“Hold never reached the Tomb,” she said. “A Sark patrol caught them on the outward voyage. They say Rold tried to slay himself to keep the secret safe but he was prevented. They have taken him to Sark.”
“But the Sarks don’t even know that he has the secret,” Carse protested, clutching at that straw, and Emer shook her head.
“They’re not fools. They’ll want to know the plans of Khondor and why he was bound toward Jekkara with a single ship. They’ll have the Dhuvians question him.”
Carse realized sickly what that meant. The Dhuvians’ hypnotic science had almost conquered his own stubbornly alien brain. It would soon suck all Rold’s secrets out of him.
“Then there is no hope?”
“No hope,” said Emer. “Not now nor ever again.”
They were silent for a while. The wind moaned in the gallery, and the waves rolled in solemn thunder against the cliffs below.
Carse said, “What will be done now?”
“The Sea Kings have sent word through all the free coasts and isles. Every ship and every man is gathering here now and Ironbeard will lead them on to Sark.
“There is little time. Even when the Dhuvians have the secret it will take them time to go to the Tomb and bring the weapons back and learn their use. If we can crush Sark before then…”