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It was easy to tell that given different circumstances she would have been beautiful.
But for the moment her face was pinched by a thinness that showed to much bone to have been healthy, what could have been almost flawless alibaster skin was marked instead with bruise-like wheals and discolouration, her hair, still the colour of sun on a cornfield, was dry and broken, missing from her scalp in small patches. Her eyes were dim and empty as she watched the sky and taught sails above them.
She was carried gently across the ships deck, slung in a white sheet held by two burly men, watched over all the while by a third who followed at a small distance, a posy pressed against his nose.
As they reached the edge of the deck she stirred into life, a thin moan escaped her lips and she struggled to free her hands from the sheet. With a grunt the two men swung the sheet, sending her out over the gunwale and down into the ships white wake.
"Thank you gentlemen, a valuable service. A terrible loss I'm sure we'll all agree, but we couldn't have her infecting the rest of the cargo."
The two men who'd tossed the girl overboard merely grunted in reply, watching the foam against the side of the ship for any sign that she'd snagged against the hull.
"She's the eigth one this last fortnight from that deck, many more and I'm afraid we'll need to condemn them all. A damn shame so late in the day, the captain assures me we'll make Thay within a week."
"Sir? If we're done here we need to get back to duty sir." The sailor who'd had her feet end nodded at the posey'd man, all but excusing himself.
"Oh, of course. Thank you again gentlemen, as ever your services are invaluable." He watched the two sailors hurry out of sight, sniffing at his posy to eliminate any last threat of disease from his nose. Once he was sure the sailors had gone he tutted and muttered "Apes".
But for the moment her face was pinched by a thinness that showed to much bone to have been healthy, what could have been almost flawless alibaster skin was marked instead with bruise-like wheals and discolouration, her hair, still the colour of sun on a cornfield, was dry and broken, missing from her scalp in small patches. Her eyes were dim and empty as she watched the sky and taught sails above them.
She was carried gently across the ships deck, slung in a white sheet held by two burly men, watched over all the while by a third who followed at a small distance, a posy pressed against his nose.
As they reached the edge of the deck she stirred into life, a thin moan escaped her lips and she struggled to free her hands from the sheet. With a grunt the two men swung the sheet, sending her out over the gunwale and down into the ships white wake.
"Thank you gentlemen, a valuable service. A terrible loss I'm sure we'll all agree, but we couldn't have her infecting the rest of the cargo."
The two men who'd tossed the girl overboard merely grunted in reply, watching the foam against the side of the ship for any sign that she'd snagged against the hull.
"She's the eigth one this last fortnight from that deck, many more and I'm afraid we'll need to condemn them all. A damn shame so late in the day, the captain assures me we'll make Thay within a week."
"Sir? If we're done here we need to get back to duty sir." The sailor who'd had her feet end nodded at the posey'd man, all but excusing himself.
"Oh, of course. Thank you again gentlemen, as ever your services are invaluable." He watched the two sailors hurry out of sight, sniffing at his posy to eliminate any last threat of disease from his nose. Once he was sure the sailors had gone he tutted and muttered "Apes".