Down in the hold Protis surfaced and waded across to the foot of the ladder. When he stepped out on deck, he was breathing heavily, his chest heaving. Water dripped from his sodden clothes and pooled on the sun-baked planks of the deck.
‘A major leak,’ he announced. ‘But God only knows where it is.’
Osric had joined us from where he had been helping Walo set out bowls of drinking water for the dogs tethered along the ship’s rail. They had to be kept well away from the aurochs’ cage as their barking still enraged the great beast.
Now my friend asked mildly, ‘Could the leak be something to do with the repair you mentioned earlier, the one that had delayed your arrival at the salt jetty?’
The young Greek treated Osric to a look that was both exasperated and condescending. ‘Unfortunately there’s no access to that section of the hull. There’s too much ballast in the way.’
Osric remained composed. ‘Maybe it would be worth stretching a canvas on the outside of the hull in that area, using ropes. That might slow the leak enough for us to reach harbour,’ he suggested calmly.
I recalled that, earlier in his life, my friend had voyaged on trading ships from Hispania. He must have learned this technique at that time.
Protis gave my friend another look, more of surprise this time. ‘I’ve heard of such a thing being done, but I’ve never tried it myself. I doubt if my men will agree. It’s new to them and some can’t swim.’
‘I’m willing to go over the side and set the sail in place,’ Osric volunteered.
Protis pursed his lips, uncertain what to do. It was the first time I had seen his self-confidence falter. ‘It means stopping the ship while she’s sinking and that uses up precious time. If it’s a failure, the vessel will take on so much water that she will founder before we reach land.’
Unexpectedly, Abram spoke up. ‘I will give Osric a hand if someone will tell me what to do.’
Protis seized his chance to reassert his captain’s role. ‘The principle’s straightforward. The crew on deck lowers a spare sail overboard close to where we think there is a leak. The swimmers position the sail correctly and the inflow sucks the canvas over the hole. We then hold the sail in place with ropes around the ship and get her into harbour and mend her properly.’
‘So there’s no time to waste,’ said Abram. He started to strip off his shirt.
Protis gave a quick grin of excitement. ‘If this succeeds, it’ll be the talk of Massalia!’
He shouted to the helmsman to bring the ship into the wind, and for the rest of the crew to lower the mainsail and bring aft the artemon.
The artemon proved to be a small square sail normally set on its own mast in the bow of the ship. While the men readied it as a patch for the hull, I reflected how strange it was to find ourselves in such serious danger when everything about us was so tranquil. The wind had fallen away to the slightest breeze and the sun still shone from a cloudless sky. Without the mainsail, the ship had come to a complete stop and lay rocking very gently on the calm sea. The gulls continued to circle and soar around us. A few settled on the glassy sea, stretching their wings for a moment before folding them in place, then paddling close around us and inspecting our activity with beady eyes, always hoping for scraps of food. Everything was placid, except that the land was uncomfortably far away and, if I listened carefully, I could catch the faintest sound of water lapping back and forth inside the hold.
Our ship was slowly sinking beneath us.
Osric and Abram got down into the small ship’s boat. Normally towed astern, the skiff was drawn alongside and tied close to the suspected area of the leak. From there the two men directed the path of the little sail as it was lowered overboard and pulled under the hull. When it had disappeared underwater they took turns to dive down and guide it into place. From the rail above, Walo and I looked down as they worked. Protis ran back and forth, now encouraging his men as they hauled on the ropes, now rushing to the side of the ship to demand a progress report from the two men in the water.
Finally, Osric called up to say that the job was done. He and Abram climbed back aboard and an eager Protis ordered the mainsail to be re-hoisted, and the helmsman to set course directly for land.
‘There’s a small sheltered inlet a few miles along the coast,’ he said brightly, his confidence returning. ‘It’s ideal, with a good hard beach where we can go aground. Then we’ll lighten the ship and roll her over on her side so we can get at the leak. There are boat builders there who can help out.’
The ship slowly gathered way, though it was clear to all of us that she was very sluggish, barely moving with the weight of water in her hold. Anxiously we waited for the next report from the bailing team.
It was not long in coming. A cry of genuine panic had Protis sprinting to the hatchway and scrambling down the ladder again. When he reappeared, his face was ashen.
‘It hasn’t worked,’ he groaned. ‘The leak is worse than before – much, much worse.’
I stared towards the distant coast, trying to judge the distance. The heat haze made the brown mountains indistinct. At a guess we were still four or five miles offshore.
‘Do you think we can make it to land?’ I whispered to Osric beside me.
‘Not a chance,’ he murmured. ‘With all that water already in her bilge, I’d say she’ll founder before the day is out.’
I swung round to face Protis. ‘We must save the animals! We’ve not brought them all the way from the Northlands to drown here on a sunny day.’
He ran his hands despairingly through his cap of black curls. Suddenly he looked very young and vulnerable. ‘There’s no room for them in the ship’s boat.’
‘What about seeking help,’ I suggested, looking astern. Some distance away was the sail of a boat that had been within sight since dawn.
‘We’ll signal them, but I doubt they will respond,’ Protis answered.
He gave the order for an old, threadbare sail to be ripped into rags, soaked in olive oil, and set alight. The sailors then fed the flames with short lengths of tarred rope until a thin wavering column of smoke rose from our stricken vessel.
For a full hour we watched the distant sail, willing it to change course and come towards us. It did change course, but away, growing smaller with each minute.
The elderly sailor to whom I had spoken earlier cursed savagely.
‘They think we’re pirates,’ Protis said despondently, ‘trying to lure them in closer.’
‘Is there nothing else we can do?’ I asked.
‘We’ve no choice but to abandon ship.’
It was clear that our vessel was gradually settling deeper and deeper into the water. The hold was more than half full now, and the ship had a leaden, dead feeling. Without waiting for their captain’s order the crew were already setting down their buckets and gathering together their few belongings. Two of them climbed down into the ship’s skiff and the others began to pass down their bundles.
‘At least let us take the gyrfalcons. They’ll take up no space,’ I pleaded.
Protis had the decency to look ashamed as he shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not. The skiff will be overloaded as it is, and it will be a long row to reach land. We must leave all your animals behind.’
I felt a touch on my arm, and turned to find Walo; his face was working angrily. I had been distracted by all that was going on and had paid him no attention.
‘Walo, we must leave the ship,’ I explained. ‘We cannot take the animals. They stay behind.’
Deep in his throat he made a distressed growling noise and, seizing me by the elbow, pulled me across the deck. ‘For the falcons and the dogs,’ he said, placing a hand on the water trough. It was the river ferry we had cut into two and converted. I ran back to where Protis was standing. He had a satchel slung over his shoulder, ready to abandon ship. ‘We can use the cutoff ferryboat to carry the dogs and the gyrfalcons,’ I cried.
‘Impossible,’ he answered flatly. ‘It’ll be swamped or capsize! My men aren’t going to wait.’ He cast a glance over his shoulder to where the last members of his crew were standing by the rail. The others were already in the ship’s boat, setting the oars in place.