A Triumph of Souls by Alan Dean Foster Read Free Book Online

turned and shouted commands. “Terious! Tell Uppin the carpenter to pick a crew
     to help him and have him get started on the necessary repairs. Once they’ve begun, see to the sails and rigging. Choose two
     men to settle the mess belowdecks!”

    “Ayesh, Captain!” Turning, the first mate commenced to issue orders of his own.
    Scrutinizing the enclosing green slopes, Stanager remained uneasy. “This valley we’ve slipped into; will it stay stable? If
     these walls decide to collapse in upon us, we’ll become instant chum.”
    “When the old people of my village who have the most experience with the sea mention such a place, they speak of it as something
     that lingers long. I think we will be all right here. How long will it take your people to make the ship right again?”
    She deliberated. “The damage is not crippling, but if left unattended to, it would surely have become so. We’ve a full day’s
     work ahead of us, more likely two.”
    “Good!” Simna, for one, was not disappointed. Leaning on the rail, he surveyed their implausible surroundings. “I could do
     with a couple days of knowing where my legs are going to be at all times. Not to mention my belly.” He glanced hopefully at
     the herdsman. “If this phenomenon is as steadfast as you say, bruther, maybe we could lower one of the small boats and do
     some fishing.”
    “I do not see why you could not,” Ehomba replied encouragingly.
    “Why not fish from the
Grömsketter
?” Stanager frowned at him.
    “My tackle won’t reach the water.”
    “Tackle?” Her puzzlement deepened in tandem with her frown. “I didn’t notice any fishing gear among your baggage.”
    He winked at her. “You were looking at the wrong baggage.” Turning, he yelled down in the direction of the mainmast, where
     a large black, furry mass lay half asleep,purring sonorously. “Hoy, kitty! Feel like some fresh fish?”
    The litah yawned majestically. “I told you not to call me that. But I always feel like fresh fish.”
    “Then I’ll be right down.” Passing the Captain, the swordsman arched his eyebrows at her. “That’s my tackle.”
    The sounds of hammering and sawing rose from the main deck where Uppin the carpenter and his commandeered assistants were
     already hard at work making preparations to carry out the necessary repairs to the ship. Something rose up behind Ehomba and
     the Captain, shading them from the intermittent sun.
    “Hunkapa go fish too?”
    “Not this time, my friend.” Ehomba smiled sympathetically. “A little enthusiasm on your part goes a long way. I can see you
     catching a fish and in the excitement of the moment, drenching Simna and Ahlitah all over again.” He indicated the bustle
     of fresh activity that filled the main deck. “Why not see if you can help the crew with their work? I am sure they could use
     an extra pair of strong hands.”
    More than human teeth flashed amidst the gray hair. “Good idea, friend Etjole. Hunkapa strong! Hunkapa go and help.”
    Stanager watched him descend to the main deck in a single, booming hop that disdained use of the stairs. “Sometime you must
     tell me how you came to gain the allegiance of two such remarkable creatures.”
    Ehomba grinned. “Simna would be upset that you left him out.”
    She snorted derisively. “In my time I’ve had to dealwith all too many puffed-up, self-important vagabonds and mercenaries like him. He aspires to far more than he can ever hope
     to attain.”
    “Do not underestimate him. He swaggers like a farmyard cock, but he is brave, courageous, and, to a certain degree I have
     yet to measure accurately, true.”
    “I know what he is,” she retorted sharply. “The question is, what are you, Etjole Ehomba?” One toughened yet surprisingly
     soft shoulder pushed, perhaps accidentally, perhaps not, against his side.
    “What I am, Captain, is a humble herder of cattle and sheep. One with a loving wife and two fine children, whom I do not fail
     to