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their angle of approach. Or something more.
There had been no flash of lightning, no burst of alchemic effulgence. Just a barely perceptible flutter of
long-fingered hands. The hands of a musician, Simna had mused on more than one occasion. Or hands
that could cast spells.
Without preparation, or magic powder, or wand or crystal orb? All Ehomba had was a spear and two
swords, and while they rode the backs of the dolphins, those devices rode high and secure against the
southerner s back. Simna shook water from his eyes. Was his tall, soft-voiced friend sorcerer or no?
More often than not, he found himself absolutely confused on the matter.
He could not spare the time to cogitate too deeply the conundrum that was Etjole Ehomba. At the
moment he was too busy toiling to keep from falling off.
XX
MANY DAYS PASSED BEFORE THE FLOATING, AIRBORNE PONDS and lakes began to grow
dangerously infrequent. The dolphins had to work harder to clear longer and longer gaps between the
drifting bodies of water. After a while it became impossible to maintain a reasonable northerly heading.
Too much energy was being expended on leaping from side to side instead of forward, like a sailing ship
forced to tack into a steadily decreasing wind.
There finally came a day and an hour when Merlescu and Ehomba agreed that the time had come to call
a halt and make an end to the joyous and fruitful relationship they had established. Neither wished to risk
pressing on until one of the hardworking dolphins fell short of its goal and had to be raised bodily by the
travelers back into the nearest, lowest body of deep water. That Ahlitah by himself could accomplish this
no one doubted, but any dolphin missing a jump who fell to the ground would not find its fall adequately
cushioned by the six inches of water there. Neither the travelers nor Merlescu desired to see that happen.
For their final farewells they chose a pond large enough to aspire to be a lake. Its rippling, curved
underside hovered no more than a foot or so above the surface of the endless shallow swamp that
covered the ground. The school clustered close along the water s edge, looking on and offering
encouragement as the travelers clambered over the side and, one by one, dropped to the pale, tepid
shallows below.
Terse but heartfelt good-byes given, the dolphins turned and, as one, began their return journey
southward, heading for the heart of the land of suspended lakes. The travelers watched them go until the
last pink, curving back had arched out of sight.
Simna gestured at the dripping length of thin, tough vine Ehomba had been utilizing as a rein for days. It
was wrapped in coils around the southerner s shoulder.  What do you plan to do with that? Rope us a
couple of frogs to ride the rest of the way?
 No. But I have a feeling we may eventually have to use it to rope something. With that he started off,
heading due north. Simna marveled at the herdsman s ability to tell direction from an empty sky the way a
thief senses a heavy purse concealed within many folds of garment. He followed without question while
Ahlitah splashed primly alongside, occupying himself with scanning the languid shallows for edible
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mollusks and crustaceans.
By the morning of the next day they had reached a place where the vast, shallow river bay that underlay
the hovering ponds had been reduced to streaks of fading dampness in the sand. Behind them, glittering
and glistening like pearls hung on invisible cords, the floating ponds and lakes stretched south to the main
body of the river and the veldt beyond.
Ahead lay gravel plains dotted with low scrub and clusters of bizarrely shaped succulents. Half a day s
march later found them confronting a desert. The first dunes lifted smooth-sided yellow-brown flanks
toward the deep blue sky.
 More fine country! Simna spat and watched as the dry grains rapidly soaked up his spit.  I long for the
green fields and leafy forests of home. The disgruntled swordsman looked up at Ehomba.  At least
you ll be comfortable.
 What, in this? The herdsman indicated the desiccated terrain that lay before them.
 Hoy, haven t you told me that you come from a desert land?
 No, I have not. Dry, yes. Desert well, to some I suppose it is. But where I come from there are
mountains crowned with trees, and valleys that fill with grass and clover and flowers, and springs that
nourish small lakes and give rise to flowing streams. He nodded northward.  I see none of that here.
Right now, the only thing about this place that reminds me of home is the temperature. He looked to his
right.
 Are you suffering, my four-legged friend?
 Not at all. Not yet, anyway. Ahlitah was panting, the splotched dark pink of the heavy, thick tongue
shockingly bright against his black lips.  I know that when the sun is up I get hotter than my kin because
of my color, but I have grown used to it.
 We re going to need plenty of water. Grim-faced, Simna surveyed the ground ahead.  No telling what
we ll find out there.
 That is what I kept this for.
Turning, Ehomba retraced their steps until he halted before a very small pond. Floating a yard or so
above the ground, it contained no central island, no visible soil of any kind. Reflecting its diminutive size,
only minnows darted in its depths. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]