in the east, and the rollers had a distinct chop. All except O’Casey saluted the colors, but no time was wasted on ceremony. Many of the crew stood watching, wide-eyed.
“… I think we’ve got the fuel for it, but…” Spanky continued, joining Matt on deck. He looked around at the many faces and stopped. Swearing, he shook his head and disappeared down the companionway, bellowing for Laney. Matt’s eyes found Dowden’s.
“Plot a least-distance, least-time course for Baalkpan, via Tarakan. Consult Spanky and determine our best speed, without getting home completely dry. We might show up in the middle of a battle. Have Clancy transmit ‘on our way, Walker’ over and over. Standard code. Maybe they can hear us, even if we can’t hear them.”
O’Casey was staring around at the ship, as curious about it as about the sudden activity. He’d been offended when they took his antique weapon away, and resisted giving it up-until Silva and Stites had “insisted.” Stites had discovered several more muskets at the castaways’ camp, and, never one to abandon any weapon, he’d brought them along. O’Casey wasn’t overawed by the ship, exactly, but he did seem amazed. And envious. He stiffened when he heard the word “battle,” however. Silva was watching him at the time, and noticed the reaction.
“Aye, aye, sir,” Dowden answered. “Uh, Captain, I’ve taken the liberty of putting the children and their chaperones in the chief’s berthing spaces, and moving the chiefs to available officers and enlisted berths, based on seniority. I’ve also begun entering S-19’s survivors in the books. We’ll have to see who fits where best; they’re not destroyermen, after all.”
“Of course.” Matt knew when Dowden was beating around a bush. It was his job to sort out everything he’d reported, and unnecessary for him to report it. “What else?”
“Well, sorry, Skipper, but there’s two things, actually. First, the girl with the pet Grik won’t berth with the other kids. Says she’ll only berth with Mr. O’Casey here, and she won’t leave the damn lizard till we have a look at him and promise not to hurt him.”
Matt looked at Bradford, still puffing from his climb. “Go have a look. You’re our expert on Grik anatomy. Have Jamie give you a hand.” He paused. “Silva?”
“Skipper?”
“Go with him. Damn thing may be tame as a puppy, but if it even looks cross-eyed, blow its head off.”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
Silva and Bradford clambered down the metal stairs.
“I will accompany them,” Adar proclaimed. “I am curious about this ‘tame’ Grik, but I would get to know the youngling better.”
Matt nodded. “Me too. See what you can find out.” He looked back at Dowden. “What else?”
“Well, Skipper, it’s the nun. Says they all aate being rescued, but she’d like to speak with you again. She hopes… you won’t be so ‘rude’ next time.”
“Rude?”
Dowden shrugged, and Matt rolled his eyes.
“Maybe later. Chack?”
“Sir?”
“Assemble your sea and anchor detail, and prepare to pull the hook. We’re getting underway.”
“Aye, aye, Cap-i-taan.”
All that remained were Keje, and Walker ’s officers. Captain Reddy turned to O’Casey.
“We’re about to leave your island resort behind, and I’ve made good on my part of the deal. We’re all going to the pilothouse now. Things are going to be busy while we get underway, but as soon as I have a free moment, you’ll be standing right there, ready to pay your passage. I have some questions and you’re going to answer them.”
“Very well, Captain. I’ve a few questions of me own, if ye please. Ye say we might be headed fer a battle. Might I ask who you expect to fight?”
Ignoring O’Casey, Matt turned and strode purposely toward the bridge, leaving his surprised entourage hurrying to catch up. Taking the steps two at a time, he arrived in the pilothouse, preceded by his own shouted, “As you were!” Facing the startled OOD, he announced: “I have the deck and the conn. Make all preparations for getting underway.” He looked speculatively back at O’Casey, as the one-armed man reached the top of the stairs.
“We’re at war with creatures like your young lady’s pet, and they’re on their way to attack our… our home. Maybe a few hundred thousand of ’em. The first thing I want to know is how you made friends with one.”
Silva, Courtney, and Adar slid the green wardroom curtain aside. Silva had handed his BAR to Stites, who’d recover the rest of the shore party’s arms. All he had was his. 45 and cutlass, but the Colt was in his hand. The lizard lay on the wardroom table, moaning as the rolling ship caused him to shift back and forth under the lowered operating light. The girl sat beside him on a chair, petting him reassuringly, and glaring at the new arrivals. Jamie Miller, former pharmacist’s mate, and now Walker ’s surgeon, nervously gathered his instruments and laid them out.
“Critter give you any trouble, Jamie?” Silva gruffed.
“No… it’s just… Shit, Dennis, it’s a Grik!”
“Noticed that myself. So what? Ain’t you got a hypocritical oath, or somethin’? Patch him up.”
“Hippocratic,” murmured Bradford, moving raptly toward the creature. The girl stood unsteadily, but hovered protectively near. “We won’t hurt him, child, I assure you. You must understand; I’ve never been this close to a live one before that wasn’t trying to eat me.” The girl jumped at the rush of iron links flooding into the chain locker forward. “There, there,” Bradford soothed, “nothing to fease do sit again, before you fall and hurt yourself. Wee helped, but that don’t matter.” He looked at her. “Besides, you called me a ‘bastard.’ I figgered I could say it.”
She giggled again, and held her hand over her mouth. “I am sorry. What would Master Kearley say?” Her expression grew sad. “Poor man. He knew he was doomed, but he saved my life, as did Mr. O’Casey.”
“Master Kearley?”
“My tutor. He… didn’t make it off the ship.”
“How long were you adrift?” Dennis asked gently.
“Something over four weeks. I’m not certain. We had plenty of provisions-just two of us in a boat meant for twenty. Still, it was terrifying. There are few silverfish in the deep waters to the east, but there are other things.” She shuddered.
Silva took a pouch from his pocket, loosened the string at the top, and removed a plug of yellow-brown leaves. He bit off a wad and worked it for a moment until it formed a bulge in his right cheek. Seeing her watching him, wide-eyed, he graciously offered the pouch. “Chew?” Revolted but intrigued, she shook her head. “Suit yerself,” he said, and pulling the string tight, he returned the pouch to his pocket. “Where’d you come up with Lawrence, anyway? Flynn said he was in your boat.”
“He was. We found him on an island we landed upon, searching for a place with food and water closer to… where our people might search for us. There wasn’t any, but he’d been there several days, a castaway as much as we. All he had was a dugout canoe, and no idea which direction to head! His species is not unknown to us, a few meetings on isolated islands southeast of my home somewhere. But I’d never seen one before!”
“Peaceful meetings?” he asked, apparently astonished.
“I believe so, yes.”
“I’ll swan. Where’s home?” Dennis ventured.
She started to answer, then caught herself. “Are you interrogating me?”
“Yep.”›
Hands on hips, she looked up at him. “How rude! A gentleman never pries into the affairs of a… a young lady!”
Silva shrugged, a twisted grin on his face. “I ain’t no gentleman, doll. ’Sides, whose rules are those?”
“Why… they’re society’s rules-the rules of civilization.”
“Land rules.”
“Not just ‘land’ rules!”
“There’s other rules, you know. Sea rules. When somebody rescues castaways, either adrift or ashore, he can ask ’em anything he wants.”
The girl became pensive. “Truly?”
“Yep.”›
