"Ummmm. And what are we going to do with him?" Gotch glanced around toward the still floundering and dying shark as if he regretted their haste in disposing of what might have been a handy scavenger. "Um." He moved around the raft and stood close to Parker, staring at him. The sword in his hands still showed faint traces of red from the blood of the shark.
"We do not need any more men on the island!" Lifting his blade, Gotch glared at Parker.
"Do you, per'aps, need women?" Mercedes spoke quickly. Gotch turned his eyes on her. As he looked, some of the anger seemed to go out of him.
"Perhaps what you need on the island are more women," Mercedes said. She smiled boldly.
Gotch broke into a grin. "But definitely, we need more women, if they are like you."
"Hey, lay off of her, she belongs to me!" Retch spoke violently.
"Come, let us pull the boat to the island," Peg-leg spoke quickly. "We have too many things to do to stand waiting here."
Grumbling, Gotch allowed himself to be persuaded to get in front of the raft and join the other men in pulling it.
Not until then did Parker dare to breathe. "Thanks," he spoke to Mercedes.