[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Porrada'
shouldered into the ocean, apparently uninhabited save for the village
'Tustvold'. South of the Chaing, another peninsula: 'The Dragon's Neck',
longer and narrower than Gador Porrada, thrust a considerable distance into
the ocean, to terminate in a scatter of rocks, reefs and small islands: 'The
Dragon-
Fangs'. Cugel studied the chart in detail, then closed the portfolio with a
fateful thud. "So be it!" said Cugel. "How long, oh how long, must I entertain
false hopes and fond dreams? Still, all will be well. . . .Let us see how the
land lays."
Cugel climbed to the quarter-deck. At the horizon he noted a ship which under
the lens proved to be that lubberly little cog he had evaded several days
before. Even without worms, using clever tactics, he could easily evade so
clumsy a craft!
Cugel sheeted the sail hard back to the starboard, then jumping up to the
quarter-deck, he swung the wheel to bring the ship around on a port tack,
steering as close to north as the ship would point.
The crew of the cog, noting his tactic, veered to cut him off and drive him
back south into the estuary, but Cugel refused to be intimidated and held his
course.
To the right the low coast of Gador Porrada was now visible; to the left, the
cog blundered importantly through the water.
Using the lens Cugel discerned the gaunt form of Drofo on the bow,
99
signaling triple-bait for the worms.
Madame Soldinck and the three girls came from the galley to stare across the
Page 74
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
water at the cog, and Madame Soldinck screamed officious instructions to
Cugel which were blown away on the wind.
The
Galante, with a hull ill-adapted to sailing, made a great deal of leeway.
For best speed Cugel fell away several points to the east, in the process
veering closer upon the low-lying coast, while the cog pressed relentlessly
down upon him. Cugel desperately swung the wheel, thinking to achieve a
remarkable down-wind jibe which would totally discomfit those persons aboard
the cog, not to mention Madame Soldinck. For best effect he sprang down upon
the deck to trim the sheets, but before he could return to the wheel, the ship
rushed off downwind.
Cugel climbed back to the quarter-deck and spun the wheel, hoping to bring the
ship back on a starboard reach. Glancing toward the near shore of Gador
Porrada, Cugel saw a curious sight: a group of sea-birds walking on what
appeared to be the surface of the water. Cugel stared in wonder, as the sea-
birds walked this way and that, occasionally lowering their heads to peck at
the surface.
The
Galante came to slow sliding halt. Cugel decided that he had run aground on
the Tustvold mud-flats.
So much for birds who walked on water.
A quarter-mile to sea the cog dropped anchor and began to lower a boat.
Madame Soldinck and the girls waved their arms in excitement. Cugel wasted no
time in farewells. He lowered himself over the side and floundered toward the
shore.
The mud was deep, viscous, and smelled most unpleasantly. A heavy ribbed stalk
terminating in a globular eye reared from the mud to peer at him, and twice he
was attacked by pincer-lizards, which luckily he was able to out-
distance.
Finally Cugel arrived at the shore. Rising to his feet, he found that a
contingent from the cog had already arrived aboard the
Galante.
One of the forms Cugel saw to be Soldinck, who pointed toward Cugel and shook
his fist.
At this same moment Cugel discovered that he had left the total sum of his
terces aboard the
Galante, including the six golden centums received from
Soldinck in the sale of Fuscule's worm.
This was a bitter blow. Soldinck was joined at the rail by Madame Soldinck,
who made insulting signals of her own.
Disdaining response, Cugel turned and trudged off along the shore.
100
CHAPTER III FROM TUSTVOLD TO PORT PERDUSZ
1 THE COLUMNS
CUGEL marched along the foreshore, shivering to the bite of the wind. The
landscape was barren and dreary; to the left, black waves broke over the mud-
flats; to the right, a line of low hills barred access to inland regions.
Cugel's mood was bleak. He carried neither terces nor so much as a sharp stick [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Porrada'
shouldered into the ocean, apparently uninhabited save for the village
'Tustvold'. South of the Chaing, another peninsula: 'The Dragon's Neck',
longer and narrower than Gador Porrada, thrust a considerable distance into
the ocean, to terminate in a scatter of rocks, reefs and small islands: 'The
Dragon-
Fangs'. Cugel studied the chart in detail, then closed the portfolio with a
fateful thud. "So be it!" said Cugel. "How long, oh how long, must I entertain
false hopes and fond dreams? Still, all will be well. . . .Let us see how the
land lays."
Cugel climbed to the quarter-deck. At the horizon he noted a ship which under
the lens proved to be that lubberly little cog he had evaded several days
before. Even without worms, using clever tactics, he could easily evade so
clumsy a craft!
Cugel sheeted the sail hard back to the starboard, then jumping up to the
quarter-deck, he swung the wheel to bring the ship around on a port tack,
steering as close to north as the ship would point.
The crew of the cog, noting his tactic, veered to cut him off and drive him
back south into the estuary, but Cugel refused to be intimidated and held his
course.
To the right the low coast of Gador Porrada was now visible; to the left, the
cog blundered importantly through the water.
Using the lens Cugel discerned the gaunt form of Drofo on the bow,
99
signaling triple-bait for the worms.
Madame Soldinck and the three girls came from the galley to stare across the
Page 74
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
water at the cog, and Madame Soldinck screamed officious instructions to
Cugel which were blown away on the wind.
The
Galante, with a hull ill-adapted to sailing, made a great deal of leeway.
For best speed Cugel fell away several points to the east, in the process
veering closer upon the low-lying coast, while the cog pressed relentlessly
down upon him. Cugel desperately swung the wheel, thinking to achieve a
remarkable down-wind jibe which would totally discomfit those persons aboard
the cog, not to mention Madame Soldinck. For best effect he sprang down upon
the deck to trim the sheets, but before he could return to the wheel, the ship
rushed off downwind.
Cugel climbed back to the quarter-deck and spun the wheel, hoping to bring the
ship back on a starboard reach. Glancing toward the near shore of Gador
Porrada, Cugel saw a curious sight: a group of sea-birds walking on what
appeared to be the surface of the water. Cugel stared in wonder, as the sea-
birds walked this way and that, occasionally lowering their heads to peck at
the surface.
The
Galante came to slow sliding halt. Cugel decided that he had run aground on
the Tustvold mud-flats.
So much for birds who walked on water.
A quarter-mile to sea the cog dropped anchor and began to lower a boat.
Madame Soldinck and the girls waved their arms in excitement. Cugel wasted no
time in farewells. He lowered himself over the side and floundered toward the
shore.
The mud was deep, viscous, and smelled most unpleasantly. A heavy ribbed stalk
terminating in a globular eye reared from the mud to peer at him, and twice he
was attacked by pincer-lizards, which luckily he was able to out-
distance.
Finally Cugel arrived at the shore. Rising to his feet, he found that a
contingent from the cog had already arrived aboard the
Galante.
One of the forms Cugel saw to be Soldinck, who pointed toward Cugel and shook
his fist.
At this same moment Cugel discovered that he had left the total sum of his
terces aboard the
Galante, including the six golden centums received from
Soldinck in the sale of Fuscule's worm.
This was a bitter blow. Soldinck was joined at the rail by Madame Soldinck,
who made insulting signals of her own.
Disdaining response, Cugel turned and trudged off along the shore.
100
CHAPTER III FROM TUSTVOLD TO PORT PERDUSZ
1 THE COLUMNS
CUGEL marched along the foreshore, shivering to the bite of the wind. The
landscape was barren and dreary; to the left, black waves broke over the mud-
flats; to the right, a line of low hills barred access to inland regions.
Cugel's mood was bleak. He carried neither terces nor so much as a sharp stick [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]