Aldiss, Brian W - Hothouse by Aldiss Brian W

Author:Aldiss, Brian W
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

BY this time the boat had begun to whirl away down the flood. Already they were safe from the Tummy-trees, which fell rapidly behind, their murderous polls still beating the water into lines of spray.

Seeing that they were being carried off, the Fishers began a chorus of groans.

Yattmur paraded before them with her knife out, allowing herself to show no pity for their wounds.

'You Tummy-belly men! You long-tailed sons of swollen plants 1 Cease your noise! Someone real has died and you shall mourn her or I'll throw you all overboard with my own two hands.'

At that the Fishers fell into abject silence. Grouped humbly together, they comforted each other and licked each other's wounds. Running over to Gren, Yattmur put her arm round him and pressed her cheek against his. Only for a moment did he try to resist her.

'Don't mourn too much for Poyly. She was fine in life - but a time comes for all of us to fall to the green. I am here now, and I will be your mate.'

'You will want to get back to your tribe, to the herders,' Gren said miserably.

'Ha! They lie far behind us. How shall I get back? Stand up and see how fast we are being swept along! I can hardly see the Black Mouth now - it's no bigger than one of my nipples. We are in danger, O Gren. Rouse yourself ! Ask your magical friend the morel where we are going.'

'I don't care what happens to us now.'

'Look Gren -'

A shout rose from the Fishers. They showed a sort of apathetic interest, pointing ahead and calling, which was enough to pull Yattmur and Gren up at once.

Their boat was rapidly being swept towards another. More than one Fishers'

colony grew by the banks of the Long Water. Another loomed ahead. Two bulging Tummy-trees marked its position. This colony's net was out across the stream, its boat resting against the far bank, full of Fishers. Their tails hung over the river along the top of the net.

'We're going to hit them!' Gren said. 'What are we going to do?'

'No, we shall miss their boat. Perhaps their net will stop us. Then we can get safely ashore.'

'Look at these fools climbing on to the sides of the boat. They'll be jerked overboard.' He called to the Fishers in question, who were swarming over the bows.

'Hey, you Short-tails! get down there, or you'll be flung into the water.'

His cry was drowned by their shouts and the roar of the water. They were rushing irresistibly toward the other boat. Next moment they struck the net that stretched across their path.

The cumbersome boat squealed and lurched. Several Fishers were flung down into the water by the impact. One of them managed to jump the narrowing distance into the other boat. The two vessels struck glancingly, cannoned off each other - and then the securing rope across the river broke.

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