For a moment she trotted along beside him in humble silence. Then, «Until we come safe to Patmos it would be as well if I. were the goddess Juna. You do not believe, but my people do. I have more authority than you think. It may be of some help in this thing you plan.»
There was truth in her words and Blade nodded. «You do that, Juna. Play the goddess as much as you like, so long as you do not do so with me, and as long as you do not plot against me.»
After a moment he said, thinking no harm done to throw a little scare into her, to let her know that because he had enjoyed her body, and she his, it in no way made him her serf, «I found you to my liking just now. I will again when the mood is on me. You, if sounds are any gauge, found it the same. Keep it in mind, but do not presume on it. I have had your body, Juna, and if you cross me I will have your head.»
By then she had fallen behind him again sand so he did not see the look she directed at his back.
CHAPTER 6
The escape was greatly aided by the arrogance of the Samostan patrols. As the weather cleared and visibility improved, their running lights were as good as marker buoys to Blade. By this time he had completed half a dozen of the frail basket craft, as many oars, and his luck held in that the night was moonless. He put each of the emasculates in charge of a boat-castration had not affected their muscular development-and promised them dire punishment if they failed. None of the eunuchs chose to mention-if indeed they thought of it that if they failed they would not encounter Blade again.
Blade put himself and Edyrn in charge of the remaining two boats. Edyrn's was overloaded, with two children and two of Juna's ladies, but his was the strongest boat by Blade's reckoning. The last, and the smallest boat, he reserved for himself and Juna. If he made it to Patmos he would need her, whether as hostage or interceder only time would divulge, and he had no intention of losing her. He had the thought that, if worst came to worst, he might be able to swim to Patmos with Juna in tow. Even so it would be a long swim, even for Blade, and every mile gained was precious.
When the time came to depart he was not overjoyed to find Juna whispering to Edym on the beach. She gave him a mocking smile as he approached and the boy looked flushed and uneasy as he saluted with his lance.
Blade, having remarked this, chose to ignore it. But he scowled at the lad as he gave final instructions. He pointed to the lights of the patrol ships, three of them, at this time some two miles offshore and a mile or so apart.
«Only three things to remember, lad. There must be absolute quiet. No talking. You have my order to kill anyone that makes a sound. You must steer directly between the lights, so giving you the greatest distance on either side. Thirdly, and this is not important until you are past the patrols, you will guide on the end star of the Lancer. She has told you of this?»
Edyrn glanced at Juna-uneasily, Blade thought-and then at Blade. He pointed his own lance to a constellation just visible over the seaward horizon-it vaguely resembled a warrior carrying a lance.
«She has instructed me, sire. I follow the star at the end of the lance and it will guide me to Patmos.»
Blade regarded the lad for a moment, chin in hand, then nodded brusquely. «I hope so. Go, then. Go with good fortune, lad.»
Edym saluted and ran down to where his frail craft waited with its hapless cargo. Blade took Juna's arm and followed him. They watched as the five boats werespushed into the light surf. It could hardly be called surf, the sea having calmed so rapidly, yet even the small waves caught the crude little boats and spun them like corks in a whirlpool.
Blade looked grim. «They will need more than fortune,» he told the girl. «They will need a miracle.»
At that moment one of the basket boats overturned. Blade heard a single shrill cry for help as he raced down and plunged into the sea, then there was silence. When he reached the overturned boat he saw that it was disintegrating, was nothing but a tangle of flotsam, and there was no sign of the occupants. Something touched his leg and
Blade went under and came up with a naked child. She coughed and spat water and clung to Blade with cold little arms. He cast a last look around and swam back to the beach. As he handed the girl child to Juna he said, «All gone. Kron was in that boat, I think.»
Juna wrapped her cloak about the little girl, who began to cry. Blade winced. It was a welcome sound, for the child lived, but he was thinking of the patrol boats. He combed out his sodden beard with his fingers and stared down in perplexity.
Juna sensed his thought. She gathered the wailing little girl to her breast. «Her name is Thamus and she is daughter to one of my ladies-I will not leave her.»
Blade grimaced at her. «Who said anything about leaving her?»
Juna cuddled the small bundle. «You had the thought,
Blade. I saw it in your face.»
It was half true and Blade knew it. He nodded. «She will come with us, then. Very like she will be our death. Sound carries a far distance over water and the crying of a child will alert them at once. But so be it.»
She regarded him stonily. «When that time comes I will know what to do. Let us go.»
Blade helped her into the boat and handed the child in. There was no trace of the others as he waded out into the slight surf. For better or worse they had vanished into the night.
He swam for a time, pushing the light boat ahead of him, giving Juna time to adjust to the precarious balance. He shoved the boat through the faintly creaming surf line and into deeper water. He headed for a point midway between the ship's lanterns to his right; to his left, and too near for comfort, gleamed a third point of light. It moved. One of the patrol boats had left its position and was approaching another. Why? To hail a warning? Had one of the basket boats been sighted or sunk, or taken? Blade bore a little more to starboard. As they were about to pass between the stationary ships he crawled into the boat and took up the oar. He made a sign to Juna and whispered.
«Keep the child quiet now. For all our lives!»
Blade began to sweat. He cursed and raged inwardly.
Bad luck. A current caught them and bore the craft toward the nearest patrol ship in spite of anything he could do with the oar. He damned this most unstable of boats. There was no weight to it, hardly any draft, and the crude outrigger and center board did not work as well as he had anticipated. The boat bobbed and twirled and spun crazily, sucked down and driven up by every vague oreeze and current, and Blade could keep no way on her. there was worse-the tide, on which he counted heavily, had nearly reached the ebb. In a few 'minutes it would turn and begin to carry them back to shore.
The child began to whimper.
Blade, sweat chilling on him, paddled with all his strength. They were so close to one patrol boat that he could hear the crew talking on deck and see cordage and mast revealed in the single light. The child made another sound, a smothered cry, an inward sucking of air as if readying itself to scream. Blade cast a beseeching look at Juna.
The child hushed. Their boat drifted past the patrol, just beyond the aura of light and in slack water. There was a faint luminescence, reflected light from water, and Blade smiled as he saw that Juna had given the child one of her lush round breasts. He nodded. The child was too old for suckling, no doubt, but seemed content enough. It was not, Blade thought, the most unpleasant way to be silenced.
As soon as they were safely past the patrol he went over the side again and began to swim and push. He did not really mind when the useless oar fell overboard and floated away. He hoped that Edym, or even some of the eunuchs, had brains enough to experiment and do as he was doing. His big body and powerful legs drove the little tub through calm water at a good pace. After a few hours, as he rested, he began to smell the effluvia from the land. It could only be the odor of Patmos, for he had lined up correctly with the Lancer in the sky. Never in his life, in any dimension, had he smelled the like of it. The air was. soft as velvet and bore a sweetness that could only be the mingle of millions of lush blooming plants. He could not isolate a single odor-it was like breathing a meld of roses and myrrh, of cinnamon and sandalwood and lilac, of clove and orange and coffee and tea with a dash of jasmine. A land breeze from Paradise.