slashed at the Yobbies. ‘This is just cause under the Covenant for raid or war!’
‘Why don’t we try and get everyone well first, uh?’
She looked at him with sudden respect. She had never looked at him that way before. ‘Gather strength before the attack. Yes. You are right.’
‘Right!’
‘Don’t offer battle before you have the advantage.’
‘Absolutely.’
She watched the Yobbies at the ford for a moment longer then, ‘We should steal a boat,’ she said.
‘Couldn’t we just go downstream, swim the river. . .’
‘Swim?’ The one harsh word cut through what he was saying.
‘What’s wrong with swimming?’
‘Murrays don’t swim.’
‘You come on like Wonderwoman, and you don’t swim?’
‘Dark Ones live in water. They can enter your soul.’
Mike knew then what had saved him from the Night Huntsman. The Clansmen did not swim. They had a tabu against it. He filed this also for future reference. If it had saved him once, it could save him again.
‘If you can’t swim, why have you got a word for it?’
Katrin acted like someone who had lost face. ‘River Yobbies swim,’ she allowed sullenly. ‘It’s why they’re so stupid. The Dark Ones who have entered their souls have eaten their brains!’
Mike thought it through. ‘Okay. We steal a boat.’
‘We need it anyway. To make better time. I can feel the Sickness growing in me. A boat will help us.’
‘I don’t suppose I need to ask what they do to boat thieves in these parts?’
She grinned, regaining her good humour. She made the familar throat slitting gesture. ‘They’re very religious people. They hang boat thieves at weddings. It pleases their favourite god.’
He looked back at the River Yobbies. He wanted never to have a closer acquaintance with them than he was having right now. ‘Their favourite god?’
‘His name is Grym. Who hung on the LifeTree three days and paid an eye for wisdom. Who wanders the earth cloaked.’
‘And Grym likes the occasional human sacrifice, uh?’
She nodded.
Mike wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. ‘Could we get the hell out of here? Please? Just a suggestion.’
‘You’re right. We should steal a boat.’
‘That wasn’t exactly what I said.’
But she was not listening. She was slithering back away from the river, rising into a low crouch, and moving downstream along the riverbank.
Mike followed, thinking that home would be a nice place to be.
CHAPTER 11
BOAT THIEVES
They were moving along the riverbank, eastward toward the sea, when Katrin heard something. Mike did not hear it, but she heard it. She gestured to him and they went to ground.
Some seconds later he heard it. It was the sound of oars in rowlocks. Mike had spent a lot of time in small boats and he knew the sound well.
They lay in cover, watching, waiting.
A few moments later, the boat came into view. It was about three metres long, pointed at each end, and constructed of overlapping planks. Four men sat in it. They were like the River Yobbies they had seen at the ford, but were not wearing their steel helmets. To Mike’s eyes, each of the men looked about the same size as Fergus. Two of them were rowing. The other two were watching the riverbanks as they passed. Mike felt very grateful for the sharpness of Katrin’s hearing.
As they watched them go past, Mike noticed a certain gleam in Katrin’s eyes. He knew what she was thinking.
‘Ah … we are not going to steal that particular boat. Are we?’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t think they’d see the joke.’
‘River Yobbies have no sense of humour anyway. It’s well known.’
‘They don’t look as if they laugh much.’
‘Oh, they laugh. At hangings, impalings . . . that sort of thing.’
‘Couldn’t we steal someone else’s boat?’
‘No one else is stupid enough to have a boat.’
‘I don’t think we should steal their boat.’
‘Mike, how are you ever going to be a warrior if you think like this?’
‘I don’t
‘Why don’t we try and get everyone well first, uh?’
She looked at him with sudden respect. She had never looked at him that way before. ‘Gather strength before the attack. Yes. You are right.’
‘Right!’
‘Don’t offer battle before you have the advantage.’
‘Absolutely.’
She watched the Yobbies at the ford for a moment longer then, ‘We should steal a boat,’ she said.
‘Couldn’t we just go downstream, swim the river. . .’
‘Swim?’ The one harsh word cut through what he was saying.
‘What’s wrong with swimming?’
‘Murrays don’t swim.’
‘You come on like Wonderwoman, and you don’t swim?’
‘Dark Ones live in water. They can enter your soul.’
Mike knew then what had saved him from the Night Huntsman. The Clansmen did not swim. They had a tabu against it. He filed this also for future reference. If it had saved him once, it could save him again.
‘If you can’t swim, why have you got a word for it?’
Katrin acted like someone who had lost face. ‘River Yobbies swim,’ she allowed sullenly. ‘It’s why they’re so stupid. The Dark Ones who have entered their souls have eaten their brains!’
Mike thought it through. ‘Okay. We steal a boat.’
‘We need it anyway. To make better time. I can feel the Sickness growing in me. A boat will help us.’
‘I don’t suppose I need to ask what they do to boat thieves in these parts?’
She grinned, regaining her good humour. She made the familar throat slitting gesture. ‘They’re very religious people. They hang boat thieves at weddings. It pleases their favourite god.’
He looked back at the River Yobbies. He wanted never to have a closer acquaintance with them than he was having right now. ‘Their favourite god?’
‘His name is Grym. Who hung on the LifeTree three days and paid an eye for wisdom. Who wanders the earth cloaked.’
‘And Grym likes the occasional human sacrifice, uh?’
She nodded.
Mike wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. ‘Could we get the hell out of here? Please? Just a suggestion.’
‘You’re right. We should steal a boat.’
‘That wasn’t exactly what I said.’
But she was not listening. She was slithering back away from the river, rising into a low crouch, and moving downstream along the riverbank.
Mike followed, thinking that home would be a nice place to be.
CHAPTER 11
BOAT THIEVES
They were moving along the riverbank, eastward toward the sea, when Katrin heard something. Mike did not hear it, but she heard it. She gestured to him and they went to ground.
Some seconds later he heard it. It was the sound of oars in rowlocks. Mike had spent a lot of time in small boats and he knew the sound well.
They lay in cover, watching, waiting.
A few moments later, the boat came into view. It was about three metres long, pointed at each end, and constructed of overlapping planks. Four men sat in it. They were like the River Yobbies they had seen at the ford, but were not wearing their steel helmets. To Mike’s eyes, each of the men looked about the same size as Fergus. Two of them were rowing. The other two were watching the riverbanks as they passed. Mike felt very grateful for the sharpness of Katrin’s hearing.
As they watched them go past, Mike noticed a certain gleam in Katrin’s eyes. He knew what she was thinking.
‘Ah … we are not going to steal that particular boat. Are we?’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t think they’d see the joke.’
‘River Yobbies have no sense of humour anyway. It’s well known.’
‘They don’t look as if they laugh much.’
‘Oh, they laugh. At hangings, impalings . . . that sort of thing.’
‘Couldn’t we steal someone else’s boat?’
‘No one else is stupid enough to have a boat.’
‘I don’t think we should steal their boat.’
‘Mike, how are you ever going to be a warrior if you think like this?’
‘I don’t
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