The Jewels of Aptor

the wet hulks of ships that slipped by mossy pilings into the do

fishly along the wooden boards which sagged with the pounding of bare feet. In bawling groups, pairs, or singly they howled into the narrow waterfron

quietly to the mate, "Well, they're gone. We better start collecting new sailors for the ten we l

sailor that would want to continue this trip with us is insane. We'll do well if we only l

ordering us to that monstrou

't to forgive her. Besides, she went with them, and was in

o you believe the sailor's sto

asked the ma

too quickly. "Still, with three survivors out of thirteen

touch a woman," sugge

" said th

hen. She walks at night. I've seen her going by the rails

, if I hadn't seen that arm, floating on the water. It gives me chills now, the way the men ran to the rail to see, po

he mate, "we h

f she'll co

r doing is no concern of yours. Your j

an that," and he looked

"If you're going to speak things like t

ted. Then, suddenly, he started away, and the mate

a pile of barrels, and a figure moved like a bird's shadow a

w that aped his gesticulating arms behind him on the greenish faces of the buildings. Bare feet like halved hams, shins bound

u think they'll take your rhymes and jin

t, laughed beneath his friend's rantings. "Fifteen minutes ag

s hand went up, "and it's a l

ld me why no ship has taken you on in the past three months," he said absently, following the rope rigging against

hat we couldn't use up some of this silver on wine before we go. If you want to do this right, then right is how it should be done. When you sign up on a ship

off that." Geo snat

, reaching for it once more

. And suppose they don't take us, who's going-" But Urson, the idea h

t in leaping, his feet struck the fallen barrel, and he fell ba

them s

bounded forward, swept the purse up with one hand, pushed himself away from the pil

egan Urson, and the

ack!" And Urson had already loped a couple of steps

ss stem snapping, only twenty times as loud

stopped as though

k, now! C

ted back, the movements so lithe and

a kid," U

gged breech. He approached staring fixedly beyo

urned and

orizon. One hand held something close at her throat, and wind, caught in a veil, h

an automaton,

me, little thi

from her neck. The moment she did so, the boy staggered backwards, turned, an

rself thrashed.... There." The boy got turned, his back to the giant; one arm locked across his neck, and the other hand

k. "This belongs to you, gentleme

," grunted Urson,

" said Geo, intercept

in light of sa

ses shall be

anks," h

sed. "You have been schooled in courtly rites?" She obse

. But funds are low and I have to get thro

but perhap

ides, my friend here says the sea will make a man

foolish. What sort of

, stepping up. "I've been the best

not like water. Except polar bears. It makes them mad. I believe

r bear," Geo b

he wint

hall n

not

e curren

honey

salmo

Urson. "I'm

aid. Then to the lady, "You s

n I was younger. But that was all." Now she looked down at the boy whom Urson still held. "You two look

won't spare a few silvers for a drink of good wine to wet his bes

k," said the

n hu

an said. "Little four a

the dark ey

," and she raised her h

, and the boy pushed bac

white enamel was a wriggle of black with a small dot of green for an eye at one end. "This wil

threatening hand, "how good a thief are

ing his backside

l not r

back and began massaging one another's wrists. But the dark ey

t seemed another leather thong similar to the one around his neck. He held

asked, peering ove

then suddenly stood strai

closed like

fine thie

on asked. "I didn

hem," s

d leather, held by a clumsy wire cage, was a milky sph

rity. She had pulled her veil aside now, and Geo saw, where her hand had again raised to her throat, the tips

. "No," she said. "Not quite so clever as I thought. At first I believed he had taken mine. But clever enough. Clever

ook hi

ed to draw away, blown into some past shadow by her own sigh. "No," she said. "It

he drop i

he earth wi

height

he height

e imprisoned

ly. "Do you recognize any of this?

Geo. "And that in a slightly

rain speck

the stars w

height

he height

than all the priests and priestesses of Leptar

the binding paper of an ancient tome that I found in the Antiquity Collection in the Temple Library at Acedia. Apparently a page from an even older book had been used in the binding of this one. I assume these are

ck to the boy. "But I have need of a good thief. Will you come with me? And you, poet, I have need of one who thinks

are we

" she said, smilin

aid Urson. "I'd be prou

"He will take you on. Perhaps you will get a chance

end goes on whatever ship I do. This we've promised each other. Be

ed, "we lost men. I do not think your fr

o. "Under whose service shall we be, the

again. "I am a high priestess of t

s Geo," Ge

"And you, Urson, the bear. And Lamio, the l

y. The captain squinted out across the ships toward the horizon, the copper light filling his deepening wrinkles and burnishing the planes of flesh around hi

oked at each other, and

oked at a

"a sea-bred man. But this one," and he looke

ma'am. This one's just a boy, and for all his spindles there, couldn't haul rope or re

Snake is my guest. The others you can put to ship's work. I kn

ma'am," sai

tess," beg

mate stepped back, quieted. The captain tu

ll a poet. But I'll do w

Jordde as

triple watch without flagging, and I believe

asked. "You have a familiar look,

fastest rope reeler, the quickest line

, your name," J

all me

ut it in black and white and sent it to every captain and mate in the dock? For three months

rs, spirit in a man is one thing, and a fight or two the same; but good sailor though he be, I've sworn not to have him on ship with me, sir.

lming the angry bear have been recited before him. Now, Geo, we will see how good a poet you

lent a momen

a good sailor, then we cannot spare him. I will channel what special talents he may have. Geo, since you said the spell, and are his fri