A Walk on the Water

What was she going to do now? They were returning to the vicinity of Port Lira, Dominic was sure to be around, but what did this mean for her? Would they untie her, giving her a chance to call out for help? Or perhaps something might happen that would allow her to slip away unnoticed! Could there be a chance of that? She found herself hoping that he was thinking about saving the island and its people first. After all, defeating her father in the process was his only real means of rescuing her.

And her father! More than ever she found herself unable to understand what went on in his mind. Regardless, there was but one certainty where her father was concerned. And that was that he had to be stopped, whatever the cost.

**

As the defenders prepared themselves to deal with the enemy, Anya approached Dominic where he brooded, watching the ship which had come to a stop a short distance from the mouth of the port. It was late in the day and would be dark in a few hours. Already the defenders were in shadow, their eyes bright as they watched the enemy in silence.

Anya handed him a steaming cup of coffee in an enamelled tin cup. "I'm sure that Alannah is alive somewhere," Anya offered.

"At the moment, I am sure of nothing," he replied quietly with a worried smile and tears glistening in his eyes. "I keep coming back to the same question - WHY? Why did Mr. Ferguson come into my house and act like he was willing to help and then this? What is the mission of the the men he sent here? Was I foolish enough to kill those three men without questioning them?"

"Patrick was right," Anya said, watching the motionless enemy ship with him. "As were you. Keeping them alive . . . it would have been holding a live scorpion in your hands, dangerous and deadly. They were not the regular sort of soldier who deserves mercy."

"No?" Dominic said, his features bleak. He lowered his gaze. "Well, I am not Dios himself, nor are any of us. It is ultimately up to Him to give or to with hold mercy. I should not have killed those men, regardless how repugnant their chosen way of life is." He sighed and, raised his head once more, changed the subject. "Apparently Matias was showing Mr. Ferguson's men the way to Port Lira, but he did not know what they meant to accomplish there. I think, however, that they intended to lay in wait until darkness, before making their move -" a look of revelation spread across his features. "They must have been sent here to disable or interfere with our cannons. Mr. Ferguson intends to move his ship closer before the launches are lowered to the water." He took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "Well, we will have to do our best to surprise him. There are two heavy guns on the outer wall that are just inside the outer mouth of the port. They were put there to protect against any ship that managed to gain the mouth of the port. The problem is, despite their size and power, there are only the two of them, and the moment they go into use, that should could respond very quickly, destroying the guns and killing the men manning them."