Our bow began rising and falling gently. The water was assuming the character of a normal sea. Our resurrection was about finished.
I did not look forward to its completion. I could get seasick in a rowboat on a lake on a breezy day.
The other vessel was hull up on the horizon and headed our way fast.
I reexamined my bow and arrows. Just in case.
VI
Had we changed? The gods witness, we had. The two-master came in alongside, gently, and we did not swarm over her. We did not cast her screaming crew to the sharks. We did not set her aflame. We did not do any thing but hold our weapons ready and wait. Colgrave did not ask us to do anything more.
Mica and I surveyed our shipmates. I'm sure he saw as much wonder in my face as I saw in his.
We watched Colgrave almost constantly. The Old Man would determine the smaller vessel's fate. Like it or not, if he gave the order, we would attack.
"We're a pack of war dogs," I told: Mica. "We might as well be slaves." He nodded.
Never a word escaped our mad captain's mouth. That astonished him more than the rest of us, I think.
The ship lay bumping against Dragon for fifteen minutes. Her strangely clad, silent crewmen studied us. We studied them. Not a one would meet my eye. They knew who and what we were. We could smell the fear in them.
Yet they had come to us, and they stayed. And that was reason for us to fear.
The vessel had a small deckhouse amidships. Its door finally opened. Two more strangers stepped out, stationed themselves to either side. They studied us with startled, frightened eyes.
A person in red came forth, looked up.
"A woman!" Mica swore.
We did not have a reputation for being gallant.
"I don't think so...." But I could not be sure. I had never seen a bald woman. "But.... Call it an it."