Jeanne, pale and shaken by the recent turn of events, focused on
Shaw's question about the boats as a drowning man clutches a
life-preserver.

Jeanne: "Did you build your boat yourself? Could you show us how to
	 build a larger one to hold us all? Or, barring that, a second
	 craft like your own?"

Josephine, who had been observing the others carefully, noted the
quiver in Jeanne's voice, and the woman's anxious state.

Jeanne feared she was being driven mad. How could Shaka have been
reborn? Only one man had ever risen from the dead, and Shaka did not
resemble the Nazarene. The signs of the second coming had not come to
pass, and yet here was a man she had seen die and return to life!
Perhaps she had fallen into Satan's clutches, she thought. Her voices
had given her no guidance. Her musings were interrupted by Louis.

Louis: "I am an outsider here, it would seem.  I have witnessed
        Shaka's death and then rebirth.  This only further frustrates
        any attempt at understanding this place."

Louis: "You all seem to remember additional lives after your death on
        earth.  I do not.  The last thing I remember was the sound of
        Madame Guillotine sliding down the wooden rails to kiss the
        back of my neck."

Louis laughed.

Louis: "When they came for us, Robespierre struggled so...it was a
        pathetic, an ignoble end."

He grew silent for a moment, lost in thought.  "Well, at least we gave
them the Declaration."  Louis sighed.

Louis: "I apologize for my digression.  As to traveling north...I
        have no love for slavers.  In fact, I abhor them.  It would be
        both fitting and proper for us to take a boat from them.  And
        in a way, I hope they resist."

A faint smile creased his face as he hefted his spear. Shaw grinned evilly.
Returning to the group, he pointed at Louis.

Shaka: "I agree with this one.  We should go to Temuchin's camp and
        take what we will need on our trek north.  With Temuchin gone,
        and the worm our prisoner, they will be in the throes of panic
        and discord and easily dominated."

Shaka looked down at Joseph's writhing and smiled cruelly.

Shaka: "I think we should be prepared to make our first reconnaissance
        when the grailstone nearest the camp is spitting its fire.
        This should give us an indication of their numbers and their
        new leader."

Shaw nodded. "Once we take the camp and its boats, we can head north."

Josephine spoke up in her clear voice.

Josephine: "During our recent trip to the old camp of Temuchin to the
	    south, we did, indeed, see sailing ships used as a
	    facade. I do not know how seaworthy these crafts are as I
	    have only the experiences with Shaw's craft gained in
	    this... other world."

She flashed a smile at Shaw and let her gaze travel around the group a
bit to see their reaction before continuing.

Josephine: "While I am not as adamant about using the River for our
	    transportation as my friend here, I do think this to be
	    the wisest plan as my travels on the River so far have
	    proven to be speedy and safe. If Shaw or another friend
	    with much knowledge about sailing were to look over some
	    of the vessels at the old Temuchin camp, perhaps we could
	    find one to suit our needs?"

She shrugged lightly and offered an encouraging and friendly smile to
Shaw, who nodded at her words.

With Benjamin's help, Charles addressed the others.

Charles: "It is best that we move towards Temuchin's camp as soon as
	  possible.  It would be best that we split up again, and
	  approach by river and by land.  Shaka, will you lead a group
	  by land?  if so, choose whom you will, and Shaw will ferry
	  you across the River to the south of the camp and
	  return. Then the rest will go with Shaw and I on his boat to
	  land at the dock.  Joseph will come with me, and remain on
	  the boat. Bound to the boat."

Charles: "Who here can pilot a boat?"

Benjamin: "Josephine has some Experience, and I wager I could manage
	   Navigation in a pinch."

Charles: "Then you should come with Shaw and I, to pilot any boats we
	  can take from the slavers."

Charles: "Those who approach on land, will free those still help
	  captive, and defeat any of Temuchin's troops that remain to
	  fight.  Those that run away are not to be pursued - we are
	  too small in number.  Collect Grails, weapons, and any other
	  provisions, baskets, containers for water, anything you can
	  find, that we can take on the river with us. "

Charles: "We can then depart on the boats, or arrange to meet back
	  here at this camp."

Charles turns to Stalin.

Charles: "Joseph? Is there anything you can add, or wish to add about
	  Temuchin's camp?  He is gone. We are here.  You are
	  here. Speak if you will."

Joseph's voice contained a mixture of hatred and fear. "I have never
been to Temuchin's camp."

The others agreed to Charles's suggestion and they formed into the two
groups. Benjamin, Shaw, Charles, Jeanne, and Josephine made up the
River approach. Louis and Mishima voted to join Shaka in the overland
assault. After spending the day in individual and group pursuits, they
gathered together as night fell. Shaw ferried the smaller party to a
position to the south of Temuchin's village, and returned for the
others. 

The two groups met at Temuchin's docks. The compound had proven to be
deserted; not a single slaver was found. Bodies of the slaves, their
throats cut, lay in their cages.

Shaw inspected the boats. All proved to be floating shells of ships,
clearly designed as a ruse, except one, a sturdy-looking 8-meter
sailboat with a square sail and a jib. A circle was painted around its
pointed prow, but unlike the false boats, no words were written on its
hull.

Shaw: "This boat looks good. It's large enough to hold 12 comfortably,
       and 16 in a pinch."

			      *  *  *  *