In five minutes the boat was close enough for Blade to make out its occupants clearly-and for them to make him out also. At that point the boat stopped again. Blade grinned as he realized that this must be the result of his own appearance. If these were the survivors of the battle, the sight of a huge man whose near nakedness revealed massive muscles and whose hand held a long and businesslike rapier would understandably be enough to make them hold back. He lowered the rapier to the raft and spread both hands out in a conciliatory gesture.

«I said 'Friend,' damn you! What do I look like?»

That started the mutterings off again. He even heard one or two laughs. Apparently they couldn't make up their minds. Finally, one man, bare to the waist but with the air of a leader about him, stood up and shouted across.

«What was your ship, fellow?»

«None of these.» Blade gestured at the hulks. «I hail from the south. My ship sank two days ago.»

«Howfor it sank? No storms this part of t'ocean of late. Or did ye meet pirates too?»

«Pirates?»

«By Druk's sea-green beard, you're from a distant land if ye've no beard o' the pirates of Neral.» The man's eyes narrowed. «Less'n ye be one yourself. Forbye-«and he began to rattle off a stream of words that Blade guessed must be some sort of slang. He went on until the blank incomprehension-partly natural, partly assumed-on Blade's face brought him to a stop. Then he shrugged. «If ye be not knowing the Neralers' cant, ye be none of them, tho' who ye be else I know not. Throw me over that pigsticker ye be wavin', and then swim over to us bare as a babe. I'll be leavin' no seaman here for the Neralers if they come back. But I'll not be riskin' my men either.»

Blade complied. When he was safely in the boat, the man looked him over again carefully and said, «Ye look like no man I've ever seen, but Druk's not a liker of sailors who abandon a man to the sea or the Neralers. Still, ye'll be sittin' quiet and makin' no moves for a weapon, or ye'll be spitted and fed to the fishes. If-«