Jessep's square face creased into a grin of sorts. He turned his head and studied the oncoming pirate vessel. Then, glanced at the sun and gauged its position.
'I can't see any point in waiting.' He jerked a thumb at the soldiers of the hundred, who were lying down everywhere on the deck. Out of sight of the pirates in their low galley, true enough, but badly cramped. 'Another hour of that, and they'll be too stiff to get to their feet easily when the time comes. Best to do it quickly.'
Thicelt glanced at Helga. She nodded. Immediately, the ship's captain began bellowing orders.
Part of the crew swarmed up the rigging and began bringing down the sail. Once that was done, they would see to the backbreaking and risky work of removing the mast. That was always done when a warship was heading into battle-at least, a warship armed with a ram-or the mast would snap off at the impact.
Meanwhile, obeying the new rhythm of the hortator at his wooden drum, the oarsmen began turning the ship. To the pirates pursuing them, it would seem as if the merchant ship was making a desperate attempt to ram them.
And desperate was the right word for it. Unless the pirates handled their ship incredibly badly, they should have no difficulty at all avoiding the clumsier demibireme's assault. Although Helga's was a warship of sorts itself, the pirate vessel was much more maneuverable in a single ship action. Typical of the type used by the freebooters along the coast, it was a light and shallow-draft pure galley. Very wide in proportion to its length, true, in order to accommodate the huge number of rowers aboard her. But still a much handier craft than its prey.
Sure enough, before Thicelt had even finished turning his ship Helga could hear the loud jeers of the pirate crew. There must have been some two hundred men aboard that low galley. Even across the distance-still perhaps four hundred yards-their voices carried well enough.
'Stay right here where they can see you clearly when we get closer,' said Jessep. 'Begging your pardon, ma'am. But that'll help… distract them.'
Helga's smile was a very crooked thing. ' 'Distraction' is one way of putting it. But how are they supposed to get a good look at me? We're back in the stern, First Spear. Sorry, 'Special Attendant.' '
' 'First Spear' is just fine coming from you, ma'am. Think I prefer it some, to be honest.'
Helga nodded. ' 'First Spear' it stays, then, at least between you and me. But my point is-if you really want them to get a look at me, shouldn't I be up in the bow?'
Jessep shook his head. 'That'd be suspicious, ma'am. A lady'd be either way back at the stern or…'
'Cowering in the hold,' finished Helga, 'like as not screaming her head off. Speaking of which-'
She took three quick steps and leaned over the hatch. In the semi-darkness below, she could see Polla's pale face staring up at her. Despite the paleness, which was more the product of spending days in the ship's interior than anything else, Polla didn't seem especially worried.
'It'd help if you all did some screaming,' said Helga. 'When the time comes. I'll give you the signal.'
Polla nodded. Then, gave her own version of a crooked smile. 'No problem. Won't be the first time any of us have faked it. Although there's probably no need to mention that to my, ah, husband.'
Helga chuckled. Then, chuckled again, hearing Ilset's outraged hiss. ' I never faked anything! My husband-'
'Oh, shut up, will you?' groused Polla. 'If I have to listen to another paean of praise about your precious Jessep, I swear I'll…'
The rest faded out as Polla disappeared. Helga straightened and went back to Jessep. The middle-aged former First Spear had a very smug look on his face. Apparently, the injury to his head hadn't affected his hearing any.
'Okay,' she said. 'Now what?'
Yunkers shrugged. 'You and I just stand here looking like a rich merchant and his beautiful daughter. With our personal bodyguard.' He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at Lortz. Helga's personal weapons trainer, looking relaxed if none too happy, was standing near them in full weapons and armor.
'Nothing else for us to do, really,' Jessep continued. 'Thicelt's an excellent shiphandler, as he's made obvious by now.' He nodded in the direction of one of the soldiers lying on the deck. 'My nephew Uther's as good a First Spear as any you'll find, and he's led at least four boarding operations that I know about. Other than that…' He winced slightly.
'Other than that, there's the question of what my hot-blooded and eager young brother wants to do.'
At the moment, judging from the evidence, what Trae mainly wanted to do was curse the fates. Such, at least, was Helga's interpretation of his grimaces and gestures. The words themselves were difficult to follow, since there really weren't too many strung together in coherent clauses.
Eventually, as the string of swear words shortened, she was able to make some sense of it. Trae, it seemed, was most unhappy with the decision to end the long stern chase.
By then, he was standing in front of Helga herself and making his sentiments known.
'Dammit, Helga, I wanted to try them out! How in the name of all that's holy am I supposed to get any experience with the guns if-if-you stupid idiot!' His arms were waving about rather wildly now. 'Turn the ship back around! I was just about to set the clamps!'
Yunkers hesitated, apparently reluctant to get into a fierce argument with a Demansk scion. Helga, for whom Trae was simply a younger brother, had no such compunction.
'If your precious guns are so finicky they can only be used under perfect conditions,' she snarled, 'then we might as well have left you behind.'
As always, an attack by his older sister brought out the imp in Trae.
'You're just being nasty because these stupid pirates are getting in the way of your rut. For shame. Mother brought you up properly, too. Tried to, anyway.'
'You're right,' she snapped. 'I want to get laid-it's been almost a year, dammit-and these freebooters are not what I had in mind for the purpose.' She stared down her younger brother for a few seconds, daring him to carry the jest any further.
Not even Trae was that bold. 'Okay,' he muttered, reaching up and scratching his head. 'Let me think…'
He gave the upper bank of rowers a brief study. 'Oarlocks'll get in the way,' she heard him mumble, 'but even so…'
Trae turned back and looked at Thicelt. 'How soon before the pirates lay alongside will you order the oars in?'
Thicelt glanced at the pirate ship. 'No way to avoid them now, so any ship captain would already be starting to think in terms of repelling boarders. How much time do you need?'
'Two minutes,' came Trae's immediately reply. 'Three would be better.'
Thicelt shook his head. 'Three minutes is too long. In these seas, we'd be wallowing the gods know which way by then. Even two is pushing it. But I can manage that by keeping a third of the oars going until the last minute.' Again, he glanced at the pirate ship. 'Whatever you're going to do, do it quick. There are archers and slingers on that ship. They'll be starting to bombard us with missiles once they get within fifty yards.'
'Fifty yards,' sneered Trae. 'My guns can-'
'Not on a tossing ship they can't,' said Jessep softly. 'This isn't like missile fire on land, young sir. You'll be lucky to hit anything until they're almost alongside.'
Trae looked a bit startled. For all that he and his gunners had practiced setting the tripod clamps for the arquebuses, they hadn't actually fired any shots so far on the voyage. Trae had wanted to save his ammunition, since he had no way of knowing if he'd be able to replenish it in the Southron lands.
'Of course,' added Jessep, 'the same applies to the pirates. Most of their arrows and sling bullets will go wild also. All of this missile firing before a boarding operation is mostly show anyway.'
The implied insult caused Trae's face to darken a little. Still, he was wise enough not to snarl a rejoinder. Trae understood full well that he and his beloved gunners had yet to prove themselves in action. Brash he might be, but not even Trae was cocky enough to boast about feats he hadn't accomplished yet.
'Make sure you set them up on the lower bank only,' interjected Thicelt. He jerked his head toward the pirate ship, which was now not more than two hundred yards away. 'As low as that galley is, all of our soldiers will still be boarding from the upper deck. No other way to do it, since that's how the special bridges are designed.'
'Pain in the butt, that,' growled Jessep. 'Having to charge down a steep ramp-loaded with shield and armor and assegai-even leaving aside the fact that we haven't tested the damn contraptions.' He gave Thicelt a look which was not entirely filled with admiration. 'Wish we had some simple old-fashioned claws.'
