Потерянный континент: история Атлантиды
5. Zaemon’s Curse
Shesentacorpsoftwentytotheheadlandthatoverlooksthesea-entrancetothestraits;theystartedwiththenews,eachonhisownroute;anditsaysmuchfortheirspeedandcleverness,thatnofewerthansevenoftheseagilefellowscamethroughscathlesswiththeirtidings,andoftheothersitwassaidthatquitethreewereknowntohavesurvived.
Still,aboutthiswehadnomeansofknowingatthetime,andpushedoninfancythatourcomingwasquiteunheralded.Theslavesonthegalley’srow-bankswereforthemostpartsavagesfromEurope,andthesmellofthemwassooffensivethatthevoyagelostallitspleasures;andas,moreover,thewindcarriedwithitaninfiniteabundanceofsmallgritfromsomeeruptingfiremountain,wewereanxioustolingeraslittleaspossible.Besides,ifImayconfesstosuchathingwithoutbeingundulydegraded,althoughbymypriestlytrainingIhadbeentaughtstoicism,andknewthatallthefuturewasinthehandsoftheGods,IwasfraillyhumanstilltohaveaveryvastcuriosityastowhatwouldbetheformofmyownreceptionatAtlantis.Icouldimaginemyselftakenaformalprisoneronlanding,andsetonaformaltrialtoanswerformycureofthecolonyofYucatan;Icouldimaginemyselfsteppingashoreunknownandunnoticed,andafteraduelapse,beingsentforbytheEmpresstotakeupnewduties;butthemannerofmyrealwelcomewasathingIdidnotevenguessat.
