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.There was another sound too – Jem caught occasional snatches of song from somewhere high above.He strained his ears to listen as the sound came again.There! A clear, melodious voice singing a song Jem didn’t recognise, though it sounded like a lullaby.Tolly was singing to Cleo.As the boat swayed, Jem caught sight of a tiny light, high overhead.He moved forward, gripping the rail tightly as he imagined himself to be up there with them.At least they were alive.He craned his neck to track the flickering light of the lookout cradle through the tangle of ropes and sails.Long, thin icicles hung from the rigging, glittering in the moonlight like a score of crystal chandeliers.Spider had warned him to be wary of them.“Kill a man, they can.Spear you to the deck just like that.” He’d clicked his fingers under Jem’s nose, before adding, “That’s what Ned says, anyhow.”Jem stared doubtfully at the vicious point of one of the longer icicles.Tolly would know if that was possible.He wondered if Tolly could sense his presence below.He closed his eyes and concentrated.“I’m down here.Are you two all right?”Nothing.He tried again and again, but Tolly didn’t answer.Jem stayed there for a long time watching the light and catching soft snatches of song.The sound reassured him, a little.It was gnawingly cold out on deck and he thrust his hands under the armpits of his jerkin for warmth.The rough material made the scars across his knuckles burn and that made him think about the mirror in the hold again.The Eye of Ra tingled on his heel.He tried to force the memory of that room in the glass out of his head.He badly needed to communicate with Tolly.He needed to ask him about Ann.Was it possible that she might be … He bit his chapped lip and smothered the thought.Why couldn’t his friend “hear” him?Eventually, numbed to the core, Jem decided to go back to the bilge box.He could spend the rest of the night out here watching, but what good would it do? Tolly was right – he wasn’t scared, and at least he and Cleo were together up there.Jem bent his head against the wind and battled towards the hatch leading down to the crew quarters.When he was level with the steps, he glanced warily up at the Medusa canopy guarding the entrance.Was that where Ann was? If she was alive there was nowhere else she could be on this black monster.He was certain that Spider spoke the truth when he said he’d never seen a ship quite like it.There was something very wrong about the Fortuna.Even Jem could feel it.He ducked low under the wide steps, and paused before pulling open the creaky hatch.He didn’t want to draw attention to himself by making a noise.He listened for a moment, but there were no sounds from the deck.In fact, he realised that no one was standing guard to the passenger cabin.It was the chance he’d been waiting for.If he could sneak inside now while everyone was asleep he could search for Ann.He moved cautiously to the foot of the steps and looked up at the window, trying to see any shadow beyond the frosted panes.A great slap of water crashed against the side of the ship.Jem stooped and closed his eyes to avoid the stingy, salty spray, but when he opened them again, someone barred his way.Someone with long, bare feet.Jem’s head shot up.Mingan raised a finger to his lips and nodded his shaggy head up toward the Medusa doorway.He gripped Jem’s shoulder roughly and propelled him into the darkness beneath the steps until the two of them were hidden from the deck.Seconds later Jem heard a door slam, followed by the familiar scraping, scratching, ticking noise of the woman he and Tolly had watched the previous evening.The sound was lost on the wind as she moved down the steps towards the prow end of the ship, her cloak billowing around her once more.Jem couldn’t see her properly now; she was too far away.He strained forward, but Mingan pulled him further back into the gloom until the two of them were screened by the steps.Jem glanced up.The man shook his head and the tiny skulls plaited into his hair rattled.He raised his face and stared towards the prow.His odd, pale eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared.Jem looked too.He couldn’t see the woman at all now, but he was aware of a dense silence.The wind had died and the Fortuna was oddly still [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]