not

good. One of the other guards was from Port T. He told me about its local name when he heard my swearing from the heads. The boy’s been there all right.”
“And he dresses and behaves like the desert. Yet we found him on the other side of the mountains. Hmm. Boy, you’ve got yourself a job. Now you go and tell that bloody prig of a captain where he’s taking us,” ordered Cap.
“Why me? I mean, he won’t listen to me. I . . . I don’t think he wants me up on the bridge,” said Keilin, alarmed.
Cap smiled. It was not a kind smile. “Three reasons, boy. Because I’ve told you to, because you got us into this shit in the first place, and because if I go up there I’ll probably wring his scrawny neck. Now get.”
So Keilin got.
Despite his nervousness, his reception on the bridge was cordial. He even drew a wintry smile from the captain. To his relief, Captain Barrow was not there. He still didn’t want to look the man in the eye. He found that the skipper listened with unusual care to him, and that his request to put ashore at Port Tinarana was also well received.
“We’ll have to put in to Port Lockry first, of course.”
“Surely, but . . . why? I . . . I need a reason to tell Cap,” he hastily explained.
This drew a definite smile. “Tell him we need to reprovision and offload Hedda’s crew. Actually, I want to load cargo, and make it a more profitable trip. We’re sailing empty now because I thought we’d have to run, and run fast. But around there should be safe enough. Or how do you feel about it?”
Keilin didn’t pretend not to understand. “I’m sorry, sir. It only happens every now and again. I can’t predict your future. I wish I could even predict my own.”
The captain laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Good enough, son. It’s not any easy thing that you have. We’ll sail to Port Tinarana. All I ask is that you try to keep that arrogant master of yours off my bridge”—he