He obliged, hoisting me as if I weighed no more than a child. They passed up the skin; then Cathal, Sigurd and Oschu hauled themselves up beside the rest of us.

“Are you sure?” Cathal asked me, though I saw that he knew this was our best chance. He was asking for the men’s sake. Liadan ’s crew would face even this nightmare test with professionalism. If they were afraid, they hid it expertly. Felix and I were drawn by the mission; our convictions were stronger than our fear. But for Thorgrim, Donn and Colm, to be so close to the monster that had devoured their companions would be a test almost beyond endurance.

“I’m sure,” I said.

Oschu stepped over first, then gave me his hand for support as I half stepped, half jumped across. I settled myself close to what might be considered the nape of the creature’s neck. The others followed. Sigurd carried Thorgrim in his arms. Donn’s face was ghastly white in the semidark, but he stepped over with Berchan by his side, and the two sat down without a word.

Colm screamed, fighting those who sought to aid him, and Gull and Felix, one on either side, manhandled him across to the serpent’s back. The creature was perfectly still. He did not twitch so much as the tip of his tail; he did not utter so much as a sigh of exasperation at how slow we were. I tried not to remember that he had pierced a man’s chest with his claw, or that he had almost sunk Liadan through sheer exuberance. When the last man—Cathal—had moved over from the ledge, I lay facedown against the creature’s skin and made again an image of all of us emerging safe and sound onto flat rocks at the bay’s edge. We trust you. We honor you, and we honor her. This is your place. When we have done what must be done, we will sail away from this isle. You will be at peace again. All will be to rights.

No answering thoughts now, but the sea beast moved, completing his turn and lurching forward so suddenly he came close to dislodging us. Colm opened his mouth to cry out again, and Gull gave him a flat-handed smack on the cheek. “It’s time to be a man, lad,” he said.

The creature waded forward into the dark. Now there was not a song left in me to keep away the shadows. I could not hold Felix’s hand. It was taking the combined efforts of him and Gull to keep Colm from leaping off the serpent’s back to be smashed on the rocks or stamped to death. Or drowned. Water gurgled and gushed around the creature’s legs, a rising surge.