The boat wallowed and turned sideways as Erik fought to keep it pointed at the beach. The boat tipped to the left, then suddenly it flipped, and Erik and Roo both were tossed into the water.
Roo sputtered as he came up, and to his irritation found he was only waist deep in water. He looked around and saw Erik standing a few yards away. The boat, upside down, was being pushed into the sand by the waves.
Wading over toward Erik, Roo was about to comment on Erik’s boat-handling skills when a lantern a dozen yards away was unshuttered. Men stood at the edge of the water, visible in the lantern’s light; torches were lit. Soon, Erik and Roo could see a score of armed men, many with bows or crossbows pointed in their direction, facing them from the dry sand. In the distance, behind them, the faint outlines of the fishing village could be seen.
Roo turned to Erik and said, “Everything’s fine?”
Eleven - Disposition
Roo sneezed.
Erik sipped at a hot cup of Keshian coffee. They were sitting in a large hut near the beach, warming themselves before a fire while their clothing was drying on a line strung in front of the rude stone fireplace.
The leader of the smugglers who had met them on the beach said, “Sorry for the scare, Mr. Avery. John said to cover the cove and make sure you got ashore safely.” He was a nondescript fellow, ideal for smuggling, one whom a soldier or guardsman was unlikely to look at twice. The only thing that differentiated this man and his companions from common workers was the assortment of weapons they carried.
Roo said, “I wish we’d have had enough time for him to answer the note. So I would have known we were to be met.”
The smuggler’s spokesman said, “As soon as your clothing is dried out, we’ll leave.” He glanced out the door of the hut. “Or maybe a little damp, because we have to be out of here before dawn.”
“Patrols?”
“Not so’s you’d notice,” said the man. “But there is a checkpoint up the road we need to pass, and the guards that we’ve bribed are relieved at dawn. You’ll go in place of two men who will stay here. We’ve got some goods stashed away from our last cargo and we’ll have to hurry to be in the town before dawn. No one will suspect anything.”
Erik nodded.
Roo inspected the clothing and said, “We’ll change once we get to John’s. He’s sure to have some dry clothing.”
Erik sipped the coffee. “This tastes fresh,” he said.
“Should be. Got it off a packet boat from Durban yesterday. It’s part of that cargo we’ll be carrying in.”
“Keshian ships are putting in here?”
“And Quegan traders, too,” said the leader. “Kingdom ships are staying close to Port Vykor and escorting Far Coast traders to and from the Straits of Darkness.” He made a wide sweeping gesture. “Fadawah’s got a few ships left from the invasion, and he’s keeping them up near Ylith. So there’s no one to keep ships away from these beaches, but it’s tough getting anything into the town unless you have the checkpoint guards bribed.” The leader moved toward the door. “I’ve got things to do.” He motioned to the other smugglers, who departed, leaving Roo and Erik alone.
Erik said, “I told you Vinci would get your note.”
“You had more confidence in my agents than I,” Roo answered. “It seems your faith was justified.”
Erik said, “There are a lot of things at risk, Roo, and we need your contacts as well as our own to pull off this counterstrike.”
“What’s the Prince’s plan for that old abbey? If Fadawah’s got any brains, it’s packed to the limit with enough men to strike down the mountain and ruin any attack up the coast.”
“Arutha’s got plans for the abbey.”
Roo shook his head. “Every time I hear any member of the royal court has plans, I’m reminded that most of the time we served involved running very hard from people who were trying equally hard to catch and kill us.”
Erik said, “That’s one way of putting things.”
They spoke little for the next hour, as their clothes dried enough to put on. An hour before dawn, the leader of the smugglers said, “We must go.”