Contents
23. The God I’ll Take Today
Overview
At sea, Kinch and Norrigal suffer brutal seasickness, revealing the limits of Norrigal’s magic and Kinch’s unease under Malk Na Brannyck’s watch. A red whale is sighted, and Korkala pressures the passengers to join the hunt. Threats to Bully and seizure of Galva’s wine force a dangerous choice, escalating tensions aboard.
Summary
Days into the voyage on the Suepka Buryey, Lammas arrives with a bright moon as Norrigal sings to it. The crew keeps their distance, offering scraps and wodka. A violent patch of weather brings severe seasickness to Kinch and Norrigal; her seasick spell fails for lack of turmeric, underlining both their misery and the limits of her craft.
Bully the cat stays near Kinch and uses a single spot as a latrine, making his presence tolerable to the crew. Malk Na Brannyck returns nightly to his hammock; Kinch pretends to sleep, unwilling to alert Galva because that would reveal he slipped muster. The tension of Malk’s quiet vigilance weighs on Kinch.
During a calmer stretch, Kinch and Norrigal discuss gods, trading lines from a Galtish poem that mocks the Allgod. Norrigal declares loyalty to the Bright Moon, while Kinch affirms his fox. Their banter highlights their cultural divide and shared pragmatism in faith.
On the fifth day, the crew spots a red whale, and the ship readies for the hunt. Korkala informs them that as guests they must join the whale chase or pay double fare, dangling better food and the cat’s safety as inducements. She implies some crew want to eat Bully; Kinch immediately agrees to go to protect the cat.
Galva refuses, citing their paid passage and urgent western mission. Korkala counters with the ship’s liquor charter, threatening to distribute or taint Galva’s wine to appease the crew if she does not help. Galva’s hand drifts toward her sword, but Korkala coolly points out that even if Galva killed the crew, no one would be left to sail the ship. The standoff remains unresolved as pressure to join the hunt mounts.
Who Appears
- Kinch Na ShannackNarrator; seasick, hides from Malk, debates gods with Norrigal, agrees to whale hunt to protect Bully.
- KorkalaMolrovan officer who coerces passengers into the whale hunt, threatening Bully and Galva’s wine under ship rules.
- GalvaSpanth warrior; refuses to hunt, defends her wine, weighs threats against their mission and the crew’s power.
- NorrigalWitch; seasick, lacks turmeric for a spell, sings to the moon, discusses faith and pragmatism with Kinch.
- Malk Na BrannyckDangerous acquaintance; sleeps nearby, silently monitoring Kinch, increasing Kinch’s anxiety.
- BullyPossessed cat; stays close to Kinch, his safety is leveraged by Korkala to force Kinch’s compliance.