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author | luxagraf <sng@luxagraf.net> | 2024-06-17 10:26:56 -0500 |
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committer | luxagraf <sng@luxagraf.net> | 2024-06-17 10:26:56 -0500 |
commit | f3bacbd1b50c5f2b802672dc4306ab3a3d73e755 (patch) | |
tree | a01d6914707976048c52d9ea0df0bd5c2c6f8d9f | |
parent | 0dded8fea502479809acf6e8ff76dbdf73415fb3 (diff) |
finished edit of ch 5
-rw-r--r-- | lbh.txt | 39 |
1 files changed, 21 insertions, 18 deletions
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ It was dark by the time they walked back to camp. The air had turned cold as the ## Chapter 5: Fishing the Bank -Birdie woke early, before first light. She sat up on the dune where she had slept and looked off toward the sea. She saw the silhouette of her father down by the shore, his back to her. His hand went up and pulled down to his head with a movement so sharp and sudden she felt as if the starlight itself bent down to him. She watched at he turned to each direction, and then back to the center where he stood still, facing east. +Birdie woke early, before first light. She sat up on the dune where she had slept and looked off toward the sea. She saw the silhouette of her father down by the shore, his back to her. His hand went up and pulled down to his head with a movement, sharp and sudden. She felt as if the starlight itself bent down to him as he moved, like he pulled it to himself. She watched at he turned to each direction, and then back to the center where he stood still, facing east. She lay back in the sand and stared up at the stars. They began to fade as the pre-dawn blue crept up from the edge of the world, turning the black night sky first to blue, then to pink, to orange and then the stars were gone. A new day. @@ -549,11 +549,11 @@ Birdie still remembered the forests of the old country, or thought she did, or p She stood up. "I'm going to get some food." She skipped down the slope, feet squeaking in the dry sand. -They followed her though. Memories of cold salt air, fog and pines, a place where it was always cool and soft breezes blew did not help her here. This land of swelter and storm had none of that coolness. What she wouldn't give for a cool soft breeze stirring the pines of some rocky northern shore. +They followed her though. Memories of cold salt air, fog and pines, a place where it was always cool and soft breezes blew. These memories did not help her here. This land of swelter and storm had none of that coolness. What she wouldn't give for a cool soft breeze stirring the pines of some rocky northern shore. She stopped at the top of the dune and watched the disk of the sun break the horizon. She stood, rooted like a sago, feeling the first warm orange rays, savoring the brief moments when it seemed like perhaps it would not be murderously hot by mid morning. -Then she uprooted herself and walked toward the hut. Inside it was dark, she blinked as her eyes adjusted to reveal the thin slivers of light from the windows, the rafters hung with dried fish and herbs, woven bags of drying roots and tubers that Lulu and Birdie dug the day before. Tamba had learned of them from the Waccamaw. There was plenty to eat in the marshes and pine forests if you knew where to look. Still the hut smelled as it always did, of the sea and fish. There was a fishy smell inside that rarely left since most of what the family ate came from the sea, fish, clams, mussels, oysters as big as Birdie's head, seaweed and sea oats, even salt dried from the sea. There was always a bit of the sea in the stew pot. This morning it smelled of dried fish and onions. Her father smiled at her, asked about her dreams while he ladled the leftover stew into Birdie's bowl, a coconut shell sanded and polished smooth, carved with a scene of mermaid rising from a clam shell, something her father had seen in London. It was in fact the one and only story of London he had ever told her. +Then she uprooted herself and walked toward the hut. Inside it was dark, she blinked as her eyes adjusted to reveal the thin slivers of light from the windows, the rafters hung with dried fish and herbs, woven bags of drying roots and tubers that Lulu and Birdie dug the day before. Tamba had learned of them from the Waccamaw. There was plenty to eat in the marshes and pine forests if you knew where to look. Still the hut smelled as it always did, of the sea and fish. There was a fishy smell inside that rarely left since most of what the family ate came from the sea, fish, clams, mussels, oysters as big as Birdie's head, seaweed and sea oats, even salt dried from the sea. There was always a bit of the sea in the stew pot. This morning it smelled of dried fish and onions. Her father smiled at her, asked about her dreams while he ladled the leftover stew into Birdie's bowl, a coconut shell sanded and polished smooth, carved with a scene of a mermaid rising from a clam shell, something her father had seen in London. --- @@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ She could see the *Arkhangelsk* nestled in the dunes. Most of the time she loved A few hours later the crew of six returned from the woods with a wild boar so huge they staggered under the weight of the pole it was slung out on. Birdie's father had informed them of their captains departure, the news of which they barely acknowledged, bent as they were to the task at hand, namely butchering and roasting the boar. There'd been a great feast in camp that night, with music and dancing that didn't stop until long after Birdie was asleep. The crew had stayed on for a quarter of a moon, until the rum ran out and they too headed off down the road in the direction of Charlestown. -Birdie had been worried that the angry captain might return. For several nights she refused to sleep outside until her father finally coaxed the problem out of her. "My girl, you don't need to worry," her father had said, "he's gone." No one seemed to know what became of him, but he never bothered them again. +Birdie had been worried that the angry captain might return. For several nights she refused to sleep outside until her father finally coaxed the problem out of her. "My girl, you don't need to worry," her father had said, "he's gone." And so the little ship had been commandeered by Birdie and her siblings and cousins. That first year they'd spent the autumn in the ship, every free moment they had, sailing the sands of the island, re-christening her the *Arkhangelsk*. Birdie was captain. They had voted, as free sailors did, and she had been elected. As Lulu was always careful to point out the captain only had authority during pursuit and battle, the rest of the time the whole crew was in charge. Birdie did not argue. She had only been voted out of her captain position once, when Lulu called a new vote after Birdie had ordered all the boys over the side to raid an enemy ship for the hundredth time, holding Lulu back. But Lulu's term as captain had lasted only a few days before Henry called a vote that put Birdie back in charge, and set the boys, along with Lulu, over the side to attack the forts and towns of the coasts they sailed. @@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ Henry sat down beside Birdie. "Did you see them" Henry giggled. "They hit so har "What?" -"It's fun, I think?" +"It's fun?" "They're going to break the mast one of these days. Or lose the sail. And then how will we fish?" @@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ His face dropped. He mumbled something about finding Henry and walked off down t "Did I?" -She shook her head at him. He rolled his eyes at her and turned around. She wanted to say *I like you less when you act like your father* but she bit her lip and said nothing. She knew he didn't mean any harm, he just didn't think. But she knew Francis didn't have what she had. She could feel him floundering sometimes, like he was lost in a way that she never would be and so she bit her lip and kept quiet. +She shookjher head at him. He rolled his eyes at her and turned around. She wanted to say *I like you less when you act like your father* but she bit her lip and said nothing. She knew he didn't mean any harm, he just didn't think. But she knew Francis didn't have what she had. She could feel him floundering sometimes, like he was lost in a way that she never would be and so she bit her lip and kept quiet. He leaned against the gunwale of the boat. She came and stood next to him, thinking about what she should say, but she could come up with nothing. @@ -641,18 +641,19 @@ Birdie bit her lip, Henry had wanted to go, but she'd spent all morning with him He seemed to sense the hesitation in her voice and sighed. "Owen probably talked him into going turkey hunting." Owen and Francis had somehow managed to kill a turkey with their homemade bow and arrows and Henry was obsessed with doing the same. Francis was probably right she decided. Lulu had gone up the river with Tamba. There was no one else around except her father and Aunt Māra back in camp. She smiled. "Alright, you push us out." -Francis went to the bow and pushed the boat while Birdie pulled on the stern. They dragged her into the water and spun her around. Birdie jumped in as Francis continued to push from the stern. Birdie grabbed the foresail line and sat down on the port gunwale. The little boat was a lateen rig, with a triangular sail held up on a single mast. A cleated line loosened and tightened the sail to catch the wind. Birdie unwrapped Francis's poorly cleated line and let the boom to fill the sail with wind. Francis was up to his waist now in the water. Birdie leaned out to look past the sail and saw nothing but water. "Get in," she shouted. +Francis went to the bow and pushed the boat while Birdie pulled on the stern. They dragged her into the water and spun her around. Birdie jumped in as Francis continued to push from the stern. Birdie grabbed the foresail line and sat down on the port gunwale. The little boat was a lateen rig, with a triangular sail held up on a single mast. A cleated line loosened and tightened the sail to catch the wind. Birdie unwrapped Francis's poorly cleated line and let the boom out to fill the sail with wind. Francis was up to his waist now in the water. Birdie leaned out to look past the sail and saw nothing but water. "Get in," she shouted. -Francis heaved himself up over the side of the boat and rolled down into the bottom, Birdie drew the line in and turned the tiller to put them at an angle up the face of the first wave. Near the top a gust of wind finally hit the sail and the little boat leaped forward, sending them over the wave and rushing out, toward the next. Two more waves and they were beyond the break. Birdie watched the dark shape of a shark cruise slowly under the boat and then the bottom dropped away and there was nothing but dark, blue-green water. She pointed the boat as northerly as she could without luffing the sail. When she was happy she wrapped the line around the wooden cleat, looped it back under itself and sat back, letting her body relax for the first time since she'd hopped in. +Francis heaved himself up over the side of the boat and rolled down into the bottom, Birdie drew the line in and turned the tiller to put them at an angle up the face of the first wave. Near the top a gust of wind finally hit the sail and the little boat leaped forward, sending them over the wave and rushing out, toward the next. Two more waves and they were beyond the break. Birdie watched the dark shape of a shark cruise slowly under the boat and then the bottom dropped away and there was nothing but blue-green water. She pointed the boat as northerly as she could without luffing the sail. When she was happy with her course she wrapped the line around the wooden cleat, looped it back under itself and sat back, letting her body relax for the first time since she'd hopped in. She glanced at Francis, he was leaning over the side, dragging his hand in the water. Birdie pulled her handline out of her pocket and baited the hook, she dropped it gently into the water, letting the speed of the boat cutting through the waves carry it back away from her. She pointed the little boat toward the outer eastern edge of the bank. When they'd sailed by last month on their way in she'd noticed that there appeared to be an upwelling not too far out past the bank and it was near the updraft of cold water where she'd landed her two catches that day. She wanted to do it again, although she wasn't sure she could. Her father had helped her reel it in on Wanderer. But Wanderer was a bigger boat and much of the trouble was getting the fish out of the water and up the side of the boat without it breaking the line or getting away. The skiff was only twenty feet long and worst case, she could always tie off the line and sail for shore to get it in. Although that would be very tempting to the sharks. -As they eased further away from the shore she saw Francis glance back at her more frequently. She could tell he didn't like to go this far out. At least not in the smaller boat. It was a calm day though, the wind was light, it was the best sailing day she could remember since they'd arrived, especially for a vessel this size, light and springy as she was. Birdie could feel her dancing across the water, almost giddy to be moving it seemed to her. Boats have character. -This one liked the zip and zig and zag, she like the lean too, which Birdie fought by leaning out over the water to counterbalance the wind. A flat boat is a fast boat her father always said. Tipping was more fun though. If you knew your boat well enough to know where she like to be, what was too far, what was not far enough. You had to spend time with a boat to get a sense of her, and then you had to spend time on the water to get a sense of different conditions and how she would handle each of them. Birdie had been sailing the twenty foot sloop her father had built and named Delos for three seasons now, and in every weather short of a gale. While her father had given Delos to his wife's sister and her British husband, Uncle Cole, Birdie still thought of her as *her* boat. Only Birdie ever took her more than 100 meters offshore. Only Birdie pushed her, though Birdie did not think of it that way. She thought of it the way Lulu thought of horses. She just gave the boat its lead and let it go where it naturally wanted to go. A good boat you could trust like that and Delos was a good boat. +As they eased further away from the shore she saw Francis glance back at her more frequently. She could tell he didn't like to go this far out. At least not in the smaller boat. It was a calm day though, the wind was light, the best sailing day she could remember since they'd arrived, especially for a vessel this size, light and springy as she was. Birdie could feel her dancing across the water, almost giddy to be moving it seemed to her. Boats have character. + +This one liked the zip and zig and zag, she like the lean too, which Birdie fought by leaning out over the water to counterbalance the wind. A flat boat is a fast boat her father always said. Heeling over was more fun though. If you knew your boat well enough to know where she like to be, what was too far, what was not far enough Birdie believed you could be just as fast and more fun. You had to spend time with a boat to get a sense of her though, and then you had to spend time on the water to get a sense of different conditions and how she would handle each of them. Birdie had been sailing the twenty foot sloop her father had built and named Delos for three seasons now, and in every weather short of a gale. While her father had given Delos to his wife's sister and her British husband, Uncle Cole, Birdie still thought of Delos as *her* boat. Only Birdie ever took her more than 100 meters offshore. Only Birdie pushed her, though Birdie did not think of it that way. She thought of it the way Lulu thought of horses. She just gave the boat its lead and let it go where it naturally wanted to go. A good boat you could trust like that and Delos was a good boat. They crossed into a different channel of wind and suddenly the water around them went dark. They were still within sight of the shore, an easy swim to the bank even, but here was where the ocean began in Birdie's mind. That deep blue that speaks of depth, real depth. That was the open sea. That was the point at which land, even if you could see it, became irrelevant to your life. You were out here, in the deep blue beyond. Free. -Birdie closed her eyes and listened, taking in everything, the wind wisping strands of hair in her face, the surge and tilt of Delos as she rode gently up the now large swells, the churning froth of water foaming at her bow as she broke the crest and headed down toward the next trough. The mast creaked, the canvas seemed to gently sigh as the wind lulled slightly in the trough and the she felt Delos surge up again, catch that wind and fairly leap forward... +Birdie closed her eyes and listened, taking in everything, the wind wisping strands of hair in her face, the surge and tilt of Delos as she rode gently up the now large swells, the churning froth of water foaming at her bow as she broke the crest and headed down toward the next trough. The mast creaked, the canvas seemed to gently sigh as the wind lulled in the trough. Then she felt Delos surge up again, catching the wind, and fairly leaping forward... "Birdie!" @@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ Her eyes popped open, startled. "What?" She looked around. Maybe? They were definitely too far from shore to have any hope of swimming in if something went wrong. They might make the bank. But what did it matter really? They could just keep sailing out here forever... she smiled at Francis. "Sorry, we'll jibe round." -She rarely got to jibe in the bigger boat since jibing with three sails was a rather violent maneuver. When Wanderer jibed two booms came swinging across the deck at high speeds, which put tremendous force on the rigging and the boom itself. Wanderer had broken her boom two years ago during an unintentional jibe that happened when her uncle fell asleep at the helm. This was why her cousins and their family no longer sailed north with Birdie's family. Birdie did not understand why her father, who was normally quick to forgive, even if his temper was sometimes easily ignited, refused to forgive this incident, but she did know it had made it so no one else was in a hurry to jibe on purpose either. +She rarely got to jibe in the bigger boat since jibing with three sails was a rather violent maneuver. When Wanderer jibed two booms came swinging across the deck at high speeds, which put tremendous force on the rigging and the boom itself. Wanderer had broken her boom two years ago during an unintentional jibe that happened when her uncle fell asleep at the helm. This was why her cousins and their family no longer sailed north with Birdie's family. Birdie did not understand why her father, who was normally quick to forgive, even if his temper was sometimes easily ignited, refused to forgive this incident. All she knew as that even Tamba and Kobayashi hadn't tried to jibe sense. There was rarely a need to on Wanderer. Since the wind never left the sails when jibing there was a lot of power in it, and with anything involving a lot of power, a lot care needed to be taken. The safer thing to do would have been to point the bow through the wind, which let the sail luff and slowed the boat, making for a gentler turn. But Birdie did not want to slow in this swell. Delos handled it well when she was moving, but slowed down she would bob like a cork in these waves and that idea did not sound like fun to Birdie. So she brought her stern around through the wind and waited, feeling for that moment when the boom would swing over, it was like that moment when you swing on a vine high up in to the air and you can feel yourself slowing slowing slowing but never stopping, instead you're suddenly moving the other way. And with a sudden snap of the boom, which Birdie slowed by tightening the line that held it, Delos came around and started her broad reach back to the shoreline. @@ -672,9 +673,9 @@ It was somewhere between tides, which gave them about thirty square feet of sogg If you had looked out from the shore you would have seen two children standing on the water, looking for all the world as if they were walking around, out for stroll on the water. Even though Birdie could not see herself that way, she had seen others do it, she knew how magical it looked. Everything felt magical to her out here. -It was warm, but not hot. The wind and water together kept them cool in spite of the afternoon sun and sweltering humidity. Birdie took off her skirt, then her shirt, and dove naked into the water, dragging the net behind her with her foot. She slipped under and tried to kick like a mermaid, legs locked together. She surfaced well beyond the bow of the boat, treading water. "Come on Francis! It's so lovely. Oh, it's perfect really." She dove under as he took off his shirt and dove in. Under water everything was silent save the occasional squeaks and pops of shrimp running in the sand somewhere below her. A school of dark, silver-sided fish she did not recognize through the blur of salt water was swimming just beyond where she could touch. She came up for air. +It was warm, but not hot. The wind and water together kept them cool in spite of the afternoon sun and sweltering humidity. Birdie dove into the water, dragging the net behind her with her foot. She slipped under and tried to kick like a mermaid, legs locked together. She surfaced well beyond the stern of the boat, treading water. "Come on Francis! It's so lovely. Oh, it's perfect really." She dove under as he took off his shirt and dove in. Under water everything was silent save the occasional squeaks and pops of shrimp running in the sand somewhere below her. A school of dark, silver-sided fish she did not recognize through the blur of salt water was swimming just beyond where she could touch. She came up for air. -"I see a school out here. Quick, Francis, tie the net to the stern and we'll drag it out behind us, then circle back. She threw up the anchor and scrambled into the bow. Francis pushed them off the sand and they slipped silently, slowly through the water, Birdie could see the school better from above, she directed him to turn the boat to port, then starboard, and then, when she could tell the net was fully extended she grabbed the boom and pushed it back, against the wind to stop them dead in the water. They slowed, and then stopped. Francis pointed them into the wind and they both leaned over as watched and the net slowly sank down, startling the fish as it touched them, they darted and shimmered in confusion. "Bring it round." Francis laid the tiller over and Delos slowly turned, catching a breath, then another, and with a snap the sail filled and the boat leapt forward, back toward the bank. Birdie scrambled to the stern and looked back to see nearly the whole school of fish caught in the net. She let out a whoop. +"I see a school out here. Quick, Francis, tie the net to the stern and we'll drag it out behind us, then circle back. She threw up the anchor and scrambled into the stern. Francis pushed them off the sand and they slipped silently, slowly through the water, Birdie could see the school better from above, she directed him to turn the boat to port, then starboard, and then, when she could tell the net was fully extended, she grabbed the boom and pushed it back, against the wind to stop them dead in the water. They slowed, and then stopped. Francis pointed them into the wind and they both leaned over to watch as the net slowly sank down, startling the fish as it touched them. Their silvery bodies darted and shimmered in confusion. "Bring it round." Francis laid the tiller over and Delos slowly turned, catching a breath, then another, and with a snap the sail filled and the boat leapt forward, back toward the sand. Birdie scrambled to the stern and looked back to see nearly the whole school of fish caught in the net. She let out a whoop. They landed and pulled the net in, there were easily hundreds of fish. They could not even haul it all the way up out of the water. They waded out to inspect it, Birdie knew there was no way they could get their entire catch to shore in Delos, she would have sunk under the weight. Birdie looked at the writhing mass of fish trying to decide how they could divide it up, let some go without losing them all. That was when she noticed a strange line sticking out of the water. It was a slight thing, thin and gray. She had never seen anything quite like it, which was why it took her so long to realize it was a dorsal fin and it was coming straight for Francis faster than Birdie had ever seen a fin move. @@ -684,7 +685,7 @@ Fortunately for him, they were not shark teeth, but it took a moment of screamin They sat panting on the sand, watching the fin trace circles around the boat. -"Let me see your leg." Birdie went to the boat and pulled on her skirt again, and pulled her knife from her belt. She cut back his pant leg and surveyed the wounds. There were five punctures, none more than a quarter inch across, and none very deep, but there was still plenty of blood and it looked like it would hurt. Francis groaned, "how bad it it?" Birdie felt a wave a fear come over her and she wanted to run away from the blood and the torn flesh and the pain it must have been causing, but she quickly set that aside and tried to answer him as calmly as she could. "It's not too bad. We just need to stop the bleeding." +"Let me see your leg." Birdie pulled her knife from the boat. She cut back his pant leg and surveyed the wounds. There were five punctures, each pulled backward in an arcing gash. None were very deep, but there was still plenty of blood and it looked like it would hurt. Francis groaned, "how bad it it?" Birdie felt a wave a fear come over her and she wanted to run away from the blood and the torn flesh and the pain it must have been causing, but she quickly set that aside and tried to answer him as calmly as she could. "It's not too bad. We just need to stop the bleeding." "Okay. Am I going to lose my leg?" @@ -714,17 +715,19 @@ Birdie considered it. It was a lot of fish. "Are you sure you're okay?" "What do we do?" Francis stared at her. -"I don't know." She thought for a minute. They could haul it all in, and risk crushing the dolphin. Or she could cut the net, let the dolphin out, but she'd lose possibly all the fish and she'd have a net to repair. She wondered what her father would do. She signed. She cut the net. She cut just in front of the baby dolphin, which had already eaten half of the fish in front of it, so there was no thrashing when her knife stabbed that fish. When she had a hole big enough for the dolphin to get out she worked the fish out first, and another came shooting out after it. Then the dolphin kicked once and shot free. It paused and seemed to eye her for a moment. I'm sorry Birdie said softly, staring at its big dark eye. It twitched and disappeared under the boat, out of sight. +"I don't know." She thought for a minute. They could haul it all in, and risk crushing the dolphin. And possibly sinking Delos. Or she could cut the net, let the dolphin out, but she'd lose possibly all the fish and she'd have a net to repair. She wondered what her father would do. She knew of course. She sighed. She cut the net. She cut just in front of the baby dolphin, which had already eaten half of the fish in front of it, so there was no thrashing when her knife stabbed that fish. When she had a hole big enough for the dolphin to get out she worked the fish out first, and another came shooting out after it. Then the dolphin kicked once and shot free. It paused and seemed to eye her for a moment. I'm sorry Birdie said softly, staring at its big dark eye. It twitched and disappeared under the boat, out of sight. Birdie tried as best she could to keep the net closed while Francis pulled it into the boat. It took them a good twenty minutes to get it into the boat, but in the end they saved well over half their catch. The ride back into shore was shared with dozens of flopping fish, and once, Birdie thought she saw a dolphin streak by. -After she had helped Francis limp back to their camp, and her father and Tamba had organized a trip upriver to see a medicine man who lived near the Waccamaw trading post. Birdie came back out the beach to sail Delos back to her home at her cousin's camp around the north end of the island. She pushed off, but the wind was blowing off shore, forcing her farther out than she wanted. She ended up right back at the bank. She took it as a sign. There was only a small spit of sand still above water, wet sand, but she ran aground on it and climbed out. She looked around for a fin, but saw nothing. A turtle swam by in the shallow water. Birdie sat down on the sand and lay back in the sun, feeling its warmth against the cool of her skin. She felt the chill of the wind as it dried the salty drops of water running down her arm. +After she helped Francis limp back to their camp, her father and Tamba had organized a trip upriver to see a medicine man who lived near the Waccamaw trading post. If anyone knew how to treat a dolphin bite, he would. Birdie came back out the beach to sail Delos up the river to her home at her cousin's camp on the north end of the island. She pushed off, but the wind was blowing off shore, forcing her farther out than she wanted. She ended up right back at the bank. She took it as a sign. There was only a small spit of sand still above water, wet sand, but she ran aground on it and climbed out. She looked around for a fin, but saw nothing. A turtle swam by in the shallow water. Birdie sat down on the sand and lay back in the sun, feeling its warmth against the cool of her skin. She felt the chill of the wind as it dried the salty drops of water running down her arm. She closed her eyes. She began to feel something strange happening in her body, or to the world around her, she couldn't tell. At first she thought perhaps it was the lingering pitch and roll of the boat, which stayed with you even after you got out. But then the whole world seemed to undulate, like a ripple passing through it. She felt as if she were floating in the water, but she was laying on solid sand. Then it came so suddenly it was terrifying. Something immense and unfathomable washed over her, a presence that stretched through her, encompassing her and everything she had ever known or done in an instant. She was afraid to open her eyes. A voice, no, that was the wrong word, something thought words for her, inside her. She could not understand them, a jumble of words falling in her mind so fast that she could not catch them, could not find the meaning of them, not even the order. She felt as if something massive and uncontrollably wild had seized her up in its arms and was taking her on some wild, frightening, but exhilarating dance. She became afraid again and forced herself to breath slowly in and then slowly out. As she did this it was like the thing gave up and set her down again. She felt it slipping away. She blurted out, "No! Wait!" She wanted it to stay, it was just too much, too sudden, she wanted to say, give me a minute, but it was already gone, slipping away, the world settled, she opened her eyes and there was the sea, looking as it always did. -She stared out the flat horizon where the sky bled into the blue of the sea. Come back. But nothing happened. She got up, she pushed off and climbed in Delos. She raised the sail and turned the boat toward the river. +She stared out the flat horizon where the sky bled into the blue of the sea. Come back. + +She got up, she pushed off and climbed in Delos. She raised the sail and turned the boat toward the river mouth. ## Chapter 6: Fire |