other rewards, not so fine.”
Ulff waited. No one spoke.
“Well, then,” he said, slowly, “ we’ve a few days sailing yet. Time for thought. Your memories may improve, eh? Though your memories won’t matter, once you’re chained in a mine shaft, in Iskarth.” He laughed. “Or perhaps I’ll be most merciful, and merely slip a hook through your guts and drag you behind this ship the rest of the way. Eh?”
He stared at them again, then shrugged.
“Good enough,” he said, and waved at their guards. “Chain them up, out of my sight”
Chapter V
Daniel, following the sleek brown being who now ran on all fours ahead of him, was forced to almost a trotting pace to keep up. It seemed evident that the commands of the Morra-ayar were imperative ones, from Esharr’s haste. And somehow, it seemed that the whole cave city was aware of something, as well. The murmuring and rustling of unseen beings was much louder now, coming from all directions; yet Daniel could see only an occasional shadowy movement in the vast halls.
He had already guessed that the caves lay partly below sea level, and that the rocky pinnacles he had glimpsed at first were merely the upper parts of an enormous complex. It puzzled him to guess how the air pressure within could be kept up, to hold back the sea… if that was what was happening. But he had no time to theorize about it. Esharr had reached the brim of a wider pool, and paused, looking back.
“Come, quickly,” the creature said. “Not far, but must swim now, underneath.” He did not pause, but slid swiftly into the dark water, and Daniel took a deep breath and followed.
It was very dark, but he could see the shadow shape of the otter, just ahead; and he followed, swimming hard to keep up. They were in a great tunnel now, and then, ahead, the water grew bright green with sunlight. The otter swam upward.
Daniel’s head broke the surface; he floated, flinging the wet hair back out of his eyes, blinking and breathing hard.
Then, he saw the Morra-ayar.
There were three of them. They lay, facing him, the sea smooth around them, reflecting their vast bodies like a mirror. All around, the rocky reefs stood like a low wall, except for a wide opening through which they had evidently come. And, as Daniel floated, looking at them, he saw that dim shapes were all around him in the water, just below the surface. At a distance, nearer the reefs, sleek shining heads broke the surface and strange forms clung to the reefs themselves. There were dolphins in vast numbers, but not only dolphins; Daniel could sense, somehow, the presence of a vast crowd of living beings of every kind, though all were silent.
But it was the Morra-ayar who were overwhelmingly there.
Melville, Daniel thought suddenly, and nearly laughed crazily at the memory of the words of a writer who would not be born for innumerable years to come. Like a sea cliff, but living, a mountain moving on the face of the waters…
They were grey, and huge, and their tiny dark eyes glittered, watching him, filled with a strange look that he could not read. But they’re whales, Daniel thought wildly. Why, my ancestors might have used whale oil for lamps, hunted these giants to turn their bones into corsets for fat women… damn it, used their grease to lubricate clocks and their meat to feed poodle dogs!
And the silence remained.
The water was warm and Daniel floated easily, staring at those mountainous beings, waiting. And at last he grew impatient.
“I’m here!” he called out. “What do you want of me?”
THERE IS NO NEED TO SPEAK IN A VOICE.
The words boomed silently in Daniel’s mind; he stared, stricken dumb. Telepathy, he thought. That’s all I needed, creatures that can read minds. A feeling of irrational anger, as though he had suddenly become no more than a beast to such as these, rose within him.
DO NOT BE ANGRY.
Angry? I… damn it. I’m not a pet, I’m a man! Daniel said silently.
YOU ARE A MAN. A MAN IS
Ulff waited. No one spoke.
“Well, then,” he said, slowly, “ we’ve a few days sailing yet. Time for thought. Your memories may improve, eh? Though your memories won’t matter, once you’re chained in a mine shaft, in Iskarth.” He laughed. “Or perhaps I’ll be most merciful, and merely slip a hook through your guts and drag you behind this ship the rest of the way. Eh?”
He stared at them again, then shrugged.
“Good enough,” he said, and waved at their guards. “Chain them up, out of my sight”
Chapter V
Daniel, following the sleek brown being who now ran on all fours ahead of him, was forced to almost a trotting pace to keep up. It seemed evident that the commands of the Morra-ayar were imperative ones, from Esharr’s haste. And somehow, it seemed that the whole cave city was aware of something, as well. The murmuring and rustling of unseen beings was much louder now, coming from all directions; yet Daniel could see only an occasional shadowy movement in the vast halls.
He had already guessed that the caves lay partly below sea level, and that the rocky pinnacles he had glimpsed at first were merely the upper parts of an enormous complex. It puzzled him to guess how the air pressure within could be kept up, to hold back the sea… if that was what was happening. But he had no time to theorize about it. Esharr had reached the brim of a wider pool, and paused, looking back.
“Come, quickly,” the creature said. “Not far, but must swim now, underneath.” He did not pause, but slid swiftly into the dark water, and Daniel took a deep breath and followed.
It was very dark, but he could see the shadow shape of the otter, just ahead; and he followed, swimming hard to keep up. They were in a great tunnel now, and then, ahead, the water grew bright green with sunlight. The otter swam upward.
Daniel’s head broke the surface; he floated, flinging the wet hair back out of his eyes, blinking and breathing hard.
Then, he saw the Morra-ayar.
There were three of them. They lay, facing him, the sea smooth around them, reflecting their vast bodies like a mirror. All around, the rocky reefs stood like a low wall, except for a wide opening through which they had evidently come. And, as Daniel floated, looking at them, he saw that dim shapes were all around him in the water, just below the surface. At a distance, nearer the reefs, sleek shining heads broke the surface and strange forms clung to the reefs themselves. There were dolphins in vast numbers, but not only dolphins; Daniel could sense, somehow, the presence of a vast crowd of living beings of every kind, though all were silent.
But it was the Morra-ayar who were overwhelmingly there.
Melville, Daniel thought suddenly, and nearly laughed crazily at the memory of the words of a writer who would not be born for innumerable years to come. Like a sea cliff, but living, a mountain moving on the face of the waters…
They were grey, and huge, and their tiny dark eyes glittered, watching him, filled with a strange look that he could not read. But they’re whales, Daniel thought wildly. Why, my ancestors might have used whale oil for lamps, hunted these giants to turn their bones into corsets for fat women… damn it, used their grease to lubricate clocks and their meat to feed poodle dogs!
And the silence remained.
The water was warm and Daniel floated easily, staring at those mountainous beings, waiting. And at last he grew impatient.
“I’m here!” he called out. “What do you want of me?”
THERE IS NO NEED TO SPEAK IN A VOICE.
The words boomed silently in Daniel’s mind; he stared, stricken dumb. Telepathy, he thought. That’s all I needed, creatures that can read minds. A feeling of irrational anger, as though he had suddenly become no more than a beast to such as these, rose within him.
DO NOT BE ANGRY.
Angry? I… damn it. I’m not a pet, I’m a man! Daniel said silently.
YOU ARE A MAN. A MAN IS
Similar Books
