She smiled, and it struck him with a hideous chill that she might be killed in the escape. But she would not hear other than that she should be with Mm.
The tree was snug, a hearthfire in an endless hooting dark. Seated on the mossy floor, he felt the slight tremble of it under the thrust of wind. Nicki started as the door curtain was pulled aside and flapped thunderously in the blast. Joachim stood there, fully clothed, his mantle drawn hard about his bearlike form. There was a recklessness in his eyes which they had never seen before.
“All set, folks,” be said. “Come on to the beach. I’m passing the word.” He nodded and was gone again; the darl<:ness gulped him down.Slowly, Nicki stood up. A tremble ran over her, and the blue eyes were haunted. She smiled, stroking one band along the smooth wall of their home. Then, shaking her head so the tawny locks flew: “All right, Micah, let’s go.”Rising with her, he stepped over to the shelf on which their belongings lay dustily forgotten.“Before we go,” be said, turning to Nicki, and kissing her.When he stepped out, holding Nicki’s band, the blackness was like a rush of great waters. He heard the trees shooting; the wind snarled in their branches and they answered witha gallows groan.They stumbled to the beach. When they came out on the shore, the’ wind was a blow in the face. Briefly, the ragged clouds tore open to show a half-moon flying betweenfar pale stars.Most of joacbim’s party was already -assembled, standing there waiting. The moonlight glistened frostily on the blades of knives and the heads of hunting spears, forged during thelong days here.They were standing in a damp gully where the river crossed the strand. A boat lay there, brought donvn from the woods by Ilaloa. Trevelvan reached out and touched thebull with a feeling of awe.The boat was long and narrow, with a single mast-foreand-aft sail and a jib, dark green-and a rudder and a small cabin. But she was a living tree, fed by sea minerals andearth laid in the bottom.He saw Ilaloa, seated near the tiller. She was holding Sean close to her, as if she were already drowning.“Everybody’s here, I reckon.” joacbim’s voice was almost lost in the wind. “We’d better get going. I’m not so sure the Alori haven’t some notion of this caper.”The boat had to be taken past the surf. Trevelyan splashed in the shallow river between grunting, cursing Nomads be could barely see. The hull was cold and slippeiv underhis hands.He felt the keel grate on a sandbar at the river month. Now-beavel Over the bar and into the surf! It rose swiftlv as he waded out. The off sbore wind flattened it, but he felta vicious undertow yank at his legs.“Cr.-im ‘er through!” roared Joachim. “Cram ‘er thro-Ligbl”Trevelvan hurled his muscles against the solidity of hull . His feet olroped for a bold, lost it; he clung to the gunwale and then a giant’s hand scooped him up. Water explodedover his bead. A million thunders banged in his skull. They were in the real @ nowlThe boat staggered. Trevelyan held on with fingers that seemed ready to rip from their sockets. A buffet sent him choking away, lungs aflame. He gasped, kicking with his feet, driving the boat outward.She lay in pitching sea. A hand caught Trevelyan’s hair, and the swift bright pain of it stabbed his mind back into him. He splashed against the heaving gunwale, grabbed the rail, and pulled himself over. Turning, he stooped to help the next one.The moon broke out again and he looked on an immensity of tumbled waters. To windward the land was a bulking shadow, black against moon-limned clouds. Inboard was a jammed mass of faces. He could barely hear the voices over the screeching wind and thunderous waves. Joachim stood upright, legs planted far apart, stooped over as he counted.“One missing.” He rose, peering into the dark swirl over the side. “MacTeague Alan gone. He was a good lad.”