Free The Frost Child by Eoin McNamee Page B

cannon appeared. Owen barely had enough time to turn away before a bolt of ice flew over the top of the
Wayfarer’s
mast with a vicious buzz.
    I don’t want to be shot at
, Owen thought.
I want to be followed! As
far as he could see, the rest of the ship’s crew were ignoring him. In fact, more sails were coming down, the fleet slowing as they did so. He needed something more.
    Easing the
Wayfarer
back around the bow of the lead ship, out of range of the cannon, he found himself looking up at a group of the Harsh. And in the middle of them stood the Harsh queen.
    “Down here,” he shouted, “down here!” His voice sounded shrill and small, but the wind died a little and the queen looked down. Owen lifted the mask so that she could see his face. The queen gave a silent bellow of rage, sending an icy blast of air downward, spinning the
Wayfarer
around and heeling her over so far that she almost capsized. Owen was thrown against the rail, cracking his head. He tried to stand up but swayed. The pirate queen turned to the helmsman. He spun the wheel. Owen looked up and saw the massive bow of the ship turn toward the
Wayfarer
. She had righted herself,but he couldn’t reach the tiller and the boat was sailing right under the Harsh ship’s bow! With a sickening crunch the iron bow of the ship struck the
Wayfarer’s
rail. The wood buckled but held, though great splinters flew off into the air. As Owen finally reached the tiller, he thought that he could feel the
Wayfarer’s
timbers shiver and flinch.
    The
Wayfarer
leapt free of the ship and within seconds she was a hundred yards ahead. Owen looked back. The fleet was turning slowly to follow him. His plan had worked. He had a good start, but then the entire Harsh fleet was on his tail. They were raising sail again. The chase was on.
    Shortly after Owen left, Dr. Diamond called Cati and told her, “I need you to come with me to wake the Raggies.”
    Cati was delighted at the prospect of some time alone with Dr. Diamond, but he went so fast that she was running to keep up with him and didn’t have enough breath to ask questions as they raced along the river to the harbor.
    When they got to the warehouse, Dr. Diamond led her straight to the Raggies’ Starry. He looked in at the sleeping children.
    “Wake Wesley first,” he said. Wesley was their leader—a freckled, tough-looking boy. Cati touched his head and called him. He opened his eyes and looked at her, puzzled.
    “Cati!”
    “Wake up, fish boy,” she said teasingly, and smiled. He sat up.
    “Wesley,” Dr. Diamond said urgently, “I need to talk to you.”
    While the two of them talked in low voices, Cati went among the Raggies, waking them. Some of the children jumped straight up and gave her a hug. Others looked dazed. She recognized faces: the marksmen, Mervyn and Uel; the kind and practical Silkie, who set about organizing the smaller children.
    When Cati finished, Dr. Diamond called her.
    “It’s time to go,” he said. She opened her mouth to object but realized that he was right. There was too much to do.
    “Never mind, lass,” Wesley said. “There’ll be time and plenty of it for a chat at the Workhouse.”
    “At the Workhouse?”
    “The Raggies are coming to stay there for a while. Doctor reckons we should all be together when them Harsh come. So go on and get working!”
    Once again on the way back, the doctor was preoccupied. Cati didn’t dare question him. When they reached the Workhouse he went straight back to the Starry.
    “Come on, Cati,” Rutgar yelled from the walls. “The Workhouse won’t rebuild itself.”
    Cati had never worked so hard in her life. All day they hauled timber and stone from hidden storepits and the riverbank, strengthening the walls of the Workhouse andthe defenses in front of it. Everyone worked at the defenses. Even Contessa left the kitchens after making enough warm gruel to keep everyone going. Cati looked to where Contessa worked beside her and saw that