### 160

As you stagger to your feet from beneath the debris, you look along the main deck and see that brave Captain Jenkshi has taken over the helm. With grim determination he steers his battered ship relentlessly towards the channel. You see him cursing the enemy captain and shaking his fist defiantly at the villainous Shadakine gunners as their cannonballs whistle across the decks of The Azan; then a gust of wind fills the torn mainsail and the ship begins to pull away from the lumbering man o’war. A second broadside falls wide of its mark, and Jenkshi’s bold plan finally pays off when the enemy ship is forced to veer away for fear of beaching her hull in the shallows. The crew cheer loudly when they see her red sails falling away to the stern and The Azan is left alone to make a swift passage through the islet channel. You make your way along the debris-strewn deck to congratulate Jenkshi on his masterful display of seamanship. He accepts your praise and the cheers of his crew with a rueful smile, even though his skill and his coolness under enemy fire have undoubtedly saved the ship and the lives of all aboard. However, as the ship emerges on the far side of the islets, you soon discover that more than just Jenkshi’s bravery will be needed if everyone aboard The Azan is to live to tell the tale of their deadly encounter with the buccaneers of Shadaki.

Turn to 262.