'Sure:' Caramon, grinning, helped to buckle Tanis into the armor "An elf in plate armor. What's the world coming to?"

"Sad times:' Tanis mutterer). "When are we supposed to meet that ship captain GrliLiam told you about?" "He said we could find her on board around daybreak:'

"The name's Maquesta Kar-thon;" said the woman, her expression co.3i and businesslike. "And-iet me guess-you're not officers in the dragonarmy, Not unless they're hiring elves these lows'

Tanis flushed, slowly drawing off the helm of the officer. "ls it that a"oviaus?'•

beard is very shrugged. "Probably not to anyone else. The ery good-perhaps I should say half-elf, of course. And the helm hides your ears. But unless you get a mask, those pretty, almond shaped eyes of yours are a dead give-away. But

tern' na°. many draconians are apt to look into your pretty eyes, are they.?^ Leaning back in her chair, she put a booted foot on a table, and regarded him coolly.

Tanis heard Caramon chuckle, and felt his skin burn.

They were on board the Perechon, sitting in the captain's cabin, across from the captain herself. Maquesta Kar-thon was one of the dark-skinned race living in Northern Ergoth. Her people had been sailors for centuries and, it was popularly believed, could speak the languages of seabirds and dolphins. Tanis found himself thinking of Theros Ironfeld as he looked at Maquesta. The woman's skin was shining black, her hair tightly curled and bound with a gold band around her forehead. Her eyes were brown and shining as her skin. But there was the glint of steel from the dagger at her belt, and the glint of steel in her eyes.

"We're here to discuss business, Captain Maque-" Tanis stumbled over the strange name.

"Sure you are;" the woman said. "And call me Maq. Easier for both of us. It's well you have this letter from Pig-faced William, or I wouldn't have even talked to you. But he says you're square and your money's good, so I'll listen. Nor, where're. you bound?" '

Tanis exchanged glances with Caramon. That was the ques-' tion. Besides, he wasn't certain he wanted either of their desti» nations known. Palanthas was the capital city of Solamnla,~ while Sancrist was a well-known haven of the Knights.

'Oh, for the love of-" Maq snapped, seeing them hesitate. Her eyes flared. Removing her foot from the table, she stared a them grimly. "You either trust me or you don't!"

"Should we?" Tanis asked bluntly.

Maq raised an eyebrow. "How much money do you have

"Enough;" Tanis said. "Let's just say that we want to north, around the Cape of Nordmaar. If, at that point, we s ' find each other's company agreeable, we'll go on. If not, we pay you off, and you put us in a safe harbor:

"Kalaman;' said Maq, settling back. She seemed amu "That's a safe harbor As safe as any these days. Half money now. Half at Kalaman. Any farther is negotiable:"

"Safe delivery to Kalaman" Tanis amended.

"Who can promise?"' Maq shrugged. `Ys a rough time year to travel by sea." She rose languidly, stretchinrz like a Caramon, :standing up quickly, stared at E.er .admiringly:

"It's a deal;" she said. "Come on. I'll show you the ship:'

hlaq led them onto the deck. The ship seemed fit and trim as far as Tanis, who knew nothing about ships, could tell. Her voice and manner had been cold when they first talked to her, but when she showed them around her ship, she seemed to warm up. Tanis had seen the same expression, heard the same warm tones Maq used in talking about her ship that Tika used when talking about Caramon. The Perechon was obviously Maq's only love.

The ship was quiet, empty. Her crew was ashore, along with her first mate, Maq explained. The only other person Tanis saw on board was a man sitting by himself, mending a sail. The man looked up as they passed, and Tanis saw his eyes widen in alarm at the sight of the dragon armor.

"Nocesta, Berem;' Maq said to him soothingly as they passed. She made a slashing motion with her hand, gesturing to Tanis and Caramon. "Nocesta. Customers. Money."

The man nodded and went back to his work.

"Who is he?" Tanis asked Maq in a low voice as they walked toward her cabin once more to conclude their business.

"Who? Berem?" she asked, glancing around. "He's the helmsman. Don't know much about him, He came around a few months back, looking for work. Took him on as a deckswab. Then my helmsman was killed in a small altercation with-

well, never mind. But this fellow turned out to be a d'amngood hand at the wheel, better than the first, in fact. He's an odd one, though. A mute. Never .speaks. Never goes ashore, if he can help it. Wrote his name down for me in the ship's book, or I wouldr't have known that much about him. Why?" she asked,

noticing Tanis studying the man intently.

Berem was tall, well-built. At first sight, one might guess him to be middle-aged, by human terms. His hair was gray; his face was clean-shaven, deeply tanned, and weathered from months

spent on board ship. But his eyes were youthful, clear, and bright. The hands that held the needle were smooth andstrong, the hands of a young man. Elven blood, perhaps, Tanis thought, but if so at wasn't apparent in any of his features.

"I've seen him somewhere," Tanis murmured. "How about you: Cararnon? Do you remember him?"

"lash, come on;" sand the big warrior. "We've seen hundreds of people this past month, Tanis. He was probably in the audience at one of our shows."

"No." Tanis shook his head. "When I first saw him, I thought of Pax Tharkas and Sturm . . . ."

"Hey I got a lot of work to do, half-elf;' Maquesta said. "You coming or you gonna gawk at a guy stitching a sail?" 3

She climbed down the hatch. Caramon followed clumsily,' III5 Sword and armor clanking. Reluctantly, Tanis went after them. But he tamed for one final look at the man-and caught the man regarding him with a strange, penetrating gaze.

"All right, you go back to the Inn with the others. I'll buy the…, supplies. We sail when the ship's ready. Maquesta says about four days:"

I wish it was sooner;' muttered Caramon.

"So do I;" said Tanis grimly. "There's too damn many dray ' ions around here. But we've got to wait far the tide or such thing. Go back to the inn and keep everyone inside. T your brother tolay in a store of that herb stuff he drinksbe at sea a long time. I'll be back in a few hours, after I get ',' supplies:'

Tanis walked down the crowded streets of Flotsam, no giving him a second glance in his dragon armor. He would glad to, take it off. It was hot, heavy and itchy. And he trouble remembering to return the salutes of draconians goblins. It was beginning to occur to him-as he saw respect his uniform commanded-that the humans they the uniforms from must have held a high rank. The tho was net comforting. Any moment now, someone might nize his armor.

But he couldn't do without it, he knew. There were draconians in the streets than ever today. The air of ternsi Flotsam was high. Most of the town's citizens were sta borne, and most of the shops were closed-with the ex

of the taverns. In fact, as he passed one closed shop another, Tanis began to worry about where he was

buy supplies far the long, ocean voyage.

Tanis was musing on this problem as he stared into a

shop window, when a hand suddenly wrapped around W.,

and yanked himn to the ground.

The fall knocked the breath from the half-elf's body. He struck his head heavily on the cobblestones and-for a moment-was groggy with pain. Instinctively he kicked out at whatever had him by the feet, but the hands that grasped him were strong. He felt himself being dragged into a dark alley.

Shaking his head to clear it, he strained to look at his captor. It was an elf! His clothes filthy and torn, his elven features distorted by grief and hatred, the elf stood above him, a spear in