"I'm teasing, you git," Elaine answered with a laugh, and tweaked his nose. "You said weird. I thought maybe you meant embarrassing. So what is it?"

He still hesitated, fiddling with the idea of telling her. "Have you seen that big knot on Spider's forehead?" he said at last, hedging. "She was walking in her sleep the other night. I think she banged it up. And she got pissed at me for wakin' her up and pretty much threatened to tell Grandmum she caught us in the cabin if I said anything to anyone."

Elaine frowned. "What?" she asked. "For sleepwalking? And no, I didn't see it, but I've been preoccupied. Why would she care? What's Judith going to do, take her off watch?"

"She just snapped at me. You know how she does. I don't know. I'm worried," he admitted. "If I tell someone and it turns out to be nothin', she'll probably squeal. If I don't and it does turn out something's wrong . . . well, you see how that goes. I was actually thinkin' of tryin' to talk someone else into reportin' it, but no one's gonner do it without askin' a whole lot of questions." He raised his eyebrow significantly at Elaine.

"What, you want me to do it?" she asked. "And what, tell Jiudith I saw Spider doing something funny belowdecks and she didn't answer when I called her or something?"

"It's for a noble cause," he said, looking relieved that Elaine had gotten the concept so quickly. "Spider's an overbearing git sometimes but I don't want her to die or anything. It was just really creepy, is all."

Elaine nodded. "Well, and sleepwalking's one thing," she said. "Hittin her head while sleepwalking's another. Did she say anything else?" She frowned. "Are you sure she's telling the truth?"

"Pretty sure. I don't . . . Spider's pretty direct when she wants to mess with someone. She'll just wait until your back's turned and stuff a handful of slime from the bilge down the back of your pants." Which she had done. "And she seemed pretty upset herself. I don't think she could fake it."

Elaine frowned. "All right," she replied. "So...er...what do you need me to say, exactly? Details? I mean, Spider's bound to know unless we have a story. Were we together until just before you saw her?"

"Probably not the wisest idea to go around announcin' that we were together at any time; people are going to start making assumptions." He frowned. "But it's about the only think makes sense to have you off your watch. It was really damn late when it happened. I wonder if she's done it before."