The Sea Grinder powered out of the glades. Greyla had charted the course needed to reach the coordinates Widhbo had given. "We need to go back to Catspaw," Greyla said.

"Why? We have plenty of food and enough fuel," Danlea said. "If we take a detour up the coast, there's no way we can make the rendezvous with the Solar Wave in time."

"My grandfather is getting worse. He's running a fever. They may have an antitdote for this damned rat bite."

"I could try to contact the Solar Wave. If I reach them, we can change the rendezvous point and meet farther to the north," Danlea said. She took the code manual Widhbo had provided. She had discovered it had the frequencies for all Novaland's boats in the back.

"Sea Grinder to Solar Wave, come in," she called out to the sub. There was no answer. She tried several more times to no avail. "They're not answering."

"Keep trying. I'm going to check on him again," Greyla said.

"Who knows what trouble the sub may have in getting here," Raemolle said from the helm. "We have to take care of our own. I vote for Catspaw."

"It's settled then," Danlea said.

They turned north, up the coast to Catspaw. Greyla saw De'Marc was resting and went below to oil and load their rifles.

It was near dawn when De'Marc woke from a fevered sleep. He limped to the deck. The stone canon towers of Catspaw were coming into view.

Greyla heard her grandfather stirring and ran to meet him. "You shouldn't be walking on that leg."

"And we shouldn't be in Catspaw."

"We need medication to counter the poison. If anything can help, these folks should know."

"Greyla, it's not worth it. I'm an old man and you'll miss the Solar Wave."

“Danlea will keep trying to reach them. I’m sure she’ll get through and they can adjust their course to meet with us, assuming they make it at all.”

“Promise me this is the last foolish thing you’ll do. There’s no second chances in war," De'Marc warned. Using a scrap piece of iron pipe for a cane, he hobbled to the front of the boat.

“I can't promise anything," Greyla grumbled. "You should go back to bed and stop pumping poison through your body.”

“We should be on radio silence.”

“Danlea’s using code,” Greyla said.

“Silence is better.”

They pulled up to a pier at Catspaw and tied off. Danlea stayed by the radio in the chart room while Greyla and Raemolle went ashore. The bazaar was bustling with activity with the morning market. Fresh produce was laid out on straw mats and blankets along both sides of the main street.

“Let’s start with your fisherman friend,” Greyla said.

Raemolle led the way to his stall, but he was out. “Now what?”

“Look for someone selling herbs or teas. We should split up to save time and meet back here,” Greyla said. “Pick up any remedy you find.”

Raemolle was soon lost in the crowd.

Greyla made her way in the opposite direction. She recognized the knife shop. The man with a gold tooth waved her inside.

“Looking for more knives miss?” He pointed to a case of fine cutlery with polished blades. “I just got these in on the last trade ship from Agartoon.”

“I need medicine this time. My grandfather was bitten by one of those rassel rats in the swamp.”

“I am very sorry, the man said. "Nothing helps much.”

“Lady! You’re back.” A voice called from down the street and Ben came running toward them.

“Hello, Ben.”

“Where is generous lady?”

“She couldn’t come today. Do you know anyone who sells medicine? It’s very important.”

“Yes. Very old lady. She lives over there. I take you.”

“Bengie, you be sure this lady gets back to her ship quickly, yes?” The knife seller turned to Greyla. “Stay too long and you will find trouble this day. They are looking for you.”

“Who?”

“You know who. Hurry.”

Ben took Greyla by the hand and pulled her through the throng of shoppers.

“Who’s looking for us, Ben?”

“The soldiers come from the north. They want to know if your ship passed this way. They give us these.” He reached in a pocket and pulled out a shiny coin worth twenty rodas. “More if we bring them news.”

“So what did you tell them to earn that?” Greyla asked.

“Only that I saw your ship a few days ago.” Ben looked sheepish. “They find out anyway.”

They arrived at a small cottage with stone walls and a tile roof. A toothless woman sat in a chair enjoying the morning light.

“Hello. I was hoping you might help me,” Greyla said approaching the woman. “Do you have medicines?”

“Some,” she replied. She eyed Greyla with suspicion.

“I'll pay you well.”

“What do you need?”

“Treatment for a rassel bite.”

“How long ago?”

Greyla thought back to the night before. “My grandfather was bitten last night, around midnight. I opened the wound and applied salt pork. It’s all we had.”

“Fever?”

“Yes.”

The old woman got up from her chair. Her gait had more strength than Greyla would have predicted. She was wirey and tough. A garden with vegetables and herbs could be seen through the slats of a roughhewn fence.

“Ben, you want to earn a few more rodas?” Greyla asked.

“Of course.”

“Go back to the fisherman’s shop and wait for my friend, Mr. Raemolle. He was to meet me there.”

“Yes. I know his looks.”

“Tell him where I am and that he should go back to the ship to warn my friends about the soldiers.” Greyla pulled out five rodas and gave them to Ben. He took the coins and ran.

“Five more if I get to the ship and find him there,” Greyla called after him. She wasn’t sure how trustworthy the boy was but knew the promise of more money would secure the deal.

The old woman disappeared inside the cottage for several minutes and returned with a parcel of herbs wrapped in brown paper.

“There is no cure. Make an infusion with these and have him drink a cup every hour until the fever breaks. If he is strong, he will live.”

“How much?”

“Fifty.”

Greyla paid the woman one hundred rodas.

She was quite pleased and gave Greyla a wide grin.

”I will pray for you,” she said.

“Thank you. I’m sure we’ll need it. Can you tell the soldiers we came for medicine and returned to our camp in the glades?”

“I can.”

Greyla returned to the Sea Grinder, stepped off the skiff, and looked around the pier for Ben. He was nowhere to be seen. “That’s strange,” she thought. Ben wouldn’t leave without his money. She wondered if Raemolle had been detained for some reason but found him refueling.

“We need to leave now,” Greyla said.

“I know. Ben told me.” Raemolle payed the attendant and prepared to cast off the lines tethering the Sea Grinder to the pier. "Apparently the locals have had had their own problems with these soldiers before. They take whatever they want in goods and provisions without paying half the worth."

"I owe Ben five rodas. Did he leave?"

"I don't know. He disappeared."

A loud ping rang from the hull of the Sea Grinder seizing their attention, followed by the sound of a gunfire from the north. They looked up to see a Beldorian security boat bearing down from the north of Catspaw.

"Damn it! Let's get out of here," Raemolle shouted as he climbed aboard and scrambled to the helm.

Greyla stuffed the parcel of herbs in her bosom. She cast off the last line to be clear of the dock and got back on deck.

Raemolle cranked the big engine and they headed away from the attack boat to the south. Greyla deposited her package safely in the galley, then went below to get their rifles. Several more shots rang off the hull, stopped by the thick steel plate. She almost stumbled over the small boy crouched by the table in the hold of the ship.

"Ben? What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting on you and visiting your ship. They must hate you bad. Were they trying to kill us?"

"I don't know. But we're fighting. Stay down, okay?"

"Yes, Miss. I don't want to get shot."

"I'm sorry you're caught up in our troubles."

Greyla went above deck, handed out the weapons and gave everyone a supply of ammunition.

When she reached De'Marc, he stopped her.

"Still think it was worth it?" he asked.

"That remains to be seen," Greyla said.

The hail of bullets grew louder on the hull. A second attack boat was coming in range.

Raemolle stayed at the helm. Greyla and Danlea hunkered down between the cabin and the bridge behind some barrels.

"I'm worried they'll be able to penetrate the plate if they get close enough," Danlea said.

"I know. But we'll be close enough to shoot back," Greyla assured her.

"We can't win. You know that."

"It's not over yet, Danlea."

"We could surrender."

"If they want us dead. I'm not making it easy for them," Greyla replied.

"You and Danlea should get below. Shoot through the portholes," De'Marc said. "Raemolle, come down here. I'm taking the wheel and you can shoot at the bastards."

"You're not strong enough, Dane," Raemolle said. "Stay there. We have this."

Greyla and Danlea headed back to the stairs and met Ben coming up the stairs with a rifle in his hand.

"Stay below deck while there's shooting, Ben," Greyla said turning him around and sending him back down to the hold. "I hope you know how to use that."

"Yes. I can shoot straight."

A missile whistled past their bow, narrowly missing. Greyla looked back at De'Marc.

"Get a life raft ready," he said. “We can’t fight these bastards. Their ships are too fast and they have modern weapons."

The boom of a canon shattered the morning air. Greyla looked up to see the knife seller with the gold tooth manning the big gun on the closest tower. Another loud boom and a shell impacted the gun boat closest to them. It spun the bow around and left a gaping hole.

Raemolle cheered and hugged Danlea when she ran up to the bridge to join him. Ben poked his head out of the cabin and waved to the knife seller. The man waved back and fired his canon again, this time striking the other gun boat. The two attack vessels were fast sinking into the deep water. Ben ran up to the helm to watch as the Sea Grinder made its way out to sea.

Greyla helped De'Marc back to his quarters. "I found an herbal remedy for you to make into a tea. The old woman who sold it to me said it might help."

"Still foolish, Greyla. We've not seen the last of them. Those were just a couple of scouts. Their whole fleet will be on us before long."

"Not if we can find the sub and disappear."

The Sea Grinder had a chance for now she thought. With its low profile, hopefully they could disappear in the large swells of the ocean.

"But how are we going to get Ben back to his home?" Greyla wondered aloud.

De'Marc shook his head. "We're not. He shares our fate now."