Ship of Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page B

Nith, he might just have told Kuranes all about us.”
    Hero looked down at Eldin’s upturned face. “What? Are we notorious, then? What we did in Celephais wasn’t so bad … Considering.”
    “Let’s hope you’re right,” Eldin growled deep in his throat. “But quiet now, they’re waiting for us.”
    As they reached the rail willing hands helped them climb aboard. Too willing, as it transpired, for when at last they stood upon the deck it was without their swords. They had been deftly removed and passed into the hands of members of the ship’s crew where they stood behind a uniformed circle of pikemen. The pikes of the latter were all centered upon Eldin and Hero.
    “Here, lads,” said Eldin in a gruff hurt voice, “is this any way to welcome a pair of fellow sea dogs?” Holding his stomach in from the points of the pikes, he looked askance at his companion.
    The pikemen were all small men, but sturdy, and many of them had the aristocratic looks of men of Ilek-Vad. “Who are you?” their commander asked. “And what were you doing out on the Cerenerian Sea in a small boat?”
    “Us?” Hero tried his hardest to look innocent. “Why, we’re, er, fishermen, of course. Blown off course by a storm—and then attacked by night-gaunts.”
    “From which you rescued us,” added Eldin, “which proves our story.”
    The commander nodded. “Oh, we rescued you from gaunts, all right—but what’s this about a storm?” He frowned. “Why, there’s been nought but fair weather for a threemonth!”
    Now the vessel’s captain came forward, pushing through the pikemen until he faced the newcomers. He was tall for a native of the dreamlands, bearded and keen-eyed. His eyes narrowed now as he stared at the two, and a grin spread slowly across his face. “By all that’s—” he began. “Why! It’s Eldin the Wanderer and David Hero!” He grasped Hero’s hand and pumped it, then thumped Eldin’s shoulder with a clenched fist.
    Eldin roared delightedly and returned to the punch.
“Look who it is, David!” he cried. “Why, it’s old—er—old …”
    “Dass,” the captain prompted him. “Limnar Dass.” He smiled broadly and turned to Hero. “Don’t you remember me? That fight in the tavern at Barrugas—the way we had to make a run for it?”
    “Eh?” said Hero, wildly searching his memory. There had been a good many brawls in a good many places. Finally he said, “Of course we remember you, er, Dass, certainly.” But despite his assurance a niggling doubt was growing in the back of his mind. “We remember him, don’t we, Eldin?”
    “Damn right!” cried Eldin, pummeling the captain’s shoulder again for good measure.
    But Dass had stopped smiling. “I never saw you in my life before,” he coldly stated. “But at least we now know for sure that you are who we thought you were. As for Barrugas: I was never there. Since it’s a snake’s nest of thieves, however, I was pretty sure that you two would know it—Eldin the Wanderer and David Hero!”
    “That was a dirty trick,” Eldin snarled, reaching for the captain’s throat with hands like great hams. A pike prodded him in the midriff and another lifted to point at his heart.
    “Easy, old lad,” said Hero softly, his hands tight knots of iron hanging at his sides. “Now is not the time. You’re right though—it was a damned dirty trick.”
    “Perhaps it was,” said Dass. “And perhaps I should have made you ‘swim,’ as you made the owner of your stolen boat! No, no, you two—don’t talk to me about dirty tricks. Would you have preferred to stay aboard yon hulk there?” He pointed to the little fishing vessel where it slid slowly downward into clouds, its prow pointing skyward until, gaining speed, it disappeared from view.
    “All right,” said Hero with a shrug. “As it happens you’ve done us a favor. And you know all about us. Which only leaves one question. What now?”
    Now the captain’s grin was an honest one. He