Fevre Dream Page 0,101

the shadows within the captain's cabin. He saw Joshua York sprawled on his bed, pale and naked, his eyes closed, one arm hanging down to the floor, and on his wrist was something that looked like a terrible dark bruise, or a crust of dried blood. And he saw Damon Julian moving toward him, swift as death, smiling. "We killed you," Marsh roared, disbelieving, and he stumbled backward out of the cabin, tripped, and fell practically at Jonathon Jeffers' feet.

Julian stopped in the doorway. A thin dark line-hardly more than a cat scratch-ran down his cheek where Marsh had opened a yawning gash the night before. Otherwise he was unmarked. He had taken off his jacket and vest, and his ruffled silk shirt was without stain or blemish. "Come in, Captain," Julian said quietly. "Don't run away. Come in and talk."

"You're dead. Mike bashed your goddamn head to pieces," Marsh said, choking on his own words. He did not look at Julian's eyes. It was still day, he thought, he was safe outside, beyond Julian's reach until the sun went down, so long as he did not look in those eyes, so long as he did not go back into that cabin.

"Dead?" Julian smiled. "Ah. The other cabin. Poor Jean. He wanted so to believe Joshua, and see what you have done to him. Smashed his head in, did you say?"

Abner Marsh climbed to his feet. "You changed cabins," he said hoarsely. "You damn devil. You made him sleep in your bed."

"Joshua and I had so much to discuss," Julian replied. He made a beckoning gesture. "Now come, Captain, I am tired of waiting. Come and let us drink together."

"Burn in hell!" Marsh said. "Maybe we missed you this morning, but you ain't got away yet. Mister Jeffers, run on down and get Hairy Mike and his boys. A dozen of them ought to do, I reckon."

"No," said Damon Julian, "you won't do that."

Marsh waved his stick threateningly. "Oh yes, I will. You goin' to stop me?"

Julian glanced up at the sky; a deep violet now, shot through with black, a vast bruised and overcast twilight. "Yes," he said, and he stepped out into the light.

Abner Marsh felt the cold, clammy hand of terror close around his heart. He raised his walking stick and said, "Stay away!" in a voice gone suddenly shrill. He stepped backward. Damon Julian smiled and came on. It wasn't light enough, Marsh thought with sick despair.

And then there was a whisper of metal on wood, and Jonathon Jeffers stepped smoothly in front of him, his sword cane unsheathed, the sharp steel circling dangerously. "Go for help, Cap'n," Jeffers said quietly. He pushed up his spectacles with his free hand. "I'll keep Mister Julian occupied." Lightly, with a fencer's practiced speed, Jeffers darted forward at Julian, slashing. His blade was a rapier, double-edged and wickedly pointed. Damon Julian reeled back barely in time, his smile fading from his lips as the clerk's slash passed inches in front of his face.

"Step aside," Julian said darkly.

Jonathon Jeffers said nothing. He was in a fencer's stance, advancing slowly on the balls of his feet, crowding Julian back toward the door of the captain's cabin. He thrust suddenly, but Julian was too fast, sliding backward out of the reach of the sword. Jeffers made an impatient tsk. Damon Julian set one foot back inside the cabin, and answered with a laugh that was almost a snarl. His white hands rose and opened. Jeffers thrust again.

And Julian lunged, hands extended.

Abner Marsh saw it all. Jeffers' thrust was true, and Julian made no effort to avoid it. The rapier entered him just above the groin. Julian's pale face twisted, and a grunt of pain escaped him, but he came on. Jeffers ran him clean through even as Julian ran up the blade, and before the startled clerk had time to pull back, Julian had wrapped his hands around Jeffers' throat. Jeffers made a horrible choking sound, and his eyes bulged, and as he tried to wrench free his gold-rimmed spectacles spun off and fell to the deck.

Marsh leaped forward and smashed Julian with his stick, raining blows around his head and shoulders. Transfixed by the sword, Julian hardly seemed to feel it. He twisted savagely, and there was a noise like wood snapping. Jeffers went limp.

Abner Marsh whipped his stick around in one final blow, with all his strength in it, and caught Damon Julian square in the center of his forehead,