The timelessness of the Pela soon asserted itself - only the steam whistle noted the ceaseless march of watches. I got on well with the Chief once he found that I'd some knowledge of not only mechanical devices - a pump is a pump aboard a space ship as well as an iron steam ship, but of electricity as well. The electrical system of the Bird of Passage was very basic. It consisted of a generator run off the main engines and a simple system of wires run to provide lighting in the darker spaces of the ships. Lights in the Pela's eternal day are rarely needed - windows usually do the job. However, outside of the Chief, who didn't like playing with it in any event, the engine room crew would have nothing to do with it. I gathered that it was a specialized trade on the bigger, more modern ships. By the time it came to part company with the Bird of Passage, I was the ship's official electrician - not that it actually involved a lot of work, or an increase in wages. I also set out to learn everything I could about running a ship's engine room, since this seemed far easier to master than acquiring the knowledge needed to navigate the trackless sky-sea of the Pela.
Hissi and I must've been aboard the Bird of Passage for nearly twenty rounds, since we were bound for our last island of call before turning towards the bright sky and Tyrina, when the "serrata" struck. Serrata is the local name for the powerful windstorms like the one that carried us to Assembly Island.
I'd no warning of its arrival in the stoke hole, and the deck crew had next to none as well, since it struck while the Bird of Passage was traveling through a thick cloud bank. It had the ship firmly in its howling jaws before anything could be done to mitigate its effects.
The initial blow rolled the ship over, sending me flying into the black cake bunker. I managed to grab hold of the slats and clung to them as the black cake flying out of the bunkers pummeled me. The ship shuddered and the hull resounded as the debris, borne by the storm, slammed into the hull, while branches and leaves swirled into the stoke hole through the open ports. The serrata, tearing through the islands, had collected everything from a blizzard of leaves to whole trees, beetles, birds, dragons, people and boats. Sparks and glowing ash escaping from the banging gate of the firebox mingled with the leaves and branches about the stoke hole.
Seconds later, I heard screeching and then the engine come to a clattering halt beyond the boilers. I waited for the end to come, as it seemed it surely must, for if the winds did not tear the ship apart, there were plenty of islands about to be smashed against.
Our luck, however, held. The ship's tumbling settled down within minutes, once the leading wall of wind had swept past. By the time Fret tumbled down from the bunk room, I had managed to close the windward fuel hatch and had just started catching and shoveling the leaves and glowing embers of charcoal out of the leeward one.
'The steam valve!' he exclaimed, reaching for the emergency release lever.
I looked up to see the that steam pressure dial was creeping into the red zone with the engines stopped. I should've thought of that?
As the steam from the boiler escaped I yelled, 'What's the damage?'
'Don't know how many who were on deck were blown away. Masts looked to be snapped off, and there's rigging wrapped all around the ship. Looks like a big tree is in the propeller cowlings. Control vanes damaged - we're at the mercy of the winds!' he yelled back.
'Any hope?' I yelled back.
'Could be worse!' he shot back, showing a spark of optimism I didn't think he had in him. Then he added, 'Likely will get worse. We're bound to find an island sooner or later.'
He clung to the lever until the steam pressure dropped to half pressure - enough to run the small steam engines we'd need to clear away the debris. We then made our way to the steamy chaos of the engine room to help put it into some sort of order under the bellowing direction of the Chief. Only when everything was secured did we venture on to the deck. The wind was still howling - we had to cling to the bulwark handrails to move along the deck. The ship was being driven along, out of control by the wind, but the sky had cleared and there were no islands downwind in sight.
The whole crew was already hard at work clearing the entangled spars and rigging that the tumbling ship had wrapped itself in. The masts had been reduced to stumps and the steering rudders and vanes were bent and riddled with holes. The black gang's main concern was the propellers, and they weren't in any better shape.
A great tree had smashed and entangled itself in the port propeller cowling, stripping the propeller of its blades. The abrupt stopping of the propellers had bent a drive shaft and damaged the gearing. The starboard propeller had fared slightly better, lighter branches had bent some of the blades, and damaged the cowling.
Word from the deck crew was that the hull was shoved in at several places and the cages below had several holes punched in them as well, with many casualties. Our passengers, however, were too stunned to take advantage of these holes, and, well, they had no place to escape to if they chose to venture out. Luckily, the cutter, secured on the deckhouse deck, though buried under a tangle of rigging, had survived with only minor damage.
The winds continued to slowly subside over the next two rounds, allowing repairs to get underway, under the very energetic direction of Captain KaRaya. The tangle of rigging was cleared and salvaged. Sails were rigged on the stumps of the masts to act as makeshift rudders. The cages were patched and the dead thrown overboard while Doc Til patched up the survivors. Our crew worked out on the wings, clearing the debris out of the propeller housings, resetting the drive shafts and gear, while DeJan and the carpenter carved make-shift propeller blades out of spars to replace the ones destroyed by the tree trunk.
The timelessness of the Pela came to our aid, since we worked on and on until the Captain came around and ordered us to the galley for a hot meal, after which we had a little time to nap before returning to work. I can't say how long this went on, but by the time an island, too large to steer clear off, loomed out of the haze downwind we'd made much progress, but not enough to avoid being driven into it. Our landing, however, was without any great violence. The injured Bird of Passage just drifted into a natural harbor and came to a creaking rest amongst the tangle of storm twisted tree branches, stumps, and tangled vines.
Work continued unabated, the holes in the rudder and steering vanes were patched with canvas, while we replaced a bent section of the drive shaft and removed the stubs of the old propellers in preparation to set the makeshift replacements in place.
Again, I have no clear concept of time. We were likely on the island for only a watch or so. Everyone continued to work with great urgency, under the tireless direction of the Captain. Sore and exhausted, I could not quite understand the urgency, but worked on and on like the rest, earning my five coppers a round.
The urgency, unfortunately, became very clear when a rocket sizzled past, not five meters from where I was working on the propeller cowling. Looking up, I found myself looking "down" on a crowded deck of a long, narrow, 15-meter-long boat perhaps 200 meters above us. It must've just sailed over the tree line of the island. We hadn't heard the thumping of its small steam engine over the pounding and chatter of our repairs and the lookout likely had his back to the island. True to its Outer Island heritage, this small boat did not hesitate to send a rocket from its single rocket launcher down towards us, which seemed a bit optimistic since our rocket launchers were undamaged.
'Break out the weapons, Cley! Crews to the rocket launchers!' bellowed the Captain from the deckhouse deck, and turning, led the charge to the forward rocket launcher. Those of us on the propeller cowling frantically hauled ourselves back to the ship proper.
Fret, scrambling next to me rattled off an unusually long string of curses.
'What's up, mate?' I panted. 'It's only one small boat.'
'It's a Vantra dragon-boat,' he replied grimly as we reached the deck. 'Merciless raiders. They sail as a tribe. If we're lucky the tribe was scattered by the serrata. But if not, it's Inferno Island for us, mate, right proper.'
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Cley, standing by the arms chest, was handing out the air rifles, ammunition pouches, and cutlasses as we joined the line. By the time the rifle and sheathed cutlass where thrust into my hands, the crew was already pumping and firing at the dragon boat through the overhead grating. The Vantra had also taken up arms - cross bows - and were sending down a shower of bolts, a few of which made it through the grating to twang into the deck or one of us. By the time I stuck my rifle through the grating to send a slug their way, I could see their rocket crew shoving another rocket into their launch tube. The first rocket must have been in the launcher, and the delay in launching their second one was likely the result of having to dig them out of storage. In any event, they were now even closer, too close to miss again.
There was a flash and a streak of light as our stern rocket launcher sent a rocket flying - just clipping the stern of the dragon boat and exploding beyond. The bow rocket followed a few seconds later, and the Captain didn't miss - striking the dragon boat's bow in a flash of flame that sent pieces of the Vantra boat flying and swinging it wildly about so that its rocket launcher was no longer facing us. As the boom echoed off the island, the boat managed to turn and limp back, behind the loom of the island before the stern launcher got off another rocket.
'Cley, take ten volunteers and go after that boat. Burn it. Report back if you see more of them,' KaRaya called out as she ran back from the rocket launcher. 'We need to get clear of the island! Let's see if the stumps of our starboard propellers will get us off! Get us a head of steam, Chief!'
Fret and I dove down the ladder to stoke the boiler up as Cley's crew scrambled across to the cutter tied up alongside the ship.
'Why the panic?' I asked Fret as we grabbed our shovels to get the bank fire going. 'We can out fight them, even a pack of them. Can't we?'
'In the clear they're no great threat, depending on the size of the tribe. They can number in the dozens,' he replied as he opened the firebox gate, stirring the banked charcoals to life. 'Our rockets have twice the range and four times the accuracy so we can keep dozens at bay - in the open air. But hidden by the island, they can get close enough for their rockets to reach us. They use fire-setting powder rather than explosive charges in their rockets so they'd only have to hit us a couple of times to set the ship on fire - and we're cooked. And unless we can get off the island, we've only our bow and stern rocket launchers plus the cutter's to keep'em at bay.'
He stopped and looked at me, 'Hopefully, the storm scattered the infernal-island-tribe to the endless sea and it's just a lone ship. If not, Wilitang, we're a savage's meal, no two ways about it.'
We hadn't even begun to build a fire when we heard more shouting. We climbed the ladder to learn what was up. The cutter had barely gotten above the tree line before it turned about and headed back down to the ship.
'The whole tribe! Twenty or more, heading this way!' Cley bellowed down between cupped hands.
'Right! Come alongside!' yelled Captain KaRaya and then looked over her ship and armed crew. We all looked at her. She sighed and shaking her head, said, 'As soon as the cutter's alongside, everyone get aboard her - no panic - by seniority. No panic, mind you, I'll shoot anyone who panics. Quickly now. We've only a few minutes before they'll be on top of us. We'll wait for no one.'
The crew scattered for the bunkroom to grab their kit bags while the cutter maneuvered to come alongside.
Fret glanced at me and sadly shook his head. 'The jig's up mate.'
'My kit's down below. See you on deck,' I said.
I shot down into the dark hole. Hissi hissed an urgent greeting. 'I'm going to change into my own gear. You ride in the satchel,' I said, stripping off my jumpsuit. I pulled out the satchel I kept hidden in a dark corner of the stoke hole, and donned my spaceer's uniform, adding the cutlass belt for good measure. Having the least seniority, I'd be the last to board the cutter, so I had time. And, well, donning my old uniform wasn't just a matter of pride, I'd hopes it would keep cross bow bolts from penetrating - at least not too far. I'd a strong feeling that might be important. Hissi climbed into the now empty satchel. 'Keep your head down. Things are going to be a bit wild, I fear,' I said as I slung it over my shoulder and pulled my jacket on over the satchel to give her some protection as well. Pulling my cap down hard, I climbed to the deck to join the line boarding the cutter. Looking down, I could see her little crocodile head was sticking out, unwilling to miss anything, no matter how frightening.
The crew was lining up and jumping across to the cutter floating alongside in roughly "senior hands" first order. No one was waiting for anyone to arrive, though all had found time to grab their kit bag and sling it over their shoulder. They all had their air rifles in hand as well. Captain KaRaya was on the deck-house roof deck directing two crewmen who were wielding axes to shatter an oil barrel. The oil was already a spreading pool of blackness, dripping down to the main deck. Apparently, she wasn't going to give the Vantras anything to loot.
A rocket streaked by with a whoosh and a tail of smoke, followed by another, as the first two dragon-boats drifted overhead. They just missed us in their exuberance. The cutter's small rocket launcher replied, sending a rocket into one of the boats with a flash and a boom. The entire crew sent a nearly silent volley up a well, since the boats were drifting "upside down" in order to fire their rockets. A patter of cross bow bolts swept the deck. Someone yelled and another moaned, as they took a bolt.
The remaining crew, after taking their shots, began to push their mates forward.
KaRaya and the two crewmen who'd been spreading oil scrambled down to the main deck to join the line. Being the last to board the cutter I was still waiting on my turn when Captain KaRaya, arrived. Even though she was breathing hard, she looked very cool and level-headed as ever. She glanced about, one last time.
'Everyone aboard?' she asked Cley aboard the cutter.
'Aye, everyone alive, is here.'
Another rocket flashed down, clipping the port propeller wing, bursting into a shower of floating flames as the powder burned itself out.
'I think we can trust the Vantras to set fire to the oil,' she said to no one in particular as quivering bolts sprouted on the grating above and deck around us as the last of the crew members jumped the gap to the cutter.
My spaceer fatalism had set in as I had awaited my turn, so I had at least the appearance of being calm when the Captain turned to me. 'Get aboard. Don't worry your debt, Wilitang, Alas, the books are going to be burned with the ship, so we'll say nothing about it when we reach Tyrina. Go. I'm right behind you.'
'Thanks, Captain, much appreciated,' I replied, stepping into the opening in the bulwark behind the penultimate crew member.
'Blast!' she cursed, behind me.
I turned back, expecting to see a bolt in her.
'Our blasted passengers!' she muttered, and then called out, Cley! I need to free our passengers. Drop down and pick me up on the lower gangplank.'
Another rocket crashed down, hitting the stump of one of our masts and burst into flames shooting sparks down to the deck. The oil would be aflame in seconds.
'Save the crew, Cley! Run for it if you can't reach me! Don't wait if it gets too hot! That's an order,' she added as she took off down the deck towards the bow of the ship and access ladders to the lower deck.
I can't say why I took off after her. Guilt, I suppose played its part. I hadn't given a lot of thought to our trade - slavery in everything but name - during these last few weeks, but I should've. Helping free the passengers might go some ways towards healing my karma. And well, I admired KaRaya's gesture. They were, after all, savage people who would cut her throat given half a chance, even if they hadn't been caged up, so there was something noble in her act. And well, they still might cut her throat even as she freed them. I'd best go along to cover her. In my fatalism, I didn't pause to calculate the odds.
The broad-feathered race navigate much faster and more sure-footed than we fine-feathered folk in weig
htlessness, so she had already shot down the ladder when I pulled up. I abandoned my useless rifle, and plunged down head first after her. She was emerging from the galley with the keys when I swung around and landed on my feet.
'What are you doing here?' she asked, surprised.
'I'll cover you as you open the doors,' I replied. 'I had qualms about this trade, you know.'
She nodded, and roaring out a string of commands in the islands' trade-lingo, hurried down the companionway between the cages, waving her springer pistol as a warning and keys as a promise. I followed her, drawing the cutlass I'd been issued - and my little darter from my jacket pocket. The cutlass was for show, the sissy, my real defense. She quickly unlocked the door of the farthest cage on the female side and then the male side and hurried back to do the next one before they could pour out. The occupants of the compartments, still storm-battered and semi-drunk, did not immediately surge out of their cages. This allowed the Captain to open the doors of the next four compartments before the captives, slowly and tentatively, began filing into the companionway. She finished unlocking all of them without incident, and stepping aside, ordered them to the island side gangplank with words and gestures.
As we retreated to the outside gangplank gate, we felt the ship lurch and saw a ball of flames expand overhead. It had taken a while, but sparks, or more likely a rocket, had ignited the oil. Looking up through the smoke overhead, I saw two Vantra dragon boats poring a rain of bolts down on the cutter as it awkwardly maneuvered to come back around to the ship to pick us up. Dimly seen through the haze of smoke, half a dozen more dragon boats were emerging from the behind the island.
KaRaya shook her head. 'This won't do.'
Climbing onto the bulwark she cupped her hands and yelled 'Go! Get away while you can!' And pointed away from the ship.
Cley, standing in the open access port of the cutter, looked up and about. 'Captain?' he yelled.
'Go!' she commanded, and pointed again. 'Escape! Outrun them! That's an order!'
Cley saluted, snapped an order to DeJan manning the cutters small steam engine, and the second mate at the tiller. The cutter swung about and picked up speed as the idling propeller spun into invisibility. The Captain stood on the bulwark watching for several seconds as the cutter surged away, sending a rocket up into one of the overhead dragon boats.
'They've got a chance,' she muttered, before turning to me. 'Sorry.' The weariness of more than two rounds of non-stop work, suddenly took its toll.
I was very exhausted and rather emotionally numb as well with my old spaceer fatalism. I could see for myself that by the time they'd have maneuvered the cutter close enough in to pick us up, we'd never have been able to escape, so it didn't matter. It had all been settled when I'd taken after the Captain.
I glanced back to see that the captives were now streaming out of the companionway - most were racing for the island side gangplank gate and the shattered trees of the island beyond it, only to disappear into the tangle of underbrush. A few bolder, or angrier, ones, were standing, eying us with revenge in their eyes.
'Captain,' I said.
She glanced back. 'Right,' she sighed. 'We should be going as well. We'll go this way, though,' she added, dragging me through a nearby door that opened to the galley's storeroom. She slammed it shut and turned the lock, adding, 'Let's get topside.'
There was a series of ladders stretching upwards through the storerooms to the upper deck. The Captain lead the way. I pocketed my sissy, and pulled myself up after her, one handed -keeping my cutlass in hand. I'd a feeling I was going to need it.
Halfway up, she stopped.
'I acted responsibly, didn't I, Wilitang?'
I stopped and stared up at her. 'Huh?'
'I acted like a responsible, sensible ship's captain through all of this, didn't I?' she repeated, looking down at me. 'Captain to captain. Honest appraisal. We don't have time for verbal fencing.'
No we didn't. I didn't think we had time even for this, but...
'Of course you did. You acted energetically and decisively. You did everything you could to save your ship, your crew, and passengers. No one could find any fault in anything you did. Nothing more could've been done. Can we get a move on it now?'
'Honestly?"
'Yes, Captain. Honestly.'
She smiled and started up again. 'I promised myself that I'd do nothing careless, nothing foolhardy. Nose to duty, and nothing else. And look what a disaster it turned out to be. It doesn't seem to matter what I do.'
'What exactly are we doing?' I asked, more to the point.
'We're going to make our way to the island like everyone else. I'm hoping our passengers will attract the Vantras' attention so we can slip ashore topside without being noticed.'
'Ah,' I said, as we reached a small closet-like compartment, and opening its door, found ourselves in the chart room.
'This way.' she said indicating the door beyond the tall desk. 'We'll go up and make our way to the island.'
Hissi must have sensed the Vantra, and squawked a startled warning from under my open coat as the chart-room door swung open and a wild eyed, broad-feathered native plunged in. He stopped, startled to find the cabin occupied. I took a wild backhand slice at him with my cutlass. There was a thump and a cloud of blood as my blade struck his arm and chest. He screeched in surprise and pain, which KaRaya cut short with a silent shot to his heart with her springer - as she lunged past him to slam and bolt the door.
'Hurry up, Wilitang. It looks like they're going to try to loot the ship while they can. They won't have a lot of time. The fire is bound to reach the rocket magazine sooner or later. We'll want to be somewhere else when it does.'
I followed her through the door and into her quarters, closing and bolting the cabin door. She stepped over to the built-in drawers in one of the walls and began to dig through them. Pulling out my holstered darter, she tossed it to me. 'Here. I didn't have time to learn how to use it.'
She pumped her springer and climbed up a step or two on a ladder set in the forward bulkhead and carefully pushed open a hatch, letting in sunlight, and smoke. As she looked around, I shoved my cutlass back into its scabbard and slipped the darter's belt over my shoulder drawing the darter out.
'Follow me,' she said, and pushing the hatch fully open, disappeared upwards.
I followed her, and scrambled across a short section of deck to join her crouching behind the large winch set in the upper forecastle deck. The air was filled with eddies of smoke from the burning oil and rockets. Even with the fire amid-ship, two of the dragon boats had landed on the upper deck, their crews jumping off to grab what they could while they could. The nearest boat was only five meters away, but the Vantras were so focused on the fire amidships, that they weren't looking our way. The boldest ones had already gone down to the deck and were now likely breaking down the doors of the deckhouses and the chart room below. Several of the more prudent ones hung back, ready to get clear if the smoky blaze 20 meters beyond should suddenly spread this way.
KaRaya ducked down and turned to me. 'Can you clear those fellows hanging about the boat without drawing attention?'
'Aye, they're close enough and the darter's silent.'
'Right. Take care of them and get aboard. I'll cut the anchor line and join you. You take the engine; I'll take the steering levers. Be careful, there may be more still on board,' she said, holstering her springer pistol and drawing her cutlass.
I nodded, and drawing a breath, rose, steadied my darter on the winch, armed the darter and took aim. With the smoke drifting across the bow, the drive beam showed up as a thin blue line in the smoke, making targeting easy. I dispatched the three fellows standing on the deck and the two still on the boat without them even noticing something was amiss. They just grew quiet.
KaRaya grinned, slapped my back, and set off in a low crouch to where they'd set a grappling hook into the deck. I raced to the open hatch of the dragon boat's cage, pushing the sleeping Vantra aside
to climb on board. I wasn't wasting the darter's precious energy cell on killing charges. Minimum stun was all that was needed.
The dragon boat's arching cage covered a single deck that ran around its circumference. There was an open, shallow hold in the center of the boat filled with cargo. The rocket launcher was centered above the cage while the small boiler and steam engine were located in the shallow hold. There were two women in the hold, forward. I gave them each a dart and turned to find an old man emerging from under the deck aft with a bright sword. He had the look of a chief engineer. I gave him a dart as well. It appears that Litang can hit something when his life depended on it. Good to know.
'You okay, Hissi?' I asked, looking down at the satchel. Her little crocodile head looked up at me, eyes bright, and gave a long low hiss.'
'Aye, we need to find another line of work.'
KaRaya bounded aboard, slammed the portal grating shut and waved her cutlass triumphantly. 'We're clear. Full steam ahead, Wilitang!' she cried as she raced to the steering tillers on a slightly raised platform, aft.
I pushed off and landed in the hold, spinning around to see if there was anyone else awake in the hold. I could see no one in the piles of netted goods and supplies, so I ducked under the deck and crouching, made my way to the small boiler and engine aft. There was an opening in the deck over the engine through which I could see KaRaya standing by the tillers. I located the lever to release the steam and the lever to engage the propellers. 'Ready!' I called up.
'Full steam. They haven't noticed us yet...' A bolt landed quivering in the grating next to her. She grinned and duck down behind the bulwark. 'They have now. Let's get clear.'
I closed the escape valve on the boiler and opened the steam valve to the engine, pushing the gear lever to engage the propeller. With a tentative chug or two, we started off, slowly at first as the steam pressure built up, but it continued to chug faster and faster, so everything seemed in order. I reached down and found some clumps of fuel - it looked to be dried peat moss - and shoved a few into the small fire box by hand.
I stood up through the open hatchway and looked around. KaRaya was crouched behind the bulwark, but grinning happily. There was smoke everywhere, and I doubt our escape was noted by many aboard the burning Bird of Passage. Looking ahead through the smoke, I could see the cutter being chased by three dragon boats.
'Will the cutter get away?'
'Unless the savages can disable the engine, they'll shake them in less than a watch. I doubt the savages will stay on their tail that long. The cutter has twice the engine these dragon boats have. They'll do no damage with their cross bows and they aim their rockets pretty wildly. They'd have to get very lucky to disable the cutter. They'll be fine. Cley will see them through. Still, I think we'll head on a slightly divergent course. I don't relish running into the returning dragon boats.'
We sailed in silence for perhaps three minutes, both of us peering over the low bulwark frequently to see if we were being pursued. It seemed too easy. I noted that there were now three boats being tied up below the burning Bird of Passage, no doubt to chase our fleeing passengers, but no one seemed to be paying attention to us. No reason, I suppose. That meant that I could account for six boats between them and ones pursuing the cutter. Our boat made seven, and there may've been another two or three looting the Bird of Passage.
'I can account for nine or ten boats. How many more are there?'
'Plenty, but they're still beyond the island. I think we'll make our escape unnoticed in the smoke and looting. And if they see us they'll think we're pursuing the cutter. Or maybe not.'
I glanced back again to see the bow of a dragon boat emerging from the bright pall of smoke and fire, heading for us. Even with my darter, I doubted we'd be any match for a full ship of Vantra savages and cross bows at close range. I was about to go down and add some more fuel to the fire when there was a great flash of light, followed almost immediately by a shock wave that pushed and tumbled us as it swept by in a deafening boom.
Looking back, I could see a vast cloud of black smoke and smoking pieces of the ship tumbling away in all directions with dozens of rockets shooting out of the explosion. Several went hissing by us. The dragon boats anchored below the ship were shattered and alight.
KaRaya was grinning, and when we could hear again, she shouted, 'We carried a lot of rockets in our magazine. I think we should clear the ship of our dead.'
They weren't dead and would be coming to life shortly, so something would have to be done with them. I thought about it for a moment as I scurried forward and decided that they'd just have to swim for it. I grabbed hold of the old engineer, steered his limp body to the gate in the cage and shoved him out. The other two men and two women followed him into the bright sky. I don't know how much karma that cost me, but when they came to, they could hail one of the surviving dragon boats. I didn't see any more humane way of dealing with them. In these islands where everyone not of their tribe was considered fair game for slavery, torture, and/or the pot, I think they got the best deal they could've expected.
The Pela seems to be quite toxic to my Unity Standard morality. Nothing I could do about it, it seemed. If I wanted to live, anyway.
Chapter 14 The Voyage to Daeri