The sail slatted and banged, and the boat yawed, coming around on another tack. It was clumsy handling-Ilaloa could have done better, but she had inexperienced help. They lost most of their forward sped. The Alori vessel drew closer; it might only be a few hundred meters away now. Joachim saw the tall forms of her crew standing in the bows. He had a notion one of them was Esperero, but he couldn’t be sure.
The island was a mountain before them. Joachim saw the surf that geysered under its cliffs and felt his heart stumble. The Alori boat pulled in, almost even with them now, though a good fifty meters lay between. Joachim looked at
the sea-beast’s back and the tail that ripped the water.
No-not yet, by heaven! The sailboat sprang forward. Surf was just ahead of her now; he felt her lurch with its shock. A wave rushed in over the bow, thundering along the length of the hull, and then the keel slammed against a reef.
Ilaloa pointed wildly over the side. jump! Jump! He stared for a dumb instant. The living sail tore across, and rigging snapped like rotten twine. He eased himself over—
board.
There was bottom a meter down. This must be the shallows. And, he thought with sudden glee, the sea
monster couldn’t swim in herel
Trevelyan and Nicki joined him, standing in water that clawed at them and broke over their heads. A woman fell, going under. Trevelyan grabbed her arms, belpina her. Nicki took her by the dress, and they splashed slowly to shore.
Ilaloa stood there, Sean beside her, at the bead of a trail winding up the cliff face. She gestured back those who would have climbed it. The crew stood waiting, jammed together,
Trevelyan looked past the smoking surf, out to sea. The Alorian boat was drawing up alongside the reef, where it shelved abruptly off. They were here and the spacecraft
were only meters away …
He caught his emotions. Ilaloa hadn’t given up yet, at least. And here came Joachim, splashing and grunting out of the ocean-that meant everybody was off the boat.
He saw that the Nomads were moving, and fell into their shadowy line. Nicki, behind him, held tight to his belt. Ilaloa must be taking them up now, past the island’s guaxclians. But the Alori—
He looked down, but it was into a well of blackness. The Alori would be after them, yes-but in this wind, their gases and probablv their stingina insects were useless. It would be hand-to-hand, down there at the end of the line, as Joachim and a few others fought a savage rear-guard action. Trevelyan cursed, wanting to go down and help, but the trail was too narrow, too slippery.
They came up on the heights of the island. It was overgrown with brush and wind-gnarled trees, vague in the shaking dark. But he saw thorns on flexible vines, coiled about the trunks, and thought he glimpsed eyes. He didn’t know just what kind of watchers they were, but Ilaloa had cornrnanded them to stay their attack.
Running, slipping on wet rock and crashing into balf-seen boughs, he went with the Nomads through that abatis of woods. It was a short, gasping dash, and at its end the trees opened and he saw the boats.
They stood clustered as if ready to leap, spearheads poised at infinity, moonlight icy-gray on their sides. Sean was already at one of them, groping after the switch in the landing braces. He yanked it down. Under the screech of wind, Trevelyan heard the motor start up, whining. The airlock opened and the gangway ladder came down and it was nightmarishly slow.
Swinging about, Trevelyan saw the last of the Nomads burst into the clearing, Joachim bringing up the rear. They ran for the ladder as if all hell were at their heels. One by one swiftly but with some degree of order, they scampered up into the boat. He sent Sean, Ilaloa and Nicki up, and waited.
The Alori spilled out into the meadow, running hard. Joachim motioned Trevelyan up, then followed him, facing backwards. Esperero-be recognized that handsome face now-chmbed in pursuit, his fellows behind him.