Sinbad strode purposefully into the harbor town of Beuid-Merra. He was determined to meet his twin goals. First, he must find out what the locals are saying about the white mansion by the sea. And Secondly, he must find a way to earn quick money so that he can be on his own again. He was longing to be back on the deck of a ship, sailing through the high seas. A part of his conscious still wondered over the appearance of the swordsman outside Rumina's chamber. "What would she have to do with a man like that?". With much of these thoughts running through his mind,Sinbad walked through the outer gates and down the busy streets of the town.

"Now,to find a good place to catch some local gossip...",said Sinbad,running a friendly eye along the long stretch of houses and inns which were tightly packed one into the other. He caught sight of an ancient sign written in scrawling hand. "Hariff's bread and breakfast."Aaahhhhh...Here's our lucky winner for the day!.Hariff,you're gonna have a long talk with Sinbad the Sailor"

"What kind of work do you have for me?",asked Maeve.
"For the wages you are demanding, you must be willing to work twice as hard",replied the landlord's wife,adjusting her shawl around her large shoulders and gazing at Maeve with undisguised skepticism."You are lucky to be here during harvest time. Usually our errand boys are around to help. But with them out in the fields, we could always use the extra hand". She led Maeve down the fields to a large hollow shed were there stood a gigantic vat with a funnel to one side.
"What's that smell?",asked Maeve,sniffing hard."Smells like grapes"
"Right you are!",beamed the woman and waved her over to the wall against which were stacked, boxes and boxes of ripe grapes."More will come in the morning. I'll send a girl down to check on you once in a while. You can fetch a box ,one at a time and put the grapes into the crusher. Then,wind the iron crank. Are you sure you can do it?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Well, it's not regular woman's work! The crank's old and needs cleaning first-"
"I can do it",affirmed Maeve.
"Suit yourself.",shrugged the woman.
"I will",said Maeve,setting aside her sword, leather gloves and tying up her red hair."I'll get to work right away"
"As for me,",replied the woman."I'm getting back to town. They say there's a visitor from Baghdad. A handsome sailor called Sinbad - might be a catch for my sweet Rabeea!"
Maeve rolled her eyes and returned a ghost of a smile.

Things were not going all that well for Sinbad. Quite unfortunately the owner,Hariff turned out to be a level-headed man who chose his words wisely. Happily ,he made up for his failures by being a good listener. He heard all of Sinbad's stories of his voyages at sea - about how Sinbad was the Captain of a mighty vessel carrying exotic treasures to kingdoms afar off. His battles with creatures on land and in the sea. Soon quite an audience gathered around the Captain as he grew more and more animated in his narrations. In fact, Sinbad was so engrossed that he did not notice the red-haired Celtic woman who entered the room with an expression of extreme curiosity on her face. Yet that expression faded into disgust after she spent a few moments spent amongst the Sinbad's adoring crowd.
"Isn't he handsome?",exclaimed the landowner/ Hariff's wife to her friends who sat listening to the Captain."And Rabeea had always wanted to settle overseas"
"Oh,you will miss her terribly when she is gone"
"I know,I know. But one must make these little sacrifices for the happiness of the children!"
Maeve muttered a few words of irritation under her breath and left posthaste carrying several wooden buckets in her hands.

"Perhaps you have heard of my good friend, Asif-el-Quidar?",inquired Sinbad,casually."He has built the fine mansion by the sea"
"Oh,yes. We have heard of him",answered Hariff with a knowing look."In fact,we see quite a lot of him as well. He is very fond of our gambling houses"
"Gambling houses?"
Hariff smiled at the amazement on Sinbad's face. "Some of the younger fellows working in the fields might claim friendship with Asif-el-Quidar. Why don't you speak with them?"
"Allright,I'll do that",replied Sinbad,dazed at the information he had received. So, Asif still visited the gambling house, just like he did so many years ago! Sinbad cleared his throat loudly and putting on his best smile, continued,"I need to make some quick money. I am going on a voyage soon"
"So, you too want a job,eh?",grinned Harif."Well, she's beaten you to it."
"Who?"
"That Celtic girl. I keep forgetting her name. You might meet her on your way to the fields. Ask her if she needs help. If she does, you can work at the same job and I'll pay you a half share of her wages"
"Thanks",returned Sinbad,distractedly. With a small salute,he walked through the door.
Harif's wife flew quickly to her husband's side."In every way a gentleman!",she cried in blissful happiness. "What a wedding it will be!"

Beyond the other end of the town,stretched miles of green fields ready for the harvest. There were plenty of young men and women bending over the sheaves and beating out the grain. Lots of laughter and singing could be heard as the workers cheerfully collected the fruits of their labour. Although Sinbad was troubled over the news about Asif even he couldn't stay moody for long. Especially when he neared the fields. Sinbad enjoyed the sights, the sounds and even the smell of harvest! It reminded him to be thankful for prosperity and health. When he came upon the shed which Harif's servants had described, he spotted the celtic woman at once. At first he was struck by her stance. It was the stance of a warrior. Sinbad rather liked the way the suns rays brightened the redness of the woman's hair. Those fiery eyes that were rapt in deep concentration and those hands which struggled against the stout iron crank with all their might.

"I hear you are a stranger in these parts as well?",he began,most politely as he stood leaning over the fence that surrounded the shed.
The red-head stopped working and looked up with a scowl."It isn't any of your business",was the curt reply.
Sinbad looked surprised at her hostility."Would you like some help?",he offered, looking as helpful as possible.
"No!I'm fine on my own",retorted the woman,gruffly.
Sinbad stood there,looking partly amused and partly curious over his unwilling friend. Clearly she wasn't like most women he'd known. The other girls were always so eager to talk to travelers and learn of news from over the seas. They treated sailors - especially Captains with special respect. But this one was different. "Well,forgive me for saying so",he continued,as good-humored as ever."But you don't seem suited for working at a wine press. Perhaps if you and I could work together, we could split the task and the wages as well? You must have heard the proverb "Two heads are better than one"?" Maeve stopped pulling the crank and slowly walked over to the side of the fence.
"If this doesn't break the ice",thought Sinbad,bracing himself for the tete-a-tete."Nothing will!"
She approached closer until she was standing face to face with Sinbad. She smiled yet her eyes were grim and as cold as ice. "You know, if I were you",she said in a low undertone. "I'd stop frittering away my time and search for work as hard as I can. But I can see you are more of a babbling, spineless,lazy bag of bones -"
"Hey,hold on a minute",said Sinbad,stung by her insulting words.
"I heard you boasting at the Inn. If you think you can find pity by building tall tales"
"Tall tales!",echoed Sinbad,outraged.
"Oh,don't play dumb! Master of the seas,indeed! I know what your type is like"
"Really?"
"Your words may fool these gullible town folk, but they won't fool me". Maeve began to walk back towards the vat. But Sinbad, quickly leaped over the fence and followed her in hot pursuit. "Are you always this friendly to strangers?"
"Stay back!",yelled Maeve,rolling her fists into a tight ball."Take one step closer and you'd be on your back with a nasty broken jaw!"
"Can I at least know your name?"
"No!
"Look",persisted Sinbad."Don't think I was humoring you when I said you don't know the first thing about working at the wine press. I meant every word. You've got the crank set up all wrong. You've got it backwards and the handle wont turn unless the side lever is tipped down,understand?"
Maeve looked perturbed. She felt about and found the aforementioned lever hidden under a few sleeves of wood. Sure enough, the crank worked a lot faster now. Maeve straightened up and met Sinbad's gaze."Let me guess, when you traveled on one of your adventures you met people from another kingdom who showed you how to press grapes and make wine?". Maeve still looked wary but her tone had lost some of that hard edge it carried before.
"No..",began Sinbad with a teasing smirk. "Actually.."
He was interrupted by a shrill blood curdling scream.

A woman - one of the harvesters by the appearance of the bushel slung over her back and the thick cloth over her head- was running as fast as she could, slipping and sliding over the small mounds of grassy hill. Her long hair was tousled and sweat was pouring down her face. "It's back! It's come back", she kept crying between gasps for was back over the fence in an instant, holding out both his hands to stop the woman. "Is someone after you? What is it?I'll protect you from any danger-"
"No! No, there's nothing you can do",wailed the woman,pushing Sinbad's hands away."I've got to tell the others. The mayor - he's got to know. There's still some time before sunset. We've got to harvest what we can before that monster has it's way"
The woman tore past Sinbad and Maeve who had joined them as well. She continued crying as she headed towards the town.
"Monster?",murmured a flash, he was speeding down the trail to the town. The sun was beginning to dip in the west and the workers were still working hard at the fields. He heard a footfall behind him and groaned inwardly for Maeve was close on his heels as well.

When they reached the town, they saw a small group of angry men and women raising their voices and apparently quarreling with the Mayor.
"We can never catch this monster!",yelled one man.
"Are you sure that's what it is?",questioned another.
"It must be. What else could tear up entire fields and turn them to wasteland?"
"This land is cursed! We're all going to die of starvation!",cried a voice of woe. The clamoring crowd raised its voice to mournful crescendo when the Mayor began to implore his people to remain calm. "We are not going to die! We have seen this before-"
"Fond memories indeed",added a villager sarcastically.
"Well,what do you want me to do?",yelled the Mayor,in was a rather middle-aged man with hair that was turning gray at the temples. He ran a worried eye over the unsettled people thinking fervently of some his face lighted up with determination. He cleared his throat and announced,"Last year we were afraid, this year we will fight!I am announcing a handsome reward for anyone who can hunt and destroy the crop monster! "
Before the crowd could respond, two voice rose in exuberant unison.
"REWARD? HOW MUCH?",asked Maeve and Sinbad with equal fire and then turned to each other in surprise and irritation.
"You know,you're continuously picking jobs that aren't suited for you",said Sinbad,annoyed."Catching a monster is dangerous work"
"Why did you volunteer if you're so scared",snapped back Maeve.
"Can you help us?",asked the mayor,addressing Sinbad much to Maeve's chagrin."I see you have weapons of your own. Are you sincere in your offer for help?"
"As sincere as I hope to be. But I will need a few things - some ropes, some spears perhaps.." Sinbad paused for a moment. "What kind of a monster is ravaging your fields,Sir? If you could describe it-"
"He doesn't know",answered a voice of scorn.
"What?"
"I think I can speak for myself",retorted the Mayor,with dignity. "None of us know what the monster looks like"
"But how do you-"
"Oh,it's a monster,all right. It strikes when the light is dim or when it's dark outside. It runs its clawed fingers through our grain fields and uproots every fruit tree. It unearths every ripe vegetable and smashes it underfoot. It turns every storehouse into dust. Nothing is safe. No one is safe."
"It's intent is not to steal but to destroy",mused Maeve, listening intently to the Mayor's words.
"That's right!",said the Mayor,gratefully."So can you help us? The men here will give you everything you ask for.."
Sinbad nodded to the few able-bodied men who stepped forward to help. He could see from the expression on the people's faces that they had already surrendered their strength to their mysterious monster. The women even regarded Sinbad's offer with suspicion, yet fearfully stealing glances at the setting sun. They didn't really hate their town or their mayor. Instead they were frustrated that all their toil under the hot summer's sun was going to waste. Sinbad nodded again to himself. He smiled faintly.
"Sir,keep that reward money ready. Your monster will be dead by tonight!" Sinbad led the way with the other men, who had picked up whatever sharp implements they could find- Sharp spades, a few knives, even hand-made spears and a net. Maeve smiled scornfully after Sinbad, rolling her eyes at his speech. But something in his bravery struck her as noble. She steadied the sword in her scabbard and followed the men into the fields.