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Page 359
the corpses of the innocent came out to loot the wreck and either to murder the few who escaped drowning or, if they were persons of quality, to take them for ransom. He cursed luridly in both Saxon and French and put the sweep over a trifle again. This night with the wind as it was they could do nothing. They could only make a wide circle and come in again at daylight.
Later that night violent rain squalls struck, but after that the wind died. The sun rose into a clear sky the next morning and a light breeze blew in toward an excellent harbor where a number of ships rocked peacefully at anchor. Their ship lay well out, however, with furled sail and the men stroking the oars just enough to keep the nose of the vessel steady. Again the captain, Beorn, Joanna, Berengaria, and Alinor consulted on their next move.
"You are sure that the fire was set wrong deliberately?" Joanna asked.
"We saw the wrecks this dawn, Madam. They are some leagues distant from this or any other harbor, but not so distant that whoever rules in this place could be ignorant of what his people are doing."
Alinor nodded. "My lands are on the coast, Lady Joanna. I have a regular watch just to prevent such happenings." Then she looked at Beorn. "Of course, sometimes a robber band runs in and causes a wreck"
Beorn was already shaking his head, his eyes hot with rage. "No, my lady. It is a regular practice. I saw the bones of other wrecks."
An exclamation of pity broke from Berengaria's lips and tears rose to her eyes. Joanna's face suddenly took on a vivid look of the old Queen as her eyes grew hard and the lines of her lips tightened. Alinor's small jaw jutted forward.
"What of survivors?" was Joanna's next question.
The captain shrugged. "The ships were well in. Certainly not all died by drowning, but whether they were

 
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