Too defeated even to weep, Anigel stumbled up to the bow of Lyath and sat amidst the coils of rope. For all the rest of the day she watched over King Antar and her children through her talisman, and spied also upon the sorcerer, even though his body was once again a blur. With leaden disinterest, Anigel saw Portolanus and his three acolytes within their cabin, chanting and uttering incantations and performing strange rituals she did not understand. Aside from this, they made no attempt to go after Kadiya’s talisman.
Nor did Kadiya herself. After her conference with her aboriginal friends (which Anigel did not deign to spy upon), the Lady of the Eyes went below to her bunk and slept all day.
Toward the end of the afternoon, bored with the inaction on the pirate trireme and lulled by the warm sun and the gentle motion of the noga, Anigel left off her vigil. Jagun brought her a cooling drink of ladu juice, and she fell into a doze. She did not awaken until long after dark, when it was too late to prevent the calamity.
12
“There is something strange happening on deck,” Prince Nikalon called down to his brother and sister. It was full night and the chain-locker was dark except for filtered moonlight shining through the hawseholes. Niki was hanging half in, half out of one of these large openings. “I hear chanting,” he said. “It is in a language I cannot understand.”
“It must be the sorcerer,” Prince Tolivar said, with unseemly delight, “casting a spell on the people chasing us. How I would love to see him toss thunderbolts or conjure up monsters!”
“Ninnyhammer!” Princess Janeel said to him. Then to Niki: “Can you see anything on the shore?”
“A single flickering fire back among the trees. There are no boats of any kind in the water. Two of the Three Moons are shining brightly, however, and we would very likely be seen if we attempted to escape now.”
“If we wait, this ship may sail away!” Jan said. “Let us go while we can.”
“It is true,” Niki mused, “that the trireme has anchored closer to land this time than it ever did before. We would only have to swim about half a league.”
“How far is that?” Tolo asked apprehensively.
“A thousand ells,” Jan told him. “But you needn’t be afraid, sprog. Niki and I can tow you whenever you get tired.”
“I don’t want to go,” the little boy wailed. “I hate swimming. The water always goes up my nose.”
“You’d hate being tied to a mast and used for knife-throwing practice by the pirates even more,” Niki said heartlessly.
Tolo burst into tears and Jan hastened to comfort him, glaring up at her older brother. “Now look what you’ve done, Niki!… There, baby, Niki was only teasing. No one’s going to hurt you.”
“I hate it in here,” the little Prince sobbed. “Why doesn’t somebody come and rescue us?”
“I’m sure Mama is trying—” she began, but at that moment there were noises outside the door, and she hissed to Nikalon: “Slide down quickly! Someone’s coming!”
The Crown Prince had barely managed to slither back to the top of the diminished chain-piles when the door was unbarred. Boblen the Quartermaster appeared, holding a lantern, and behind him was the Goblin Kinglet carrying another.
Ledavardis pushed ahead of the seaman and came into the chain-locker. He had with him a large sack that bulged oddly. “Wait outside and close the door, Boblen. I would speak privily with these unfortunate children.”
“Now look here, young Sire! It’s bad enough that you take advantage of my good nature by sneaking down here—”
“Silence, man! Do you truly believe these infants could do me hurt? Wait outside, I say!”
Grumbling, Boblen withdrew. When the door was closed, Ledavardis hung his lantern on a nail, then swiftly emptied the contents of the sack onto the rough boards underfoot. There was a cork life-ring, a knife in a sheath, a small hatchet, a flat canvas packet, an oilskin bag half-filled with something lumpy, a water-gourd, and a little crock with a cloth cover tied on.
“By the Flower!” Prince Niki exclaimed softly. “What is this?”
“You must try to escape tonight,” Ledavardis said without preamble. “The wizard has spent the entire day working on some prodigious spell with which he intends to salvage a drowned magic sword from these waters. Everyone on the ship will be watching as he and his three flunkies do the final incantations a half hour or so from now, when the Third Moon rises. This is when you must make your escape. Once the sword is retrieved, we will weigh anchor and head immediately for Raktum.”
“I don’t want to escape!” Tolo had begun to blubber again. “I can hardly swim at all.”
“The life-ring will assist you,” King Ledavardis said. “All three of you could cling to it if need be, and by kicking your feet underwater make your way silently to shore. This waterproof bag has food, and will also serve to carry some of your clothes, so you will have dry things when you land. The canvas packet has fishline and hooks and a fireshell kit. With these and the knife and hatchet, you will have a chance of feeding and sheltering yourselves until your own people rescue you.”
“Mama would surely find us quickly with her talisman,” Jan said eagerly.
“But is there no way we can rescue our father the King?” Niki asked.
“It is hopeless,” Ledavardis said. “He is chained to a galleybench, surrounded by the slaves and the crewmen on watch. You must save yourselves. I overheard my grandmother arguing with Portolanus. Somehow, she has forced him to agree that if he retrieves the talisman sunk in the water, then she will take the second talisman from Queen Anigel as ransom for you and King Antar.”
“Mama will never give up her talisman!” Niki declared stoutly. “And she and her knights are doubtless in close pursuit of this vessel, and will soon rescue us all.”
“That is as may be,” the King replied. “What I know to be true is that Ganondri intends to force your mother to hand over her talisman. Portolanus attempted without success to compel Queen Anigel by mild torture of your father—”
“Ohh!” Jan cried in horror.
Ledavardis continued: “—but my grandmother is made of sterner stuff. She intends to secure the second talisman promptly … by torturing you, Nikalon, and you, Janeel, before the very eyes of your father and mother.”
“Not me?” Tolivar inquired, his face bright with relief.
“Tolo!” his sister cried indignantly. “You should be ashamed!”
“Enough, Jan,” the Crown Prince said. “There is no time for childish folly.” Nikalon then said to Ledavardis: “We will be forever in your debt, King, if we do manage to escape. Will you tell us why you are doing this?”
“I do not know myself,” Ledavardis admitted wretchedly. “I only know that I must. I fear your Royal Father is doomed, and I can do nothing to help him. But I can help you.” He plucked the lantern from its nail. “Now I must go before I am missed. They will expect me to be present when the sorcerer performs. Begin your escape when the Third Moon rises. In that small jar is boot-blacking, which you should smear upon your exposed skin so that its paleness will not betray you as you swim away. And now, farewell.”
Ledavardis slipped out of the door, closing it softly, and a moment later the three royal children heard the bar being replaced. Niki dropped to his knees and examined the contents of the waterproof sack.
“There is ship’s biscuit here, and nut candy, and sausages. If we can catch fish and find fruit, it should be enough. We will put our shoes and cloaks also in the bag. It should float a little, and we can tow it behind us by its strings. I will knot the knife inside my shirt, and Jan, you tie the small axe to the girdle of your gown. Now let us make haste so that we will be ready when the time comes.”
Tolo backed up against the damp wood of the hull. “I won’t go!”
“You will!” Nikalon said fiercely. “I am the Crown Prince as well as your brother, and I command it!”
“Pooh to you and your stupid commands, Niki! There are things in the water. Da
ngerous things! Ralabun says—”
Both Niki and Jan groaned in unison.
“Ralabun! He is full of tall tales and Oddling superstitions,” Niki scoffed.
“Ralabun says there are great fishes three times the length of a man,” the little boy persisted, “with mouths as big as open doors, having three rows of teeth like butcher knives. And there are great blobs of swimming jelly that can sting you to death. And the sea-monster Heldo lives here in the South, and his eyes are as big as dinner-plates and his arms are like strong cables with claws at the ends. They twine about you and squeeze you until the blood pours forth from your ears and mouth—”
“No, no! “Jan said, going to Tolo and taking his hands. “There are no such things! The great danger is here on this ship, with the Pirate Queen and the evil sorcerer.”
“The Goblin Kinglet said that Queen Ganondri was only going to torture you and Niki,” Tolo said, “not me.” His face was both sullen and calculating.
“That kind of talk is wicked,” Jan reproved him. “Now stop arguing and take off your shoes.”
“No! I won’t go! The sea-monsters will eat me!”
“Curse that Ralabun,” Niki muttered. He opened the jar of blacking and began to smear it on his face. “Look, Tolo. Don’t I look awful? Wouldn’t you like to blacken your face, too? We’ll all look so grisly that the sea-creatures will flee from the sight of us!”
“No!” the eight-year-old shrieked. “No, no, no!”
Jan cocked her head, listening. “Hark! The chanting on deck—is it not becoming louder?”
“It is,” Niki agreed. He caught her eye. “Come, Jan. Prepare yourself. If this stubborn baby insists upon playing the fathead, we shall simply leave him behind.”
“Very well,” she said, pretending to agree.
The two older children removed their shoes and stowed them in the bag. Jan drew her skirt forward through her legs and tied it to her girdle, along with the hatchet, and they darkened their faces and hands and bare feet. Fortunately none of the torn and soiled finery they had worn to the Zinoran coronation was light in color. Then Niki ascended one anchor chain, pulling the sack and the life-ring after and perching them on the winch-gears, while Jan again tried to coax Tolo. But he darted away from her behind the twin piles of chain.
“The Third Moon is about to rise!” Niki called softly. “Hurry!”
“I can’t catch him!” Jan was frantic.
“I won’t go with you!” Tolo cried. “Get away from me!”
“I’ll come down and we will force him,” Niki decided.
“If you do,” Tolo warned, “I’ll kick and scream and bite as you carry me off, and the pirates will catch you and torture you!”
“Crazy little devil!” Niki was already very frightened, although he had been careful to hide it. His small brother’s recalcitrance was now fast robbing him of what courage he had left. “It would serve you right if we did leave you here!”
“Yes! Leave me! The pirates won’t hurt me. The Goblin Kinglet said so. You two escape. Don’t worry about me. I’m only a second prince. You said I wasn’t worth much ransom.”
“We cannot abandon him,” Jan moaned.
Niki’s response was somber. “And it seems that we cannot take him along. Shall we all stay, then, and sacrifice ourselves for his sake? Ledavardis did say that the Queen Regent would spare him, though heaven knows why. I may as well tell you, Jan: I have thought for some time that none of us would leave this ship alive, whether or not Mama gave up her talisman as ransom. It would be a great boon for Raktum if both Papa and the true heirs to the Two Thrones of Laboruwenda were slain.”
“Do—do you think, then, that it is our duty to try to escape?” The Princess was trembling now, her wide eyes making two little white-rimmed circles in her darkened face.
“I do,” Niki said.
“Me too!” Tolo squeaked. “Go on. Go!”
Jan held out her hands to her little brother. “Kiss me good-bye, then, sweeting.”
“No,” said he, “for you would only grab me!”
Jan’s eyes filled with tears. “Farewell, then,” she said, and began to climb the chain.
Tolo watched until both of them had gone out the hawsepipe. Then he scrambled up himself with some difficulty and peeped out. The Third Moon was just rising above the horizon and there was a good deal of noise coming from the afterdeck—loud chanting, and a peculiar loud sizzling noise that sounded like fireworks, and the creak of a winch or some other nautical apparatus. The boy looked down the curve of the right anchor chain and saw two indistinct masses gliding lower and lower along the huge metal links. Finally they reached the water. Triple moonlight sparkled on the gentle waves and this made it hard to see the blobs that were Niki and Jan’s heads. They moved off slowly in the direction of the island shore and soon they were completely lost to view.
“Good,” Prince Tolivar said to himself, well satisfied. “Good riddance! I know what they think of me—that I am only a brat, and a pest, and useless. But one day I’ll show them.”
Cautiously, he went back down the chain. At the bottom of the locker, he piled all three pallets into a thicker, more comfortable bed. Jan had left some of the food for him, and he lay down and chewed on a sausage and listened to the eerie music reverberating through the ship’s hull.
“I thought I would be a pirate,” the little boy said to himself. “But I have changed my mind. Pirates are rich and powerful, but they must be at sea all the time, puking up their dinners when there are storms and fighting battles with other ships. I would like to be something even better than a pirate when I grow up.”
He smiled in the darkness. “When the guard comes, I will tell him to give a message to the sorcerer. Surely Portolanus would be eager to have a real prince for an apprentice.”
Holding tight to the life-ring, Jan and Niki kicked and kicked, but it seemed that the shore never came any nearer, even though the trireme dwindled in size behind them. After a time they were completely exhausted and could only cling to the ring, listening to the noise of the ritual echoing over the water. The monotonous chanting went on without letup. It was impossible to see what was happening on the pirate ship, but occasionally red or blue flares arced into the sky and then fell back into the water.
“Have you rested enough?” Niki asked his sister.
“Yes,” she said. “Let us go on.”
They began to kick again, always being careful not to let their feet break water and cause a splash. As time went by, the muscles in their thighs turned to fire and their fingers grew numb with clinging to the ropes bound about the life-ring. But they kept going, ever more slowly. Kick … kick … kick. They could hear their own raspy breathing now and the thudding of their overworked hearts.
No longer did they even bother to look where they were going. They lay their cheeks against the scratchy canvas cover of the life-ring and moved their legs now only with the utmost difficulty. Jan lost her grip, went under, took in a noseful of water, and began to choke. She could not help but splash and struggle and gasp for breath. When she had recovered, Niki comforted her, saying that they were too far now from the pirate ship for anyone to have heard. But she was sobbing with exhaustion.
“I can swim no longer. I am going to die, Niki. Go on without me.”
Carefully, he drew himself up, took a firm hold on the ring with one hand, and slapped her face with the other.
“Aaah, you horrid qubar!” she shrieked.
“Kick!” he shouted at her. “Kick, Jan! And hold tight to the ring! If you do not, I will strike you again!”
Still sobbing, she did as she was told.
And suddenly the water was no longer flat, crinkled with small wavelets, but rising. Up and down they went, and finally they soared, carried higher and higher on a great wave. Jan began to shriek again, but Niki cried: “Hold on to the ring! Only hold on!”
The breaker was rushing toward the shore and they were drawn to its crest. Ahead was a period
ic roaring sound, and all around them a hiss that became deafening as the wave gained speed and height. Jan felt her fingers torn from the life-ring. She tried to cry out but was overwhelmed by the flood. Her mouth filled with salt water and she felt herself tossed head over heels in the loud darkness. She managed to hold her breath, to paddle with both her arms and legs, even though they had been useless things a scant moment before.
Up! Back up to the surface! She swept her arms strongly to her sides and kicked. Glowing bubbles. Her head breaking the surface. Foaming surf all around her. The slow rhythmic pounding of waves breaking on the shore …
Her feet touched bottom.
A great wave broke over her, slamming her underwater again, but it also thrust her ahead. Her knees scraped in the sand. She forced her head up and took a deep breath, then crawled. The sea was very warm, and now only small waves lapped about her in the shallows, encouraging her as she struggled up out of the water at last and collapsed on the sand.
It was a long time before she thought of Niki. Then a stab of guilt energized her. He had saved her life by slapping her. She had been a coward, willing to give up, and he had forced her to survive. Jan sat up with her feet still washed by the sea, scanning the shore first in one direction, then in another. The triple moonlight was deceptive, and there were dark rocks as well as mounds of seaweed lying on the strand above the thundering surf that she mistook for her brother’s body. But finally she saw the distinctive white shape of the life-ring lying a dozen ells away, and she crawled to it. Niki lay just beyond. He was breathing, but did not open his eyes when she shook his shoulder. The life-ring had the oilskin sack still tied to it, and she fumbled inside Niki’s shirt for his knife, cut the sack open, and took out a dry cloak. Then she lay close beside him and covered the two of them, and surrendered to overwhelming blackness.
Until the pain woke her.
“Stop hurting my sister!”
It was Niki’s voice. Jan groaned, then cried out more strongly as a second blow smote her aching ribs. Niki was shouting furiously and she heard harsh laughter. Numbly, she opened her eyes—only to close them tightly again to shut out the terrible vision.