Alain stood slightly to one side, watching her. She knew how unhappy he was that she was leading this attack without him. But he had accepted that if the Mechanics on the Pride saw any Mages they would refuse to surrender. He would have to wait until the others had seized control of the ship.
Or do his best to help the others escape back to the Lady, if everything went to pieces.
“Coming up,” the sailor whispered.
Mari could see the Pride as a darker blot against the night sky, the only sure mark the lantern glowing on the stern. That lantern was growing closer with unnerving speed as the Lady cut silently across the stern of the Pride.
“Now!” the sailor said.
Mari nerved herself and leaped into space.
Chapter Seven
Hurtling into the darkness, Mari felt herself dropping and swinging forward as the rope tightened with a jerk that almost popped her arm. Her stomach insisted that she was doing a lot more falling than swinging, the sea’s surface just barely visible below. Mari fearfully wondered whether the sailors had accurately estimated the lowest swing of the rope. How far down was the bottom of the ocean here? If she fell into it and couldn’t resurface, how far would she sink before reaching the dark and silent mud far below?
The thoughts occupied barely an instant. A moment later, the rope reached the bottom of the swing and began yanking her upward as well as forward.
Part of her was exhilarated by the thrill of it. Part of her was terrified. She tried to ignore both and focus on trying to spot something to grab onto.
The black wall of the Pride’s stern suddenly gained detail as Mari neared the farthest edge of the rope’s swing. The stern rail of the other ship appeared before her and just above. Mari swung out her free hand to grab on, frantically fighting to maintain the hold as the weight of the rope began trying to drag her back. If she didn’t get rid of that rope very quickly, it would pull her off the Pride as the Gray Lady kept going.
She spun the rope off of her arm, unable to do anything for a moment but hang there, suspended by one hand from the stern rail, nothing beneath her feet but the wake of the Pride.
Mari finally thought to look over and saw Alli clinging nearby, also hanging from the rail, though by both hands.
“Did you hear something?”
Mari looked upwards as the low voice came clearly to her from the Pride’s quarterdeck.
“Like a thump?” someone answered. “Yeah. Do you think somebody fell overboard?”
“Nobody is supposed to be out on deck at night except the watch and the sentries. But I better check.”
Mari thrust her free hand into her jacket, scrabbling for her pistol. She got the weapon out and the safety off, raising the pistol just as someone looked over the rail directly above her.
“Not one sound,” she whispered as quietly as possible, her pistol almost touching the Mechanic’s nose. “Don’t move.”
From the corner of her eye Mari could see that Alli was using both hands to silently pull herself up high enough to get over the rail. Once on deck, Alli brought the sling over her head and grasped her rifle.
She surveyed the situation, then stepped over to place her rifle barrel against the head of the Mechanic being threatened by Mari. That allowed Mari to reholster the pistol, edge sideways a little, and employ both hands to get over the rail.
Two Apprentices were standing on the quarterdeck, one holding the big wheel that controlled the rudder of the Pride and the other beside her. Both were looking forward, oblivious to those boarding the ship behind them.
Mari looked to the side and saw Mechanic Dav, the crewmember from the Lady beside him, giving her a thumbs up as he also readied his rifle.
A swoosh of wind and rush of water noise heralded the return of the Lady. Mari leaned out to grab Calu’s hand as he swung over, helping him up.
“I heard something again,” said one of the Apprentices, beginning to turn. “Mechanic—?”
She stopped speaking as she saw Mechanic Dav pointing his rifle at her and raising one finger to his lips.
Mari made sure that Calu was up, saw that Bev, Mechanic Rob, and the other crewmember were making their way over the railing, and then took some swift steps to the helm, trying to walk without making noise. She had her pistol out again as she swung into the line of vision of the Apprentice at the wheel. “Shhh. Let’s keep it quiet and nobody gets hurt.”
The first crewmember from the Lady took over the wheel, and Mari hustled the two Apprentices back to where the captured Mechanic was glaring in silent bafflement. His expression suddenly cleared, though. “It’s a drill, isn’t it?” he whispered.
“Riiiiight,” Alli said, turning over guard duty on the three to Rob. “Surprise safety drill. But it’s not over yet. You’re all supposed to simulate having been killed, so lie face down and stay silent.”
Accustomed to following orders, the three did as they were told, except that one Apprentice excitedly whispered to the other, “Do you think they’ll be able to take out both sentries on the main deck?”
“Shut up!” the captured Mechanic growled. “You were told to be silent!”
“Two sentries on the main deck,” Mari commented to Alli as they walked to the front of the raised quarterdeck and looked down at the main deck before them. “There’s one. The group up here were all unarmed, but that sentry has a rifle. How do we sneak up on them?”
“By being obvious,” Alli said. “Hey, Calu, snuggle up.”
The last group of four was coming over the stern as Alli and Calu held each other in a one-armed hug, their rifles held in their free hands and concealed between their bodies. The dark shape of the Gray Lady faded back, having lost enough speed in her repeated course changes to be unable to keep up with the Pride for the moment.
Mari watched nervously as Alli and Calu sauntered across the deck, giggling softly to each other.
The nearest sentry reacted. “What the blazes are you two doing?” he demanded.
“We’re just looking for a little privacy,” Alli said in a lighthearted voice.
“You idiots know that no one is allowed on deck at night except sentries and watch standers!”
The other sentry had come from a bit farther forward, wandering closer to see what was happening.
“Cut us a break,” Calu said.
“I’ll cut you something, you idiot! Is that you, Judi? I told you what I’d do if I saw you with another guy!”
The two guards were close enough by then for Calu to twist and raise his weapon to cover the second guard. Alli brought her rifle up too, but in a hard blow against the head of the sentry who had almost reached her. That Mechanic staggered back, Alli taking his rifle from a slack hand. “You are really lucky I’m not Judi,” Alli said. “Or I would have hit you a lot harder.”
Mari came down the stairs from the quarterdeck, looked at the stern cabin, and paused. Instead of one door leading to where the captain slept, there were two doors equally spaced. The stern cabin must have been subdivided. Which side did she want, and who was in the other side?
Bev and Mechanic Dav were coming down the stairs as well when Mari’s dilemma was resolved by one of the doors beginning to open. The man who stepped out was the second that night to find Mari’s pistol pointed straight at his nose.