For three years, Rhodina was one of the most trusted messengers for the Mythoran rebels. She went all over the city and its surrounding territory, even into the farming country far inland, along the frontier with the Maghri. Then she was arrested, fortunately on a mistaken charge of theft which had nothing to do with her work for the rebels. Apart from the routine rape and beating, she wasn't even interrogated. But she'd been arrested three times before, so as a four-time criminal she was sent to Shell Island.
«I was glad they didn't talk about the rebels,» she said. «If they started that, I'd be finished, one way or another. But Shell Island-not much better. You go just as sure here, even if slower.»
This was particularly true for women. There was only one woman for every four men among the prisoners on the island. Most of the women were quickly taken over by one of the stronger bands of prisoners, and rented out to the rest of the men. A few women found a single strong protector, and until he died or was murdered they enjoyed a halfway decent life. Those who refused either fate died quickly, from mass rape, beatings, or starvation.
«Don't know which would have happened to me,» said Rhodina. «One of them for sure. Somehow, I got to Shell Island wanting to be-well, not serving men any more. So I wouldn't go to any of the gangs.»
Fortunately she found a protector almost at once, a man she described as «big enough to take two regular men and knock 'em together.» In spite of his immense strength and vitality, he was as alone and even more despised than she was. This drew them together at first, and afterward she found that he was also kind to her.
«Don't know if he's like that to everybody. Prob'ly not. But woman who's alone like he is-she's different. I couldn't have done better.»
Rhodina's protector used his strength and skill in diving to bring in so much shell that he was able to bribe the guards into letting them live alone in this hut by the shore. The guards of Shell Island could be bribed into almost anything, except giving a prisoner a weapon or letting him escape. He'd gone out on a trip to a particularly dangerous reef ten days ago, and she hadn't heard anything from him or even about him since.
«Too damned long, he's gone,» she said. «And too damned much to happen to him. Not just the snakes and fish, but enemies he's got too.» So she hadn't been thinking too clearly or feeling too kindly toward the world when she found Blade asleep on the beach.
«All forgiven?» she asked, kissing him. It was a sisterly kiss, but holding the promise of something more if the right time ever came.
«All forgiven,» said Blade. «Now, is there anything for dinner? I'm afraid I'm hungry.»
Rhodina sighed. «'Fraid you'll just have to stay hungry. I was going to swim out-place I call Fishmonger's Reef, 'cause you can always get some fish there. But I found you, and-«
«All right, all right. It's my own fault that I'm going to bed hungry. No harm done, and I can help you fish tomorrow.»
«Thank you.»
By now it was getting dark. In spite of all the hours he'd slept under the influence of the drug, Blade found he was ready to sleep some more. He gave the newly repaired roof a final inspection, then said good night to Rhodina and lay down on the opposite side of the hut from her.
He was glad Rhodina hadn't asked for details of his crimes and sentence to Shell Island. Apparently his being on the island at all was in his favor, and his treatment of her was enough to make him trustworthy. That was good. He didn't want to have to tell her any elaborate lies, not when sooner or later he'd want to tell her the truth.
He'd want to do more than that, eventually. He'd want to ask her to escape with him and lead him to the rebels in Mythor. He still wanted to do his best for Harkrat and Elyana.
Blade was awake well before dawn, and found the wind blowing so hard he wondered if it would be safe to enter the water. The waves on the shore rumbled and boomed, and out on the reef they threw spray high in the air.
Rhodina came out of the shelter, to stand naked in the wind and look over Blade's shoulder. She laughed. «This wind's a teaser. Goes down by daylight, and water's all right by noon.»
She was right. By noon the wind was dead and the waves were dying. Rhodina brought out the fishing gear-a spear, two lines with hooks, a sack of bait, bone knives, knee and elbow pads for protection against the coral, and a deflated fish bladder.
«For holding up the fish, not us,» she said. «You can swim good?»
«See if I'm still with you when we get to the reef.»
They stripped off their clothes and plunged into the water.
Blade would have been ahead of Rhodina if he'd known the water better. They were neck and neck when they finally climbed out onto a ledge of dead coral. At low tide it was only a foot below the surface. A few yards away, the waves rolling in from deeper water splashed against the reef.
They spent the whole day there, dropping the baited hooks into the water, then standing by with the spear and knives to finish off anything which took the bait. They pulled in five fish, one of them weighing nearly twenty pounds. Rhodina seemed not to notice that all five were bleeding rather freely into the water.
«What about the sharks?»
«Oh, them. Don't come inside the reef on this tide. No way in for the big fish.»
Blade couldn't help remembering that people had been killed by sharks no more than four feet long, but decided there was no point in mentioning it. Also, he was more than hungry enough to risk a few sharks.
Toward midafternoon Blade saw one of the lines tighten much more violently than before. He grabbed it just before it pulled free from the chunk of coral where he'd tied it. Whatever was on the other end of the line promptly started to run away with the line, nearly pulling Blade into the water. It was obviously far larger than anything else he'd caught all day. Grimly he settled down to play the fish until he could land it safely, painfully aware of the line already gouging his fingers and palms as he manipulated it.
Blade's hands were beginning to bleed when the fish finally gave up the struggle and let him haul it in. It was nearly ten feet long, slim-bodied, with a broad tail and a three-foot bony spike jutting from its head. It reminded Blade of a Home Dimension swordfish. It also reminded him of Rhodina's words.
«The big ones never come inside the reef on this tide, eh?» he said with a smile.
She looked sharply at him, until she realized he was joking. «I told you what I knew. First time I've ever seen a brooga or anything like it in here by day. It's good eating though, enough for all of us. If… if…» She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against her face. Then she said almost fiercely, «No if. He'll come back. I know it. He wasn't meant to die here.»
Blade took her hands gently in his. «And if he doesn't, I swear I'll find out how he died. If I can, I'll avenge his death. Even if I can't, I'll stay with you and protect you as well as he did.»
«Not easy-do as good work as he did. But-thank you.» She took a step forward, pulled her hands free, and put her arms around him. Her head drooped, until it was resting on his shoulder with her cheek against his. Blade put his arms around her, trying to keep his hands still. He was very much aware of the warmth of her body against his, the yielding firmness of her breasts, the smooth, salt-scented skin under his fingers, the graceful curve of her back down to the cleft between her buttocks
She laughed and murmured in his ear, «Why not?» As he realized what she meant, she gripped him by the shoulders and pulled herself up on tiptoe. He bent his knees until he was nearly squatting. Then he straightened up, sliding himself up between Rhodina's welcoming thighs.