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‘You could be right, Gunda I’d say that it’s too bad that the pretty-lady’s husband didn’t go a step or two further than just a punch in the ht between the eyes would have solved this problem before it even started, wouldn’t you say?’

‘I met him - briefly He’s one of those people who just ooze decency out of every pore Evidently, a punch in the o’

‘Decent people can be so inconvenient at times,’ Andar coan to leave the harbor of Castano two days later, and Gunda put his uniform aside, dressed himself in some scruffy clothes, laid some rolled-up fishnet across the bow of the Albatross, and sailed out of the harbor in a generally northern direction He easily outdistanced the ing church ships, and reached the floating ice-zone not long after noon the following day He put out his nets about a half-mile from the southern end of Veltan’s channel, and then he waited

It was almost dark when the first of the red-sailed church ships reached the mouth of the channel and dropped their anchors ‘What took the?’ Gunda murmured to the Albatross

As he’d been almost positive they would, the church ships hauled anchor as the sun rose and sailed on into the channel ‘Well,’ Gunda muttered to the Albatross, ‘that answers that question, doesn’t it, baby?’

She didn’t exactly answer hin of her agreeo on back to Castano, baby We’d better let Andar knohat the church people are up to’

Andar bent several rules as he loaded the soldiers of Narasan’s army on board the ships he’d hired There were a few shrill protests when he announced that there would be no separate quarters for the officers, and, since the weather was pleasant, there was no real reason for everybody in the army to have a roof over his head The ships that sailed frooing north, despite the fact that there weren’t really enough ships to carry them all Practicality was often necessary, but someti rope to the bow of the Albatross and tied the other end to the stern of the lead-ship, the Triuh the ice-zone, he went to the cramped cabin that served as Andar’s headquarters ‘I think we o out of the north end of the channel,’ he suggested ‘It ht of the southern coast If our count was right, there are probably five church arht be better if they don’t know that we’re here I’ll take the Albatross in a bit closer and see what the churchies are up to’

‘Don’t take any chances, Gunda,’ Andar cautioned ‘Narasan’s likely to have et killed’

‘I’ll be careful, Andar All I really need to knohether the church ships are anchored along the coast I’m almost positive that they are, but let’sfor them’

A couple of sailors helped Gunda pull the Albatross up close behind the Triumph, and then Gunda slid down the rope and untied it from the bow of his little sloop He quickly raised her sail, swooped on around the Triumph, and sailed on toward the north end of the channel

It was alain, and Gunda sailed north toward the coast of the Land of Dhrall in fading light The moon was still in her last quarter, and Gunda knew that he’d have plenty of light once she rose, so he anchored the Albatross some distance to the north of the ice-zone to wait for her

It was quite probably alht when the moon rose, and Gunda raised the anchor of the Albatross and rowed her on toward the coast, reasoning that if he left her sail down, she’d be ales along the coast were easy to locate because of the lantern-light co from the crude houses, and Gunda rowed the Albatross slowly past each village he came to There were several church ships anchored just out froe Gunda couldn’t make out too many details, but it seemed that there were soe, and they appeared to be well-guarded by red-uniforht, baby,’ he o back and talk with Andar’

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The Triu fleet reached the eastern- out from the south coast of Veltan’s Domain three days later, and Gunda was startled to see what appeared to be the whole fleet of Maag longships s were just a bit tense until Gunda s seeerent frame of mind Gunda climbed down a rope ladder to the Albatross and rowed on over to the Seagull ‘What’s afoot?’ he called up to the burly Ox

‘It seeot us another war on our hands,’ Ox shouted back

‘How did you find out about it?’ Gunda deht ere the only ones who knew’

‘We were up in theout of nowhere and told us that a whole fleet of Trogite ships had landed down here in the south The cap’n told him that we’d take care of it for hi the Albatross in beside the Seagull ‘I think I’d better have a talk with Sorgan I believe I’ve ht have’

‘Come on board, then’ Ox pushed a rope ladder over the rail, and Gunda clian ca on down here, Gunda?’ he deot the rest of Coan,’ Gunda replied ‘We’re bound for the mouth of the River Vash, like the coot back to Castano, the church had appropriated every pier and wharf in the entire harbor, and they were busy loading five church armies onto church ships When that was all done, they sailed north I followed theh, they sailed right into the h the ice-zone Isn’t it peculiar that not too long after Jalkan had escaped and stole Veltan’s sloop, a whole fleet of church ships loaded up five arh that channel in the ice?’