Boyett-Compo, Charlotte - WindTales 02 Read Online Free PDF Page B

tell us this before?” Paddy shouted. “We should have been told!"
    “You didn't ask me nothing!” Stevens reminded the warrior. “You ain't said bidey-bye to me since I was
    able to be up and about! I figured you'd come looking for answers when the lad didn't give you none, but
    no: you think you know so damned much!"
    Norbert Tarnes could see the explosion coming, looked down at Paddy's balled fists and hurried
    forward to avoid the confrontation he knew the young Ionarian would later regret. He wedged himself
    between the two men, not an easy feat, since they were practically nose to nose despite the difference in
    heights.
    “Maybe you ought to tell us everything you know, Stevens.” He turned his back to Paddy and pleaded
    with Stevens to co-operate. “Anything we can learn that might help the lad, will be greatly appreciated."
    Stevens snorted, turned his head, and spat a thick glob of phlegm over the rail. He craned his neck and
    peered around Tarnes to study Patrick.
    “I'll say my piece if I ain't interrupted by the likes of this fool."
    Paddy nudged Tarnes with his body, was surprised when the older man didn't, and wouldn't, move out
    of the way for him to get to Stevens.
    “Steady as she goes, Paddy,” Tarnes mumbled, pushing Kasella back with his skinny rump. “Let the
    man have his say."
    “Maybe you should get the Captain so this don't have to be repeated twice,” Stevens advised. He
    hawked another clump of mucous from his toothless mouth and leaned down to pick up his mop.
    “Weir!” Patrick shouted at the top of his lungs. He didn't look away from the old man as he yelled.
    Seating himself on a coil of rope, Jarl Stevens propped himself up with the mop handle, his arthritic
    fingers curled around the wooden spindle, and began his tale as soon as Weir and Mr. Neevens, the First
    Mate, arrived.
    “We was just off the coast of Virago when the storm struck. We took on nearly three feet of water in
    the lee scuppers and down in the hold in less than thirty minutes; that's how bad the blow was. They was
    manning them pumps faster than a sailor drilling his first whore after a six-month sea voyage. It wasn't one
    of my jobs, manning them pumps, ‘cause the smell of that bilge water sloshing about in there never failed
    to make me violently ill and I weren't no good to nobody; but that day, we needed every spare hand to
    man them pumps. When I finally came topside, the storm was ripening. We'd already doubled-reefed the
    topsail and furled the foresail. The Captain was looking worried like and he ordered us aloft to take in
    every square inch of canvas. We clewed her down as tight as a virgin's thighs, we did, but she was
    beginning to lie over almost to her beam-ends. One of the topsail halyards was snapping about the masts
    like the cracks of a boson's cat and pretty soon, the Captain had me up there on them son-of-a-bitching
    yards. I looked down and that was when I saw the lad in that cage."
    “What cage?” Weir asked, not remembering anything on board the Tamarind that could be described as
    such.
    “When they took him down from the yardarms, after he was crucified, they put him in this cage that
    they'd brought over from the Vortex. It was nothing more than a glorified chicken coop, it was, and they
    stowed it up on the deck so everyone could see him."
    Tarnes rubbed his whiskered chin. “Aye, I saw that thing.” His gaze went to Paddy.
    “Thought it was for the livestock."
    Stevens snorted with contempt. “That's about how the lad was considered."
    “Get on with it!” Paddy growled. “I know all about those damned pens!"
    Stevens ignored him. “Anyways, water was rushing in through the bow ports and over the knightsheads
    like one of them geysers you find up in Chale. The lad was soaked through already and every time
    another wave broke over him, he'd cry out.” Stevens shook his head. “I knew then the lad was afraid of
    the water. Afraid of drowning, you see."
    “And the