[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
When he was finished underneath the wagon, he crawled out, stared at
Clothahump. "I accept. It will make up the difference."
"How munificent of you!" Caz had taken no part in the bargaining,
but his expression revealed he was something less than pleased by the outcome.
"The wagon alone is worth twenty goldpieces. You would leave us broke and
destitute."
"Perhaps," admitted Bribbens, "but I'm the only one who stands a
chance of leaving you broke and destitute at your desired destination. I won't
argue with you." He paused, added as an afterthought, "Dinner's about ready to
boil over. Make up your minds."
"We have little choice," said Clothahump, "and no further use for
the wagon anyway." He glared at Caz, who turned away and studied the river,
unrepentant. "We agree. When can we start?"
"Tomorrow morning. I have my own preparations to make and supplies
to lay in. Meanwhile, I suggest you all get a good night's sleep." Bribbens
looked at the cliffs which rose to the east.
"Into the Teeth." He fixed a bulbous eye on Jen-Tom. "You'll have no
need for money in there, nor on the other side, if there is one. My offspring
will find it here if I don't come back, and it will do them more good than the
dead."
Humming to himself, he turned and padded back toward his house.
They slept in the wagon again that night. As Bribbens formally
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
explained, their fee included only his services and transport and did not
extend to the use of his home.
But the following morning he was up before the sun and was ready to
depart before they'd hardly awakened. "I like to get an early start," he
explained as they gathered themselves for the journey. "I give value for
money. You pay for a day's travel, you get a day's travel."
Caz adjusted his monocle. "Reasonable enough, considering that we've
given a month's pay for every day we're likely to travel."
Bribbens looked unperturbed. "I once saw a rabbit who'd had all his
fur shaved off. He was a mighty funny-looking critter."
"And I," countered Caz with equal aplomb, "once saw a ftog whose
mouth was too big for his head. He experienced a terrible accident."
"What kind of accident?" inquired Bribbens, unimpressed.
"Foot-in-mouth. Worst case I ever saw. It turned out to be fatal."
"Frogs aren't subject to hoof-in-mouth."
The rabbit smiled tolerantly. "My foot in his mouth."
The two held their stares another moment. Then Bribbens smiled, an
expression particularly suited to frogs.
"I've seen it happen to creatures other than my own kind,
three-eyes."
Caz grinned back. "It's common enough, I suppose. And I see better
out of one eye than most people do out of two."
"See your way to moving a little faster, then. We can't sleep here
all day." The boatman ambled off.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Talea was leaning out of the wagon, brushing sleepily at reluctant
curls tight as steel springs.
"Since you layabouts aren't ready yet, I'm going to take the time to
secure my team and wagon and lay out fodder for them," said the frog.
"Possessive little bugger, ain't 'e?" Mudge commented.
"It's his wagon and team now, Mudge." Jon-Tom carefully slipped his
staff into the loops crossing his back beneath the flashing emerald cape.
"They're in his care. Just like we are."
When they were all assembled on the boat and had tied down their
packs and supplies, Bribbens loosed the ropes, neatly coiled them in place,
and leaned on the long steering oar. The boat slid out into the river. Pog
shifted his grip on the spreaders high up on the mast and watched as silver
sky raced past blue ground.
Before very long the current caught them. The cove with its
mud-and-thatch house vanished behind. Ahead lay a graybrown wall of granite
and ice; home to arboreal carnivores, undisciplined winds, and racing
cloud-crowns.
Jon-Tom lay down on the edge of the craft and let a hand trail
lazily in the water. It was difficult to think of the journey they'd embarked
upon as threatening. The water was warmed from its long journey down from
distant Kreshfarm-in-theGeegs. The sun often snuck clear of obstructing clouds
to lie pleasantly on one's face. And there seemed no chance of rain until the
night.
"Three days to get to the base of the mountains, you said?"
"That's right, man," Bribbens replied. The boatman did not look at
Jon-Tom when he spoke. His right arm was curled around the shaft of the
steering oar, and his eyes were on the river ahead. He sat in a chair built
onto the railing at the craft's stem. A long, thin curved pipe dangled from
thick lips. River breeze carried the thin smoke from its small white bowl up
into the sky.
Page 67
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"How far into the mountains does the river go?" Flor was on her
knees, staring over the front of the boat. Her voice was full of expectation
and excitement.
"Nobody knows," said Bribbens. "Leagues, maybe weeks worth. Maybe
only a few hours."
"Where does it end, do you suppose? In an underground lake?"
"Helldrink," said the boatman.
"And what's Helldrink, Senor Ranar'
"A rumor. A story. An amalgam of all the fears of every creature
that's ever navigated on the waters in times of trouble, during bad storms or
on leaking ships, in foul harbors or under the lash of a drunken captain. I've
spent my life on me water and in it. It would be worth the trip to me if we
should find it, even should it mean my death. It's where all true sailors
should end up."
"Does that mean we're likely to get a refund?" inquired Caz. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
When he was finished underneath the wagon, he crawled out, stared at
Clothahump. "I accept. It will make up the difference."
"How munificent of you!" Caz had taken no part in the bargaining,
but his expression revealed he was something less than pleased by the outcome.
"The wagon alone is worth twenty goldpieces. You would leave us broke and
destitute."
"Perhaps," admitted Bribbens, "but I'm the only one who stands a
chance of leaving you broke and destitute at your desired destination. I won't
argue with you." He paused, added as an afterthought, "Dinner's about ready to
boil over. Make up your minds."
"We have little choice," said Clothahump, "and no further use for
the wagon anyway." He glared at Caz, who turned away and studied the river,
unrepentant. "We agree. When can we start?"
"Tomorrow morning. I have my own preparations to make and supplies
to lay in. Meanwhile, I suggest you all get a good night's sleep." Bribbens
looked at the cliffs which rose to the east.
"Into the Teeth." He fixed a bulbous eye on Jen-Tom. "You'll have no
need for money in there, nor on the other side, if there is one. My offspring
will find it here if I don't come back, and it will do them more good than the
dead."
Humming to himself, he turned and padded back toward his house.
They slept in the wagon again that night. As Bribbens formally
Page 65
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
explained, their fee included only his services and transport and did not
extend to the use of his home.
But the following morning he was up before the sun and was ready to
depart before they'd hardly awakened. "I like to get an early start," he
explained as they gathered themselves for the journey. "I give value for
money. You pay for a day's travel, you get a day's travel."
Caz adjusted his monocle. "Reasonable enough, considering that we've
given a month's pay for every day we're likely to travel."
Bribbens looked unperturbed. "I once saw a rabbit who'd had all his
fur shaved off. He was a mighty funny-looking critter."
"And I," countered Caz with equal aplomb, "once saw a ftog whose
mouth was too big for his head. He experienced a terrible accident."
"What kind of accident?" inquired Bribbens, unimpressed.
"Foot-in-mouth. Worst case I ever saw. It turned out to be fatal."
"Frogs aren't subject to hoof-in-mouth."
The rabbit smiled tolerantly. "My foot in his mouth."
The two held their stares another moment. Then Bribbens smiled, an
expression particularly suited to frogs.
"I've seen it happen to creatures other than my own kind,
three-eyes."
Caz grinned back. "It's common enough, I suppose. And I see better
out of one eye than most people do out of two."
"See your way to moving a little faster, then. We can't sleep here
all day." The boatman ambled off.
Page 66
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Talea was leaning out of the wagon, brushing sleepily at reluctant
curls tight as steel springs.
"Since you layabouts aren't ready yet, I'm going to take the time to
secure my team and wagon and lay out fodder for them," said the frog.
"Possessive little bugger, ain't 'e?" Mudge commented.
"It's his wagon and team now, Mudge." Jon-Tom carefully slipped his
staff into the loops crossing his back beneath the flashing emerald cape.
"They're in his care. Just like we are."
When they were all assembled on the boat and had tied down their
packs and supplies, Bribbens loosed the ropes, neatly coiled them in place,
and leaned on the long steering oar. The boat slid out into the river. Pog
shifted his grip on the spreaders high up on the mast and watched as silver
sky raced past blue ground.
Before very long the current caught them. The cove with its
mud-and-thatch house vanished behind. Ahead lay a graybrown wall of granite
and ice; home to arboreal carnivores, undisciplined winds, and racing
cloud-crowns.
Jon-Tom lay down on the edge of the craft and let a hand trail
lazily in the water. It was difficult to think of the journey they'd embarked
upon as threatening. The water was warmed from its long journey down from
distant Kreshfarm-in-theGeegs. The sun often snuck clear of obstructing clouds
to lie pleasantly on one's face. And there seemed no chance of rain until the
night.
"Three days to get to the base of the mountains, you said?"
"That's right, man," Bribbens replied. The boatman did not look at
Jon-Tom when he spoke. His right arm was curled around the shaft of the
steering oar, and his eyes were on the river ahead. He sat in a chair built
onto the railing at the craft's stem. A long, thin curved pipe dangled from
thick lips. River breeze carried the thin smoke from its small white bowl up
into the sky.
Page 67
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"How far into the mountains does the river go?" Flor was on her
knees, staring over the front of the boat. Her voice was full of expectation
and excitement.
"Nobody knows," said Bribbens. "Leagues, maybe weeks worth. Maybe
only a few hours."
"Where does it end, do you suppose? In an underground lake?"
"Helldrink," said the boatman.
"And what's Helldrink, Senor Ranar'
"A rumor. A story. An amalgam of all the fears of every creature
that's ever navigated on the waters in times of trouble, during bad storms or
on leaking ships, in foul harbors or under the lash of a drunken captain. I've
spent my life on me water and in it. It would be worth the trip to me if we
should find it, even should it mean my death. It's where all true sailors
should end up."
"Does that mean we're likely to get a refund?" inquired Caz. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]