their own desire, drowned in the brine as well.”
“Why not simply plug up the ears?” asked Roel.
Armond shook his head. “Contrary to an old legend, that does no good whatsoever. It seems the spell of the singing depends not on hearing at all, for even deaf men are enchanted.”
Roel frowned and turned to Chevell. “Then, Captain, is this a wise course to take: sailing among these islands?” Chevell smiled. “Some of what Armond has said is true: the Sirenes do sing, and men, deaf or no, are entranced by their songs. Yet heed: when I was a freebooter, I spoke to a raider whose craft sailed those perilous waters to evade one of the king’s ships. He said the crew was indeed spellbound, but they did not leap overboard. Before they entered the isles, they lashed their tiller, and the course they had set carried them on through much of the perilous waters. When they could no longer hear the songs, they came to their senses just in time to avoid disaster and sailed on. The king’s ship, though, did not think to do this, and so with her tiller unlashed and unmanned she foundered on the rocks and sank. The freebooter who told me this does not know what happened to the king’s crew.”
“Ah, and you plan on lashing our tiller?” asked Roel.
“Non, Roel. I plan on the princess guiding us through.”
“Me?” asked Celeste, surprise in her eyes.
“Oui, my lady, for the songs of Sirenes do not affect the fairer sex.”
“But Captain,” protested Celeste, “I know nought of piloting a ship.”
“Princess, ’tis likely that no Sirenes will be at the isles, but if they are, then we’ll need you to steer. Helmsman Gervaise will teach you what you must know to maintain a course, for there is a rather straight run through the Iles de Chanson with but a single turn; it is shown on my charts and supports what the freebooter said.”
“And you trust this man?”
“Oui, for he was my mentor as I worked my way up through the ranks.”
“And who is this mentor?”
Chevell sighed and said, “Caralos.”
“The same man the pirate captain said is the one who seeks the map?” asked Roel.
“Oui. He is now leader of the corsairs.”
“And he is a friend of yours?”
Chevell shook his head and said, “Not any longer. We had a falling-out when I and my crew all became king’s men. Before we left, I told him what we planned. He became furious and attacked me. I defeated but did not slay him. Instead I bound and gagged him and left him alive, but always have I known that we would meet again, for even in defeat he swore he would kill me one day.” Chevell shrugged. “Perhaps that day draws nigh.” They stood for a moment, none saying ought, but finally Roel said, “Captain, I am well trained in strategy and tactics, and if we do not intercept the raider, then we will need a plan for recovering the chart, for without it the princess and I cannot carry on our own quest. I would have you speak to me of this safe haven where the raider goes. Mayhap I can help in laying out how we will go about retrieving that map should it reach Caralos.”
Chevell nodded and said, “Come, we will go to my cabin, for there I have charts of the isle, as well as drafts of the corsairs’ hold.” He turned and said, “Princess, if you would, let Gervaise begin your lessons now, for though we might not need you at the helm, still ’tis better to be prepared.” The princess grinned and sketched a salute and said, “Aye, aye, My Lord Captain,” and she turned to Gervaise.
As Chevell and Roel stepped from the fantail and turned for the captain’s quarters, Celeste overheard Chevell saying, “Brados is an island with a sheltered bay with a raider town lying along its arc. Above the town sits a high- walled citadel, and in the center of that fortress sits a tower-Caralos’s seat-and that’s the most likely place where the map will be found, assuming the corsair reaches him. . ” They stepped through the door to the passageway below, and the princess heard no more.
“Ahem.” Gervaise cleared his throat.
“Yes, Helmsman,” replied Celeste.
“Steering, m’lady, now, this be the way of it. . ” That evening Celeste and Roel and Chevell sat at dinner in the captain’s cabin.
“Today I handled the wheel,” said Celeste.
“The training went well?” asked Chevell.
“Oui and non: there was a steady larboard wind, and so I had little practice at helming a ship. Even so, I learned much of the way of it. And Gervaise took relief from Helmsman Lucien and walked me the length of the ship, showing me the halyards and sheets and naming the sails and telling me what each one does, Bosun Destin accompanying us and adding a word now and then.”
Chevell nodded and said, “My lady, Second Officer Florien tells me that the wind is shifting to the fore, and tomorrow we will be tacking. That should give you practice aplenty.”
“Well and good, Captain. Well and good.” They ate without speaking for long moments, but finally Celeste ran her fingers through her pale tresses and sighed. “Ah, me, Roel, but the fact that we fled without any gear other than what we were carrying is dreadful. I mean, I need a bath and to wash my hair. .
and I believe I would kill for a comb. Too, I would clean my leathers, but I have nought to wear while they are airing.”
Roel laughed and said, “For weeks on end during the war Blaise and I and all the men, we did not bathe nor change clothes whatsoever. Our leathers became stiff with sweat and grime and other matter. Rank we were, indeed.”
“Nevertheless. .,” replied Celeste.
Captain Chevell smiled. “My lady, I can provide you with salt water to bathe in, and then a small amount of fresh to wash the salt away. As for a comb and clothing, perhaps we can scare up some such.”
“Oh, Captain, I would much appreciate that.” Celeste hesitated a moment and then added, “I will also need a bit of clean cloth for. . hmm. . other needs. Perhaps I will see Chirurgeon Burcet for that.” Concern flooded Roel’s face. “Beloved, are you wounded in some manner?”
Celeste smiled and said, “No more so than other women.”
Roel frowned, and then enlightenment filled his features. “Oh. .,” and both he and Chevell became totally absorbed in cutting up their salted haddock.
Celeste shook her head and smiled to herself and cut at her fish as well.
The following day, dressed in cabin-boy garb, Celeste stood at the wheel, Helmsman Gervaise at her side, Bosun Destin standing nearby.
“The wind, she be blowing straight from the course we would like to follow,” said Gervaise. “But we can’t sail directly into the teeth of it. Instead, we tack on long reaches and run a zigzag toward the way we would go-
in this case, the isles. We are about to alter course-to zig the other way-and head on a larboard tack; to make that change, well, it’s called ‘ready about.’ ” Gervaise went on to explain to Celeste exactly how
’twas to be done. She listened intently and got the general gist of it, even though Gervaise used a plethora of terms-
When he was finished, Celeste smiled and said, “Gervaise, if what they say about the Sirenes is true, there won’t be men to hale the yards about, and I alone cannot handle the entire ship.” Gervaise scratched his whiskery jaw and said, “Well, if ye were runnin’ on nought but jibs and staysails ye might, though ye’d have to tie the wheel while ye ran fo’ard and adjusted the sheets.”
“Would I have the strength to do so?” Gervaise looked at her slim form. “Well, m’lady, the
“Aye, aye, Princess,” said Gervaise, and he glanced at Lieutenant Armond, who nodded to him and the bosun.
“Prepare ready about!” shouted Destin. He put his pipe to his lips and blew a call, and men adeck leapt to the
