surf on
the eastern shore. Heavy breakers would have been helpful in keeping the
pirates busy, Rick thought.

One thing was clear as glass. They couldn't wait for the pirates to
overrun them. Rick hurried to Zircon's side. "Professor, can you carry
Shannon? We've got to get to the other side of the cove, then across the
rocks to the sea. It's a better position to defend, and we might have a
chance to get to the water when Chahda comes. I've called him. He's on
the way in."

"Rick's right," Scotty chimed in. "Get going and I'll cover you."

Zircon nodded without speaking. He stepped swiftly to Shannon's side and
picked the zoologist up. Then he followed Rick to the end of the cove
and started the climb over the tiny spit of land that separated the cove
from the open sea.

It was rough going. Tony Briotti gave Zircon a hand over the roughest
places, while Rick and Elpidio Torres stood by to assist where needed.
Scotty stayed at the edge of the cove, rifle at the ready.

The pirates hadn't gotten organized yet. The Spindrifters were still in
deep shadow and not clearly visible. Now and then a pirate took a
rifleshot, but that was more from lack of discipline than a target at
which to shoot.

Rick hoped that the Spindrift group could reach the seaward side of the
spit they were now climbing before the pirates swarmed ashore. There was
a good chance of defending the spit, particularly with Scotty's rifle.

Zircon reached the top and went over, and Rick called, "Scotty! Come
on!"

Scotty instantly turned and ran.

A hail of badly aimed rifle slugs spattered off the rock across an area
forty feet wide as the pirates shot at the sound of Rick's voice. None
came near the mark. Then, a few pirates, smarter than the rest, realized
what was going on. As Tony Briotti and the Torres boy were silhouetted
briefly against the sky at the top of the rise, the handful of alert
pirates fired. Most shots missed, but Rick heard the Filipino boy gasp.

Scotty reached Rick's side and said softly, "Let's go, and slide over
the top on your stomach."

Rick didn't need the advice. He had no intention of letting the pirates
catch him in silhouette. He crouched low and moved the few feet to the
top, found a boulder, and slipped quickly around it. Scotty followed a
moment later.

"I'm staying here at the top," Scotty said. "If any pirates try to come
after us, I'll have a clear shot. And when they get wise and come around
to the sea s