Beyond the Ebon Wall by C. C. MacApp

Author:C. C. MacApp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fantastic
Published: 1964-10-13T16:00:00+00:00

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This was a real city, with buildings of four or five stories, along: waterfront, bustling noisy crowds busy at all kinds of work. Tural moored and made sure everything was in shape, then called them together and said, "Starboard side slaves will stay aboard tonight. The rest of you may go ashore until noon tomorrow. No more than five slaves to one freeman. I will issue up to one-tenth your pay. Be back on time, or you may as well drown yourselves."

Zeke went in with Ganzo and Lwar, and again they got thoroughly drunk. The next afternoon Tural sought him out and, after a disapproving stare, said, "I've sold the gervel and thirty-odd other beasts, and we're to deliver them at once. You are to take charge of the transfer. There'll be a few extra tid in it for you."

Zeke went in search of Ganzo, whom he found sleeping in the shade of the batrachians' cage. He jostled him awake. They were already under way.

The ship they pulled alongside was as big as any in sight; broader abeam than she might have been for fleetness, but sturdy; with five short masts lateen-rigged as well as two banks of oars. Her skipper was a chunky man, very brown, with face and scalp shaved smooth except for two strands of mustache that hung from the corners of his mouth. He was muscular but had a queer little belly as if he'd swallowed a watermelon whole. He grinned unctuously at Tural, showing broken stained teeth. "Is this the beast? He does not appear over-active."

"If you wish to try him," Tural said, "we can let you into the cage."

The other—Sarn, his name was—spat brown liquid. "I'll stick to the price, though I doubt he'll bring as much as I'd counted on. Do these handlers go along with him?"

Tural said, "You'll clear twice your investment; and they do not."

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