Just then the door opened. "I heard a sound, Priestess Argo, and I thought you might be in danger." It was the first mate.
The Goddess Incarnate breathed deeply. "I am in no danger," she said evenly. "Will you please leave me alone, all of you."
"What's the Snake doing here?" Jordde suddenly asked, seeing Geo still holding the boy.
"I said, leave me!"
Geo turned, away from Jordde, and stepped past him onto the deck, and Urson followed him. Ten steps farther on, he glanced back, and seeing that Jordde had emerged from the cabin and was walking in the other direction, he set Snake down on his feet. "All right, Little One. March!"
In the passage to the forecastle, Urson asked, "Hey, what's going on?"
"Well, for one thing, our little friend here is no spy," said Geo.
"How do you know?" asked Urson.
"Because she doesn't know he can read minds."
"How do you mean?" Urson asked.