There was no mirror in the shack, I discovered, when a desire came over me to look at myself. I shrugged and searched for food, for my stomach felt as if it were cleaving to my bones I was so hungry. Unfortunately there was nothing in Louis’s pantry save some split peas in a tin and a sack of oats. Obviously he had run down his supplies, knowing he was going to be away for a few days. My stomach rumbled insistently and I was just wondering if I could tolerate porridge without honey when the door opened and Rushton entered, saying he had got some food from the farm kitchen so that we could share a firstmeal together before returning to the house. He had hot rolls, a round of sweet cheese, dried figs and a jug of fresh milk. The little fuss of finding plates and forks and heating the milk covered the momentary shyness I felt. Rushton said nothing of the night that had passed, but as we ate, his hands strayed often to me in passing, touching my hair, face and hands.

‘You saw Grufyyd?’ I asked when we had finished.

‘I did. He had intended to send mead and ferment as part of the tithe, but one of the Norselanders said shipmasters forbid intoxicating drinks at sea,’ Rushton said.

‘And do they?’ I asked.

‘Powyrs drank ferment aboard The Cutter, but I do remember Reuvan once saying that no ship he had sailed upon had ever more than water. I can’t speak for the Sadorians, though I don’t believe I ever saw anyone take a drink aboard. My feeling is that the matter depends upon the views of the shipmaster more than any hard and fast law. But on this voyage I reminded Grufyyd that space had better be given to staples. He finally decided he would send a few kegs per ship of his special ferment, which might serve as an offering, or at a pinch, to clean wounds. If the shipmasters refuse them, he says we should wet the hull of the new ship before we sail away.’

‘There won’t be much time for celebrating before we set sail,’ I said. I listened, struck by the silence. ‘Has the rain stopped?’

‘It has,’ Rushton said, and then he grimaced. ‘I hate to say it but we had better go back. Your guild will be wondering where you have got to and Grufyyd said several wagons had already come in with traders and other folk last night and this morning, all of them wanting to know where they are supposed to set up their stalls.’