top of the levee. He looked down the sheer, steep wall and took a step backward, suddenly pale. “I . . . er . . . perhaps, my lord...”
Tovin smiled unpleasantly. “You’re quick enough to criticize Senet’s efforts to aid the Kingdom of Dhevyn, Master Helgin. Surely you’re willing to step forward when there’s a chance to take an active part yourself?”
“I’ll do it,” Dirk volunteered. Tovin Rill had that look in his eye that he got when he was riled. He’d obviously heard the physician’s earlier snide remarks. “Master Helgin is afraid of heights, my lord,” he explained.
“I’ll go, too!” Eryk offered eagerly. Wherever Dirk went, Eryk was determined to follow.
“No, you won’t,” Rees declared, grabbing the lad by the collar before he could jump off the wall in his enthusiasm. “Are you sure about this, Dirk?”
He nodded to his brother, then turned to Tovin Rill for permission.
Tovin glared at Dirk for a moment and then nodded. “Your young apprentice apparently has more balls than you do, Helgin. Does he know enough to be of any use?”
“He is his father’s son, my lord,” Helgin replied stiffly. “And yes, he knows enough to render aid.”
“If there is any aid to be rendered,” Rees remarked doubtfully, still clutching the crestfallen Eryk by the collar. “It would be a miracle if anyone survived such a wreck.”
Tovin nodded in agreement and looked out over the beach. “Aye. Whoever it is, if he’s still alive, he’s been spared by the Goddess herself.”
Dirk was the last one down the wall, but he had little trouble negotiating the perilous descent. He and Lanon had often scaled the levee these past few months, although they took great pains to ensure that their adventures remained a secret from both the governor and the Duke of Elcast. The area around the levee wall was strictly prohibited, mostly because of the same thing they had come here to witness this morning. The shallow seabed between Elcast and Senet was riddled with underwater volcanoes and the beach was often lashed by monstrous waves, although rarely one as large as this. His father had declared the whole area off limits after three children had been killed by a smaller wave that had arrived without warning when Dirk was only a small boy.
Ateway and the two Senetian soldiers he assigned to the task headed off across the damp black sand as soon as Dirk was freed of the rope. With a quick wave to those who stood watching them from high on top of the levee, he turned and hurried after the men.
Ateway glanced at Dirk as he fell into step beside them. “You know, that physician of yours is going to get himself arrested someday. Lord Tovin’s only been here a few months and he’s a very devout man. You should tell Helgin to guard his tongue.”
As if that would do any good,
Dirk thought. Still, for a Senetian, Ateway was probably one of the better ones, so Dirk was disinclined to aggravate him. He settled on a change of subject instead.
“Do you miss Senet?”
“Not really. You’ve a good life here on this island, when all is said and done. And you manage to avoid most of the earthquakes. Sometimes Senet shakes so hard, it’s impossible to stay on your feet.”
“We get the tidal waves, though,” Dirk pointed out. “It’s your earthquakes that cause them.”
Ateway frowned. “It’s the Goddess that causes the waves, lad. Don’t you go thinking anything else.”
“Why?” he asked, as they trudged across the damp sand.
“What do you mean,
why
?”
“Why does she cause them? Why does your Goddess insist on visiting disaster after disaster upon us?” Dirk wasn’t trying to bait him. He was genuinely puzzled by the blind faith of Senetians in all matters relating to the Goddess.
“Because the people turn from her,” Ateway informed him uncomfortably, ill equipped to argue theology. “And if enough people turn from her, then she dooms us to another Age of Shadows until they get the
Tovin smiled unpleasantly. “You’re quick enough to criticize Senet’s efforts to aid the Kingdom of Dhevyn, Master Helgin. Surely you’re willing to step forward when there’s a chance to take an active part yourself?”
“I’ll do it,” Dirk volunteered. Tovin Rill had that look in his eye that he got when he was riled. He’d obviously heard the physician’s earlier snide remarks. “Master Helgin is afraid of heights, my lord,” he explained.
“I’ll go, too!” Eryk offered eagerly. Wherever Dirk went, Eryk was determined to follow.
“No, you won’t,” Rees declared, grabbing the lad by the collar before he could jump off the wall in his enthusiasm. “Are you sure about this, Dirk?”
He nodded to his brother, then turned to Tovin Rill for permission.
Tovin glared at Dirk for a moment and then nodded. “Your young apprentice apparently has more balls than you do, Helgin. Does he know enough to be of any use?”
“He is his father’s son, my lord,” Helgin replied stiffly. “And yes, he knows enough to render aid.”
“If there is any aid to be rendered,” Rees remarked doubtfully, still clutching the crestfallen Eryk by the collar. “It would be a miracle if anyone survived such a wreck.”
Tovin nodded in agreement and looked out over the beach. “Aye. Whoever it is, if he’s still alive, he’s been spared by the Goddess herself.”
Dirk was the last one down the wall, but he had little trouble negotiating the perilous descent. He and Lanon had often scaled the levee these past few months, although they took great pains to ensure that their adventures remained a secret from both the governor and the Duke of Elcast. The area around the levee wall was strictly prohibited, mostly because of the same thing they had come here to witness this morning. The shallow seabed between Elcast and Senet was riddled with underwater volcanoes and the beach was often lashed by monstrous waves, although rarely one as large as this. His father had declared the whole area off limits after three children had been killed by a smaller wave that had arrived without warning when Dirk was only a small boy.
Ateway and the two Senetian soldiers he assigned to the task headed off across the damp black sand as soon as Dirk was freed of the rope. With a quick wave to those who stood watching them from high on top of the levee, he turned and hurried after the men.
Ateway glanced at Dirk as he fell into step beside them. “You know, that physician of yours is going to get himself arrested someday. Lord Tovin’s only been here a few months and he’s a very devout man. You should tell Helgin to guard his tongue.”
As if that would do any good,
Dirk thought. Still, for a Senetian, Ateway was probably one of the better ones, so Dirk was disinclined to aggravate him. He settled on a change of subject instead.
“Do you miss Senet?”
“Not really. You’ve a good life here on this island, when all is said and done. And you manage to avoid most of the earthquakes. Sometimes Senet shakes so hard, it’s impossible to stay on your feet.”
“We get the tidal waves, though,” Dirk pointed out. “It’s your earthquakes that cause them.”
Ateway frowned. “It’s the Goddess that causes the waves, lad. Don’t you go thinking anything else.”
“Why?” he asked, as they trudged across the damp sand.
“What do you mean,
why
?”
“Why does she cause them? Why does your Goddess insist on visiting disaster after disaster upon us?” Dirk wasn’t trying to bait him. He was genuinely puzzled by the blind faith of Senetians in all matters relating to the Goddess.
“Because the people turn from her,” Ateway informed him uncomfortably, ill equipped to argue theology. “And if enough people turn from her, then she dooms us to another Age of Shadows until they get the
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