"It's dead!" cried Clitus.

I released it, kicking it back away from me.

It disappeared beneath the water, dragged under by other urts.

I felt the folded sweep of Clitus' net behind me and I thrust back my hand, and hooked my fingers into its mesh. Bleeding and choking, shivering with cold, I was drawn from the water. In moments, trembling, half supported by two men-at-arms, I was conducted back to the investing wall. There, in the heat of a watch fire, I stripped away my clothes and took a cloak from Thurnock. Someone gave me a swallow of paga from a leather bota.

Suddenly I laughed.

"Why do you laugh!" asked one of the men-at-arms.

"I am pleased to find myself alive," I said.

The men laughed. Thurnock clapped me on the shoulders. "So, too, are we, my captain," said Thurnock.

"What of your leg?" asked one of the men-at-arms.

"It is all right," I told him.

I took another swig of paga.

I had found that I could stand on the leg. It had been lacerated but none of the long, rough-edged wounds was deep. I would have it soon treated by a physician in my own holding.

"Where is our fish from the canal?" I asked.

"Follow me," said one of the men-at-arms, grinning.

I, and the others, followed him to another of the watch fires, one some fifty yards from the one at which I had warmed myself.

There, huddled against the inside of the investing wall, naked, wrapped in a warrior's cloak, near the watch fire, sat the boy. He had been ungagged, and unbound. He looked up at us. He had blond hair, and blue eyes. He was frightened.

"Who are you?" asked Thurnock.

The boy looked down, frightened.

"What is your name?" asked Clitus.

The boy did not respond.

"He should be beaten with a bow," said Thurnock.

The boy looked up, proudly, angrily.

"Hah!" said Thurnock.

The boy regarded me. "Are these men yours?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Bosk," I told him.

"Of the Council of Captains?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered.

I thought I saw fear for a moment flicker in his blue eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He looked down. "Only a slave," he said.

"Show me your hands," I said.

Reluctantly he did so. They were smooth.

"Is he branded?" I asked one of the men-at-arms who had been with the boy. "No," said the man-at-arms.

"What is your name?" I asked.

He looked down again.

"Since we bought you from the canal," I said, "we will call you Fish." And I added, "And since you are a slave, you will be marked and collared, and taken to my holding."

He looked at me angrily.

I gestured for one of the men-at-arms to take him up and carry him away, which he did.

I then dismissed the men who stood near me, except Thurnock and Clitus. That boy, I thought, may well prove useful to me If he fell into the hands of the council he would doubtless be tortured and impaled, or, perhaps, condemned to a seat on the rowing benches of the arsenal round ships. In my holding, his identity could be kept secret. In time, I might find a use for him. There was surely little to be gained in turning him over to the council.

"Who is he?" asked Thurnock, looking after the boy, wrapped in the warrior's cloak, who was being carried away into the darkness.

"He is, of course," said I, "Henrius Sevarius."

"Paint my ships green," I had said.

It was now within the Fifth Passage Hand, some four months after the unsuccessful coup of Henrius Sevarius in the city of Port Kar.

By this time, the Fifth Passage Hand, the flag of Bosk, pirate, had come to be much feared on Thassa.

How this came about I shal now relate.

Some four months ago I, in my swiftest ram-ship, accompanied by my two other ram-ships, and escorted, as well, by five ram-ships of the arsenal, heavy class, had come ot the vast, wall-encircled harbors of Telnus, which is the capitol city of the Ubarate of Cos. There are four major cities on Cos, of which Telnus is the largest. The others are Selnar, Temos and Jad.

I took a longboat ashore, and sent the boat back to my galley.

I would go before the thrones of the Ubars of Cos and Tyros alone.

This was my wish, and part of my plan.

I recalled standing before the thrones, in the towering throne room of Cos. I put to them, the Ubars of Cos and Tyros, as well as I could, the proposals of the Council of Captains of Port Kar, that there would be concord, and doubtless an opening of commerce, between the two Ubarates and the maligned city in the Vosk's delta, my own Port Kar.

As I spoke, the Ubar of Cos, Lurius of Jad, and the Ubar of Tyros, Chenbar of Kasra, the Sea Sleen, who was visiting Lurius on matters of state, sat unspeaking upon their thrones. They asked no questions. They merely regarded me. Kasra is the capitol of Tyros; its only other major city is Tentium. To one side, in a silken veil, richly robed and jeweled, sat Vivina, the ward of Chenbar. It was not a coincidence that she was now in Cos. She had been brought to Cos that Lurius might look upon her and, should he find her pleasing, be proclaimed as his future companion of state. It was her body taht would serve to link the two island Ubarates. Her veil was diaphanous, and I could see that she was very beautiful, though she was also very young. Ubar of Cos, who, like a great bag of meat, slouched swollen between the arms of his throne. Such, I thought to myself, are the affairs of state. Chenbar of Kasra, Ubar of Tyros, on the other hand, was a lean, large-eyed man, with nervous hands. I had little doubt that he would be highly intelligent, and skilled with weapons. Tyros, I told myself, has an efficient, and dangerous Ubar.

Lurius and Chenbar listened most patiently to my discourse.

When I had finished, Chenbar, with a look to Lurius, rose to his feet and said, "Seize his ships."

"I think you will find," I said, "that my ships have already withdrawn from the harbor of Telnus."

Corpulent Lurius sprang to his feet, paunch swinging. He shook his fist at me. "Tharlarion!" he cried. "Tharlarion of Port Kar!"

"I gather," I said, smiling, "that our terms of peace are rejected." Lurius sputtered.

"Your surmise is correct," said Chenbar, who had now sat again upon his throne. "I shall then take my leave," I said.

"I think not," smiled Chenbar.

"Put him in chains!" screamed Lurius.

I regarded them. "I claim," I said, "the immunity of the herald."

"It is denied!" screamed Lurius, his wide, bloated face scarlet with rage. I extended my wrists, to the sides, and felt manacles, with leashes, snapped on them.

"You have been offered peace," I told them.

"And we have refused it!" screamed Lurius.

I heard the laughter of the girl, Vivina, who seemed amused. Several of the others in the court laughed as well.

Lurius settled himself, breathing heavily, again in his throne.

"Put him in a market chain," said Lurius, "and sell him at the slaves' wharf." The girl laughed.

"When," snarled Lurius, "you find yourself chained in the rowing hold of a round ship, you may, my fine captain of Port Kar, bethink yourself less brave and clever than now you do."

"We shall see," said I, "Ubar."

I felt a movement on the chains, and turned to leave the presence of the two Ubars.

"Wait," I heard. It was Chenbar, who had spoken.

I turned again to face the Ubars.

The hall was high about my head. Broad tiles lay beneath my feet.

"May I present," asked Chenbar, indicating the veiled, robed girl sitting to one side, "the Lady Vivina?"

"I do not wish to be presented to a tarks of Port Kar." hissed the girl. "Let us not forget our manners, my dear," smiled Chenbar.