“No, but … show their vulnerability,” said Gerd. “I’m thinking—vast lightnings in the sky, but only a bit of dancing light on every ship carrying the banner of Nix.”

“Maybe just … little fires at the tops of the masts?” asked Hermia. “Nobody dies, no ship sinks, but they have to scramble to put out the fires, and maybe refit a little before they sail away?”

“If only the ships of Nix are affected,” said Gerd, “are we saying that we’re the friends of Ny or the enemies of Nix?”

“I don’t think it matters yet,” said Hermia. “It’s just enough to start rumors flying. The way the Tempester of Hetterwee has the whole world talking. They’re speculating that a Great Gate has opened again, somewhere. Let’s give them a little more to chew on.”

From the terrace of the house they had a fine view of all the ships docked at the wharves or anchored in the river. And once Gerd had a fairly steady stream of lightning dashing back and forth across the sky, it was easy to see which banners flew from the various ships. They marked five Nixy ships and Gerd drew down wisps of lightning to illuminate them, and then intensified them all at once, at the tops of the masts, so they burst into flame.

The banners immediately flared, and there was an immediate hurly and bustle on the docks. Two of the ships were at a berth, and men from shore could rush on board to put out the flames. Two others were anchored near to shore, so that boats could reach them quickly and join the men aboard who were already fighting the flames.

In every case, they immediately unstepped the highest portion of each burning mast, cutting the sheets and lines so that they could be pitched overboard. There was no machinery to bring water to the tops of the masts. Something for Alf to invent for them, perhaps, thought Gerd. A system of pumps. A fireboat that could stand off from a burning ship and put out the fires.

“Uh-oh,” said Hermia. “That one’s getting out of hand.”

The ship that was anchored farthest out in the river was now burning right down to the deck. Nobody seemed to be fighting the fire on board, and if one of the boats from shore was headed out there, they weren’t going to reach it in time.

“They should have left some of their crew on board,” said Hermia. “Instead of letting them all go drinking and whoring in town.”

“They might be on board,” said Gerd. “Asleep below deck. Where they couldn’t hear any of the shouting from closer in to shore.”

“Probably all so drunk they couldn’t be wakened by anything. Or the thunder would already have woken them,” said Hermia. “You put on quite a noisy show.”