Chapter SevenAs the rowing boat reached the riverbank, the clouds unexpectedly rolled away.
It had been a dark night, but now the moon was shining and, as the Marquis picked up Zia in his arms and carried her off the boat, he looked back.
He could see now more clearly than he had been able to do before that the houseboat had drifted almost to the middle of the river.
It was dipping heavily at the stern and the Marquis knew that it was filling with water.
On his orders the seamen who had pushed it away from the bank had, once he had rowed away with Zia, made a hole just below the water level.
He was certain that it would not be a difficult thing to do as the houseboat was so dilapidated.
Now he calculated that the stern would be taking in water and he thought already it must be deep i
