The captain and Thasha were cheered anew when they reached the deck. But Rose waved sharply for silence and pushed to the rail.
Arunis lay in the bottom of his boat, which was clearly taking on water. His breath was labored and his face downcast. Suddenly he looked quite old.
'He is drained,' whispered Ramachni. 'To stir the dead requires immense power. He cannot have much left.'
'Will you desist?' cried Rose.
The mage raised his head. 'Oh no. You will drop a ladder, and I shall board, and then we shall bring out the Red Wolf. That is what will happen next.'
'You're a madman,' snarled Rose.
Arunis sat up at once. 'Have you written to your parents lately, Rose? I should love to have a talk with you about those extraordinary letters, sent every week to people you know to be dead.'
Rose took a halting step backward. His mouth went slack and one hand groped behind him, as if searching for some wall to lean against. When he spoke, his voice was so thin it might have belonged to another man.
'They talk to me at night,' he said.
'And you call me mad!' Arunis laughed, getting to his feet. 'They are dead! Your mother's deathsmoke habit killed her twenty years ago. Once, true, she nearly gave up the drug, through the simple use of golden swamp tears-'
'No!' screamed Rose at the top of lungs.
'— but you couldn't be bothered to find her a regular supply, and she went back to deathsmoke.'
'Kill him!'
'Your father, of course, never forgave you. Without a wife-or a son he could call by that name-he had nothing to live for. He drowned himself. It's all written down in the Annals of the Quezan Islands. But what will be written about you, I wonder, Rose? The once-great skipper who finished his days in a madhouse, chattering with ghosts-'
'Leave him alone, you gloating pig!' Thasha shouted. The thought of anyone, even Rose, tormented with memories of the dead was more than she could stand.
Arunis was delighted to turn his attention to Thasha. 'For your sake, Lady, I will do so. After all, I owe you so much. Your marriage will give the Shaggat's worshippers the sign they are waiting for. And you are also, right now, going to make it possible for me to come aboard.'
Before Thasha could reply something terrible occurred: her mother's silver necklace came to life and began to strangle her. Those nearest saw the metal move like a snake, gather itself tight around her neck and squeeze. Pazel and Neeps caught her as she fell. They clawed at the necklace but found it strong as steel.
Thasha kicked and thrashed: she could not even scream.
'He's killing her!' Pazel cried.
Isiq waved madly at Drellarek's archers. 'Shoot him! Shoot him dead! I command you!'
The archers looked at Drellarek, who nodded. They rushed forward, arrows to strings.
But Ramachni cried, 'No!'
'Hear the rat-mage!' said Arunis. 'If I die the necklace will go on choking her, to her death and a day beyond. All my enemies die thus, as your Emperor once condemned me to perish in a noose. And if Thasha or anyone else tries to remove the necklace, she will die. As she will now, old man, if you do not see that a ladder is dropped at once.'
Thasha's face had turned a hideous purple. Her eyes were glazed. Pazel saw Neeps looking at him beseechingly, almost in tears. Was this the moment? What Master-Word would save her? He looked up at Ramachni, perched again on Hercуl's shoulder. You will have but one chance.
A sudden splash: all eyes turned forward. There stood Chadfallow, his face twisted in fury or despair. He had just rolled the boarding ladder down the Chathrand's flank.
Instantly Arunis turned his craft toward the ladder. At the same time, Thasha made a ghastly sound. She was breathing! Pazel tugged at the necklace: still savagely tight. It had loosened just enough to keep her alive.
Beneath the pain on her face was a terrible rage. Voiceless, her lips formed a name: Syrarys.
Arunis climbed with surprising quickness, holding his dog in one arm. No one moved to stop him. He reached the deck, swung over the rail and let the dog leap down. Smiling, he put out a hand to Chadfallow. But the doctor stepped back, out of reach.
'You do not care for my friendship?' Arunis chuckled. 'No matter; it is your wisdom I count on, not your love. And you have chosen wisely, Doctor. Lady Thasha deserves to live.'
'Sorcerer!'
The voice erupted from deep in the ship: a frightful, murderous voice.
Arunis' face took on a strange look of rapture. 'My lord!' he cried. 'Across world and void I come to thee! Through death's gate, by roads of darkness, wastes of years, I return!'
'Give it to me! Bring it forth now!'
Arunis made no reply. Instead, while the Shaggat went on howling demands, he walked calmly aft. Hundreds of men fell back at his approach, until at last he reached the little group surrounding Thasha.
'Permission to come aboard, Captain?' he said with a sneer.
Rose was deaf to his mockery. He stood apart, hands covering his eyes, trembling.
'I will take your silence for assent. Now hear me, all of you: Chathrand has a new master, and his name is Arunis. You thought to cancel this marriage, Isiq. That will never be. Your daughter will marry a Mzithrini, or die in torment before your eyes. And when she is wed this ship will sail for the Ruling Sea, and its rendezvous with war. Nothing can stop this from happening! If you do not trust me, trust Dr. Chadfallow.'
'Trust him? Never again!' said Isiq. 'I would sooner trust a crawly!'
'You are insulted, Doctor!' Arunis laughed. 'But there is no time to waste. Go to the Shaggat Ness; unchain him and his sons. You will find the key on that idiot by the wheelhouse.' He gestured contemptuously at Uskins. Then, barely pausing, he turned to Fiffengurt.
'In the doctor's cabin sits a crate. Bring it up. And have the blacksmith's forge hoisted to the deck as well, and a good fire built.'
'What if I don't?' said Fiffengurt.
Arunis raised an eyebrow. Fiffengurt was shaking with fear. But still he managed to raise his voice defiantly, addressing the whole crew: 'What if we don't, men? What if we swear to kill this cur and his Shaggat, even if he takes fifty of us with 'im, eh?'
The bravest men began to cheer, but Arunis shouted over them: 'In that case I will kill Lady Thasha-and the Emperor will kill you all. Do you mean that no one has explained? Captain Rose?'
Rose said nothing. His back was bent, and his gaze far away.
'Well then, Sergeant Drellarek? Isn't it time you admitted what His Supremacy expects of his Turachs?'
Drellarek hesitated. Six hundred pairs of eyes were on him. 'We are to keep the Shaggat alive,' he said at last.
'And should any harm befall him?'
'We shall all be killed, with our families, upon return to Ether-horde. But we do not serve you, filth- mage.'
'Nor do I seek your service, dog! Only recall your oath to the crown. Let no one approach His Holiness the Shaggat during the ceremony to come.' He raised his voice to a shout. 'You think you defeated Sandor Ott? His plan marches on! Should the Shaggat die, everyone aboard this ship will follow fast.'
'But Ott thought you were dead!' said Uskins, peeping down from the quarterdeck. 'You were never part of his plan!'
'That is true,' said Arunis. 'But I improved it-perfected it. None here can stand against me now.'
Thasha, her voice a wounded rasp, said, 'Ramachni can.'
Arunis laughed once more. 'Such faith the girl has in you, Ramachni! But I know you better. You have done too much in this world already-a healing charm I smell about you, to say nothing of your foolish freeing of Mr. Druffle. Any power left to you after that was wasted on the fleshancs. That is why I bothered with them, of course.'
He stepped toward Ramachni, arms flung wide. 'You, oppose me? Do it now, weasel! Save your
