Elak said stoically, "I want passage to Cyrena. I'll pay well for it."
"So you will," Drezzar grinned, and ripped off Elak's purse. He opened it and ran golden coins through his thick fingers. "You'll work for it, too. But you'll not reach Cyrena."
"Two more oarsmen for you, Rasul. Two more slaves.
"See that they work!"
He turned and strode away. Unresisting, Elak was dragged to a vacant oar and chained there, Lycon shackled beside him. His hands fell in well-worn grooves on the polished wood.
Rasul's whip cracked. The overseer called, "Pull! Pull!"
The Kraken sped seaward. And, chained to his oar, straining at the unaccustomed toil, Elak's dark wolf-face bore a smile that was not pleasant to see.
4. The Ship Sails North
Orpheus has harped her,