Read Online Dragon Stones by James V. Viscosi - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: James V. Viscosi
Ads: Link
"I can't have you wandering the ship, getting in the way, learning all our secrets."
Ponn took a deep breath, then said: "And my daughter?"
"Impatient innkeeper! You'll have her back when we return safely. No treachery on the high seas from you."
"Is she here? Are you keeping her in Shaumi's hut?"
"Who?"
"The caretaker." Ponn pointed at the guarded hovel.
"Caretaker?" Gelt glanced over his shoulder at the cabin. "Oh, is that the old man's function? We thought he was some sort of crazy hermit. He raised quite a fuss when we arrived; I'm afraid we had to get rough with him."
He was grinning as he said it. Ponn imagined Gelt's brutish thugs surrounding Shaumi, knocking the poor man to the ground, kicking and stomping on him, laughing all the while. He shook his head in disgust, walked away, and sat in the shade of the ocean palms as Gelt's hirelings finished preparing the boat. When they started leading the eagles aboard, he stood and found Gelt again. "What are you bringing those creatures for?" he said.
"You're the guide, not the captain," Gelt said. He looked at the sun. "It's time you came aboard and had a look at our maps."
"Have you found any sign of Pord on the ship?"
"Pord? What's a Pord?"
"My son," Ponn said icily.
"Why do all your names sound alike? Pord, Ponn, Prehn."
"It's a family tradition. All our names start with the same letter."
"You savages have traditions? How amusing. What about your wife? Her name's Plenn, isn't it? Did you wed your own sister?"
"She took that name when we married," Ponn said. "Have you found Pord or not?"
Gelt shrugged. "I don't know. All you people look the same to me. If he stowed away, he'll just have to come with us. Perhaps we'll find him and put him to work, eh? Can he sail?"
Ponn, tight-lipped, said nothing.
"Boys do love an adventure," Gelt said. He threw an arm around Ponn and steered him toward the gangplank. "Now come aboard. There are charts to be reviewed."
Gelt guided Ponn onto the ship and directed him to the forecastle, where he found the navigator plotting a course on a hand-drawn map of the nearby waters. Ponn immediately saw that it was badly out of date. "Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Gelt gave it to me."
"Gelt must want to run aground, then. The sea changes quickly here because of the volcanoes. A chart this old is worse than useless." He took the man's charcoal and reshaped the reefs and islands, then began adding new ones.
While he was working, Gelt entered, watched for a while, and then said: "What are you doing?"
"Updating your chart so that you don't wreck my boat."
"You see, this is why I needed you along."
Ponn put down the charcoal and looked at the man. "I don't suppose it occurred to you to hire me instead of coercing me by abducting my daughter."
"You wouldn't have accepted a hire to go to the islands."
"No, but I would have drawn a chart for you. What do you want out there, anyway?"
"You're forgetting your place again. I'm the captain, you're the guide." He gave Ponn a pat on the back. "I know you savages have difficulty learning, but try to remember that, at least." He turned and went back out onto the deck.
Seething, Ponn returned to the chart.
They set sail just as the sun cleared the mountainous ridges surrounding the lagoon. The helmsman guided them through a narrow gap in the barrier reef; they sailed directly out to sea until the water became deep enough to alleviate the danger from unseen, uncharted shoals. Gelt gave an order to swing the bow south and head for the islands. The riggers adjusted the limp sails, the rowers grunted with their oars, the navigator consulted the chart, the wheel squeaked in the helmsman's grip. Ponn went to the prow and watched the hull split the water. To his right, the jungle scrolled by, thinning as the chain of fire mountains came down to the sea, finally replaced altogether by smoking,
Ponn took a deep breath, then said: "And my daughter?"
"Impatient innkeeper! You'll have her back when we return safely. No treachery on the high seas from you."
"Is she here? Are you keeping her in Shaumi's hut?"
"Who?"
"The caretaker." Ponn pointed at the guarded hovel.
"Caretaker?" Gelt glanced over his shoulder at the cabin. "Oh, is that the old man's function? We thought he was some sort of crazy hermit. He raised quite a fuss when we arrived; I'm afraid we had to get rough with him."
He was grinning as he said it. Ponn imagined Gelt's brutish thugs surrounding Shaumi, knocking the poor man to the ground, kicking and stomping on him, laughing all the while. He shook his head in disgust, walked away, and sat in the shade of the ocean palms as Gelt's hirelings finished preparing the boat. When they started leading the eagles aboard, he stood and found Gelt again. "What are you bringing those creatures for?" he said.
"You're the guide, not the captain," Gelt said. He looked at the sun. "It's time you came aboard and had a look at our maps."
"Have you found any sign of Pord on the ship?"
"Pord? What's a Pord?"
"My son," Ponn said icily.
"Why do all your names sound alike? Pord, Ponn, Prehn."
"It's a family tradition. All our names start with the same letter."
"You savages have traditions? How amusing. What about your wife? Her name's Plenn, isn't it? Did you wed your own sister?"
"She took that name when we married," Ponn said. "Have you found Pord or not?"
Gelt shrugged. "I don't know. All you people look the same to me. If he stowed away, he'll just have to come with us. Perhaps we'll find him and put him to work, eh? Can he sail?"
Ponn, tight-lipped, said nothing.
"Boys do love an adventure," Gelt said. He threw an arm around Ponn and steered him toward the gangplank. "Now come aboard. There are charts to be reviewed."
Gelt guided Ponn onto the ship and directed him to the forecastle, where he found the navigator plotting a course on a hand-drawn map of the nearby waters. Ponn immediately saw that it was badly out of date. "Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Gelt gave it to me."
"Gelt must want to run aground, then. The sea changes quickly here because of the volcanoes. A chart this old is worse than useless." He took the man's charcoal and reshaped the reefs and islands, then began adding new ones.
While he was working, Gelt entered, watched for a while, and then said: "What are you doing?"
"Updating your chart so that you don't wreck my boat."
"You see, this is why I needed you along."
Ponn put down the charcoal and looked at the man. "I don't suppose it occurred to you to hire me instead of coercing me by abducting my daughter."
"You wouldn't have accepted a hire to go to the islands."
"No, but I would have drawn a chart for you. What do you want out there, anyway?"
"You're forgetting your place again. I'm the captain, you're the guide." He gave Ponn a pat on the back. "I know you savages have difficulty learning, but try to remember that, at least." He turned and went back out onto the deck.
Seething, Ponn returned to the chart.
They set sail just as the sun cleared the mountainous ridges surrounding the lagoon. The helmsman guided them through a narrow gap in the barrier reef; they sailed directly out to sea until the water became deep enough to alleviate the danger from unseen, uncharted shoals. Gelt gave an order to swing the bow south and head for the islands. The riggers adjusted the limp sails, the rowers grunted with their oars, the navigator consulted the chart, the wheel squeaked in the helmsman's grip. Ponn went to the prow and watched the hull split the water. To his right, the jungle scrolled by, thinning as the chain of fire mountains came down to the sea, finally replaced altogether by smoking,
Similar Books
