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.Belain would have his hands full.But more likely they were endeavouring to recall the search parties which had been seeking Aline, now that she would have rejoined them.It was time to forget the French; Nevis held more promise of catastrophe.From Iris vantage point the island was more than ten miles away, and yet he could see the column of smoke rising from the shore.He wondered if the smoke rising from the destroyed Carib village had looked like that, say from Antigua.But from this distance, too, he could also make out the Spanish fleet, apparently still at anchor, but endless ships dotted all over the bay.There was a deep game being played here.The Spanish admiral was clearly under orders to destroy all foreign settlements in the Leewards, but he had no intention of engaging the French fleet if he could avoid it, even with a superiority of five to one.He was giving Cahusac and Belain every possible opportunity to escape, was no doubt watching them through his glass with as much anxiety as Edward was watching him.Yarico sat beside him.'Ed-ward,' she said.'Yarico.Philip.War-nah.' She laughed.'Just as we began.With less, maybe.''War-nah,' she said again.'Ed-ward War-nah.Philip War-nah.Yarico War-nah.' She waved her arms.'All War-nah.' ‘If we live that long, sweetheart, to be sure.' 'Ed-ward.' she looked down at her gown.‘I take off?' 'No.''Ed-ward.'"You don't seem to realize that you're all of a stepmother to me, now.'War-nah speak to me of this,' she said.‘I mother, you son, you obey.I take off dress, and you come with me in forest.' 'No.'She frowned.‘I beat you, Ed-ward.’He caught her wrist.'You're a funny child, Yarico.You must try to understand.You and me, that is over now.When my father returns, I doubt not that he shall make you his wife.Before the priest.Then indeed you will be my stepmother.And then, if you like, you may beat me.'She pouted.'No,' she said.'They say.' she tossed her head at the Irish, 'War-nah not marry Yarico.Yarico got brown skin.'The colour of your skin doesn't matter to Tom Warner,' Edward said.'You're the mother of his son, just as Rebecca was the mother of Philip and me.And Sarah.By our law, our religion, a man may only have one wife.But now that Rebecca is dead, why, he may marry whomever he chooses.And he has chosen you, Yarico.That will be a great day.You will be Mistress Warner.You will be part ruler of this island.'She did not look mollified.‘Yarico already ruler of this island.Yarico last of Tegramond's people.'He hesitated, but decided against telling her that Wapisiane had survived.That secret he would have to take with him to his grave, as it came back to haunt him in the small hours of the night.'Aye,' he said.'But then you’ll be the first of Warner's people as well.Come.They've rested long enough.'Hilton's house remained as they had left it, on that unforgettable night five weeks in the past.The roof timbers lay waiting to be set in place, and the thick wooden walls rose out of the rocks of the bluff he had selected like the bones of some gigantic skeleton.A skeleton with but a single tooth, for the cannon still pointed aimlessly seaward.'You do not think they will look for us over here?' Yeats asked.'Not this night, at any rate,' Edward said.'And here at least there is food and wine.' For no one had been to Windward since Tony's departure, and the carefully constructed cellar containing the salted beef and the barrels remained unopened.'Tomorrow, Yarico, you must show us how to gather our food from the forest itself, which berries are edible and which poisonous.And we must get Tony's fish-nets working again as well.We shall do all right over here; the forest is thickest, and there are also caves in which we can take refuge, so the Dons will not find it easy to pin us down.But none the less we shall take care.This night we shall all sleep sound; as from tomorrow we shall post guards.'They gazed at him, reminiscent of a flock of sheep.For the moment they were too frightened and too tired to do more than think of their immediate needs.And too thirsty.Their eyes kept straying to the house.'Aye, help yourselves,' Edward said, and with a whoop they ran for the trapdoor.‘Is that wise?' Philip muttered.'The sooner it is consumed the better.And it will give us time to think.It may not have occurred to you, brother, but we do not possess a weapon between us save our knives, and we are outnumbered ten to one by our servants.''Yarico will show us how to make weapons of wood, as the Caribs do,' Philip said.'Yarico?’Yarico continued cuddling little Tom, who was already asleep.'She's preparing to sulk,' Edward said.'A strange woman,' Philip said.'How Father can ever.but what has she to sulk over now?’Hardly stranger than you, Edward thought.At fourteen I'd have found her attractive enough; I did.'Who can understand the mind of a woman,' he said with suitable pompousness.'And you'd do best not to criticize Father.He is all the hope of survival we have at this moment.'Yarico pointed.'Canoe come.''Eh?' Edward scrambled to his feet, peered into the darkening sky.'By God.'For now that it occurred to him to look, the tiny bark could be seen cautiously negotiating the surf.‘Indians, you think?' Philip whispered.'Shall I call the men?’Already sounds of song came from the house.'Not a war party, that's certain,' Edward said.‘It is too small a vessel.And there cannot be more than four people in it.' He knelt beside Yarico.'What do you make of it?"Again the disinterested shrug of her shoulders.'Yarico’ he said.‘In a moment you are going to make me angry.And it would not be good for a son to spank his own stepmother’Her eyes gloomed around him.'Spank?'He seized her shoulder, pulled her body towards him, and struck her smartly on the left buttock.'Like that.Many more like that.''Ed-ward,' she exclaimed in delight."We go in forest, for spank?’'Oh, for Christ's sake’ he shouted.'All right.We go into the forest for spank.Just tell me what you can about that canoe.'She released Tom and stood up.It was quite dark by now, the boat no more than a silhouette on the suddenly still evening.'White people’'White people? But.‘Yarico tossed her head 'Hil-ton’'Tony? There's a gift from Heaven.Come on, Philip.‘'Not Hil-ton’ Yarico said.'Hil-ton woman’'By God’ He ran down the beach, sand flying from his feet, Philip beside him.Yarico and Little Tom followed more slowly.'Susan?" he shouted.'Susan, is that really you?"The canoe came into the shallows.It was paddled by O'Reilly in the stern and Connor in the bow; amidships sat Susan Hilton and Margaret Plummer, the wife of one of the colonists who had volunteered to accompany Hilton to Nevis, a small, quiet woman of about thirty, presently looking as if she had seen a ghost.But Edward had eyes only for Susan; he bounded into the water to help her, and to look at her, too, for her belly was beginning to swell.'Edward?' she whispered.'Oh, Edward.I had not thought to see ye over on Windward’He smiled.'Maybe you thought I'd be hung by now.It's not so easy to dispose of a Warner’She put up her hand to stroke his chin.'And ye've a beard, all but.Ye'd naught but a little down, six weeks ago’'So maybe you'll grant that I'm a man, at last.And you are well?’'Well?' she shivered, and he set her on the sand.‘Ye'll know the Dons have taken Nevis, Ted, lad?" O'Reilly demanded.'We saw them,' Edward said
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