under guard until we’re sure.’
‘Says something about morale under Vance if that many changed sides, doesn’t it?’
‘All it tells us is that forty-three of his cohorts were disheartened enough to desert. It doesn’t necessarily weaken Vance. If anything it makes him more dangerous.’
‘How’s that?’
‘It’s going to fire him up all the more; give him another reason to hate us and want this island. And now his ranks have been purged of waiverers he’s got a stronger force to send against us.’
‘Well, at least we got three more ships because of it. Talking of which…’ She nodded ahead.
They overlooked a cove the islanders used as a small harbour. A two-masted, square-rigged ship was anchored in the shallows, and half a dozen smaller craft were moored at a makeshift jetty.
‘It’s a brig,’ Caldason announced.
‘You’re an expert on ships all of a sudden, are you?’
He smiled. ‘Er, no. It was the one that brought me over.’
‘Thought it seemed familiar. Is it big enough for the voyage you have in mind?’
‘Darrok says it is. Actually, it has to be. We don’t have an over-abundance of ships to spare, you know.’
‘What about one of the galleons the pirates came in?’
‘They’re fighting ships; we need them here. The brig’s built for speed, not sea battles.’
‘But you don’t know what might be defending the Clepsydra. A warship could be-’
‘We can only work with what we’ve got, Serrah. Besides, the faster the ship the quicker the journey. Getting back as soon as possible is a real consideration if this place is going to be blockaded.’
‘You still think it will be?’
‘It’s what I’d do if I was either of the empires. Isolate the infection.’
‘Maybe we should just use all the ships and get everybody out of here.’
‘And go where? Our options are limited, to say the least. No, it’s this island or nothing.’
‘Course it is.’ She reached for his hand. ‘But whatever happens, at least we’ll be together. Now I’m getting all sappy, damn it. Why do you let me get into such a state over these things?’
‘Me? I didn’t even-’
‘Look! Isn’t that Zahgadiah and Pallidea? On the landing stage? Let’s get down there.’
They began their descent.
Once brief greetings had been exchanged, Darrok had news.
‘We’ve learnt something interesting from the defectors,’ he explained, ‘and I think it’ll give you some heart.’
‘So spit it out,’ Caldason said.
‘Vance is holding your friend Rukanis.’
‘I knew it!’ Serrah exclaimed. ‘How is he? Did they know?’
‘Being Vance’s prisoner’s never going to be a pleasant experience, and naturally he’s suffered some knocks. But he is alive.’
‘You don’t know what a relief that is.’
Pallidea, hand resting on the edge of her lover’s hovering dish, voiced caution. ‘Perhaps you shouldn’t get too excited. There’s more.’
‘Tell us.’
‘I said it would give you some heart,’ Darrok answered. ‘The not-so-good news is that Vance and his alliance think they can use Rukanis as a bargaining chip. To get us to give up the island.’
‘We’d never trade,’ Caldason said. ‘They must know that.’ He noticed the look on Serrah’s face. ‘Well, we wouldn’t. How could we? And Kinsel would be the first to understand that this whole venture’s worth more than the fate of one individual.’
‘Vance wouldn’t,’ Darrok told him. ‘Even if he did, what’s a man’s life to him? He’d see it as worth a try.’
‘What does he intend doing?’ Serrah asked.
‘We don’t have any details, but you can bet it’d be to the point, and brutal. Hand over the Diamond Isle or watch your friend burn to death in a cage hanging from a yardarm. That’s the way Vance operates.’
‘We’ve got to do something to get Kinsel out of this, Reeth.’
‘Yes.’
‘And soon. Right away. Before we set off on this voyage you’re planning.’
‘Of course. Though I’m not so sure about the we, Serrah.’
‘We’ve been through this. I’m going with you. You promised.’
‘It could be dangerous.’
‘Then why are you going in this thing?’ She jabbed a thumb at the brig. ‘If the journey’s dangerous you should be using a warship, and a bigger crew.’
‘I told you. It’s because-’
‘Good. That’s settled then.’
‘Serrah. If you thought about this for just a minute you’d see-’
Darrok cleared his throat loudly. ‘Don’t mind us. But some other time might be more appropriate for this, don’t you think? Besides, company’s arriving.’
A cart drew up at the end of the jetty. Phoenix was driving, with Kutch at his side. The boy scrambled down and sprinted to the others, leaving the magician to secure the horse.
Serrah met him with, ‘Guess what, Kutch? Kinsel’s alive.’
‘We heard. Great, isn’t it?’
‘It is if we can get him out of Vance’s clutches,’ Caldason said.
‘Can we?’
Phoenix caught up, panting slightly. ‘It’s a good question. Do we have a plan?’
‘We’ve only just found out,’ Caldason informed him.
‘I’ll call a special session of the Council for this afternoon,’ Darrok suggested. ‘We’ll get something thrashed out then.’
Caldason nodded. ‘All right. But let’s not turn this into a talking shop. We need to act quickly.’
‘There’ll be a decision today, I guarantee it. Meantime, don’t go doing anything on your own account. Understood?’
‘As if I would.’
‘He means it, Reeth,’ Serrah assured him sternly. ‘I’m all for rescuing Kinsel as soon as we can, but going off half-arsed isn’t the best way.’
‘I’ll do nothing on my own. But there’s a limit to how long I’ll hold to that. For Kinsel’s sake, and mine. I’ll not wait forever if it means delaying the voyage much longer.’
‘As we can’t decide anything about Rukanis’s fate for a couple of hours,’ Phoenix said, ‘we’d be best employed assessing the preparations for your expedition.’
‘That’s why we’re here,’ Darrok reminded them. ‘For my part I’ve scrounged enough provisions to last you about two weeks, Reeth. Though it was the devil’s own job getting the Council to part with them. And the victuals are nothing fancy. It’s iron rations, and you’ll have to stretch ’em. There’s an issue of warm clothing too, given you’ll be heading northward.’
‘What about the skipper?’ asked Caldason.
‘The same one who brought you out from Bhealfa; Rad Cheross.’
‘Good. And the crew?’
‘Mostly his own, and all volunteers. A little over a dozen, which I’m told is a bit tight but sufficient to run a vessel like this.’
‘Anything else I should know?’
‘Only that there’ll be a small consignment of gold on the ship. Not a fortune exactly, but it could be useful in case you have to bargain for…whatever it is you might find.’