“Yes. All ready here, Captain Pain.”
“Your oars are in grummets, ain’t they?”
“Yes, all of them.”
“And you’ve all got white scarves on your arms? Right. The word is ‘Up with her.’ ”
“ ‘Up with her.’ You hear that, all of you? The word is ‘Up with her.’ ”
“Up with her,” the men repeated. “We’ll rally her up for a full due.”
“We’ll shove ahead, then, cap,” said Captain Pain. “If any man speaks above a whisper, mind, we’ll deal with him after.”
“Silence in the boats,” said Margaret. “On a morning so still as this we may be heard a couple of miles off. Sound goes a long way over water. Remember, all hands. No looting. There’s to be no looting. After the city’s taken, we shall hold it to ransom. After the fight, the trumpeter here will sound the assembly in the Plaza. You will all fall in there. Understand?”
“Are you ready in the bows there?”
“All ready, sir.”