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“You obviously think that your dynama is relevant to my ship. You used your dynama on my ship.”

“But he was hurting, sir.” Vossler's voice was low and soft.

“That man was hurting because he had been punished,” the captain said. “This was no act of the gods, it was a captain keeping order on his ship. You have undermined that order.”

Daw coughed. “Permission to speak freely, Captain.”

“Speak,” the captain said.

Daw considered his words. “Yes, Vossler made a grievous mistake. But he is a healer. We can turn this to our advantage, sir. I believe.”

Captain Warwick's pale face flushed scarlet. “He undermined my authority, Officer. And he should have disclosed his abilities at the earliest opportunity. He withheld critical information from the penitentiary, from Naval Command, and from me.”

“True, sir,” Daw said and decided not to press any further.

Warwick turned back to Vossler. "What else can you do, Vossler? What else have you withheld?"

Vossler hunched up under the captain's glare. "I, uh..." He glanced toward the door, as if hoping by looking at it he could find himself there.

"Well?" Warwick rapped his fingers on the desk.

"Nothing, sir."

"So you possess no dynama other than healing dynama."

"Aye, sir."

"Is that likely to be true, Dr. Guyaumme?"

Dr. Guyaumme jumped at the mention of his name. A wisp of hair fluttered down in front of his face, settling on the bridge of his nose. With his sightless eyes and the loose flesh around his mouth and chin, he resembled an ancient blind sealion.

"I, uh, excuse me?" the professor stuttered.

"Vossler claims he has no dynamic talents other than healing. Is that likely to be true?" Warwick said.

"You are the closest we have to a dynamic expert," Daw added.

"Oh, well, I suppose I am." Dr. Guyaumme's eyes roved aimlessly around the room before fixing on some point above Daw's head. Those sightless eyes still made Daw's skin crawl. "He is likely telling the truth. A single individual displaying multiple dynamic abilities is exceedingly rare. The Dean of Poitionne has multiple abilities, but I know of few others."

"So Vossler cannot make the wind blow or a blade dance into my back."

"Oh, I've never heard of a dynamist who could make a blade dance." Dr. Guyaumme raised his brows, wrinkling his broad forehead. "Do you know of one?"

"Dr. Guyaumme, you are the second dynamist I have ever known." Warwick rapped his fingers harder. "The naval logodynamist is the only other."

"Not even a quisodynamist?"

"The Peregrine houses a quisograph," Daw said. "Mr. Ashbrown is quite proficient."

"So strange." Dr. Guyaumme shook his wispy head. "Then what a boon to discover a healer amoung your own crew! You are a very lucky captain."

"Oh yes, very lucky." Warwick scowled at Vossler and leaned back in his seat, arms folded over his chest.

But the professor's blind eyes couldn't read his body language. "Where did you study, Mr. Vossler?" Dr. Guyaumme asked.

"I'm not one for studying, really." Vossler chuckled.

"So you are entirely self-taught?"

"Ya."

"Oh, then you must come to the University once we arrive in Poitionne! We could teach you so much. You could be a very wealthy man, with the proper training. And healers do so much good in the world."

"The terms of Vossler's pardon state that he will remain with the Peregrine on the return voyage and then enter the Whelani Navy," Daw said. It would do no good for Dr. Guyaumme to be putting ideas in the sailor's heads.

"Oh." A child's disappointment spread over Dr. Guyaumme's face. "That's too bad."

"I think it's time for you to go, Dr. Guyaumme. I will call a ship's boy to escort you back to your cabin."