“Nay,” he said, “’tis too small.”
Anny sighed and moved on, but the boy still stared out at the white-sailed boat on the horizon.
“Last time I saw a craft like that,” he began reflectively, “was when the Preventative folk chased Fen de Witt halfway up the Pyfleet and then got stuck.”
Anny stopped quickly.
“Lord! It won’t be them, will it?” she said, a note of fear creeping into her voice.
Hal shrugged his shoulders.
“Like as not,” he said carelessly.
The girl stared, fascinated, at the white speck in the distance.
“And the captain coming back this very day!” she said.
Hal reddened at her words, and wheeled round fiercely, but she was not looking at him and he turned away again.