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water remaining aboard was beginning to stink and taste strange. |
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That night the anchor chain rattled. Three men-at-arms with arrows set into their wound bows rushed forward. Others stood ready farther back, and the sailors on watch drew their short swords and began to wake the sleepers. A soft, exhausted voice called out to be taken aboard. A single, half-drowned swimmer was drawn up. He bore a message from the men from the warped-in galleys and the few who had escaped being murdered on the wrecked ships. They had been induced ashore by lies and, coming to realize their danger, had shut themselves into a fort somewhat inland. Now, however, they were starving. The next day they would make a sortie and try to win to the port. If it would not endanger the noble ladies, would they try to send a detachment ashore to help them escape from the port? To give credence to his message, the swimmer wore the signet ring of one Roger de Hardicurt. |
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A most anxious conference was held out of hearing of the messenger. Joanna knew the signet, but what would stop an enemy from drawing the ring off the finger of a dead man or tearing it by force from a prisoner? Dared they risk their men in such a trap? Dared they not risk them and possibly condemn an already tortured band of brave men to certain defeat and almost certain death? The captain had no opinion. His sailors were not really fighting men, although they could defend themselves aboard ship. All he could offer was four small boats to take men ashore if necessary, but he warned that those could easily be overturned or sunk. |
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''Not if we were in them," Alinor said suddenly. |
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"Alinor!" Joanna exclaimed impatiently, "that is ridiculous. Possibly it would ensure the safety of the boats, but as soon as we came ashore, our presence would merely endanger all the men. How could they" |
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