“Sooner would be better, Master Ganja,” Urulani called.
“Aye, Captain! Push! Push!”
With agonizing slowness, the shore reluctantly relinquished its grip on the hull. In moments she was drifting slowly away from shore.
“Board those men at once, Master Ganja!” Urulani called out then stepped quickly to the tiller. “Everyone to your duty! Quickly!”
The six Sondau who were standing waist deep in the water by the drifting bow were quickly hauled aboard.
“Oarsmen!” Urulani called. “Out with the sweeps!”
The Sondau men pushed the oars out the ports on both sides of the ship.
“WAIT!” came the shout from the beach.
Drakis, standing with Mala and Jugar on the afterdeck, looked up sharply at the sound. “Belag? It is! Urulani, wait! There’s someone on the beach!”
“Oars down!” the captain cried.
The manticore was running down the beach, holding something in his hands.
The Lyric!
“Please,” Drakis said to Urulani, “we can’t leave them here.”
“The Iblisi could return at any moment, Drakis, I can’t. .”
“They are my people,” Drakis said.
Urulani peered into him as though she were trying to look into his soul. He matched her stare for stare until she turned away. “Oarsmen. . HOLD! Master Ganja, get those two aboard at once!”
Speed won over grace. Both the Lyric and the now soaked manticore were hauled over the side as though they were the catch of the day and dropped unceremoniously onto the foredeck.
“Now if there is nothing else?” Urulani snapped at Drakis.
“Let’s leave,” he said.
“Aft. . PULL!” the dark woman shouted and the Sondau raiders responded at once. The Cydon surged backward so quickly that Drakis nearly lost his footing on the deck. The ship glided backward into the deeper waters of the bay.
“Port Aft-Starboard Fore. . PULL!” Urulani called from the tiller, and the oarsmen responded, turning the great ship around its center.
“PULL!” the captain called again, and the prow of the ship had nearly swung to point at the harbor passage.