Key Out of Time

at K

eyelids, was a craving as strong as hunger. Still restlessness had bro

reeping along coasts rather than venturing too far into dangerous seas, sometimes even tying up at the shore each night. There had been other ships, leaner, har

aring Terran craft. The prow curved up in a mighty bowsprit where was the carved likeness of the sea dragon Ross had fought in the Hawaika of his own time. The

steady throb of what could only be an engine. And his puzzlement he

in ornaments and the choice of weapons. The majority of the men did carry curve-pointed swords, though those were broader and heavier than those

s of the same type were on the raised deck at the stern and mounted in the prow, their muzzles, if the squa

the Wrecker youth who joined him now at the stern of the ship.

a man. But then you serve the Maid, do you not? Your swordsman

h," quali

aps?" Vistur pointed to

led wave behind them. Coming up now to port in the comparative calm between two wakes was a dark object. In the limited light Ross could be sure of nothing

that?" R

Vistur

er than the Terran's. Had there been a quick

e turned to Vistur

salkar. Unless, Ross, you who say you are from the sea have servants

m the strain of trying to make out the nature of the black blot. No use, the distance was too great. He brought his fist down against the wood, trying to control his

again Vis

himself now. "I do not

s. The leader of an army-or a navy-had more prestige in any truce discussion than a member of a lost scouting party. But the thought that the dolphins could be tr

dd muting of sea and sky, limiting vision. Shortly Ross was unable to sight the follower or followers. Even Vistur admitted

re he had tasted alien food when in the derelict spaceship it had meant eat or starve. And this was a like circumstance, since their emergency ration supplies had been lost in the net. But tho

ion the better. He discovered that Torgul appeared willing to accept Ross's statement that

ally ruggedly wooded where the sea people could find the raw material for their ships. Colonies of clans took to the sea, not in the slim, swift cruisers like the ship Ross was now on, but in larger, deeper vessels providing living quarters and warehouses afloat. T

mor and served manifold other uses. This could only be hunted by men trained and fearless enough to brave more than one danger T

past, Ross gathered, such encounters were relatively bloodless affairs, depending more upon craft and skillful planning to reduce

l raids on fairings with the same blood-bath result of a foray on a Wrecker port. And, since all the fleet-clans denied the sneak-and-strike, kill-and-destroy tactics which had finished those Rover holdings, the seafarers were divided in their opinion as

Torgul finished his résumé of the

spidery to Terran eyes, rubbed back and

ne still has his wits safely encased under his skull braid. As for a rogue fleet ... what would turn brother against brother to the extent of slaying children and women? Raiding for a wife, yes, that is common among our youth. And there have been kill

en

what the Terran thought he saw showing for an instant in the other

ink tha

ic which is not ours. Tell me this in truth: Could you not have

s, but I did not. My people ki

my people-But you I do not know, sea stranger. And I say to you as I have said before, make m

pta

was on his feet with the swift movements of a man called m

hered on the port side near the narrow bow. That odd misty quality this day held provided a

inguish a small boat akin to the one in which he, Kar

d to his lips, he blew. A weird booming note, like the coughing of a sea monster, carried ove

al was re-echoed by shell call

dered. "Wakti, Zimmon, Yoa

And then they swam with powerful strokes toward the drifting boat. Once the rope was made fast the small craft was drawn toward Torgul's command, the crewmen

to rise, weighted with a passenger. The Terran was shouldered back from the rail as the limp body was

ered on Ross. The hostility was so open the Terran braced himsel

solid protection. Loketh came up, his limp making him awkward so that he clutched at

ne in the back line of the

in the crew's attitude, he was warily on the defensive. Lo

cried. "Over before

hey started up the deck toward Ross and Loketh. Then som

thrusting at the tall Rover with a stiffene

went down while two more, unable to halt, thudded on him. Vis

f the crew and two more went down as the Captain struck out with his fists. Then

ound you were a danger to me or mine,

d. "And in what way am

ot Wreckers, not Rovers, not those who ser

sea strangers could be, he had no idea, but that he was now condemned out of his own mouth was true and h

. Ross saw the wisdom in Loketh's choice. Far bet

there. Ross tried to twist loose, got his head around in time to see Loketh scramble to the top of the rail, turn as if to launch

take the Black Curse with him when he goes to meet the

as thrown into the Captain's cabin, confronted by a figure

ind above the suffering of her body, looked at the Terran with narrowed eyes. She nursed a bandaged arm against

avy to bear for him as his kind has laid the

g its back across her lips as if to temper their

ce was strained, high. "He is not of th

ne. "Those were from the sea?" He was gentle in his questioning. "The

had gone to the Shrine of Phutka, since it was my day of duty, and Phutka

" Ross dared to spe

re all of one like as if born in one birth. They had no hair on their heads, and their bodies were of th

l was fast to pounce upon the unders

d-but still y

oss agreed. "The

ought a desperate encounter on the edge of an unnamed sea in the far past of his own wo