As the cart was emptied, several holes were revealed lining the bottom.As the cart was emptied, several holes were revealed lining the bottom. They about the size of a man's fist and not large enough to let anything slip through them. Tying a rope to the wagon hitch, Jess and Janesse pushed the punt off from the shore, with the rope tied to the wagon tied securely to an oarlock. As the punt slipped out into the river, the wagon followed it. Poling hard for deeper water, fighting the weight of the water that had begun filling the holes in the cart, the two slavers worked furiously for a moment and then cut the floundering cart adrift. In less than a minute, it sank from sight and was gone. It was unlikely to be found, covering their tracks well. Stealthily poling their way across the river, Jess pointed the punt upriver toward the city of Lupa, some thirty-seven miles away. The Dark Lord's bounty on the Princess Brianna was as good as won and with minimal effort. Jess was extremely satisfied, especially since the little whiner was still charmed by Janesse's spell and was blissfully oblivious to anything but the lovely midnight boat ride. Even with the current against them and the weight of the horses, Jess calculated they should be safely in Lupa by sunrise at the latest. She would strip and chain the princess there on the docks, where every soldier and merchant marine could watch...but no, that was a bad idea, given the princess' notoriety in the area. It would be better to wait until they had safely crossed into Xatr and were on Imperial soil. The princess' modesty and self-esteem would have to be spared until then, but Jess figured it would be worth the wait, if only Janesse's spell held out and spared them her insufferable whining. As the lights of Lupa drew closer, large, dark shapes began to take form on the waters. Ships, Jessica noted, and quite an impressive convoy to boot. All headed downriver from the look of things. As the ships moved closer, she realized that the numbers were inordinately large, and she motioned to Janesse to help her pole the punt out of the way. Not a single one of the ships was sailing with lights, not only unusual but dangerous for smaller craft. |