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admiration. She had thought up some truly venomous and special curses to bestow upon the people
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Jeremy was now virtually certain that she meant the deserting crew who had left her in this
predicament. Now and then she paused for breath, gazing into the distance as if she hoped to catch sight
of the objects of her wrath, who had to be somewhere out there.
These two people were obviously individuals of some impor-tance, and their flag said they were
connected with the Acad-emy. Helping them ought to give Jeremy the very opening he needed toward
the fulfillment of his vow to Sal.
The boy in his canoe, continuing to observe the couple from behind his screen of reeds, raised a hand to
scratch his itchy scalp and was glad that he had decided long days ago to wash off the dried mud.
Springing into action, he paddled his canoe briskly to the woman's assistance, adroitly detouring a few
yards to pick up the drifting oar before the listless current got around to bearing it away. Then, after
securing his own small vessel to the catama-ran, he climbed aboard and seized the line with which the
woman was already struggling.
The woman quickly became aware of his approach but did not appear surprised by it; she stood
nodding in Jeremy's direc-tion, with her small fists planted on her hips, as if she wondered what had
taken him so long.It's about time,her attitude seemed to say. About time the world woke up to its duty
and came to her assistance. Her clothing, while of practical design for an active person in hot weather,
proclaimed her as wealthy, and a fine gold collar around her neck confirmed this.
Quickly she sized up Jeremy he realized that he must present an odd-looking figure but she made no
comment. She spoke to him imperiously.
"Thank all the gods." She made a brisk summoning gesture. "Come aboard quick; give me a hand here."
"Yes'm."
As he drew close, he saw that at a distance her whitish hair had deceived even his new keen eyesight. At
close range he could see that the face beneath it, despite its stern expression, was very young. She was
probably no older than Jeremy himself. Eyes even greener than his own and sharp elfin features. Several
of the girl's small fingers bore valuable rings.
She had now ceased, for the moment, her scolding and curs-ing of the absent boatmen. Obviously her
chief concern, as she ran about with the incongruous sheathed sword banging against her slender legs,
was the man's welfare.
And again, as soon as the drifting had been checked: "Never mind that! Help me here, with him!"
Jeremy wondered if the girl could be a priestess of some god or assortment of gods. His new memory
could not confirm this but neither did it find evidence that the idea was impossible.
After some difficulty the two of them got the craft turned in solidly against the stone dock. Then Jeremy,
springing ashore, se-cured it firmly, with another line, to some stonework that seemed likely to endure for
a while.
Now that she had an active helper, the young woman an-nounced her determination to cast off as soon
as the unconscious man and a few essentials had been carried aboard. She was ready to abandon certain
other items; when Jeremy volun-teered to go back for them, she refused his offer.
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On the inner side of the dock, one or two dark doorways led directly into the broken pyramid. It was
too dim in there for Je-remy to even guess at what the building might contain.
As they were making their slow progress away from the ruined dock, she looked back now and then, in
the manner of someone who feared pursuit. Jeremy was quite used to that manner now, having observed
it in himself for many days.
But there was one item, a small box of ivory and ebony, that she made very sure to have on board.
Jeremy caught only a brief glimpse of it and did not see where the young woman put it away.
When he got the chance to take a close look at the uncon-scious man, Jeremy could detect no obvious
injuries. Dark-mustached, thin-faced, naturally well muscled but somehow ascetic-looking, about thirty
years of age. His nearly naked body was marked in several places with painted symbols, so exten-sively
that the natural color of his skin was hard to make out. The designs showed, among other things, his
Academic standing. Jeremy could read them now.
His hands were soft, those of an aristocrat.
"What happened to him, ma'am?" the boy inquired cautiously. No blood, bruises, or swellings were
visible on the unconscious body, which was breathing regularly.
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