#The first poll was about what Corin would be called this one is about two other characters (not Distan)

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 55 of 83 : World of Sea

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 55 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

Someone in the melee noticed them in a brief moment of better visibility. They frantically called, “Boarders aft!”  Shocked into further action, Captain Mord left the fight and led the two hundred and fifty foot charge back to the map table.  They were too late.  Kurin was gone.

In a small boat, barely out of sight in the fog, Tanlin bent her back to carefully muffled oars.  The Sea Hawk circled once and disappeared into the mist.  Shortly, they heard it scream, back near the Longin. The bird came back and circled, flying low and slow ahead of them. In short order, the Wide Wing lead them to the other three boats.

It swooped down and landed on Tanlin’s heavily padded shoulder, talons adding another few small rips to the pads.  Tanlin chucked the Sea Hawk under the beak and then gave it a bit of dried skelt.  The razor sharp beak took it gently from her fingers and made short work of it.

As Kurin looked on in amazement, Tanlin said, “Good, Skye.  Good. Now, show us t’e way t’ ‘ome an’ nest.”  The big bird bobbed its head, and launched off her shoulder, beating up, out of sight.  Tanlin had a faraway look, as if the world about her was a dream.  

She shook herself and pointed surely through the fog, “T’at way, swift an’ quiet.”  After they had rowed for a bit, she ordered, “Step masts.  Rig t’e sails.  Lively, now!”  Without a word, the crewmen and women leapt to obey.

A cat’s paw breeze swept through the fog and filled their sails.  In a short time they were clear of the fog and scudding north through the chop raised by a brisk breeze.

Finally, Tanlin relaxed, but only a little.  She called to the other boats, “Wad t’ey nae look at our message at all?”

“No, Captain.  We were driven back by knives.”

Shaken, Tanlin asked, “T’ey refused ye rescue?  T’e Longin broke the Groit Law?  Ye were attacked wit’ knives?”  She paused and swallowed hard.  In a calm voice belied by shaking shoulders and tears she asked, “W’at losses?”

“One dead, three wounded, one missing,” they replied.  

Kurin saw Tanlin crumple a bit but then brace herself.  “‘Oo died?”

“Macoul, the helmsman,” they called back.

“T’e wounded?” she asked, shaking but dry-eyed now.

“Gemma Colin, Darkistry Colm and Lenai Halin, Captain,” they called back.

“An’ t’e missin’?”

“Bosun Modanet.”

Then she did cry but she held her course.  “A good ‘elmsmon gone. Doctor Corin’s daughter.  M’ best friend.  Arnat’s mot’er. Oi can ‘ope t’at t’e Bosun got our message t’ yer Ca’tain. I’ ‘arm t’ t’ese few ‘urts so muckle, ‘ow does anyane survive a war?”

Kurin tried to distract Tanlin from her grief.  “How did you train Skye so well?  I never heard of anyone taming a Wide Wing before.  It was like he understood you.”

Tanlin did smile, though there were still tears in her eyes, “She.  Skye’s a female.  T’under’ead’s bock ‘ome on t’e nest.  Huh, she just got bock t’ t’e ship.  She brought ‘im a fish.”

“But how did you train her so well?” asked Kurin, in genuine curiosity.

“Oi dinnae.  Oi defended t’eir nest wen t’ey decided t’ make ‘t in our rigging w’ile we rode in t’e eye o’ t’e storm.  Oi brought t’em some fish, because t’ey’d been days wit’oot food.  T’ey adopted me.  T’en w’en Mecat gave m’ a Dragon’s Gift, t’ey were on m’ shoulders, trin’ t’ protect m’ from a Groit Dragon.  T’ey got included in t’e Gift.

“Sorry, Oi’m upset an’ tellin’ ‘t badly.  Let m’ calm down an’ Oi’ll tell ‘t better.”

“Did I hear one of the crewmen call you ‘Captain’?”

“Full o’ quest’ns, arenae ye?” said Tanlin, smiling in spite of herself.  “Aye, Ca’tain Barad stepped down voluntarily, for t’e good o’ t’e ship.  T’e crew elected m’.  T’was unanimous. Ye con poll t’em yersel’, i’ ye wont.”

“What I would want is to hear Barad say that he stepped down voluntarily,” said Kurin almost wistfully.

“T’en ye shall ‘ear ‘t from ‘is ane mout’, an’ t’at, soon,” said Tanlin firmly.  She pointed.  The sails of the big square-rigger could be seen coming over the horizon.  A Wide Wing could be seen leading the ship.  When it was clear that ship and boats had seen each other, the bird dove from five hundred feet up, hitting the water cleanly, with only a small splash.  A few minutes later, it surfaced and took off, circling back to the high lookout where the nest was.

“T’at wa’ T’under’ead,” said Tanlin, proudly.  “Wen we get t’e wounded taken care o’, Oi’m going t’ take t’em a basket o’ fish, for t’eir chicks.  Oi’m part o’ t’e flock, after all, an’ tis the duty o’ t’e flock t’ care for t’e young.” She cocked her head in self-conscious imitation of a bird.  “Oi’ll take care o’ ye, t’.  Wont t’ ‘elp feed t’em?”

The Grandalor turned into the wind, using it as a brake, to stop so that the party could board.  

“What fortune?” called a light baritone voice that Kurin knew.

“She came wit’ us, Barad,” Tanlin called back.  “T’e price wa’ ‘eavy.  We ‘ave t’ree wounded, ane dead an’ ane missin’.”

“You heard the Captain,” Barad’s voice called.  “Get four stretchers rigged, now!”  Their boats bumped up to the Grandalor and tied up to a piece of cargo net that had been hung over the side for use as a ladder.  The boarding party swarmed up the net, except for Tanlin and a few others who stayed behind to tend to the dead and injured.

Tanlin turned to Kurin, “Go on, get aboard.  T’ese folk volunteered t’ be in t’is party an’ ye are t’e reason t’at t’eir blood wa’ shed.  I’ ye donnae get aboard, t’will ‘ave all been for naught.”

“I’ll go aboard, never fear that,” Kurin answered seriously.  “These people risked their lives to get me here.  I can take a few minutes to help them.  I know bandaging and that abdominal wound  needs to be rebound.  She is in shock.  Wind her tightly.  Her arms and legs, too.  It will help to keep her blood pressure up.”

“Thank you, Kurin,” said a dark haired woman, injured in both an arm and a leg, as she helped wrap the more gravely injured woman.  “I’m Darkistry, by the way.  I hope that Lenai will be able to thank you herself.  I wish that we had known this trick of bandaging two hours ago.”

“I wish that I had known it was needed,” Kurin replied seriously, bandaging an arm.  “Captain Tanlin, this woman needs to go first. She’s in deep shock.”

Tanlin, who was steadying the first of the stretchers, said, “OK, Kurin, can ye ‘elp get Lenai int’ t’e stretcher?  Oi’ll ‘old ‘t steady.”

Kurin placed the crewmen along Lenai’s still form and directed, “Everyone, lift at once, on my mark… Lift!”  They all lifted until she was high enough for Tanlin to get the stretcher under her.

Tanlin signaled for the stretcher to be raised and called, “Number ane, ready for lift!  Get ‘er directly t’ Doctor Corin in sickbay!  Oi t’ink ‘e’s going t’ ‘ave t’ operate on ‘er.”

Darkistry said, “Take Gemma next.  She’s lost a fair bit of blood and got a nasty blow to the head.  My cuts are pretty deep, but I’m not bleeding much, I just need a ride to the deck and somebody to lean on until I can get stitched up.”

“Ye’ll lie flat an’ stay t’at way until we can take care o’ ye,” Tanlin ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Darkistry replied with an almost impudent grin.  As an aside to Kurin, she confided, “I never was very good at taking orders but I think that I’ll follow these.”

They helped Gemma into her stretcher and Darkistry into hers.  Crewmen went up alongside, to keep the stretchers steady.  An honor guard of Macoul’s friends came down and escorted his body up to the deck.

When they were alone in the boats, Kurin demanded, “What are you up to, Tanlin?  This ship,” she gestured at the Grandalor, “has been rebuilt for war!  I’m not blind.  You’ve changed the bow profile for better speed and ramming strength.  It’s been reinforced with at least two layers of Wing Ray for hardness and penetration.  Your bowsprit has been reinforced and broadened as part of that.

“Your standing rigging is over twice the thickness needed for storms and it’s been moved to absorb ramming shocks better.  Your rigging and sails have the coloration of fresh fireproofing by Hag extracts.

“What do you hope to gain by all of this?”  Kurin ended her tirade, hands on hips, face set and angry.

“Oi’ve made ye a promise, an’ ‘t’ll be kept!  T’is ship ‘as been remade because we see precious little o’ justice in t‘e actions o’ t’e Council!

“We are nae paddle ducks t’at ye can cut t’e ‘ead off wit’ nae struggle!  We’ll fight for t’e rights o’ the Groit Law!  Wen we can get a fair trial, we’ll submit t’ real justice!

“We’ve a few prisoners t’at we belive need t’ go for a swim t’ yer foster fat’er Iren’s halls!  T’eir trial’ll ‘ave t’ be a fleet matter.  We are ‘olding t’em until t’ey can ‘ave t’e chance t’ rebut charges o’ mutiny an’ murder!”  Tanlin paused for breath, fire in her eye.

“Tell m’ Kurin, w’at’s t’e second o’ t’e Groit Laws, t’e ane right after t’e ban on slavery?”

“The right to rebut charges.  Everybody knows that…” Kurin trailed off.

“Name m’ t’e court w’ere we can answer any charges?  T’ere’s nae such court for us.  We were condemned wit’oot trial.  Ask yer friend Sula i’ t’at precedent isnae w’ere t’e Ca’tain o’ Ca’tains got ‘is start?  T’en ask ‘ow many ships an’ lives were lost as a result.  T’e answers’ll appall ye.  

“Groit Law is put aside at groit peril.  We’ll send for Sula an’ Ca’tain Sarfin, along wit’ a quorum o’ t’e Council, yer ane Ca’tain Mord an’ ane ot’er ‘oo ‘as an interest in t’is case.  Blind Mecat.  Ye know ‘er, Oi believe,” Tanlin finished with irony.

“How can you send for Cat, or the others, for that matter?”  Now Kurin was curious again.

Instead of answering, Tanlin said, “Cume up t’ t’e deck an’ brace yersel’ for w’at ye’ll see.  Ye’ve nae beheld t’e worst t’at’s t’ be seen, yet.”  Tanlin did not wait, but climbed the net.  Shrugging, Kurin followed.

TO BE CONTINUED

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[kacydeneen]

'60s Activists Praise Today's 'Creative' Student Protesters

Students furious about school shootings in Parkland, Florida, and confronting the National Rifle Association and its political allies as they demand gun control laws with new urgency, are impressing an earlier generation of protesters who took to the streets 50 years ago.

As survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School prepare to lead a march in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, veterans of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s are praising them for their quick mobilization and their fearlessness.

How the Parkland Teens Spearheaded a Worldwide Movement

"I think they're focused, and I think they're creative," said Abe Peck, an editor at the underground newspaper, the Chicago Seed, in the 1960s and the author of "Uncovering the ‘60s: The Life and Times of the Underground Press." "They've also done something which all movements have to do, they've identified an enemy."

"They're osmosing certain previous movements," he said.

Teens Seek to March Against Gun Violence Between Trump Hotel, Capitol

Saturday's March for Our Lives, in Washington, D.C., and smaller marches in every state in the nation come a little more than a month after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former student at at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, returned to the school and opened fire. As students and teachers hid in closets and huddled under desks, he killed 17 of his former schoolmates.

Almost immediately, the students upended what had become the accepted response to bloody school shootings: thoughts and prayers from politicians and others but no action on curbing the prevalence on guns in the United States. They debated the NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch at a televised town hall on CNN. One student, Cameron Kasky, 17, demanded Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio stop taking donations from the NRA. Another, David Hogg, also 17, told Bill Maher that he had hung up on the White House asking him to attend President Donald Trump's listening session on gun violence. Trump needs to the screams of the students, Hogg said.

Fighting Gun Violence After Shooting Gives Teens Purpose

At a gun-control rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, days after the shooting, 18-year-old Emma Gonzalez, a senior at the school, vowed: "We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we're going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because … we are going to be the last mass shooting. Just like Tinker v. Des Moines, we are going to change the law."

Gonzalez was referring to Mary Beth Tinker and her older brother John, who when they were 13 and 15 in 1965 wore black armbands to school in Des Moines, Iowa, to protest the Vietnam War. They and other students were suspended when they refused to remove them.

With the help of the ACLU, they sued and the U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled 7-2 that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gates."

Mary Beth Tinker, 65, said that she and the others were ordinary people living in extraordinary times just as the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas are. She predicted that their protests would be turning point in what the former nurse called an epidemic of gun violence.

"This issue has been percolating for awhile," said Tinker, who now speaks to students about the First Amendment and visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 2013 as part of a tour of schools. "It really started with Black Lives Matter and it's just the mistreatment of young people has gotten to the breaking point. And it’s good that young people are turning their grief into action and they're also joining together across racial divides and economic divides and that’s very exciting to see."

Their activism isn't coming in a vacuum, said Angus Johnston, a history professor at the City University of New York who specializes in student activism.

"We're seeing a tremendous upsurge of student protest and youth activism and generally lots of people in the streets and organizing and running for office and taking action in all sorts of ways," he said.

Many of the Florida students are in Jeff Foster's AP government class and had been studying the NRA even before the shooting. They consciously used the protests of the 1960s as a model, they say.

The junior-class president, 17-year-old Jaclyn Corin, told the liberal political podcast “Pod Save America” this week that they were following the example of students from the Vietnam War era and especially Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles of nonviolence.

"We are peacefully protesting," she said. "That's what the school walkout encompassed. That's what the march is going to be like. And we're just not fighting fire with fire, we're fighting the NRA with the hopeful voices of the generation that's going to soon be the core power of America."

Sixty-six percent of Americans want stricter gun laws, a Quinnipiac University poll released Feb. 20 found, the highest level since it started asking about the topic after the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Support jumped almost 20 points since 2015. Sixty-seven percent polled wanted a ban on assault-style weapons.

The students want assault weapons banned, the sale of high-capacity magazines prohibited and background checks to be required for all sales at gun shows and online.

Peck chronicled the earlier decade of upheaval, from the Summer of Love in San Francisco and the Pentagon demonstration in 1967, to the Democratic Convention in Chicago the following year, when police outside clashed violently with protesters. These students are non-violent and "just so smart and so organized," he said. The question will be whether they can keep it up.

"The war was a root canal for us, year after year," Peck said. "What happens when the seniors graduate? What happens when ordinary life takes over? Obviously this was a life changing event for many of these kids but can they sustain it?"

Bill Zimmerman, an anti-war activist who helped lead the Indochina Peace Campaign and Medical Aid for Indochina, said both groups were motivated by public policies that put their lives at risk.

The earliest anti-war demonstrators were driven by moral objections, but young people joined in massive numbers after the number of men drafted into military service surged in 1966 to more than 380,000, he said. 

"And it helped create a movement that eventually had a major impact on the public policy that before had only been addressed by people concerned with morality," he said. "So there may be a parallel today, because these kids are not dealing with gun control as an abstract issue. They’re dealing with it in terms of their own safety."

The students successfully organized a school walkout on March 14, a month to the day of the shooting, when students left their classrooms by thousands in cities across the country, sometimes defying authorities as they did. They pushed Florida lawmakers to pass modest but unprecedented new gun control laws, the first in the state in two decades, raising the age to buy all firearms to 21 and restricting gun access to people who show signs of mental illness or violence, among them.

Looking forward, they plan another walkout for April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings, and will try to vote out opponents to gun control in the midterm elections.

Dawson Barrett is an assistant professor of U.S. history at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the author of "Teenage Rebels: Successful High School Activists, from the Little Rock Nine to the Class of Tomorrow." High school students have been a part of every one of the country's movements, but what is new now is the size of the protests.

"I think we are very likely witnessing what are almost certainly the largest protests by high school students in U.S. history," he said.

To be effective, he said, students have to recruit adult allies, which this group has done from organizations urging gun control.

"If they want to play a role in the fall elections, they’re going to have to maintain momentum after this weekend and after the April 20 walkout and how they do that, I don’t have those answers," he said. "But that’s going to be so important.

Zimmerman, now a partner in Zimmerman & Markman, a national political consulting firm based in Santa Monica, said that to keep attention on their issue, the students will have to address the public policy questions seriously but also take actions that could involve civil disobedience and offend some people.

"The stakes for some kids are going to be life and death so the kids of action they take need to comparatively militant and dramatic and forceful," he said.

It is hard to know whether their protests will explode into a national movement or fizzle, he said. The gun control laws they convinced Florida lawmakers to pass, though limited, were enormous symbolically, he said.

"So the elements are there," he said. "It hasn’t happened yet but the elements are definitely there for this thing to turn into a major national mass movement."

Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images '60s Activists Praise Today's 'Creative' Student Protesters published first on Miami News

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : World of Sea : Part 55

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2018

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

Someone in the melee noticed them in a brief moment of better visibility. They frantically called, “Boarders aft!”  Shocked into further action, Captain Mord left the fight and led the two hundred and fifty foot charge back to the map table.  They were too late.  Kurin was gone.

In a small boat, barely out of sight in the fog, Tanlin bent her back to carefully muffled oars.  The Sea Hawk circled once and disappeared into the mist.  Shortly, they heard it scream, back near the Longin. The bird came back and circled, flying low and slow ahead of them. In short order, the Wide Wing lead them to the other three boats.

It swooped down and landed on Tanlin’s heavily padded shoulder, talons adding another few small rips to the pads.  Tanlin chucked the Sea Hawk under the beak and then gave it a bit of dried skelt.  The razor sharp beak took it gently from her fingers and made short work of it.

As Kurin looked on in amazement, Tanlin said, “Good, Skye.  Good. Now, show us t’e way t’ ‘ome an’ nest.”  The big bird bobbed its head, and launched off her shoulder, beating up, out of sight.  Tanlin had a faraway look, as if the world about her was a dream.  

She shook herself and pointed surely through the fog, “T’at way, swift an’ quiet.”  After they had rowed for a bit, she ordered, “Step masts.  Rig t’e sails.  Lively, now!”  Without a word, the crewmen and women leapt to obey.

A cat’s paw breeze swept through the fog and filled their sails.  In a short time they were clear of the fog and scudding north through the chop raised by a brisk breeze.

Finally, Tanlin relaxed, but only a little.  She called to the other boats, “Wad t’ey nae look at our message at all?”

“No, Captain.  We were driven back by knives.”

Shaken, Tanlin asked, “T’ey refused ye rescue?  T’e Longin broke the Groit Law?  Ye were attacked wit’ knives?”  She paused and swallowed hard.  In a calm voice belied by shaking shoulders and tears she asked, “W’at losses?”

“One dead, three wounded, one missing,” they replied.  

Kurin saw Tanlin crumple a bit but then brace herself.  “‘Oo died?”

“Macoul, the helmsman,” they called back.

“T’e wounded?” she asked, shaking but dry-eyed now.

“Gemma Colin, Darkistry Colm and Lenai Halin, Captain,” they called back.

“An’ t’e missin’?”

“Bosun Modanet.”

Then she did cry but she held her course.  “A good ‘elmsmon gone. Doctor Corin’s daughter.  M’ best friend.  Arnat’s mot’er. Oi can ‘ope t’at t’e Bosun got our message t’ yer Ca’tain. I’ ‘arm t’ t’ese few ‘urts so muckle, ‘ow does anyane survive a war?”

Kurin tried to distract Tanlin from her grief.  “How did you train Skye so well?  I never heard of anyone taming a Wide Wing before.  It was like he understood you.”

Tanlin did smile, though there were still tears in her eyes, “She.  Skye’s a female.  T’under’ead’s bock ‘ome on t’e nest.  Huh, she just got bock t’ t’e ship.  She brought ‘im a fish.”

“But how did you train her so well?” asked Kurin, in genuine curiosity.

“Oi dinnae.  Oi defended t’eir nest wen t’ey decided t’ make ‘t in our rigging w’ile we rode in t’e eye o’ t’e storm.  Oi brought t’em some fish, because t’ey’d been days wit’oot food.  T’ey adopted me.  T’en w’en Mecat gave m’ a Dragon’s Gift, t’ey were on m’ shoulders, trin’ t’ protect m’ from a Groit Dragon.  T’ey got included in t’e Gift.

“Sorry, Oi’m upset an’ tellin’ ‘t badly.  Let m’ calm down an’ Oi’ll tell ‘t better.”

“Did I hear one of the crewmen call you ‘Captain’?”

“Full o’ quest’ns, arenae ye?” said Tanlin, smiling in spite of herself.  “Aye, Ca’tain Barad stepped down voluntarily, for t’e good o’ t’e ship.  T’e crew elected m’.  T’was unanimous. Ye con poll t’em yersel’, i’ ye wont.”

“What I would want is to hear Barad say that he stepped down voluntarily,” said Kurin almost wistfully.

“T’en ye shall ‘ear ‘t from ‘is ane mout’, an’ t’at, soon,” said Tanlin firmly.  She pointed.  The sails of the big square-rigger could be seen coming over the horizon.  A Wide Wing could be seen leading the ship.  When it was clear that ship and boats had seen each other, the bird dove from five hundred feet up, hitting the water cleanly, with only a small splash.  A few minutes later, it surfaced and took off, circling back to the high lookout where the nest was.

“T’at wa’ T’under’ead,” said Tanlin, proudly.  “Wen we get t’e wounded taken care o’, Oi’m going t’ take t’em a basket o’ fish, for t’eir chicks.  Oi’m part o’ t’e flock, after all, an’ tis the duty o’ t’e flock t’ care for t’e young.” She cocked her head in self-conscious imitation of a bird.  “Oi’ll take care o’ ye, t’.  Wont t’ ‘elp feed t’em?”

The Grandalor turned into the wind, using it as a brake, to stop so that the party could board.  

“What fortune?” called a light baritone voice that Kurin knew.

“She came wit’ us, Barad,” Tanlin called back.  “T’e price wa’ ‘eavy.  We ‘ave t’ree wounded, ane dead an’ ane missin’.”

“You heard the Captain,” Barad’s voice called.  “Get four stretchers rigged, now!”  Their boats bumped up to the Grandalor and tied up to a piece of cargo net that had been hung over the side for use as a ladder.  The boarding party swarmed up the net, except for Tanlin and a few others who stayed behind to tend to the dead and injured.

Tanlin turned to Kurin, “Go on, get aboard.  T’ese folk volunteered t’ be in t’is party an’ ye are t’e reason t’at t’eir blood wa’ shed.  I’ ye donnae get aboard, t’will ‘ave all been for naught.”

“I’ll go aboard, never fear that,” Kurin answered seriously.  “These people risked their lives to get me here.  I can take a few minutes to help them.  I know bandaging and that abdominal wound  needs to be rebound.  She is in shock.  Wind her tightly.  Her arms and legs, too.  It will help to keep her blood pressure up.”

“Thank you, Kurin,” said a dark haired woman, injured in both an arm and a leg, as she helped wrap the more gravely injured woman.  “I’m Darkistry, by the way.  I hope that Lenai will be able to thank you herself.  I wish that we had known this trick of bandaging two hours ago.”

“I wish that I had known it was needed,” Kurin replied seriously, bandaging an arm.  “Captain Tanlin, this woman needs to go first. She’s in deep shock.”

Tanlin, who was steadying the first of the stretchers, said, “OK, Kurin, can ye ‘elp get Lenai int’ t’e stretcher?  Oi’ll ‘old ‘t steady.”

Kurin placed the crewmen along Lenai’s still form and directed, “Everyone, lift at once, on my mark. . . Lift!”  They all lifted until she was high enough for Tanlin to get the stretcher under her.

Tanlin signaled for the stretcher to be raised and called, “Number ane, ready for lift!  Get ‘er directly t’ Doctor Corin in sickbay!  Oi t’ink ‘e’s going t’ ‘ave t’ operate on ‘er.”

Darkistry said, “Take Gemma next.  She’s lost a fair bit of blood and got a nasty blow to the head.  My cuts are pretty deep, but I’m not bleeding much, I just need a ride to the deck and somebody to lean on until I can get stitched up.”

“Ye’ll lie flat an’ stay t’at way until we can take care o’ ye,” Tanlin ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Darkistry replied with an almost impudent grin.  As an aside to Kurin, she confided, “I never was very good at taking orders but I think that I’ll follow these.”

They helped Gemma into her stretcher and Darkistry into hers.  Crewmen went up alongside, to keep the stretchers steady.  An honor guard of Macoul’s friends came down and escorted his body up to the deck.

When they were alone in the boats, Kurin demanded, “What are you up to, Tanlin?  This ship,” she gestured at the Grandalor, “has been rebuilt for war!  I’m not blind.  You’ve changed the bow profile for better speed and ramming strength.  It’s been reinforced with at least two layers of Wing Ray for hardness and penetration.  Your bowsprit has been reinforced and broadened as part of that.

“Your standing rigging is over twice the thickness needed for storms and it’s been moved to absorb ramming shocks better.  Your rigging and sails have the coloration of fresh fireproofing by Hag extracts.

“What do you hope to gain by all of this?”  Kurin ended her tirade, hands on hips, face set and angry.

“Oi’ve made ye a promise, an’ ‘t’ll be kept!  T’is ship ‘as been remade because we see precious little o’ justice in t‘e actions o’ t’e Council!

“We are nae paddle ducks t’at ye can cut t’e ‘ead off wit’ nae struggle!  We’ll fight for t’e rights o’ the Groit Law!  Wen we can get a fair trial, we’ll submit t’ real justice!

“We’ve a few prisoners t’at we belive need t’ go for a swim t’ yer foster fat’er Iren’s halls!  T’eir trial’ll ‘ave t’ be a fleet matter.  We are ‘olding t’em until t’ey can ‘ave t’e chance t’ rebut charges o’ mutiny an’ murder!”  Tanlin paused for breath, fire in her eye.

“Tell m’ Kurin, w’at’s t’e second o’ t’e Groit Laws, t’e ane right after t’e ban on slavery?”

“The right to rebut charges.  Everybody knows that. . .” Kurin trailed off.

“Name m’ t’e court w’ere we can answer any charges?  T’ere’s nae such court for us.  We were condemned wit’oot trial.  Ask yer friend Sula i’ t’at precedent isnae w’ere t’e Ca’tain o’ Ca’tains got ‘is start?  T’en ask ‘ow many ships an’ lives were lost as a result.  T’e answers’ll appall ye.  

“Groit Law is put aside at groit peril.  We’ll send for Sula an’ Ca’tain Sarfin, along wit’ a quorum o’ t’e Council, yer ane Ca’tain Mord an’ ane ot’er ‘oo ‘as an interest in t’is case.  Blind Mecat.  Ye know ‘er, Oi believe,” Tanlin finished with irony.

“How can you send for Cat, or the others, for that matter?”  Now Kurin was curious again.

Instead of answering, Tanlin said, “Cume up t’ t’e deck an’ brace yersel’ for w’at ye’ll see.  Ye’ve nae beheld t’e worst t’at’s t’ be seen, yet.”  Tanlin did not wait, but climbed the net.  Shrugging, Kurin followed.

TO BE CONTINUED

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