Look To Windward by Banks Iain M

Author:Banks, Iain M. [Banks, Iain M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Science
ISBN: 0743421922
Publisher: Pocket
Published: 2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Culture 7 - Look to Windward

10

The Seastacks of Youmier

And was Tersono equal to the task? More than equal physically, Hub tells me, despite its protestations that it risked tearing itself apart. However I think that whatever empowers its will is also charged with maintaining its dignity and so is normally pretty much fully occupied with that.

But was it able to free your car from the tree?

Yes, finally, though it took its time and it made a terrible mess of things. It shredded the cars mainsail, broke the mast and cut away half the tree.

And what of Zillers pipe?

Bitten in half. Hub repaired it for him.

Ah. I was wondering if I might have made him a present of a replacement.

Im not sure hed take it in the spirit it was meant, Quil. Especially as its something he would be putting in his mouth.

You suspect he might think I was trying to poison him?

It might occur to him.

I see. I still have a way to go, dont I?

Yes, you do.

And how much further do we have to go here, on our walk?

Another three or four kilometres. Kabe looked up at the sun. We should be there nicely in time for lunch.

Kabe and Quilan were walking along the cliff tops of the Vilster Peninsula on Fzan Plate. To their right, thirty metres below, Fzan Ocean beat against the rocks. The haze horizon swam with scattered islands. Closer in, a few sailboats and larger craft cut through the spreading patterns of the waves.

A cool wind came off the sea. It whipped Kabes coat about his legs and Quilans robes snapped and fluttered about him as he led the way along the narrow path though the tall grass. To their left the ground sloped away to deep grassland and then a forest of tall cloudtrees. Ahead, the land rose to a modest headland and a ridge heading inland notched with a cleft for one branch of the path they were on. They were taking the more strenuous and exposed route along the cliff top.

Quilan turned his head to look down towards the waves falling against tumbled rocks at the cliffs base. The smell of brine was the same here.

Remembering again. Quil?

Yes.

Youre close to the edge. Mind you dont fall.

-~ I will.

Snow was falling in the courtyard of the monastery of Cadracet, sinking gently from a silent grey sky. Quilan had brought up the rear of the firewood foraging detail, preferring to walk in solitude and silence as the others trudged up the trail ahead. The other monks had all gone inside to the warmth of the great halls hearth by the time he closed the postern door behind him, scuffed through the light covering of snow on the courtyards stones and dumped his basket of wood with the rest under the gallery.

He dallied a moment, soaking up the fresh, clean smell of the wood - he remembered a time when theyd taken a hunting cabin in the Loustrian Hills, just the two of them. The

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.