Boghaz suggested, “Perhaps the Dhuvians furnished her with some of their mysterious weapons for protection?”
The big Khond snorted. “The Dhuvians are too crafty to do that! They’ll use their strange weapons sometimes in behalf of their Sark allies, yes. That’s why the alliance exists. But give weapons to Sark, teach Sarks how to use them? They’re not that foolish!”
Carse was getting a clearer idea of this ancient Mars. These peoples were all half-barbaric—all but the mysterious Dhuvians. They apparently possessed at least some of the ancient science of this world and jealously guarded it and used it for their own and their Sark allies’ purposes.
Night fell. Ywain remained on deck and the watches were doubled. Naram and Shallah, the two Swimmers, stirred restlessly in their shackles. In the torchlit gloom their eyes were luminous with some secret excitement.
Carse had neither the strength nor the inclination to appreciate the wonder of the glowing sea by moonlight. To make matters worse a headwind sprang up and roughened the waves to an ugly cross-chop that made the oars doubly difficult to handle. The drum beat inexorably.
A dull fury burned in Carse. He ached intolerably. He bled and his back was striped by fiery weals. The oar was heavy. It was heavier than all Mars and it bucked and fought him like a live thing.
Something happened to his face. A strange stony look came over it and all the color went out of his eyes, leaving them bleak as ice and not quite sane. The drumbeat merged into the pounding of his own heart, roaring louder with every painful stroke.
A wave sprang up, the long sweep crabbed the handle, took Carse across the chest and knocked the wind out of him. Jaxart, who was experienced, and Boghaz, who was heavy, regained control almost at once though not before the overseer was on hand to curse them for lazy carrion—his favorite word—and to lay on the whip.
Carse let go of the oar. He moved so fast, in spite of his hampering chains, that the overseer had no idea what was happening until suddenly he was lying across the Earth-man’s knees and trying to protect his head from the blows of the Earthman’s wrist-cuffs.
Instantly the oar bank went mad. The stroke was hopelessly lost. Men shouted for the kill. Callus rushed up and hit Carse over the head with the loaded butt of his whip, knocking him half-senseless. The overseer scrambled back to safety, eluding Jaxart’s clutching arms. Boghaz made himself as small as possible and did nothing.