The first mate yelled something as she freed her own lifeline. Kira and Jason scrambled that way as the deck tilted wildly and the wind howled with renewed fury. "—take in the sail!" Kira heard the first mate saying. A piece of rigging snapped, the rope swinging through the air with a wooden tackle block attached. The first mate had barely an instant to realize the heavy wooden block was coming at her before it hit, striking a glancing blow to her head and tossing her to fall in a heap, her lifeline loose beside her.

The rest of the crew stared at her as another monster wave rose off the stern of the ship. As one, they began backing away in the direction of the nearest hatch belowdecks, their hands on the knots of their lifelines, while Kira watched, appalled.

She leaped forward recklessly and seized the first mate's limp body, grabbing a firm hold on the mast with her other hand, then screamed at the other sailors, her voice somehow rising above the storm. "Get back here now!" They stared at her but they came, responding to her command. "Help me hold her!"

Other hands came, and when the wave washed brutally past they barely managed to hold onto the first mate. "Tie her to the mast!" Kira ordered, fumbling for rope. Once again the crew did as she said, propping up the unconscious first mate and running a rope under her arms to fasten her in a standing position against the mast.

Only then did Kira look around, just in time to see another wave coming and crouch to take the blow on her back, the force pinning her to the mast. Staggering up again, Kira stared at one of the crew as water ran from her face and body, whipping away under the force of savage gusts of wind. "What was she saying?"

The sailor pointed up, his face contorted by fear. "We have to take in the mainsail. Even reefed it's drawing too much in this wind. We'll lose the mast."

Lose the mast. Kira had no trouble imagining what would happen to this ship if the mast broke. As if to emphasize the sailor's words, the mast emitted a tortured groan as a renewed gust of wind hurled itself into the sails.

But no one was moving. They were huddled there, faces stark with fear, trying to keep from being swept away. Kira looked over at Jason and saw him staring at her, his face a mask of dread in the gloom.