"Mermen are strong, they swim faster than ships." He sighed.

"That too." Sileas still held suspicions. He still had no used no names other than Lek's, who she had mentioned. She had also dropped, by accident, a few clues that things weren't as they should be back home and he had not picked up on them. He hadn't asked about any of his children.

"I'll be glad to put this island behind me," He said. "And go home."

"No doubt. It's very desolate, it's certainly no paradise."

"It's very lonely, I thought I would die." He said.

"I had worried we might have to fight guards." Odd, I don't thinkk I mentioned the word mermen. Had they told him what they were? Or was he really one of them.

"I think the didn't think anyone could even find this island." He said. "For years I haven't seen anyone but mermen, not even boats."

Her feelings of alarm grew. Ila had said they had brought her here at least once, maybe more. She wanted to scream trap. "You know, it's getting late, we might not get to set out until tomorrow. Maybe we can find some fruits and things to gather to replenish supplies."

"There is hardly anything to eat here, just whatever shellfish and seaweed that washes up, or gulls if you can catch them." He frowned. "Please, I can't spend another night here."

Hadn't Ila mentioned he was chained to a rock yet he was free when we got here? "I'll ask Juniper if you can at least sleep on the ship tonight. I think the only available space is in the hold, just to let you know. She has a good sized crew."

"I'd sleep on the anchor if it could get me home any faster." He said, looking out to the ship. "But we mustn't wait. The mermen may come back and stop us."

"I will speak with Juniper. As I said, it's her ship and entirely up to her and her plans on when we leave."

"She won't want to fight mermen any more than anyone else." Nelek said. "They may even be able to sabotage her ship."

Not if you're secured in the hold. A shame she doesn't have a brig. "She's a very able fighter. I'm sure her men are too."

"They can't fight men who are under the water. The sooner we get away from this place the safer we will be." He said urgently.

Oh how I wish I believed him. I hope he'll forgive me if he really is Uncle Nelek when he realizes how much didn't add up. "Well they could certainly spear them or something. Let's get to the shore and I will talk to Juniper."

Yehudit watched her cousin and who she hoped was her uncle anxiously.

"I don't want to scare you, but they could swim under the hull and pierce it." Nelek said and shambled towards the shore.

Sileas glanced at Questa, wondering if she had been listening and was as suspicious as she was.

And if you're Tabor, you may already have had them done just that.

Questa was suspicious of everyone who wasn't part of her gang- basically everyone but Sileas, and maybe Yehudit because Yehudit was too useless to be a threat. She lightly thumped her weighted sock against her thigh. She did not like being on this island, it was still enemy territory as far as she was concerned.

Sileas waved Questa over. Making certain she was facing away from her uncle, she said "Can you speak with Juniper about a secure room in the hold for Uncle Nelek?" And then she mouthed :or a brig cell:?

"Yer want ter ffrow this 'uncle' of yors in th'jug, isit? Not bad." Questa noticed that most of these posh people that made up Sileas's 'family' not only did not talk normal, could hardly understand her when she talked, especially when she talked fast, so she was not too worried about being overheard. Questa had never bought that these people were Sileas's family, she was not related to any of them. Questa thought they were an inferior replacement for a gang.
Questa walked over to Juniper.
"Sileas wants Nelek ter have some 'ospitality 'e can't walk out of."

Sileas palmed her face. She supposed she should have called Yehudit over, but she was not particularly tactful either. She mumbled under breath. Before he could react, she quickly said, "You understand that knowing these men can look like everyone, we need to exercise caution until we are certain you are you."

"You still don't think I'm me?" He asked, his voice hurt. "What do I have to do to prove myself?"

"I want to believe you're you, I really do. But you have to understand that we went two years believing one of them was you. And truthfully, there are a few things that haven't added up for me. But it could also be because you've been here so long. I don't know if they are also capable of copying memories when they assume someone's shape. I just...surely you can see that I want to keep everyone safe until we can be positive."