Battle Test
Babble of speech, cries, to Ross, a on the deck. Had the raiders' ship been boarded? Was it now under attack? He to and think through the pain in his head, the bewilderment.
"Loketh?" He was that the Hawaikan had been into the same hold.
The only answer was a low moan, a from the dark. Ross to his way in that direction. He was no seaman, but that worm's progress he that the ship itself had changed. The which had through the on which he was stilled. Some engine off; one of his mind put that into familiar terms. Now the with the waves, did not through them.
Ross up against another body.
"Loketh!"
"Ahhhhh ... the fire ... the fire—!" The half-intelligible answer no meaning for the Terran. "It in my ... the fire—"
The of the ship rolled Ross away from his toward the opposite of the hold. There was a of voice, above the noise on deck, then the of and there.
"The fire ... ahhh—" Loketh's voice rose to a scream.
Ross was now two he not see and from which his best not free him. The of the ship was more pronounced. Remembering the two he had to on the reef, Ross if the same for this one. But that had a storm. And, save for the fog, this had been a night, the sea untroubled.
Unless—maybe the his had the past moments had his thinking—unless the Foanna had their own means of protection at the sea gate and this was the result. The dolphins.... What had Tino-rau and Taua as they did? And if the Rover ship was out of control, it would be a good time to attempt escape.
"Loketh!" Ross to call louder. "Loketh!" He against the which him from to thigh. There was no give in them.
More from the upper deck. Now the ship was to direction again. The Terran he not identify, and the ship no longer so violently. Loketh moaned.
As as Ross judge, they were out to sea.
"Loketh!" He wanted information; he must have it! To be so of what was going on was frustration. If they were now in a ship the behind.... The threat of that was to set Ross with his until he with exhaustion.
"Rossss?" Only a Hawaikan make that name a hiss.
"Here! Loketh?" But of it was Loketh.
"I am here." The other's voice weak as if it from a man by a long illness.
"What to you?" Ross demanded.
"The fire ... the fire in my head—eating ... eating...." Loketh's reply came with long the words.
The Terran was puzzled. What fire? Loketh had to something the they had as captives. This whole ship had reacted. And the dolphins.... But what fire was Loketh talking about?
"I did not anything," he to himself as well as to the Hawaikan.
"Nothing in your head? So you not think—"
"No."
"It must have been the Foanna magic. Fire so that a man is nothing, only that which fire upon!"
Karara! Ross's to those when the had to go crazy. Karara had then called out something about the Foanna. So the must have this, and Karara, and Loketh. Whatever it was. But why not Ross Murdock?
Karara an extra, which gave her with the dolphins. Loketh had a mind which those read in turn. But such was closed to Ross.
At that with it a of and loss. That he did not have what these others possessed, a power the body, a part of mind, was humbling. Just as he had out and when he had been to use the of the the others had, so did he now.
Then Ross laughed shortly. All right, sometimes be a defense as it had at the sea gate. Suppose his also be a weapon? He had not been out as the others appeared to be. But for the luck of having been the had succumbed, Ross could, perhaps, have been master of this ship by now. He did not laugh now; he at his own reaction. No use about what might have been, just file this for reference.
A overhead the opening of the hatch. Light into the cubby, and a over and a ladder, to over Ross, for balancing, to the of the with the of long practice.
Thus Ross came to with his of the third party in the Hawaikan of power—a Rover.
The was tall, with a of and upper arms than the landsmen. Like the he armor, but this had been or with a in which other lines. His was for a broad, from the of his to the mid-point of his forehead, a supporting a not the of some Terran fish.
Now as he stood, planted on hips, the Rover presented a figure, and Ross in him the air of command. This must be one of the ship's officers.
Dark Ross with interest. The light from the directly across the raider's to catch the Terran in its full glare, and Ross the need for squinting. But he to give for stare, for self-confidence.
On Terra in the past more than one adventurer's life had been saved he had the will and nerve to his without any of anxiety. Such might not here and now, but it was the only Ross had to hand and he used it.
"You—" the Rover the first, "you are not of the Foanna—" He paused as if waiting an answer—denial or protest. Ross provided neither.
"No, not of the Foanna, of the of the either." Again a pause.
"So, what manner of fish has come to the of Torgul?" He called an order aloft. "A rope here! We'll have this fish and its out—"
Loketh and Ross were up to the deck, into the of a of seamen. The Hawaikan was left to but, at a from the officer, Ross was set on his feet. He see the nature of his now, a network of strands, and stinking, but not in the least when he another try at moving his arms.
"Ho—" The officer grinned. "This fish not like the net! You have teeth, fish. Use them, free."
A of from the answered that mild taunt. Ross it time for a countermove.
"I see you do not come too close to those teeth." He used the most his limited Hawaikan offered.
There was a moment of silence, and then the officer his hands together with a of sound.
"You would use your teeth, fish?" he asked and his be a warning.
This was going it with a vengeance, but Ross took the next in the dark. He had the feeling, which often came to him in tight quarters, that he was being from some hard of and him with the right words, the guess.
"On which one of you?" He his tight, those same teeth, for one moment if he should take the Rover's literally.
"Vistur! Vistur!" More than one voice called.
One of the took a step or two forward. Like Torgul, he was tall and heavy, his over-long arms well muscled. There were on his forearms, the of one up his jaw. He looked what he was, a very man, one who was so by as and dangerous.
"Do you choose to prove your on Vistur, fish?" Again the officer had a note in his question, as if this was all part of some ceremony.
"If he meets with me as he stands—no other weapons." Ross back.
Now he had another from them. There were some jeers, a of as to Vistur's intentions. But Ross also the that two or three of them had gone and were him in a new and more fashion and that Torgul was one of those.
Vistur laughed. "Well said, fish. So shall it be."
Torgul's hand came out, up, Ross. In its was a small object the Terran not see clearly. A new weapon? Only the officer no move to touch it to Ross, the hand moved in a series of in mid-air. Then the Rover spoke.
"He no magic."
Vistur nodded. "He's no Foanna. And what need have I to the of any crawler? I am Vistur!"
Again the of his supporters in answer. The more complete and than any boast.
"And I am Ross Murdock!" The Terran matched the Rover for tone. "But a fish swim with its to its sides? Or Vistur a free fish too to one?"
His the result Ross wanted. The were cut from behind, to as withered, strings. Ross his arms. Tight as those had been they had not circulation, and he was to meet Vistur. The Terran did not that the Rover was a fighter, but he had not had the of going through one of the Agent courses. Every of on his own world had been into Ross long ago. His hands and be as as any crook-bladed sword—or gun—provided he close to use them properly.
Vistur off his belt, put to one his helmet, that under it his was into a about the of his to provide what must be an for that helm. Then he off his armor, it indeed, the of the with his hands and it up and over his and as one might skin off a garment. Now he Ross, little more than the Terran's trunks.
Ross had his and gill-pack. He moved into the circle the had made. From above came a light, from a point on the and him good of his opponent.
Vistur was being to make a quick end of the challenger, his supporters and encouragement. But if the Rover had confidence, he also the more and valuable of in the of the unknown. He outweighed, Ross, but he did not in as his him to.
They circled, Ross studying every move of the Rover's muscles, every of in the other's balance. There would be something to an attack from the other. For he to purely in defense.
The came at last as the and their to see the a lesson. But Ross did not it was that which sent Vistur at him. The Hawaikan he the best way to take the Terran.
Ross so that a him. But the Terran's hand in a chop. Vistur gave a and to his and Ross again, sending the Rover to the deck. It had been quick but not so as it might have been. The Terran had no to kill or Vistur for more than a minutes. His would a of and a respect for a new mode of from this encounter. He have as easily been had either of those other than where Ross to plant them.
"Ahhhh—"
The Terran around, setting his to the of the mast. Had he wrong? With their down, would the now him? He had on the of play which in a Terran after a man-to-man challenge. But he be wrong. Ross waited, tense. Just let one of them a weapon, and it be his end.
Two of them were Vistur to his feet. The Rover's in and out of him with that same whooping, and of his hands rose to his chest. The majority of his from him to the Terran as if unable to the of their eyes.
Torgul up from the the and gill-pack Ross had in for the fight. He the around over his until the empty knife was uppermost. One of the came and into its proper place the long diver's knife which had been there when Ross was captured. Then the Rover offered and gill-pack to Ross. The Terran relaxed. His had paid off; by the present he had his freedom.
"And my swordsman?" As he on the Ross at Loketh still where they had pushed him at the of the fight.
"He is to you?" Torgul asked.
"He is."
"Loose the then," the Rover ordered. "Now—tell me, stranger, what manner of man are you? Do you come from the Foanna, after all? You have a magic which is not our magic, since the Stone of Phutka did not it on you. Are you from the Shades?"
His moved in the same Loketh had once Karara. Ross gave his explanation.
"I am from the sea, Captain. As for the Foanna, they are no friend to me, since they in their keep one who is my brother-kin."
Torgul him up and down. "You say you are from the sea. I have been a Rover since I was able to on my two across a deck, after the manner and of my people, yet I have your like before. Perhaps your means to me and mine, but by the Law of Battle, you have your on this ship. I to you, however, stranger, that if comes from you, then the Law will not hold, and you shall match your magic against the Strength of Phutka. That you shall is another thing altogether."
"I will any you of me, Captain, that I have no toward you and yours. There is only one wish I hold: to him I out from the Foanna they make him witches' meat."
"That will be a of any magic you may be able to summon, stranger. We have this night of the power of the sea gate. Though we in under the Will of Phutka, we were as about on the waves. Who enters that gate must have more than any we now know."
"And you, too, then have a score to settle with the Foanna?"
"We have a score against the Foanna, or against their magic," Torgul admitted. "Three ships—one fairing—are gone as if they were! And those who with them are of our fleet-clan. There is the work of the Shadow dark and across the sea, new come into these waters. But there nothing we can do this night. We have been lucky to win to sea again. Now, stranger, what shall we do with you? Or will you take to the sea again since you name it as home?"
"Not here," Ross swiftly. He must some idea of where they might be in relation to the island, how from its shore. Karara and the dolphins—what had to them?
"You took no other prisoners?" Ross had to ask.
"There were more of you?" Torgul countered.
"Yes." No need to say how many, Ross decided.
"We saw no others. You ... all of you—" the Captain on the still-clustered crew, "get about your work! We must Kyn Add by and report to the council."
He walked away and Ross, to learn all he could, him into the cabin. Here again the Terran was with in carvings, hangings, a of plate and not too different from the he had in the Wreckers' castle. As Ross just the Torgul at him.
"You have your life and that of your man, stranger. Do not ask more of me, unless you have that your hands to the asking."
"I want nothing, save to be returned to where you took me, Captain."
Torgul grimly. "You are the sea, you said that. The sea is wide, but it is all one. Through it you must have your own paths. Take any you choose. But I do not my ship again into what in wait the gates of the Foanna."
"Where do you go then, Captain?"
"To Kyn Add. You have your own choice, stranger—the sea or our fairing."
There would be no way of the Rover's decision, Ross thought. And with the gill-pack he not swim to where he had been taken. There were no in the sea. But a longer with Torgul might be helpful.
"Kyn Add then, Captain." He the next move to prove and himself with this Rover, seating himself at the table as one who had the right to the Captain's quarters.
