"Perhaps I could sneak back into Tana. But what good would that do?"
Barry frowned thoughtfully. "Could you persuade some of them, as many as possible, to follow the war party and overtake their men? When they see you're alive, that Komso's curse didn't work—"
Xintel shook her head. "Most have never been outside Tana in their lives. Even to save their men they would be too fearful of the sea dangers and of Komso's wrath. They would never follow me."
Barry drew one of his fire pistols and moved aside.
"Watch this," he told her. The liquid charge was self-oxidizing and should burn under water, but there was a distinct danger the gun would backfire. His nerves were screaming as he squeezed the trigger.
Scarlet fire lanced from the muzzle with a sizzling roar that nearly broke their eardrums.
The water surged and heaved.
Xintel pressed her hands to her ears; her eyes were round with amazement.
"What was that?" she gasped.
"That was fire," Barry answered, handing her both weapons. "Now you have magic to surpass anything of Komso's. Would that help persuade the women?"