The Red Wolf Conspiracy Part 50

"Yes, lad. Do not look for me, please."

"What about Dri, and her nephew?"

"Their Lordships never returned, Pazel Pathkendle. The council tried to warn her. It was a mad caprice, to chase a mage into the wilderness. Now the clan has lost all its princes. Their n.o.ble brother died to rescue me."

"I know," said Pazel. "She told me."

Motion on the quarterdeck: Rose appeared to have come to a sudden decision. He spoke to Uskins, who was hovering at his elbow. The first mate nodded, then turned and relayed the order: "Due south! Full sail to Simja!"

A roar of disapproval broke from the crew. Shame, infamy! To abandon a man adrift! Isiq threw down his hat and made for the quarterdeck. Even Pazel, who somehow knew that horrible events would unfold if Druffle boarded, was appalled to think of leaving him here to die.

But there was only one captain of the Chathrand Chathrand, and now he made his power felt. One nod to Drellarek and the sergeant was barking orders to his men. Eberzam Isiq found the quarterdeck stair blocked by crossed swords. Uskins leaned over the rail and bellowed in the face of Elkstem, who was gaping at the captain.

"Due south, Sailmaster, or is this a hangman's holiday? You want some dying, plague-breathed Ormali brought aboard, along with that wormy corpse under his toes? FULL SAIL TO SIMJA, d.a.m.n YOUR EYES!"

With a hundred warriors breathing down their necks the sailors quickly obeyed. Elkstem spun the wheel; the port and starboard watches freed the brace-lines, and in seconds men were heaving and groaning to turn the gigantic sails into the wind.

Everyone felt the tug as the ship leaped forward. But only Pazel heard Steldak say, "Ahh, he attends us now." "Ahh, he attends us now."

Pazel looked out at the lifeboat. Druffle was gazing at them over his shoulder.

"We can't just leave!" said Thasha. "Chadfallow said Arunis magicked him. Perhaps Druffle's not a bad man at all!"

"Even if he is, this is wrong," said Pazel. "We're supposed to be better than Arunis."

"We are," said Neeps, glaring up at Rose. are," said Neeps, glaring up at Rose.

"Something's happening," said another ixchel's voice. said another ixchel's voice. "Look at the sails!" "Look at the sails!"

"Look at the sails!" Pazel said aloud.

On all five masts the sails were falling limp. The wind was dropping; the pennants barely fluttered. The Chathrand's Chathrand's pace began to slow. pace began to slow.

"Topgallants!" cried Rose, not bothering with Uskins now. "Starboard, lay aloft!"

Sailors raced up the lines like agile monkeys. High overhead, the topgallant sails were loosed and tightened. But the dying wind barely filled them, and the ship grew slower still.

"Spritsails! Moonrakers!" roared the captain. "Run out the blary studders, Mr. Frix! I want every last inch of canvas stretched!"

Studdingsail yards were hauled up from below and lashed to the tips of the spars. Four sailors crawled out past the Goose-Girl to extend the jib. No whispers about shame and infamy now: the vanishing wind was too strange, and the captain's fear too contagious. In minutes, a whole array of new sails had erupted from the ship, and the Chathrand Chathrand looked like a great white bird spreading its wings in the sun. looked like a great white bird spreading its wings in the sun.

For a minute, perhaps two, she gained speed: the sailors drew a nervous breath. Then the weak wind stopped blowing altogether. Thasha saw her father turn in a circle, gaping at the acres of useless sails. Even the waves flattened around them.

Suddenly Pazel noticed Jervik standing just behind them. For an instant their eyes met.

"A dead calm," whispered Jervik. "But so sudden! This ain't natural, is it?"

Pazel said nothing. It was almost more unnatural to hear Jervik address him without hate.

No one moved or spoke. The only sound was the hiss of foam on the motionless sea. And then, from more than a mile away: a laugh. Pazel and Neeps looked at each other again. The voice did not belong to Druffle.

But the freebooter was still the only figure moving. As they watched, he drew a pair of oars from beneath the black canvas. Fitting them into the oarlocks, he began to row toward the ship.

"They will be here in minutes," said Steldak. said Steldak.

"They?" said Pazel.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Can't you guess, Pazel Pathkendle?"

"Gunner!" Rose bellowed. "Get your men to the lower a.r.s.enal! Run out the midship battery!"

"Which guns, sir?"

"ALL THE BLARY GUNS, MAN!".

Another scramble ensued, the men's voices strangely loud on the motionless air. Soon, enough guns to sink a warship were trained on the little rowing boat. It was then that one of the lookouts cried that a little dog had just emerged from under Druffle's seat. Pazel looked again, and saw it: a small white dog with a corkscrew tail.

Oh, fire and fumes.

He would know that dog anywhere.

Just then Pazel felt Thasha's hand on his arm. He turned: she held a finger to her lips.

"Meet me in the stateroom," she whispered. "Take the long way around, so n.o.body suspects. But hurry!" And she turned and made for her cabin.

Pazel knew better than to disobey. Besides, he had an inkling of what she was up to. "Cover for me, mate," he said to Neeps in Sollochi. "I'll be right back."

Neeps couldn't believe his eyes. "You're going below? What for?"

"To get help," said Pazel. With that he ran, ducking behind the crowd of transfixed sailors.

He had almost reached the No. 4 hatch when a cry broke from a hundred mouths. Pazel turned and gasped.

Halfway between the lifeboat and the ship the water was rising. A little vortex was turning, a cone of wind where none had been before. Man-high it rose, and then somewhat higher. Sudden rain dashed down upon it, and waves rose to enter it, and all at once it had arms and a face, and danced ghoulishly on the flattened sea.

"A water-weird!" cried Swellows. "He's called up a water-weird to sink us!"

A sharp command from the lifeboat, and the creature surged toward them. Rose laughed at his bosun's fear.

"Sink us--that little thing? Wash our faces, more likely! Fire!"

Three cannon gave three deafening, ear-wounding roars. Pazel looked: two shots fell wildly long of the boat. The third fell close enough to set it rocking, but no more.

Then the water-weird struck the gunports a sideways blast--and every man aboard realized what it could do. Not sink, but disarm them--for how could cannons fire if every fuse was soaked?

Suddenly Pazel remembered his rendezvous with Thasha. He spun about and rushed for the hatch--and nearly barreled into Jervik, who stood blocking his way.

"Pazel!" said the big tarboy. Still struggling to be friendly--or at least nonhostile.

"What is it?"

Jervik glanced in the direction of the lifeboat. "He's an Ormali same as you, right?"

"Druffle? That's what he told me. Listen, I really have to--"

"Then you can wish away his hex."

"What?"

"His hex. His spell on the wind. It's muketch muketch magic, ain't it?" magic, ain't it?"

Pazel just looked at him. The boy was perfectly serious.

"Jervik," said Pazel carefully, "the man rowing that boat isn't doing the magic. And I don't know any spells, muketch muketch or otherwise." or otherwise."

From the older boy's face it was clear he didn't believe a word. Or didn't wish to. Then, to Pazel's amazement, Jervik slipped the bra.s.s Citizenship Ring from his finger and held it up.

"Yours," he said, "if you'll just do as I'm askin'."

"But I don't know any magic."

"Come off it," said Jervik. "All those talks with that mink-mage-thing? That Ramachni fellow? Yeah, I know about 'em!" He looked a little sheepish, suddenly. "There's speaking-tubes all over this ship. You can listen listen at 'em, too. Swellows made me do it." at 'em, too. Swellows made me do it."

I'll bet you volunteered, thought Pazel. But there was no point in denial now "I've learned a few things from Ramachni, that's true. And they might even help us, if you'll just--"

Jervik pawed at him. "Do it now! Wish his spell away!"

"Let me go," said Pazel, his voice hardening. "Before it's too late."

But Jervik was too frightened to hear. His bullying instincts returned with a vengeance: he seized Pazel by the arms and shook him. "Wish it away! You're the only one who can!"

I'm going to have to fight this idiot, thought Pazel. And feeling the immense strength in Jervik's arms he knew he couldn't win.

But suddenly the big tarboy screamed in pain. His leg lashed out, and something small and black struck the open hatch-cover with a thump, then fell senseless through the opening below.

"Bit me!" howled Jervik, releasing Pazel and clutching his ankle. "That d.a.m.n blary rat!"

Felthrup!

Blood covered Jervik's hands. Pazel threw himself down the ladder, fearing the worst. There lay the short-tailed rat: barely able to raise his head. Was that Jervik's blood alone? Pazel couldn't stop to find out. He scooped up the lame creature and made a dash for Thasha's stateroom. Men stared at him: other boys were running with gunpowder and cannonb.a.l.l.s. He was bearing a rat.

Thasha waited in her doorway. "Felthrup!" she cried. "What's happened to you?"

"M'lady--" squeaked the rat.

"Hush!" said Pazel. "Just rest! You're a hero already."

They laid Felthrup on Thasha's pillow. His breathing was shallow, and he blinked as though his eyes could not focus.

"Leave me," he said. "Do what you came to do."

As Pazel tried to make Felthrup more comfortable, Thasha turned to her clock. Around and around she spun the hands. "If he's not in his Observatory, we're done for," she said.

"Just hurry," said Pazel.

When the clock read nine minutes past seven, she stopped. "We have to wait three minutes," she said. "That's just how it works."

They were the longest three minutes Pazel had ever known. Above them, Uskins was shouting, "Fire! Fire!" But not a cannon sounded: the water-weird still lashed at the gunports. Suddenly Thasha gave his hand a fond squeeze. Pazel squeezed back, but as he did so he felt a certain unpleasant tightness in his chest.

When the minute hand moved for a third time, Thasha bent down and whispered: "Ramachni!" The clock sprang open with a snap.

There was a whirl of black fur. Almost before they saw him, Ramachni had bounded onto Thasha's bed. Gently, the mink licked the black rat's forehead. Felthrup gave a whistling sigh.

"He will sleep now," said Ramachni. "But we must make haste."

"You knew we were coming?"

"Oh no, dear girl! But I certainly hoped. Whole days have I waited at my desk. And I have certain tools for doing more than just waiting. Listen carefully, please: neither of you have ever faced a danger like the one trying to board this ship. We must work together or be swept away."

Thasha put her shawl over the clock. "It's Arunis under that canvas, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Can you beat him?" Pazel asked.

"Not in this world, where I am but a shadow of myself," said Ramachni. "But we we can beat him. Thasha, you will be called on to show great courage, and great self-control. Pazel, you will have but one chance to speak a Master-Word. As you know, you will forget it the instant you speak, and nevermore hear it in your lifetime. You must choose well." can beat him. Thasha, you will be called on to show great courage, and great self-control. Pazel, you will have but one chance to speak a Master-Word. As you know, you will forget it the instant you speak, and nevermore hear it in your lifetime. You must choose well."

Pazel looked into Ramachni's bottomless black eyes. A word that tamed fire and a word that made stone of living flesh and a word that blinded to give new sight. The simplest Master-Words of all, the least dangerous. But if he chose wrong, Arunis and the s.h.a.ggat would win, and nothing would stop the war.

"Why can't you just tell tell me which Word to use?" he begged. me which Word to use?" he begged.

"For the simplest of reasons," said Ramachni. "Because I don't know. But remember this, both of you. We are not fighting Arunis and his beast alone. We are fighting an Empire. Sandor Ott is defeated--perhaps. But many hands are yet turning the wheel he set in motion."

At that moment they heard feet running in the outer stateroom. Thasha's door flew open and Hercol stood there, breathing hard, his sword naked in his hand.

"Ramachni," he said. "The hour is come."

Dollywilliams Druffle stopped his rowing. The little dog wagged its tail. The lifeboat had come within thirty feet of the Chathrand Chathrand. Beside the motionless behemoth it was little more than a bobbing cork. A hideous smell rose from it, as of sun-rotted meat.

The water-weird still shimmered against the gunports, a moist cloud shaped like a man. Otherwise the sea lay as if dead. No wave nor puff of wind could be felt. High overhead clouds were racing, but they might have belonged to another world. Here nothing moved but the gulls.

"You there, smuggler!" cried Rose suddenly, leaning down from the rail. "Get hence with that corpse! Release this ship! You're in the Straits of Simja, no great distance from either sh.o.r.e. We'll lower you a mast and sailcloth, if you need them. You can sail where you like."

Druffle said nothing. His back was still to the Chathrand Chathrand.