Seeing that the women were still not convinced and softened by their pitiable looks, he called to Grizquetr.
“Come down! And get on the boat!”
And when the boy had run down the slope and halted by his side, breathing hard and looking up at him for his orders, Green said, “I’m delegating you to guard these women and babies until we arrive. Okay?”
“Okay,” said Grizquetr, grinning, his chest swelling because of the importance of the duty. “I’m captain until you climb aboard, is that it?”
“You’re a captain and a good one too,” said Green, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. Then he ordered the winches turned until the ‘roller was hoisted into the air a few inches. As soon as the rusty machines had groaningly fulfilled their functions he had the craft lowered over the edge and down to the plain. The transition was smoothly made; the yacht’s wheels began turning; the nose lifted only slightly because of the superior pull on the ropes tied to the bow; the stern ropes were paid out a little to equalize the strain; then, obeying Green’s gesture, the women aboard it pulled at the bowknots, which untied simultaneously. Not until then did he breathe a little easier, for if one or more had refused to slip loose as swiftly as another, the craft might have been pulled up on one side or dragged around by either end and thus capsized.
For a few seconds he watched the ‘roller slip away, coasting on its momentum but headed at right angles to the direction of the island. Then it had stopped, and it began to grow smaller as the island left it behind. From it came the thin wailing of his daughter Paxi. It broke the spell that momentarily held him. He began running up the slope, shouting, “Follow me!”
Reaching the crest of the hill ahead of the others, he took time for a glance through the woods. Sure enough, torches bobbed up and down and flickered in and out as they passed between tree trunks. And there were drums beating somewhere on the island.
Lady Luck shot out of the woods, leaped upon Green’s knee, scaled his shirt front and came to rest upon his shoulder. “Ah, you wandering wench, you,” he said, “I knew you couldn’t stay away from my irresistible charm, now could you?”
Lady Luck didn’t reply but gazed anxiously at the forest.
“Never fear, my pretty little one,” he said. “They’ll not touch a hair of my fine blond head. Nor a silky black one of yours.”
By then the others, puffing and panting, had gained the top of the hill. He set them to pushing on the stern of a yacht, and in a minute they had sent it headlong down the hill. When it rushed over the edge and disappeared with a crash on the plain below they had all they could do to restrain their cheers. Small revenge for the suffering they’d had to undergo. But it was something.
“Now for the other,” said Green. “Then everybody run as if the demons of Gil-Ka-Ku were on your tails!”
Grunting, they pushed the last ‘roller up the little incline, then gathered their strength for the final heave that would launch it, too, upon its last voyage.
And at that moment some savages who’d been running ahead of the torch-bearers burst out of the woods.
Green took one look and realized that they would get between the edge of the island and his party. There were about ten of them; they not only outnumbered his own force but were strong men against women. And they had spears, whereas his people were armed mainly with cutlasses.
Green didn’t waste any time in meditation. “Everybody aboard except Miran and me!” he said loudly. “Don’t argue! Get in! We’re riding through them! Lie flat on the deck!”
Screaming, the women scrambled over the low rail and onto the deck. As soon as the last one was on, the Earthman and Miran put their shoulders to the stern and pushed. For a second it looked as though their combined strength would not be enough, as if the party should have shoved the craft a little further over the lip of the hill before stopping.