Read Liar's Island: A Novel for Free Online

water into wine, but he’d never been near one who shared such a useful ability with thirsty bystanders.
    They were under attack, and his cloak of the devilfish was in his cabin below. Wasn’t that always the way? He could scamper down and grab it, just in case the ship went down, but disappearing belowdecks was no way to impress a pretty priest.
    Instead, he drew Hrym and pointed him toward the approaching vessel, which had grown from a speck to something recognizable as a black-hulled ship with a vast mainsail. “The Arclords are the ones with a third eye in their foreheads, aren’t they?”
    â€œSounds right,” Hrym said. “There probably isn’t one of them on the ship, though. They’re grand high so-and-sos. I imagine they have the usual lackey scum to do their dirty work.”
    The approaching ship wasn’t loosing its catapults anymore. It seemed unlikely they’d only brought along one heavy rock, though. He supposed the first shot had been to test the range, and it was found wanting. They’d paused from launching projectiles in order to concentrate on closing the distance, and once the range was better, they’d doubtless try again.
    Rodrick sighed. “Well, Hrym? Should we earn our keep?”
    â€œI don’t see how this is our problem. We aren’t from Jalmeray. We don’t have any quarrel with the Arclords.”
    â€œThe fact that we’re on a ship the Arclords intend to fill with holes, which will then fill with sea water, which will then fill with drowned sailors, might be grounds for a quarrel.”
    â€œIt’s not as if I can drown,” Hrym said. “And I can make an ice floe for you to use as a lifeboat, if it comes to that.”
    â€œTrue. But as much as I’d enjoy sitting soaking wet atop a sheet of drifting sea ice, I don’t think you’re considering all the potential drawbacks. I could drop you in the confusion, and then you’d sink to the bottom of the sea, there to stay for all eternity—”
    â€œI’d wrap myself in a cocoon of ice, and float to the surface, and eventually the currents would take me to shore, where someone would find me. I’d be fine.”
    â€œMore likely a gillman would find you,” Rodrick said.
    A flash of red light illuminated Hrym’s blade, and Rodrick winced, expecting cackling and chaos, but it was just a mild pulse of the demonic. “I don’t much like gillmen,” Hrym said. He had the same reasons Rodrick did.
    â€œOh, they’re not all devotees of evil who want to use your powers to free demon lords and set them loose upon the world. I’m sure many of them are perfectly nice. Of course, Obed’s cult probably has connections among many of the cities or tribes or whatever it is gillmen have—”
    â€œFine,” Hrym said testily. “Let’s do work . What do you want me to do?”
    â€œThe mainsail could be amusing. Can you do it from this distance?”
    â€œI’ll manage. Point me in the right direction.”
    Dark clouds were gathering, either by coincidence or because of the priest’s incessant chanting, and a strong wind was blowing them fast away, which didn’t help much, since the Arclord ship had the same wind and was apparently better designed to take advantage of it. They were close enough now that Rodrick could make out the individual crew members standing on the deck. Some of them were brandishing swords. But none of them looked as impressive as his sword.
    Rodrick extended Hrym out over the railing, pointed the end of his blade directly at the pursuing ship’s mainsail, and smiled as Hrym unleashed a torrent of icy wind. The temperature in his immediate vicinity plunged, but Rodrick was used to cold by now, and holding Hrym protected him from being damaged by the sword’s own magical effects.
    The enemy’s sail began to turn white, then blue, as sheets of ice built up on