LITMIR.BIZ

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Soaking the bit of cloth again, she then wiped his face with a gentle hand and left him to rest.

      She was startled to find Neo standing behind her, staring down at her. His gaze wasn’t frightening, or questioning. He looked at her as if he had stumbled upon some mystical creature he’d never encountered before.

      Neo wasn’t her only audience. Gavin stood beyond the sailed shelter in the blaze of the sun watching her. Was he waiting for her to balk at the chore? See if she was too squeamish to witness such suffering? Perhaps he didn’t trust her amongst his men. He considered her a curse upon his ship, after all.

      She muttered to herself. Men were an odd lot, and seafaring men where the oddest of them all. After returning to the barrel, she brought water to the next man. He was in better condition and took the drink with little help. Moving on to the third man, Alice cringed and grimaced as the man writhed in pain before her. Neo stood over him. Another sat close.

      Alice lifted wide eyes to Neo. “What can I do?” Neo shook his head. The man was suffering. She had to do something. “What causes him such agony?”

      Neo lifted the corner of the sheet covering the man. The sight of his leg beneath was horrendous. Alice had to look away. The shackles holding this man prisoner aboard the Delmar had lifted the flesh from his bone, and the infection that now raged was sure to kill him.

      Rushing into the sun where the air was less fetid, she took great gulps of air to fight the urge to be sick.

      “You’ve lost all the color in your face. Sit down before you fall.” Quinn took her elbow.

      Alice straightened and looked back at the tormented man. “He…We need a surgeon. Do you have one aboard? Even I can see he can’t survive with his leg like that.”

      “The surgeon has seen him.” Gavin’s mouth formed a thin line.

      Panic started to well in her. “What is he waiting for? He has to remove that leg.”

      “He agrees with you, but,” Quinn looked back at the man twisting in pain and shook his head, “they’ll not allow it.”

      “They?” She couldn’t be understanding. Why wouldn’t they allow the doctor to do what needed to be done?

      Quinn sighed and held her gaze. “He and his man.”

      Disbelief flooded her. “He’ll die.” She lowered her voice.

      Quinn held her arm and spoke with quiet concern. “Neo has translated. The man’s name is Kgosi. He is a chief, a prince of their tribe. The man with him calls himself Tau. When the surgeon prepared to remove his ruined leg, they stopped him. He cannot be less than a whole man to his people. He’s also refused laudanum, as it would tamper with his mind. He couldn’t return to them otherwise.”

      “Without the surgery, he’ll not be returning to them at all,” she hissed.

      “They are a proud people with fierce rules. Tau has wounds of his own, but refuses to leave the side of his chief.”

      Alice stared back at the two men. “This is insanity. The man is going to die.” She turned a pleading eye back to Quinn. “Don’t they realize how serious it is?”

      “They do.” He held her gaze.

      “We can’t just sit and wait until the infection claims him. There must be something we can do.” Alice couldn’t believe how calm he was. She indicated the guns tucked into his baldric. “You. You can force them. At pistol point.”

      He shook his head. “We fought to give these men their freedom. That includes a freedom in their deaths as well.”

      She stared at him in disbelief. “How can you be so callous?”

      “It’s not my choice to let the man suffer,” he snapped. “He is still of his mind, and this is how he wants to die. I’m respecting the man’s last wish.” Quinn released his hold on her. “Do what you can and hope his suffering is short.”

      Alice watched him walk away. Was he asking her to resign herself to this? She wouldn’t give up. She’d get Neo to translate. Damn stubborn men. What was wrong with them? Taking a dipper of water and another bit of cloth, she knelt next to Kgosi. His breathing was rapid as he fought through the pain.

      Raising dark eyes, he drank some, lifted a hand toward her, but dropped it and turned to Tau. The two exchanged a few words before Tau reached out a long arm and placed his wide hand upon her breast. Alice jumped to her feet in surprise.

      Taking a step back, she collided with Neo. “Believed he is seein’ visions. Makin’ sure ye’re a real woman.”

      “Real enough.” She pushed the stray hair away from her face and tugged at the hem of her shirt. “Neo, you speak their language. Tell them—”

      “Told them.” He stared her down.

      Alice threw up a hand. “He’ll—”

      “Knows.” Neo crossed his arms over his wide chest. Legs splayed he resembled a mountain.

      Frustration made Alice groan. “I don’t understand.”

      Neo pointed to the water barrel. “Not yer duty te understand.”

      The situation was impossible. All the water in the sea wouldn’t keep this man alive. She might as well scream into the wind for the good her words would do. Her jaw tightened as she brought another dipper of water to Kgosi and helped him drink. Even through his pain, he nodded his thanks.

      Kgosi captured her with the deep gaze of his dark eyes. For the briefest of moments he was still. Stepped beyond the pain. As if he’d found a tiny mote of tranquility. And in that single beating of her heart, Alice saw wisdom and pride and a profound knowing in those eyes. He knew there was no hope for him, but he would do whatever was necessary. Suffer whatever pain he needed for his people and his proud culture.

      Alice nodded. He was silently asking her to understand, beseeching her to be strong for him. Nothing else. She nodded again, and smiled past the tears he would not want her to shed.

      He lifted his hand to touch her cheek. Taking it, she patted the back and placed it gently upon his fevered chest with a silent vow she’d stay close and help in any way they allowed.

      Chapter 6

      Alice had worked herself into an exhausted knot and curled up against a coil of rope to sleep. Quinn had to wake her. Kgosi was dead and Quinn needed to tell her her vigil was over. She’d been at the side of the sick slave prince for two straight days, but now it was over. Kgosi had died with honor and dignity, and his guardian Tau had stood over him and protected him from all. Another day at sea and they would be able to return the fallen prince to the rest of his people.

      During the last days, Alice had shown him the extent of her tenacity. She was indeed a force to be reckoned with. One moment she’d be singing lullabies, and the next she’d be railing at him about how the entire population of men were nothing but stubborn mules. Spooning broth and staring down Tau when he refused food. Cooling Kgosi’s skin with damp cloths. Dropping water between dry lips. She never complained once about anything other than the steadfast determination of her patient to die.

      Quinn was present when she breached the stoic wall of Tau and tended his wounds while Kgosi rested. She talked to him the entire time cleaning and bandaging his injuries. He spoke to her as well, but without Neo close by, they were lost to anything but each other’s tone of voice. At one point, Tau reached out and lifted the thick braid of Alice’s hair from her shoulder and made a gentle comment.

      “I wish I knew what you were saying.” She smiled at him. “Didn’t sound like a curse this time. I’m keeping a count. Does this mean you’ve joined the ranks of men not horrified to have a woman aboard?” She laid a hand on his finished dressings. “I’ll take your silence for a yes.”

      And Quinn wasn’t the only one to take notice. Instead of alienating herself from his crew, her

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