Втрачений континент: історія Атлантиди
15. Zaemon’s Summons
“MyLordDeucalionwillbekingofthisnewkingdomweshallbuildintheTinIslands,andarightproperkinghe’llmake,asyouuntravelledoneswouldknow,ifyou’dsailedtheouterseaswithhimasIhavedone.”BeneathwhichIreadaregret,butsaidnothing,havingmademyplansfromthemomentofsteppingonboard,aswillappearonalatersheet.
Soondownthegreatestuarywemadeourway,andthoughitpleasuredtheothersonboardwhentheysawthattheseasweredesolateofsails,itsaddenedmewhenIrecalledhowoncethewatershadbeenwhitenedwiththeglutofshipping.
Theyhadstartedoffontheirvoyagewithabaretwodays’provisionintheirequipment,andso,ofnecessityevenafterleavingthegreatestuary,wewereforcedtovoyagecoastwise,puttingintoeverylikelyriverandshelteredbeachtoslayfishandmeatforfuturevictualling.“Andwhenthewintercomes,”saidTob,“asitsgaleswillbeheavierthanthisoldshipcanstomach,Ihaddeterminedtohaulupandmakeapermanentcampashore,andgetacropofgraingrownandthreshedbeforesettingsailagain.Itistheusualcustominthesevoyages.AndIshalldoitstill,subjecttomylord’sbetteropinion.”
Sohere,havingbythistimecompletedatwomonths’leisurelyjourneyfromthecity,IsawmyopportunitytospeakwhatIhadalwayscarriedinmymind.“Tob,”Isaid,“Iamapoor,weak,defencelessman,andIamquiteatyourmercy,butwhatifIdonotvoyageallthewaytotheTinIslands,andoustyouofthiskingship?”
Hebrightenedperceptibly.
