Rescue At Sea

When we row a boat, we face the wrong way. This can be dangerous. In The King Of Ys, Poul and Karen Anderson imagine a situation in which it is advantageous. The siren Dahut is singing a ship to its doom. Gratillonius takes a life boat to the rescue. Facing forward, he sees and hears the singer but is able to resist because she is his daughter. His rowers cannot see her. By force, he prevents them from turning. He sings marching songs to drown out the siren's voice.

When they reach the bewitched ship, he jumps aboard and turns its tiller. As the ship turns, his body blocks sight of Dahut. Only one man jumps overboard and swims towards her. Grallon has saved the ship, its cargo and all but one of its crew. His enemies, both in Hivernia and within the Empire, continue to be discomfited.