Fritzen rushed forward and grabbed Maquesta, hoisting her like a baby in his muscular arms and leaving Tailonna free to create more webnets. "I think you're the one in need of an awful-smelling healing poultice this time." His dark eyes showed concern, though his voice was light. "I'm taking you to the armory, where you'll be safe. Your crew can handle what's left of these things."
"Kof is going to be all right," Lendle called across the deck. He pushed the dead kuo-toa off the minotaur and grinned. Then he scowled when he saw Maq's bloody leg. "He's just stunned, in better shape than you are. I'll check on the others. Then I'll tend to you, Maquesta Kar-Thon."
"There're more kuo-toa in the water," Maquesta whispered to Fritzen. "I can see them. There must be at least two dozen. You're not taking me anywhere until I know for certain the Perechon is safe."
The half-ogre scanned the water and shook his head. "I don't see anything."
"Trust me. They're are out there."
Tailonna moved to the bow, where she had six more kuo-toa trapped in her nets. Several yards behind her, Vartan and Hvel had convinced a dozen of the creatures to drop their weapons and surrender. The battle was finally over.
Tailonna motioned for Fritzen and Maq to join her. "I can understand what these things are saying. Well, a little of what they're saying. Their language is crude."
"I can understand everything they say." Ilyatha stepped forward and sheathed his daggers. "Though I'm not sure you want it translated. They are a malicious and insulting lot."
"I do want to know," Maq stated, nudging Fritzen to let her down.
Fritzen frowned, but he gently set her on the deck, supporting her to keep the weight off her wounded leg. All about them the Perechon crew pushed the dead kuo-toa overboard and were in the process of tying up those that were injured or had surrendered. Four Perechon crewmembers had died in the struggle and were laid out on the deck. Maquesta cringed. The price for her father's life had risen again, and now the Perechon would be operating with a skeleton crew.
Ilyatha began spouting the same gibberish Maq had heard the big kuo-toa speak. The shadowperson was bent over a pair tied back-to-back. A handful of sailors stood nearby trying to pick words out of the garbled noises.
"Their king ordered the raid," Ilyatha said, turning to face Maq and drawing her attention away from the dead sailors. "It seems you have royalty aboard-and practically an entire colony of kuo-toa." He pointed to the big creature Maq and Fritzen had fought. The tall kuo-toa was tied to the forward mast, where three sailors stood guard. "It was leading the colony to an underwater shrine. They were planning a special worship service to honor the Sea Mother, their evil goddess. They spotted the Perechon as we approached the point and decided to capture the crew for slaves and food-saving some of us for sacrifices to the Sea Mother, of course."
Maquesta stepped away from Fritzen. Ignoring the half-ogre's protests, she limped toward the king. "I didn't want to fight your kind," she said, suspecting that the creature couldn't understand and she was talking to herself, but continuing anyway. "We were going to bypass your territory. You shouldn't have attacked us." Maq fingered the coral necklace about the creature's neck and tugged the bauble free.
"I figured you were important. I just didn't realize how important. We're going to use you, Your Majesty. You're going to tell us where to find the morkoth. In fact, I think some of your loyal subjects should lead us to the beast-if they want to see their king live past dawn."
Fritzen's stern face broke into a broad grin. "You're brilliant, Maq."
He and Ilyatha rushed to the king, and once again Ilyatha voiced the weird kuo-toa tongue that sounded like growls, hisses, and gurgling water. The king's reply was loud, harsh, and punctuated by spitting. The other captured kuo-toa began to hiss and babble, too, and they struggled futilely against their bonds.
"He's telling them to escape," Ilyatha said. "He says they should free themselves in the name of the Sea Mother."
Fritzen growled and kicked the king harshly in the side. "Maybe he doesn't realize we're serious," he taunted. Standing on one leg he raised the other higher than his head-until his foot was even with the king's scowling visage. Quick like a cat, he brought the leg down, and the other swung up to miss the kuo-toa's head by less than an inch. "Maybe we should convince him we're serious."
Tailonna padded forward and began mumbling, weaving a pattern in the air with her hands. "We don't need any more bloodshed, though I cannot convey how pleased I am at the number of dead kuo-toa. Killing this beast will gain you nothing other than my satisfaction. But I can make it more cooperative. I can make it quite reasonable, in fact." A small blue orb appeared in the palm of her right hand. She blew on it, and it floated forward, enlarged, then surrounded the king's head. For an instant, the kuo-toa's face shimmered with the same blue light, then the color disappeared, as if the magic never existed. "Now try."
Ilyatha stared into the kuo-toa king's eyes and babbled in the creature's strange language.
"I can pick up a few words," Tailonna told Maq. "Ilyatha's telling it that its life will be spared-as will those of its captive warriors. But…"
"But it has to provide a guide to the morkoth's lair. Which it has just agreed to do," Ilyatha finished. "The pair by the bow are its sons. They'll take us to the morkoth, though the king warns that the beast is dangerous. Now we will not have to search for its cave. Hours will be saved. This cursed attack on us has turned into a blessing."
"ButyoucannotgoMaquestaKarThon." Lendle was at her side, pointing at her bleeding leg. He stuck out his stubby index finger and started wagging it at her as if she were a misbehaving child.
"And you should not be out on deck. You should be in the infirmary," she retorted.
"Aswillyoube," the gnome answered.
Maq thought to argue with him. The Perechon was her ship and, as captain, she gave the orders. But wisdom prevailed, and she decided to back down. "I know, Lendle. I'm going to need some of your tender care and one of Tailonna's potions. But while you're seeing to me, I want Fritz, Kof, Ilyatha, and Tailonna to go after the morkoth. Tailonna's webnets and magic will be necessary to catch the beast."
Fritzen motioned to the minotaur, who was just regaining consciousness. "Right away, Maq?"
"No. In the morning. The sea's so dark at night it will look as though you're swimming in ink. You won't even be able to see a hand in front of your face." She shook her head and pointed toward the water. "Besides, those other kuo-toa are out there. And I want His Majesty to order them away."
"I see them, too," Tailonna offered. 'Twenty or more I'd guess. I'll take care of it." With that, the sea elf started talking to the king.
"Kof!" Maq quipped as the minotaur walked to her side. "It's about time you got up and joined the fun. I want you to make sure all of our guests are secure in the cargo hold tonight. And throw his majesty in the brig. When that's done, have our dead wrapped in sailcloth. We'll bury them at sea tomorrow."
Then Maq was swept up in strong arms and found herself being carried toward the infirmary. Exhaustion claimed her as she was placed on a cot. The last words she heard before drifting off were Lendle and Tailonna's rapid instructions to Fritzen to start mixing herbs.
Morning found Fritzen hovering over Maquesta, wiping a cool cloth across her forehead as Lendle busied himself with another concoction. Her leg was wrapped in several layers of bandages and was propped up on a pillow, and she was regaining feeling in her arm.