Flux

to move than water, even when it’s not enchanted. Hang on while I unfasten the locks.” He mumbled again and the cuffs clicked open. Miner couldn’t help but let out a small cry when Ennek removed them, again shifting the broken bone.
    But Ennek hardly seemed to notice. He bent over Miner’s feet and repeated his incantation—if that’s what it was—and the ankle hobbles came loose as well. Then he looked anxiously into Miner’s eyes. “Can you walk? We have to go. The ship’s sinking.”
    Miner nodded dumbly and Ennek helped him to his feet. Miner had to lean on him as they made their way across the deck. How could he lean on a hallucination? A dying mind plays strange tricks, Miner decided. But they continued aft and to the side, and then Ennek helped Miner clamber over the gunwale into a tiny boat that was tied there. Miner huddled on the floor of the little boat as Ennek untied some ropes and then climbed in himself. “Can you help me at all?” he asked Miner, pointing at the hanging end of a rope.
    Miner blinked at him in confusion.
    “I need you to help me lower this thing. Just pull on the rope.” Ennek sounded as if he were trying to be patient and not doing very well at it.
    Miner leaned over and grasped the rope with both hands. He yelped as his wrist sent a sharp blast of pain, and then he tried to tug one-handed. It didn’t work very well, but somehow he and Ennek managed to get the vessel lowered until it was bobbing slightly in the unusually placid water. Miner saw then that there was a great breach in the hull of the pirate’s ship, and the sea was lapping gently inside. Had the surface of the ocean been moving as it normally did, water would have been rushing into the ship’s belly.
    Ennek detached their little boat from the ropes and, moving quickly and efficiently, assembled a single mast and sail. He frowned in concentration and a puff of wind made the triangle of fabric swell. The ocean began to move again and Ennek guided the tiller until they were scudding swiftly away from the pirates’ ship. Rain began to fall again, but softly, like a gentle spring shower.
    When they were far enough from the big ship that it looked like a harmless toy, Ennek let go of the tiller and stood. He faced the pirates and slowly lifted his arms until his hands were straight above his head. His jaw was tightly set and his eyes—gods, his eyes looked like seething whirlpools.
    As Miner watched like a man entranced, a towering wave formed on the horizon. It was taller than the Keep and just as ominous. It rushed toward the pirate ship and then, with a crash that was thundering even from a distance, crested over it.
    It took a few minutes before the ripples reached their little jolly boat, and with barely enough force to rock their vessel a little. Miner strained his eyes, but there was no sign at all of the pirate ship.

Chapter Three
    h

    I t was beginning to dawn on Miner that he might truly be sharing the boat with Ennek and not a mirage.
    For one thing, as soon as the pirate ship was gone Ennek had collapsed to his knees—nearly tumbling over the side of the boat as he did—and had vomited what seemed to be several gallons of sea water back into the ocean. When his stomach was empty, he remained slumped over the side of the boat, motionless and very pale.
    For another thing, Miner felt awful. His broken wrist was singing with pain, his stupid head was pounding, and he was shivering with cold. Even the cut on his arm, which he’d almost forgotten about, was stinging.
    Surely if he were dying and imagining a heroic rescue by his resurrected lover, he wouldn’t also imagine retching and discomfort.
    Moving slowly and carefully to avoid jostling the boat, he worked his way over to Ennek. Very cautiously, he reached out and settled a hand between Ennek’s shoulders. He was relieved when he actually felt a solid body. “Ennek?” he whispered.
    He received only a muted groan in reply.
    It was awkward to maneuver Ennek in the cramped space and with Miner’s injured wrist, but he was finally able to shift the inert body until Ennek was seated, leaning back against one of the plank seats. His head lolled down against his chest, and Miner lifted his chin to get a better look. Ennek’s eyes were bloodshot and unfocused and, although it was hard to tell in the dimming light, Miner thought there was a greenish pallor to his face.
    Ennek’s navy coat was gone, his brown shirt in tatters. Miner gasped