Deep Water (70 page)

“One of the big ships is turning back. She’s turning around.” I could see the dolphin on her prow, white and red on black.

There was a girl in the water, her slim, naked body cutting through the waves like a dolphin herself. She was almost to the
big ship. Now she was there. One of the rowers shipped his oar as she reached for it, stretching her arms up the shaft. She
got one foot on the top of the paddle, pulled herself half out of the water. Hands reached down to haul her aboard.

“
Seven Sisters
has come about,” I said. “She’s bearing down on one of the ships of archers, and they’re hauling at the oars to get out of
the way.”

Seven Sisters
swung past, close enough that I could see the young man at her tiller, his sandy hair pulled back from his face with a leather
thong, lips set in concentration, the wind kissing him.

“They have fire arrows,” I gasped. “The blockaders. They’re lighting them.”

One fell hissing into the sea. Another dropped on the foredeck of
Dolphin
and was quickly extinguished with a bucket of water. A young man with long black hair was hauling one of the children from
the fishing boat aboard.

The rest of the fishing boats were either sunk or out to sea, sails spread to catch the land breeze carrying them away.

I heard shouted words, saw the captain of
Seven Sisters
waving.

A fire arrow struck the captain of
Dolphin
full in the chest, his beard igniting. He fell away from the tiller, his face on fire and his chest exploding. The young
man with black hair swung the child into the shelter of the rowers’ rail and leaped for the tiller.
Seven Sisters
swung away, her course between
Dolphin
and the nearest blockader.

Dolphin’
s sail unfurled, red dolphin painted on white. It filled with the land breeze. A moment later
Seven Sisters’
spread, black stars against white. Behind them the city burned. Ahead was only open sea.